All
About LASIK
Eye Surgery
What
does LASIK mean?
LASIK
is an acronym for the scientific term for the procedure. That
term is
“laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis.”
What
is LASIK?
LASIK
is a type of eye surgery that corrects refractive aberrations
in the
cornea. A trained surgeon cuts a flap in your corneal tissue and
reshapes
the corneas of your eyes to correct deficiencies and improve your
vision.
Are
there any risks?
Side
effects and complications do occasionally occur, however they
are very
rare. No surgery is foolproof, so there is a small risk involved.
The
most frequently occurring complications include dry eyes or inflammation,
under or over correction, and vision loss. Surgeons do their best
to reduce
these risks by screening for the appropriate candidates. Patients
with
certain conditions like diabetes or an immunodeficiency condition
have
increased risks. If you are concerned about your personal risk
level, an
ophthalmologist should be able to provide you with more information.
How
much will LASIK cost?
As
the procedure becomes more common, the price of LASIK is going
down. The
surgery may cost anywhere from $1000 to $3000 per eye depending
on the
surgeon you choose, the method you choose, and the pre and post-operation
services required.
Will
my medical insurance cover LASIK surgery?
Because
LASIK is a voluntary procedure for most people, the majority of
insurance providers still consider it an elective or cosmetic
procedure. It
is gaining recognition as a viable alternative to glasses or contact
lenses,
and in Europe most insurance companies do cover it, but in the
United States
the surgery is rarely considered necessary enough to qualify for
coverage.
Because LASIK is so rarely covered by insurance, most clinics
offering LASIK
services offer a variety of payment plans.
Does
LASIK work for everyone?
LASIK
is not yet approved to treat all conditions. Furthermore, patients
with certain structural abnormalities of the eye like enlarged
pupils or
thin corneas have an increased risk of complications. Consult
with a surgeon
to see if there is a procedure that will work for you.
Will
I feel any pain during or after LASIK?
LASIK
surgery is accompanied by a minimum of pain. During the surgery,
few
patients register anything above minor discomfort. Before entering
the
operating room, the surgeon will anesthetize your eyes via eye
drops and may
administer a light sedative to keep you relaxed. Immediately after
surgery
you might have a dull soreness in your eyes as they adjust, but
this is
usually effectively treated with little more than an over the
counter painkiller like Tylenol or Aleve.
How
many LASIK procedures are there?
As
the technology advances, more and more procedures are being approved.
Currently there are over a dozen FDA-approved forms of LASIK surgery.
Some
of the newest procedures include IntraLase, frequently called
the “all
laser” procedure because it uses a bladeless femtosecond
laser to cut the
corneal flap in place of the traditional microkeratome instrument.
Another
LASIK procedure that is gaining in popularity is photorefractive
keratectomy
(or PRK), which removes the outer layer of cells from the eye
before
reshaping the cornea.
If
you still have questions about LASIK eye surgery, its risks, and
its
benefits speak with your ophthalmologist or a qualified LASIK
surgeon
directly. Additional statistical information is available on the
U.S. Food
and Drug Administration’s official website for LASIK at
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/LASIK.*
