Do you want to experience crystal-clear vision without the need for glasses or contacts? It may be time to consider LASIK. The experts at Eye Associates of North Florida are here to provide you with the best eye care possible to help you achieve the vision of your dreams.
What is LASIK?
LASIK is a vision-correction procedure that corrects problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. It is a quick process that typically takes around 15 minutes per eye, with most people noticing an improvement in their vision within the first few days.
How Does LASIK Work?
Nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism are all refractive errors that occur when your eye does not correctly bend light into the retina. This can happen due to your eye being too long or too short or an irregularly shaped cornea.
When light is unfocused on the retina, this causes blurry vision. LASIK corrects these refractive errors using a laser to change your cornea’s shape, allowing light to center properly on the retina.
What is the Difference between LASIK and SMILE?
While LASIK is the most popular refractive procedure, some patients choose SMILE. It can be beneficial for people with thinner corneas or dry eye who may be unable to undergo LASIK surgery, as it creates a much smaller incision in the eye.
SMILE uses a femtosecond laser to create a lenticule that your eye doctor can pull through the incision, reshaping the cornea and correcting the refractive error. It has minimal recovery time, meaning you’ll likely see clearly almost immediately.
Unlike LASIK, however, SMILE is not FDA-approved to treat farsightedness and is only approved to treat nearsightedness and nearsightedness with astigmatism. Of the two procedures, SMILE has a greater out-of-pocket cost, making LASIK more affordable for some patients.
LASIK at Eye Associates of North Florida
We are proud to use the Alcon Refractive Suite at Eye Associates of North Florida to help us give you the best care possible. This cutting-edge system is the fastest total LASIK platform in the United States.
WaveLight FS200 Femtosecond Laser
The WaveLight FS200 Femtosecond Laser boasts precision that is unmatched, providing consistent, stable energy delivery to ensure consistency, accuracy, and efficacy. It offers personalized treatment options and takes only 6 seconds to create a standard flap. PerfectPulse Technology is unique to the WaveLight FS200 Femtosecond Laser, producing consistent flaps and providing a 360-degree view of the eye with high contrast to ensure greater precision.
WaveLight EX500 Excimer Laser
The WaveLight EX500 Excimer Laser ensures reliable, precise performance with advanced alignment and tracking technology. It makes it easier to perform LASIK by reducing optical distortions and preserving image quality. At 1.4 seconds per diopter, it delivers the fastest ablation time of any excimer laser. PerfectPulse Technology allows for enhanced repetition that is synchronized to the laser frequency.
With our experienced doctors, high standard of care, and state-of-the-art technology at Eye Associates of North Florida, you can go into your LASIK procedure with confidence.
Who is a Good Candidate for LASIK?
You may be a good candidate for LASIK if you meet the following requirements:
- You are 21 years or older
- Your prescription is stable and has not changed over the last year
- You have realistic expectations about what LASIK can do for your vision
You may not be a good candidate for LASIK if you:
- Are pregnant or nursing
- Have corneas that are not thick enough to undergo the procedure
- Have other eye conditions like glaucoma or cataracts
- Have dry eye syndrome that isn’t under control
- Have conditions like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis that could lead to an increased risk of complications after the procedure
Ultimately, the only way to know whether LASIK is right for you is by having a LASIK consultation with your eye doctor at Eye Associates of North Florida. They will assess your eye health and discuss your vision goals with you to arrive at an informed decision about whether LASIK could help you achieve your best vision.
What to Expect During LASIK
To prepare for your procedure, your LASIK surgeon will first administer numbing eye drops and clean the area around your eye. You may also be given a mild sedative to help you relax during the procedure.
Then, they will use a tool to gently hold your eyelid open and apply a suction ring to your eye that helps keep it still. You will feel some pressure, and your vision will darken or become completely black.
Your LASIK surgeon will begin the procedure by using a femtosecond laser to create a tiny flap in the cornea. The flap will be gently lifted, and the corneal tissue under the flap will be reshaped using an excimer laser.
During this time, you will be asked to stare at a target light to keep your eye in place. After the cornea is reshaped, the flap will be placed back down and begin healing. The procedure as a whole should take less than thirty minutes, with ten to fifteen minutes on each eye.
What is Recovery Like After LASIK?
Recovery after LASIK is typically very fast. The corneal flap created by your LASIK surgeon will start healing on its own within minutes.
Many patients notice an improvement in their vision on the first day and can return to work and resume normal activities the next day. Your LASIK surgeon will give you specific care instructions after your procedure to help you heal safely and seamlessly.
Immediately following the procedure, you may experience a scratchy or burning sensation for a few hours. It is best to rest during this time to help your body recover.
You will likely be given prescription eye drops by your LASIK surgeon that can help prevent infection and reduce inflammation. You will also be given a protective eye shield to wear while sleeping. Use them as instructed for the next few days after your procedure.
Be sure to attend your follow-up appointments after the procedure so your eye doctor can assess your vision, ensure you’re healing correctly, and give you instructions on when it’s safe to resume specific activities.
Will I Need Glasses After LASIK?
The large majority of patients who undergo LASIK end up with vision between 20/20 and 20/40 without needing to use vision aids like glasses or contacts.
While LASIK can reduce your dependence on these vision aids, it cannot prevent age-related presbyopia or cataracts, which can affect your quality of vision later in life and may require the use of vision aids like reading glasses.
