Is your surgeon's experience important?

LASIK is not magic. Though LASIK involves the use of incredibly sophisticated laser technology, a highly experienced surgeon is not only important, it is mandatory. Some surgeons are clearly more able to provide consistently good results than others. This is not accidental, it is a reflection of exquisite surgical skill, superior hand-eye coordination, a keen understanding of specialized surgical techniques to minimize complications, and sophisticated clinical judgment.

Can LASIK treat astigmatism?

Not only is LASIK able to treat astigmatism, the vast majority of LASIK patients--over 80%--have astigmatism which is treated as part of their procedure. The lasers used in LASIK have been able to treat astigmatism for years. The very first FDA approval for treating astigmatism with lasers came over ten years ago. Since then, every major laser manufacturer (Bausch & Lomb, Alcon, Nidek, and Allegretto) has been approved by the FDA for astigmatic LASIK treatments. Treating astigmatism with LASIK is absolutely routine.

What is the age limit of LASIK ?

Chronological age is not really the important issue; it is more the stability of your prescription. Some people have stable prescriptions at age 17, and some have unstable prescriptions at age 35. All lasers used for LASIK are approved by the FDA for use in patients under 25. Most lasers are approved for patients 21 and over, and there are some approved for ages 18 and over. The average age of a LASIK patient in our centers is 39...which means that half our patients are 40 and over. This is typical in most LASIK practices, and most surveys in the vision correction industry reflect an average age just under 40.

Does the effect of LASIK wear off ?

Although this is a common misbelief, this is simply not true. A study published in the January 2008 issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology showed very good long-term results 10 years after LASIK. Regression was found to be a miniscule 0.1D per year, and best corrected vision was actually found to improve over time.

What is the long-term effect of LASIK?

The first LASIK procedure was performed in 1989. Since then, tens of millions of LASIK procedures have been performed, and there are no known long-term side effects. The LASIK procedure itself is based on a procedure called myopic keratomileusis (MKM), which had been developed in South America and performed since the 1950s.

Can LASIK treat the need for reading glasses?

There are two focusing problems of the eyes which cause people to need reading glasses; presbyopia, which is the aging of the lens inside the eye, and hyperopia, commonly known as farsightedness. Farsightedness is easily treated with hyperopic LASIK, which was approved by the FDA in 1998. Presbyopia is commonly treated with LASIK using the monovision technique.