Crystal Clear Vision With LASIK
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LASIK Surgery Overview
LASIK eye surgery is a commonly performed laser refractive procedure to help improve vision. LASIK works by reshaping the front surface of the eye (the cornea) to allow light entering the eye to focus on the retina without needing to wear glasses or corrective lenses.
What Conditions Does LASIK Treat?
LASIK is an excellent solution for someone who is at least 18 years of age who suffers with:
- Nearsightedness
- Farsightedness
- Astigmatism
The degree of the refractive error as well as the thickness and shape of the cornea are all factors that can affect candidacy. Those whose corneas are too thin may not be good candidates for LASIK surgery but will most likely qualify for alternative vision correction surgery such as PRK, also performed by our surgeons at Visionary Eye Doctors.
During our Advanced Ocular Analysis, you will experience thorough diagnostic testing and meet with a surgeon to determine if this procedure is best for you. You may be a good candidate for LASIK if your vision is stable (no prescription change in the last one to two years) and you have healthy eyes.
For more information on LASIK surgery in Washington, DC, DC and Maryland, contact Visionary Eye Doctors today.
How Does LASIK Work?
The LASIK procedure usually only takes about 10 to 15 minutes while the following is performed:
- First, anesthetic eye drops are applied to the eye. Your surgeon then uses a femtosecond laser to create a customized corneal flap designed with the precise construction that has been shown to improve safety and visual outcomes.
- The corneal flap is then gently lifted back by your surgeon to allow a second laser to reshape the cornea with a computer controlled laser programmed according to your unique corneal map.
- Next, the inner layers of the cornea receive computer-controlled pulses of cool laser light. The laser light gently reshapes the inner corneal layer to improve and in many cases, eliminate the need for prescription.
- Following the reshaping of the tissue, your surgeon carefully repositions and aligns the flap to its original position.
- Finally, protective shields are placed over the eye to prevent accidental rubbing as the flap heals naturally and securely over the next several hours.
Is LASIK Right for Me?
LASIK eye surgery can be the right treatment option for many individuals experiencing vision problems. To determine if LASIK surgery might be the right option for you, consider these questions:
- Are you having trouble with distance vision?
- Are you having difficulty reading or seeing well at night?
- Do you have depth perception issues?
- Are you nearsighted, farsighted, or do you have an astigmatism?
- Do you have no systemic illness such as diabetes, glaucoma, or rheumatoid arthritis?
- Has your vision prescription not changed in the last 12 to 24 months?
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, LASIK may be right for you.
Am I a good candidate for LASIK?
In addition to the questions above, there are other considerations when determining if LASIK surgery is right for you. These considerations include:
- Age: Candidates must be at least 18 years old.
- General health: LASIK candidates must be in good general health, and should not have certain health problems, including uncontrolled diabetes, autoimmune or collagen vascular disease, or take any medication or have any condition that compromises the immune response. Please make your eye doctor aware of any mental health conditions, as these may also affect your LASIK surgery or recovery.
- Eye health: Candidates should be free of eye diseases including keratoconus, glaucoma, cataracts, corneal disease, and certain retinal and optic nerve diseases. LASIK surgery candidates should not have certain eye conditions including herpes simplex and herpes zoster.
- Eye problems: LASIK patients should make their eye doctor aware of certain eye problems including amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (muscle imbalance), or any recurrent, residual or active eye conditions that may influence healing. Other conditions that should be discussed with the doctor include keloid scarring with previous surgical healing, back problems, and claustrophobia.
- Eye injury: Patients should not have any eye infections or injury.
- Dry eye condition: Patients should not continuously suffer from dry eyes.
- Stable vision: A candidate’s vision must be stable for at least one year prior to the procedure date.
- Contacts: Prior to your LASIK surgery consultation and LASIK procedure, you must not wear contact lenses for a certain length of time. The precise length will be determined by your doctor on an individual basis. This ensures corneal stability and accurate assessment of your prescription prior to the LASIK surgery procedure.
- Corneal thickness plays an important role in determining proper candidacy for LASIK. Due to the nature of the procedure, candidates must have a minimum corneal thickness of approximately 0.5 mm.
- Nursing/pregnancy: Candidates should not be nursing or pregnant when undergoing the LASIK procedure. Hormones may affect the stability of your prescription, so pregnant or nursing women are not eligible to pursue LASIK surgery until three menstrual cycles after nursing has been discontinued.
Determination for LASIK candidacy has to be made on an individual basis, taking into consideration your medical history, prescriptions, and other health factors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is LASIK Painful?
LASIK should not cause you any pain. Numbing eye drops will block those pain sensations. Your eyes may feel a bit scratchy afterwards, but no pain medications are typically required and you should be able to return to work or your regular activities the next day.
What are the risks of LASIK?
Complications are rare, but like all surgical procedures, LASIK does carry some risk, including infection that may damage your cornea or result in some vision loss. However, LASIK is cleared by the FDA and is one of the most common and safest procedures in the medical field.
Read more frequently asked questions here.
LASIK: Affordability and Financing
Determining Your Cost for LASIK Vision Correction
The cost of LASIK or another refractive procedure varies according to the type of procedure that our doctors determine is best for you and your eyes. The value of a vision correction procedure is found in the quality of your care and your surgical outcomes.
At Visionary Eye Doctors, we start your patient experience with a state-of-the-art, in depth eye exam with Dr. Martinez or Dr. Sarezky. This exam is specifically for patients interested in finding out if they would be a candidate for a vision correction procedure and to determine the cost of their surgery.
Payment Options
When considering a vision correction procedure, financial considerations should not be an obstacle in obtaining the care you deserve. At Visionary Eye Doctors, our goal is to make vision correction procedures affordable. We offer zero down, 0% interest deferred financing options through CareCredit and accept all HSA/FSA plans. We also accept cash, check, and all major credit cards.
Use your HSA/FSA Benefits
Your FSA can help you save for LASIK. You can put up to $2,700 into your Flexible Spending Account each year.
Laser vision correction procedures such as LASIK are approved under most Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts. By participating in an employer-sponsored FSA or HSA plan, you can set aside tax free money for your Laser Vision Correction procedure.
Open enrollment periods are brief and vary from one employer to another. Now is the perfect time to come in for an evaluation to see if you’re a candidate for laser vision correction. Then you will know how much to set aside in your plan to have your laser vision correction procedure.
Cost Comparison
Laser vision correction procedures such as LASIK are considered elective and not covered by insurance. The current marketplace can be confusing as multiple providers advertise a wide variety of prices. We encourage you to do your research to decide if Visionary Eye Doctors may be right for you.
Our world-class refractive surgeons and highly trained staff use the best equipment/technology to produce excellent outcomes for our patients.
The two factors that directly impact your surgical outcomes are technology and your surgeon’s expertise. Your vision is priceless!
The Average Cost of Eye Care Over 10 Years
Glasses
- Eye Exam (Every 2 Years)
- $150
- Frames (Every 2 Years)
- $350
10 Year Total
$2,500
- Frames (Every 2 Years)
- $350
10 Year Total
$6,650
Soft Disposable Lenses & Back-Up Glasses
- Contact Lens Exam (Every 2 Years)
- $270
- Contact Lenses (Every Year)
- $280
- Solution (Every Year)
- $75
- Frames (Every 2 Years)
- $350
10 Year Total
$6,650
Rigid Gas Permeable Lenses & Back-Up Glasses
- Contact Lens Exam (Every 2 Years)
- $350
- RGP Contact Lenses (Every Year)
- $380
- Solution (Every Year)
- $120
- Frames (Every 2 Years)
- $350
10 Year Total
$8,500
Request a Surgical Consultation
The first step in determining your candidacy for any procedure is to schedule a consultation and experience our comprehensive eye exam. This is the most complete eye exam available today and includes a consultation with one of our experienced surgeons. Utilizing advanced diagnostic technology, our surgeons will not only evaluate your candidacy for a procedure, but will look at the overall health of your eyes and establish a long term plan for your best vision.
Please help us provide you with the best experience by answering a few quick questions, and one of our surgical counselors will assist you. If you are a current patient and/or have a medical concern or question, please contact us directly at 301.896.0890.