Q.
How do I know if I am a candidate for refractive surgery?
A. Candidates for refractive surgery should be 18 years or older,
have had stable vision, have healthy eyes and a refractive problem
within the range of effective treatment.
Q.
Is the surgery safe?
A. There are risks associated with all surgical procedures. Refractive
surgery in the hands of the experienced surgeon is associated
with minimal risk. Although this risk is small (about the same
as the risk associated with extended-wear contact lenses), all
patients should be well informed of the risks of surgery and follow
their post-operative instructions carefully. That educational
process is what the consultation is all about.
Q.
How many people have had refractive surgery performed?
A. Over two million Americans have had refractive surgery to improve
their natural vision. Millions more around the world have also
had refractive surgery.
Q.
What age patients are candidates for refractive surgery?
A. The surgery is generally not recommended for anyone under 18
years of age. There is no upper age limit as long as you have
"healthy" eyes.
Q.
When can I go back to work?
A. Most patients are back to work the next day after Lasik surgery
and between one to four days after PRK surgery.
Q.
Will I need reading glasses after surgery?
A. Most patients under 40 years of age read well without glasses
following surgery. Nearly all patients, as they enter their early
40’s, require reading glasses or bifocals.This is also true
for patients who have had refractive surgery (unless you choose
the monovision option).
Q.
What is monovision?
A. Monovision is a method of correcting your vision so that one
eye is corrected for distance and the other for near vision in
presbyopic patients (patients over 40 years of age). This can
potentially can eliminate the need for reading glasses and distance
glasses. You need to discuss this further with your doctor to
find out if you are a good candidate.
Q.
Does insurance cover refractive surgery?
A. Select insurance companies and some cafeteria plan programs
will sometimes cover refractive surgery. You should check with
your insurance carrier or employer prior to consultation.
Q:
Which laser is the best for treating my refractive error?
A:The FDA approves the safety and effectiveness of a device independent
of any other product and does not provide comparisons between
refractive lasers. Two of the most significant advances in the
field of refractive surgery were the introduction of the IntraLase
femtosecond laser to perform LASIK flaps and the ability to perform
“wavefront based” or customized surgery. You should
discuss any questions concerning the medical devices used in a
particular procedure with your doctor.
Q:
Can you send me more information or respond to my concern?
A: Please go to our special reports by clicking here. You may
also use the contact form to submit a question and we will refer
you to a doctor to answer your question.
The
following Frequently-Asked-Questions are provided courtesy of
the FDA.
Q:
How can I find out if a particular laser has been approved to
treat my refractive error (nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or
astigmatism)?
A: You can find approved devices, their approval date, and a synopsis
of the approved indications on the FDA-APPROVED LASERS page.
Q:
How does wavefront LASIK compare to conventional LASIK?
A: Wavefront adds an automatic measurement of more subtle distortions
(called higher order aberrations) than just nearsightedness, farsightedness,
and astigmatism corrected by conventional LASIK. However, these
“higher order aberrations” account for only a small
amount (probably no more than 10%) of the total refractive error
of the average person’s eye. Conventional LASIK increases
higher order aberrations. Although wavefront-guided treatments
attempt to eliminate higher order aberrations, results from the
clinical studies have shown that the average aberrations still
increase, but less than they do after conventional LASIK. In a
few studies comparing wavefront-guided LASIK to conventional LASIK,
a slightly larger percentage of subjects treated with wavefront
LASIK achieved 20/20 vision without glasses or contact lenses
compared to subjects treated with conventional LASIK. Patient
selection (“When is LASIK not for me?”) and the experience
and competence of the surgeon are still the most important considerations.
Q:
What percentage of patients attain 20/20 vision or better without
glasses or contacts?
A: Data in the Approval Orders and related documents summarizes
the outcomes from the clinical trials submitted to the FDA for
each approved device. Links to these documents are included on
the FDA-APPROVED LASERS page.
The
screening process and standards used by Trusted LASIK Surgeons,
can be found at:
How
Are Lasik Eye Surgeons Qualified at TLS
To find a refractive specialist who has qualified
to be listed at Trusted LASIK surgeons in your local area,
please visit:
Find
a Trusted LASIK Eye Surgeon
Special LASIK Reports
