1) What is LASIK?

LASIK is a permanent surgical procedure designed to reduce or eliminate nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatis

2) How is it done?

LASIK is performed by using either a blade called a microkeratome or the IntraLase laser to make a thin flap of corneal tissue. The flap is raised and another laser is used to gently reshape the cornea. The flap is then carefully returned.

3) Am I a candidate for LASIK?

Only your eye care professional can answer that question. LASIK is best suited for those who can no longer tolerate to contact lenses or those who are tired of wearing glasses. Typical disqualifiers are eye diseases especially those related to the cornea, moderate to severe dry eye syndrome, lack of sufficient corneal thickness, and women who are pregnant or nursing.

4) Does LASIK help bifocal wearers?

Yes and no. In most cases glasses wearers that are over 45 have their distance vision corrected and wear reading glasses for near. An alternative is monovision. Monovision is where we treat the dominant eye for distance and the non-dominant eye for near. Not everyone can adapt to monovision, so we do a trial of monovision contacts for a few weeks to ensure you can adapt. A better option for bifocal wearers is often the Rezoom 3.0, an implantable bifocal ocular lens.

5) What is the difference between microkeratome and IntraLase LASIK?

The IntraLase LASIK is the newest generation procedure. The IntraLase laser makes a much more precise, smoother, predictable flap. The underlying corneal tissue is also much smoother, which provides a better visual outcome. The IntraLase laser also minimizes potential complications associated with LASIK such as dry eyes, thin flaps, and wrinkled flaps. IntraLase LASIK is the only accepted procedure for U.S. NAVY pilots.

6) Why don’t all laser centers offer IntraLase?

Reasons may vary from center to center, but most often it boils down to cost. The cost to own and operate an IntraLase laser is 10 times greater than a microkeratome.

7) What is custom LASIK?

Think of Custom LASIK as high definition for your eyes. Custom LASIK uses advanced wavefront technology to map all aspects of the visual system, allowing us to correct for internal aberrations. Custom LASIK frequently allows us to correct to 20/15 or better. This is even higher than the standard 20/20 most people are familiar with.

 8) Am I a candidate for Custom LASIK?

Only your eye doctor will be able to answer that question. Custom LASIK requires a little more tissue be removed during surgery, so you must have sufficient corneal thickness. If you tend to over focus, you may also not be a candidate

9) What is the cost of LASIK?

LASIK has become an affordable solution for millions of people worldwide. Call your LASIK professional at Sharp Eyes for more information. You may qualify for no interest or low interest financing on your LASIK.