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The mission of Brown Refractive Surgery is to provide the most current and highest quality refractive surgery to each patient, tailored to his or her individual needs. Below are some common questions and answers about LASIK.
What is a refractive error?
Wearing glasses or contacts does not mean that you have eye disease. Nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism are each refractive errors that describe variations in the length or curvature of the eye. Variations of length and curvature result in a blurry image on the retina and poor vision. Glasses or contacts remedy the poor vision by focusing the blurred image on the retina. Laser vision correction remedies poor vision by reshaping the curvature of the front surface of the eye, called the cornea, to clearly focus the image on the retina. Wavefront technology takes this one step further, allowing the laser to reshape small changes in your eye so that the image on the retina is improved by eliminating small imperfections in the way light is focused.
So, my vision will be perfect, right?
The main reason for having laser vision correction is less dependency on glasses or contact lenses for home, work, or recreational activities. Certain tasks may require part-time glasses use. For those under 40, this is rare, but may be for night driving. For those over 40, this will be reading glasses. It is reasonable to expect vision of 20/40 or better, even though no result can be guaranteed. CustomVue corrections can be done for patients up to –6.50 sphere with no more than 3 diopters of astigmatism. However, even higher refractive errors can be analyzed with the CustomVue WaveScan and used to modify standard laser vision correction.
Is my vision bad enough for laser?
If you have to wear glasses to drive or see distance and have a stable glasses or contact lens prescription, you would probably benefit from laser vision correction. The ideal person is between + 3.00 and –12.00 with no more than 4 diopters of astigmatism. We can measure your glasses to determine this. In our office we do even more extensive measurements to include corneal curvature, thickness, and an examination to look for hidden ocular disease. We want to be certain that your eyes are completely healthy so that high quality results can be obtained.
What about my contact lenses?
In general, the longer you can be out of your contacts before surgery, the better your results will be. This is because contacts cause change in the corneal surface and produce alterations in the measurements of refraction and corneal curvature. Soft contacts should be discontinued at least 3 weeks before surgery. Hard or gas permeable lenses should be discontinued for at least one month prior to surgery and refractive stability out of these lenses must be verified by repeated measurements.
How is laser vision correction done?
In custom, bladeless LASIK, the cornea is reshaped under a laser constructed corneal flap. Using anesthetic drops, a suction ring is placed on the eye. The IntraLase is then docked to the ring, the proposed flap is centered, and the laser passes across the cornea. In only 25 seconds, 1.2 million laser-created bubbles are placed at a specific depth, along with bubbles stacked to create the edges of the flap. Once both flaps are complete, each flap is lifted and the excimer laser places a precise pattern on the cornea, reshaping it to correct your eye’s refractive error. The flaps are replaced and seal on their own. The edges seal during the next 4 to 6 hours while you sleep. Initially the vision may be watery, but improves markedly by the next morning.
Does it hurt? How do you keep my eye still?
We use topical drops to numb the eye. During the IntraLase part of the procedure you will feel pressure and a slight ache, but no pain. The pressure lasts about 45 seconds. During the excimer laser part of the procedure there is a flashing red light for you to look at that keeps your eyes focused in the right place. For added safety, the laser has an infrared tracker that follows even the slightest eye movement. If there is too much movement, treatment stops, your eye is repositioned and the treatment is resumed. A little sedation with Valium is helpful in calming jitters. This is prescribed before surgery at the preoperative visit.
How long will I be off work?
You should plan to take off from work the day of surgery and the following day. You will be seen the day after surgery for a post-operative evaluation and most patients can drive after that. Rest is important, so it is best not to return to work until two days after surgery. You will want to keep your eyes closed and sleep for the first 4 to 6 hours after surgery. You will need avoid swimming for two weeks and avoid water skiing or diving for one month.
Could something go wrong?
Every surgery has risks. Refractive surgery is no exception. Problems are rare, however, and most can be handled by enhancement or retreatment. All patients will experience some degree of the following three symptoms: dry eyes, fluctuation of vision, and nighttime haloes. Most of these go away within 2 to 3 months. Be sure to ask any questions you may have regarding uncertainties or concerns.
How much does it cost?
Bladeless Custom LASIK is $4800 for both eyes and Bladeless Traditional LASIK is $4000 for both eyes. Financing is available through Care Credit. Cash, check or credit card payments are accepted. Certain routine vision insurance plans allow for a discount on refractive services, typically 15%. Health insurance usually excludes laser vision correction, but “cafeteria” style plans will usually allow funds to be used for laser vision correction. Those patients with Blue Cross Blue Shield should check to see if they are on the TruVision Plan. Brown Refractive Surgery is a provider for TruVision, which allows substantial savings on all forms of laser refractive surgery. Call us for details. All fees include one-year follow-up and any enhancement needed.
OK, just the facts…..
- Laser refractive surgery is an in-office procedure for nearsighted, farsighted, and astigmatic corrections.
- We use the IntraLase femtosecond laser to make the flap, and the VISX S4 laser and the CustomVue WaveScan system for high quality, individualized evaluation and treatment.
Call (479) 756-1234 to schedule a free consultation and evaluation. To see if you're eligible to receive a 30-40% discount from TRUVISION, click here.
- Cost is $4800 for Custom Intralase treatment of both eyes to include one-year follow-up and enhancements. You may be eligible for TruVision or other savings.
