LASIK FAQs
Following LASIK, improvement of vision starts immediately. Most patients will perceive tremendous improvement by the next morning. The majority of our LASIK surgery NYC patients achieve 20/40 or better vision overnight; (legal driving vision requirement in most states, including New York). Some tearing and a mild sensation of having an eyelash in the eye is normal and to be expected the day of the procedure. The first follow-up visit is scheduled for the following day after the procedure, at which time Dr. Niksarli ensures that your healing is progressing normally. Eye drops are used for 6 to 10 days, and protective eye-shields are recommended for 2 nights. Visual recovery is slower after PRK, and functional vision is achieved after 3 to 5 days, after which point the recovery continues on a daily basis over the following weeks.
It has been shown by a series of patients that the treatment of both eyes on the same day is just as safe and effective as having the surgery done one eye at a time. Same day treatment is preferred by the majority of our patients for added convenience, quicker visual recovery, and less time away from work. However, the preference of our patients will guide us in the treatment plan.
Laser vision correction is generally painless or associated with little discomfort. During the procedure, anesthetic drops are used to numb the eye with no injections or needles. LASIK patients will generally have irritation for several hours after the procedure. Many patients compare this to a sensation of having an eyelash in the eye and feel no discomfort the following day. Having treated thousands of patients with LASIK, Dr. Niksarli and his staff make every effort to make your surgery as comfortable as possible.
In the hands of an experienced and skilled surgeon like Dr. Niksarli, sight-threatening complications following LASIK are very rare and in most instances treatable. A cornea-trained surgeon who has performed thousands of LASIK procedures and knows how to handle the very thin, delicate, transparent piece of corneal tissue (flap) is essential to the success of LASIK eye surgery. Also, the same surgeon should provide the pre- and post-op care in order to detect any complications in a timely manner. A high degree of experience and skill is necessary to ensure that patients don’t run into complications. When performed by a surgeon who has the necessary skills and years of experience, LASIK is a remarkably safe procedure.
Laser vision correction results in a permanent change to the shape of the cornea. However, laser vision correction will not prevent age-related conditions such as presbyopia (the need for reading glasses), cataracts, or glaucoma. These conditions would still be treated in their normal manner.
The best candidates for LASIK are at least 18 years of age, in good health, with no eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataract, and keratoconus. Candidates should also be free of certain health problems including poorly controlled diabetes, auto-immune or collagen vascular diseases. Since hormones may affect the stability of your prescription, pregnant or nursing women are not ideal candidates for laser vision correction.
Alternative Treatment Options
For patients whose corneas are too thin for LASIK, our surgeons offer a range of alternative treatments that deliver similar vision correction results, including LASEK and PRK. Both LASEK and PRK involve complete removal of the superficial layer of the cornea (epithelium) prior to the excimer laser treatment. In LASEK the epithelium is returned to its original position following surgery; in PRK, the eye is covered following treatment to allow new epithelial cells to generate.
LASEK and PRK are permanent vision correction procedures that can be used to correct most levels of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. In contrast to LASIK, LASEK and PRK may require several days of rest in order to avoid postoperative complications and achieve visual stability.
Our medical team at Manhattan LASIK Center® will inform you of the best treatment option for you and explain every step of your vision correction procedure.
LASIK is considered to be an elective procedure and is therefore not covered by most health insurance plans. However, some insurance companies cover the procedure and we would be happy to check for you with your insurance carrier at the time of your consultation.
If you’re like most people, one of your biggest concerns is ‘How am I going to pay for the procedure?’ At Manhattan LASIK Center®, we make it easy for you to achieve your goal of freedom from glasses and contacts through financing. When you come in for a consultation, our financing manager will assist you in applying for our monthly payment plans. If you are approved, you can choose our 3-month no-interest, same-as-cash option. We can also provide you with low fixed interest rates, low monthly payments, no prepayment penalties, and no down payments. For your convenience, we also accept all major credit cards and certified checks.
We use the newest generation VISX STAR S4 IR Active Trak Excimer Laser System and NIDEK EC5000 with an active infrared eye tracker. The VISX STAR systems have been used in over 2 million procedures worldwide. This newest laser system incorporates the VISX patented variable beam technology with an active eye-tracking system that works without pupil dilation, as well as other advancements to help the surgeon deliver the best possible treatment.
The ActiveTrack eye tracker is a new 3-D-eye-tracking technology. With ActiveTrak, the laser detects and compensates for eye movements by guiding the laser beam to keep it centered over the treatment area. The eye tracker adds a new level of precision and comfort not previously available.
ActiveTrak continuously positions the laser beam precisely on the eye throughout the procedure for accuracy. ActiveTrak realigns itself between each pulse ensuring pinpoint accuracy.
No, not every laser on the market has an eye tracker. At Manhattan LASIK Center®, we use the ActiveTrak system because it is the most advanced eye-tracking technology available. This new technology makes older eye-tracking technology – which requires dilation – virtually obsolete.
Out of millions of procedures performed worldwide over the last 10 years, there are no documented cases of anyone losing sight as a result of LASIK.
Like any other medical procedure, LASIK does carry some risk. A few of the potential risks include under-correction, over-correction, flap wrinkles, dry eyes, irritation, irregular astigmatism, night glare, starburst, halos, ghosting, shadowing, infection, and inflammation. These complications are in most cases treatable with eye drops or a second procedure and usually improve over time as the eye heals. Therefore, it is essential to follow up with all the post-LASIK appointments to diagnose and treat any complications in a timely fashion. For a more detailed list of risks involved with LASIK surgery, ask your physician on the day of your consultation.
