The Most Frequently Asked Questions

 

  • Initial exaggerated effects of surgery (since small amounts of the
    removed tissue do heal back, the laser is programmed to remove
    enough tissue for the eye to stabilize at the desired correction.
    This initial effect may seem to be overcorrection).
  • Increased sensitivity to light.
  • Halo effect from bright lights at night.
  • Decreased visual clarity in dim light.
  • Slightly dryer eyes.

    In most cases these effects decrease and disappear as the eye heals. Occasionally, some may persist. Contact lenses,  although rarely necessary, cannot be worn on the operative eye for several months following surgery.

Risks And Side Effects of LASIK

Creating a cap of corneal tissue instead of a flap by fully removing the top of the cornea rather than just lifting it. This removed tissue still heals back into place but requires extra care in positioning.

  • Infection - Very rare and usually controlled with medications
  • Epithelial tissue growth underneath the flap - Can usually be solved by lifting the flap and gently removing these tissue cells. Increased or decreased response to surgery - Surgery can usually be modified by lifting the flap and removing more tissue with the laser. Sometimes other types of surgery can be combined with LASIK to give improved results.

Side effects are minimal following LASIK surgery since most of the surface of the cornea has not been affected by the procedure. But people who have the surgery may experience some light sensitivity and glare for a few days or weeks. Full visual stabilization may take several weeks.

How Long Will The Correction Last?

Probably for the rest of your life. The cornea is a very stable tissue. Medical experience shows that once the cornea has been modified, it tends to stay modified permanently. There are rare cases of regression, which may be corrected with further surgery, but the vast majority of corrected eyes continue to stay in focus.

What Is Monovision?

An Alternative to Reading Glasses for Patients with Presbyopia.
The need for reading glasses is a common problem for most people as they enter their middle years. As people age, the natural lens in their eyes hardens and loses its flexibility, impairing its ability to vary its shape for different ranges of focus. This condition is known as presbyopia and develops in most people between 45 and 50 years of age.

There are a number of ways to deal with the focusing problems caused by presbyopia. People with a small amount of nearsightedness can simply remove their glasses to read. However, people with previously normal vision, or those who wear contact lenses for nearsightedness may need to use reading glasses for close work such as reading, using a computer, or sewing. Bifocals can also be used to provide both near and far vision without having to constantly put on and take off a pair of glasses or repeatedly switch back and forth between two pairs of glasses. However, some people find it difficult to adjust to bifocals and others consider reading glasses to be an inconvenience. Another option, known as monovision, is available for some people with presbyopia.

Monovision can be achieved through corrective lenses or through refractive surgery. If a person has less that two diopters of nearsightedness (vision of 20/100 or better), one eye can be surgically corrected to provide good distance vision, and the other eye can be left uncorrected for near vision. People with greater amounts of nearsightedness may have one eye corrected for distance vision, and the other eye undercorrected to provide better close vision. If this option seems desirable, people may wish to consider trying to achieve the similar effect with contact lenses prior to surgery, to determine its suitability for their individual needs and their ability to adapt to this situation.

The chief advantage of monovision is the freedom it provides from reading glasses. Monovision makes it possible to repeatedly change the range of focus, without having to constantly remove or add corrective lenses. This can be particularly useful for people who change their focus frequently - particularly teachers, public speakers, salespersons, and people involved in the performing arts.

As with any good thing, monovision comes with some drawbacks. People with monovision may have decreased depth perception without corrective lenses. They may also notice blurred vision in the "near" eye when glancing in the side mirror of their cars or when the vision in the "distance" eye is blocked by an object. Some people with monovision elect to wear corrective lenses for activities such as driving or prolonged reading so that both eyes are then in focus.

Monovision is most appropriate for people who answer "yes" to two or more of the following questions:

  • Would it bother me to wear reading glasses and
    carry them wherever I go?
  • Does my lifestyle permit a slight impairment of
    depth perception for many activities?
  • When I require reading glasses, would I need to wear
    them most of the time?
  • Could I adapt to one eye being out of focus for distances unless glasses are worn?

People who are entering mid-life and are interested in monovision should discuss the matter with their doctor prior to undergoing refractive surgery. Should they choose monovision and subsequently become unhappy with it, a PRK enhancement surgery is an option.

When Can I Drive?

A patient is legal to drive with one eye 20/40 or better; however, a patient should refrain from driving until they feel comfortable with the vision in their operated eye.

 When Can I Return To Work?

Generally speaking, a patient can return to work in 2 to 4 days post-operatively.

How Long Will I Be On Medications?

Generally speaking, a patient is on medication (drops) for 3 to 6 months. This is dependent on the level of attempted correction and your individual healing response.

Have Any Doctors Had PRK Surgery Themselves.

Yes, many in The USA as well as in several other countries. This includes a full spectrum of doctors, including Optometrists and Ophthalmologists

Excimer Laser Surgical Outcomes:

PRK Nearsighted Surgical Outcomes
Amount of Nearsiglitedness % 20/20 or better % 20/40 or better
0.00 to -2.00 87% 98%
-2.01 to -4.00 84% 97%
-4.01 to -6.00 83% 96%
-6.01 to -8.00 77% 95%
-8.01 to -10.00 75% 94%
-10.01 to -12.00 75% 92%
-12.01 to -14.00 68% 83%
-14.01 to -16.00 50% 80%
PRK Farsighted Surgical Outcomes
Amount of Farsightedness % 20/20 or better % 20/40 or better
0.00 to +2.00 80% 85%
+2.01 to +4.00 68% 80%
+4.01 to +6.00 68% 80%
LASIK Nearsighted Surgical Outcomes
Amount of Nearsightedness % 20/20 or better % 20/40 or better
0.00 to -4.00 75% 97%
-4.01 to -8.00 72% 94%
-8.01 to -12.00 78% 93%
-12.01 to -16.00 79% 91%
-16.01 to -20.00 14% 82%
-20.01 to -24.00 0.0% 80%
LASIK Farsighted Surgical Outcomes
Amount of Farsightedness % 20/20 or better % 20/40 or better
0.00 to +4.00 70% 95%
+4.01 to +8.00 0.0% 80%
Mean Post-op Astigmatism Reduction
Pre-op Astigmatism Post-op PRK Post-op LASIK
0.00 to -1.00 -0.43 -0.58
-1.01 to -2.00 -0.53 -0.59
-2.01 to -3.00 -0.60 -1.00
-3.01 to -4.00 -0.94 -0.75
-4.01 to -5.00 -1.08  
-5.01 to -6.00 -1.25  

Note:  It is legal to drive without glasses or contacts with one eye 20/40 or better. Statistics are based on initial surgery. Enhancement surgery may improve outcome.

If I Need To, Can I Wear Contact Lenses After PRK?

Most patients do not require the use of contact lenses post-operatively. Generally, if a patient was able to wear contact lenses comfortably prior to surgery, they will be successful in wearing them again after surgery. It may require some time to build up to the same number of hours that a patient used to be able to wear contact lenses before surgery (like starting with contact lenses all over again).

I’m Over 50 Years Of Age; Will The Surgery Still Work For Me?

Each of your eyes has two lenses - the cornea (the general focusing lens) and the inside lens (the fine focusing lens). PRK surgery works effectively to correct the general focus of your eyes, no matter what your age. However, the inside fine focusing lens of your eye hardens and no longer provides clear reading vision past 50 years of age. This means that even if you have PRK, you may still need reading glasses to see clearly up close from 50 or 55 years of age on. However, PRK may be able to give you clear vision for all the other focal distances, without regular glasses, for the rest of your life.

If you have cataracts we recommend that you have your vision corrected by having cataract surgery. The lens placed in your eye at the time of your cataract surgery can correct your nearsightedness and farsightedness. Most people develop cataracts sometime between 60 and 85 years of age. Arrangements can sometimes be made to have your cataract surgery early, even before you develop a noticeable cataract, for the sake of enhanced focusing benefits.

Does Anybody’s Vision Ever Turn Out Worse After PRK

In very rare cases, yes. In order for vision to turn out worse than it was before surgery, a significant complication would need to arise. In our experience, these complications have not lead to loss of vision but in a slight reduction in the quality of vision and are generally associated with astigmatism or haze resulting from the surgery. Some of these complications are treatable with further surgery, but some are not.

What Is The Worst Possible Complication?

The worst Possible complication of PRK is a serious infection, which could lead to a deterioration of the cornea. Infections very rarely occur, and when they do, they can usually be controlled well with medications with little or no loss of the quality of vision even if the cornea does become seriously scarred because of an infection. Corneal transplants are usually possible to restore clear vision again.