Norwich Ophthalmology Group
With the help of a complete eye examination, it will be confirmed if you are a candidate for laser vision correction. Our highly trained LASIK surgeons will evaluate your eyes and let you know if you are an ideal candidate for LASIK.
The success of LASIK surgery depends on an experienced surgeon evaluating your visual needs along with an accurate pre-operative assessment. All of our LASIK surgeons are board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and have over twenty years combined experience doing laser vision correction.
The entire procedure may take 5-7 minutes for each eye. It takes place under topical anesthetic drops. During LASIK, a microkeratome is used for lifting the thin upper layer of the cornea. Then the laser removes a precise amount of corneal tissue. After the procedure takes place, the flap is laid back in its previous natural position. No sutures are used. Eye drops and plastic shields are used for protecting the eye for the day. Results are more or less immediate. Slight discomfort might take place for the first 24 hours.
The excimer laser uses a cold beam of light to sculpt the surface of the cornea to its desired shape. It helps in correcting farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism as determined by our surgeons at your preoperative one on one consult.
With the help of eye drops, the cornea can be easily numbed. During the procedure, patients feel no discomfort. Some patients experience minimal pain after surgery. Most patients require no postoperative pain medication.
In LASIK treatment, recovery is usually very fast. For the first few hours after surgery, patients might feel some minor irritation or a tearing and burning sensation. At this time the vision is generally blurred, many patients nap at this point of time to rest their eyes. After a few hours, the irritation stops as the vision begins to clear. One day after surgery most patients are pain-free, and their sight is quite clear.
Using modern LASIK techniques our patients feel relaxed and are pain-free. Using our state of the art Allegretto Laser, the average LASER time is 10 seconds per eye.
Most people prefer to have both eyes corrected at the same time. Our experienced LASIK surgeons will let you know if this is the best treatment option for you.
During the procedure, you will be lying on the comfortable Lasik stretcher and staring straight at a fixation light. A lid speculum will prevent any blinking. The laser has a built-in eye movement tracker, and the surgeon has full control of the laser and can stop the procedure if it becomes necessary.
You cannot get a guarantee of perfect vision with any medical procedure. Most people enjoy clear vision and can legally drive without glasses. It is an important point to note that LASIK does not eliminate the need for reading glasses if you are over 40 years old. During your free consultation, your surgeon will discuss your treatment options.
In most cases, patients return to work the day after surgery.
Contact sports should be avoided for two weeks after surgery, and it is always a good idea to wear eye protection. We advise against hot tubs, swimming, and saunas for two weeks as well.
LASIK is a permanent correction. Most patients experience years of excellent vision without the aid of glasses or contact lenses. As we age, especially for patients over the age 40, the need for reading glasses is not uncommon.
No, visual improvement is more or less immediate, even though some fluctuations in vision may take place intermittently until the eyes are completely healed.
LASIK is quite safe. With any kind of surgical procedure, complications might arise. There are some vision-threatening complications, but these are extremely rare. These complications include infections (1 in 5,000) and irregular healing process, which may result in irregular astigmatism and less than 20/20 vision. During such instances, contact lenses or further surgery might be necessary. Most complications are minor and may lead to blurriness for a short time and use of contact lenses or glasses for a short time. Occasionally an additional laser treatment is necessary. In most cases, patients recover without any problem. Your LASIK surgeon will be happy to discuss all aspects of your surgery at your free consultation.
If our experienced LASIK surgeons determine that you are a good candidate for excimer laser vision correction, 95% of our patients achieve 20/40 vision or better and can legally drive without the use of any correction.
Our state of the art excimer laser can correct up to six diopters of farsightedness. Your surgeon will determine if you can have LASIK at your consultation.
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is oval and not round. With the help of laser treatment, we can easily treat most levels of astigmatism.
Most patients who have dry eyes can successfully have LASIK surgery. Your Surgeon will evaluate your tear function at your preoperative exam and determine if you are a good candidate for LASIK.
LASIK is generally used to correct distance vision, although some patients opt for monovision correction where one eye is corrected for distance, and the other for reading. Ask your surgeon if you are a candidate for monovision
Norwich Ophthalmology Group offers several payment options so you can easily afford improved eyesight. Ask our LASIK coordinator for all your payment options.
Most insurance companies will not pay for LASIK. However, there are some special programs that do cover the cost of LASIK. You should ask your insurance representatives about your benefits and coverage
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