Lasik Eye Surgery Information Seattle, Washington

In most cases, LASIK eye surgery can treat a variety of degrees of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Patients must be given enough information and have realistic expectations about their results. At Sound Eye and Laser in Seattle , Washington we already know that not every one is a candidate. Typically, about 15% of our patients are informed that they can not have refractive surgery.

Generally speaking, to be a good potential candidate for LASIK eye surgery you must be at least 18 years of age, in good general health and have good eye health without any eye disease. Only a thorough examination of your eyes, information of your individual needs, your expectations and your lifestyle by an experienced eye care physician can determine if you are a candidate. We work with a network of eye doctors in Seattle , Washington and the greater Puget Sound Area.

Before or after your consultation you may find this list of frequently asked questions helpful in your search for information on LASIK eye Surgery .

• Am I a good candidate?
• What can refractive surgery do for me?
• What are the differences in laser procedures?
• What do I need to know about different laser technologies?
• How will I know which procedure to have?
• Will the procedure hurt?
• What will my recovery be like?
• What are the risks?

AM I A GOOD CANDIATE?
The best way to determine this is with a thorough eye examination. A careful evaluation of your health history and ocular history is necessary. Your doctor will then explain what results you can reasonably expect. Many contraindications are relative so we encourage you to make an appointment for a consultation. Your pre-operative assessment with your doctor will help determine the range of your probable outcome based on your particular prescription, healing pattern and expectations. The results and research gained from thousands of procedures performed at Sound Eye and Laser, here in Seattle , Washington allows us to continually fine-tune techniques, more effectively forecast visual results and counsel new patients.

WHAT CAN REFRACTIVE SURGERY DO FOR ME?
While refractive surgery has proven overwhelmingly successful in reducing dependence on corrective lenses, the degree of improvement may vary among individuals. How well and how quickly your vision improves depends on how well you heal and the severity of your prescription. We do not promise perfect vision but most of our patients are able to drive, play sports, watch movies or the television, or participate in careers with high visual demands.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN PROCEDURES?
Conventional LASIK/PRK is still a great choice for many patients. During LASIK a corneal flap is created and then the laser is applied. PRK is a surface treatment where the same laser is applied but without the creation of a corneal flap. Some patients will prefer the higher level of customization that CUSTOM LASIK can provide. With CUSTOM LASIK a wavefront analyzer enables your surgeon to customize the conventional LASIK procedure for your eyes. This customized procedure can result in patients ability to see clearer and sharper than ever before.
Other procedures include but are not limited to CK, conductive keratoplasty, and refractive IOL's. For a brief description on these procedures please access our glossary.

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES?
At SEAL we have access to the latest technologies including eye trackers and scanning lasers. Our lasers use cool, computer controlled beams of ultra-violet light. The best technology and procedure for you is determined by your doctor at the time of consultation and is dependent on factors such as prescription, thickness of the cornea, size of the pupil and ocular anatomy.

HOW WILL I KNOW WHICH PROCEDURE TO HAVE?
Your eye care professional is the best person to tell you this. Custom LASIK is desirable for many but really only necessary for some. Together you can determine what is right for you.

WILL THE PROCEDURE HURT?
Most patients find the procedure only slightly uncomfortable. For most patients, the feeling of anxiety and the fear of the unknown is worse than the actual procedure.
Anesthetic drops are used to numb the eye just before surgery begins and you may be given a mild sedative by mouth. After your procedure, your eye may feel a foreign body sensation or irritation for a few hours, but most patients are quite comfortable after taking a short nap. You will be given drops for your eyes to help protect against the potential dryness you may experience post- operatively .

WHAT WILL MY RECOVERY BE LIKE?
Most LASIK eye sugery patients have good vision in a day and great vision in a week. Most of our patients are comfortable enough to return to most of their normal daily activities on the day following their procedure .

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
There are risks with any method to correct your vision. However, the chance of having a vision reducing complication has been documented in a number of clinical studies as minimal. Remember, LASIK eye surgery is the most common surgical procedure to date. Millions of people have had excellent results from refractive surgery.
Most common complications are dryness and glare, both of which return to close to normal days to weeks after the procedure. There are potential complications in creating corneal flap with LASIK, over or under correction. At Sound Eye and Laser in Seattle , Washington these and other risks of the surgery are discussed with the patient prior to the procedure. Proper preoperative testing is necessary in order to proceed with the procedure only when it is medically advisable. As well, diligent postoperative care helps to identify and address any potential healing complications. The best way to help prevent complications is to chose a surgeon who is experienced and take your time to gather the pertinent information .

MORE F.A.Q's:  What are the long-term risks?
We do not have data beyond 20 years for any refractive surgical laser procedure but do not expect surprises given our knowledge of wound healing and corneal physiology based on other types of surgery.

Will my correction last a lifetime?
This question asks about the stability of the correction. Regression (regaining myopia) for treating under 7 diopters of myopia for any procedure is most uncommon. We do not believe that progressive effects moving toward farsightedness will be seen with PRK according to published data at this time.

Will I ever need glasses again?
It is normal for eyes to become more myopic as the pupil dilates at night. This occurs both in eyes undergoing LASIK eye surgery and those that never have surgery. For this reason, many patients will wear thin glasses for night time driving even if they see well during the day.

After age 45 we all experience presbyopia as our internal lens behind the pupil hardens. If myopia is eliminated, we will need reading glasses to read the newspaper sometime in our mid-forties and beyond. This has nothing to do with LASIK eye surgery and everything to do with the normal aging process of the eye.

Can one eye be corrected for distance and one for near vision?
Yes. This is called monovision. Some patients wear contact lenses with these different prescriptions on purpose to eliminate the need for reading glasses. The one distinct disadvantage of monovision is the loss of fine depth perception. This is necessary to do some athletic activities and, for some people, to feel comfortable driving a car or walking down a flight of stairs. If you want to consider this option, we prefer to have you wear glasses mimicking this for two weeks prior to surgery to see if you actually like monovision. For those patients with 2 diopters or less of myopia, one eye can be treated with refractive surgery and the other eye left alone to be used for comfortable reading. People with greater amounts of myopia can have one eye intentionally under corrected for reading vision.

What would make me an unlikely candidate for surgery?
We will provide you with the information you will need to make an informed decision about LASIK eye surgery . You will have a thorough eye evaluation preoperatively to rule out any diseases that would make the surgery too risky. Several findings in the history or examination that would lead us to recommend against refractive surgery include:

•  Pregnancy or nursing

•  Corneal scarring (laser applications called phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) can be used to minimize central corneal scarring)

•  History of corneal herpes simplex or zoster infections

•  Severe dry eye causing corneal staining

•  Kerataconus (revealed by computerized topography)

•  Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus

•  Keloid formation

•  Retinal abnormalities due to diabetes.