My Questions about the Lasik Procedure

Many people that wear glasses or contact lenses have listened to the claims of how Lasik can give them perfect vision. They have also heard great Lasik success stories, as well as stories from people that were not sure they had given the decision enough thought. This guide lists the most common questions asked by people who are considering Lasik vision correction, and answers given by reputable physicians.

The first and most important question asked about Lasik is, not surprisingly, “Is Lasik safe?” The answer is that it is normally quite a safe procedure, with success rates above 95 percent for good, experienced Lasik surgeons, and 90 percent average over all physicians that perform the Lasik procedure. This statistic about Lasik success assumes that the patient is a good candidate for Lasik surgery. The requirements have some specific details and should be gone over with the physician that will perform the Lasik procedure.

It is a very good idea to ask the Lasik physician which patients he has declined to perform the Lasik procedure on, to make sure that the particular physician has and operates with good standards. Any Lasik practitioner that tries to imply that everyone that comes in to his office is a good candidate for Lasik vision correction should be viewed with some skepticism. In any case, it is wise to interview several different physicians that perform the Lasik procedure before deciding on one.

A second frequently asked question about Lasik is “What are the possible complications from Lasik surgery?” Common side effects are starbursts or halos when looking at a light, sensitivity to light and difficulty with glare and night vision, and some sensation that a foreign body is in the eye. Most of these effects will pass within a few days after the Lasik procedure. Between 1 and 3 percent of patients will have a lasting side effect such as halos or some vision fluctuation.

It is a very good idea to discuss your particular situation with the Lasik physician to determine if you might be prone to any complications. There are also variants of the standard Lasik procedure, one of which uses additional waveforms to map out an individual eye, or techniques that only use lasers rather than a scalpel and a laser.

One question we all hesitate to ask is “Will the Lasik procedure be painful?” Since our eyes are one of the most sensitive parts of our bodies, it is comforting to know that having Lasik vision correction is usually nearly painless. There is often some mild discomfort after the procedure, but this is effectively controlled with medication.

“Will I have 20/20 vision once the Lasik correction is done?” Though many patients do get nearly perfect vision, not all patients have their vision totally corrected. You can definitely expect to have improved vision and minimized dependency on any glasses or contacts.

“What is the cost and how do I pay?” A typical Lasik surgeon charges between $500 and $2500 per eye, depending on the patient and the surgeon. However, a Lasik physician should be selected on experience level and track record, not on the lowest price. Insurance rarely covers the cost of Lasik, but many Lasik centers have a type of financing program offered to their clients.

Find several Lasik physicians in your area using the Internet feature DocShop and make a point to interview several on your list. Consider Lasik as one way to significantly improve the quality of your life.

My Lasik Vision Story

I am putting this story on the web to encourage those who are interested in a Lasik vision procedure, but have read so many horror stories that they are getting ever more reluctant. I had to get off of the Internet to get enough courage to even go down to a nearby Lasik center to have them talk about my individual case. I am glad I went, and the people were very kind, professional, and encouraging.

Let me begin with why I was even interested in Lasik. I have worn glasses for thirty years, ever since I was a very little girl. I have very weak eyes, and needed to wear my glasses from the moment I woke up until I went to bed. I have a special spot where they are kept, and a number of backup pairs of glasses so that I never have to go without them. I also have had some dry eye problems for the last few years, which is often a reason that Lasik doctors do not recommend the Lasik procedure for some people.

When I got to talk to the Lasik physician, he was encouraging but realistic. He stated that one of my eyes would be a good candidate for total vision correction, but the other eye would likely see only some (though possibly major) improvement. He stated that about one of his Lasik procedures per month are with clients with the same level of poor vision of my worst eye.

I would also like to encourage those people with some problems to go ahead and visit their local Lasik center to talk to the professionals there. As I mentioned earlier, I have had some occasional problems with dry eyes. I also have pupils that dilate easily. Both of these can be reasons to be dissuaded from Lasik, but in neither case were my problems significant enough for the doctor to consider me not a good Lasik client. Do go and discuss your individual case.

I cannot say that the information I was given made me totally relaxed about the whole procedure. I did talk myself into and out of the Lasik procedure several times during the weeks before it was done. The only thing I was a little bit surprised about was that I did not lose sleep over it, and that I actually showed up at the Lasik center to get the procedure done!

I was given a mild sedative (as well as numbing eye drops) and the Lasik procedure went without a hitch. Though I did feel a mild pressure during the time on my eyeball, my hands were the things that hurt after the Lasik operation was over (I must have had them clenched the whole time!). I was so grateful to my physician who said things like “I’m using the laser for 20 seconds, 5 seconds to go, procedure done for this eye. Very successful.” In this way I was reassured that the Lasik operation was going quickly and according to plan.

I followed all my Lasik physician’s instructions to the letter after the procedure, and I am so happy with the results! I could see much better even directly after the operation was over, and things have continued to improve. I personally do not have any of the problems that are often mentioned as effects, such as halos around lights, etc. I would strongly encourage anyone to be brave enough to go down to your Lasik center and at least talk about the Lasik procedure with a knowledgeable professional.

My Intralasik Experience

I wanted to investigate Lasik vision correction for myself, and found that there were several options. After talking it over with a great Lasik physician, I decided on using bladeless Lasik, or Intralasik, or Intralase. I cannot say that I decided that for any great technical reasons, mine were mainly psychological.

The advantage of Intralasik over a traditional Lasik procedure is that a laser is used to make a flap in the eye. Every Lasik procedure needs to make a flap in order for the excimer laser to be able to reshape the corner. In traditional Lasik, the flap is made with a microkeratome, which is “a very small blade, not a scalpel”. Well, maybe to you. Somehow, even though both the laser and the blade made the same flap, the idea of someone taking a sharp object to….. well, you get the picture.

In addition (though there is a lot of argument and debate over this) using a laser to make the flap might (let me emphasize might to be fair to everyone) make the Lasik procedure have less chance of getting other cells underneath the flap. I don’t really understand all of the Lasik arguments with regard to this, but I think you should discuss the various Lasik options with the physician. They do vary in cost also.

Before I talk about the procedure itself, let me give a bird’s eye view of myself as a Lasik candidate. In short, spectacular! Seriously, all of the items for a good Lasik candidate could describe me: a healthy guy in my mid-thirties, with moderate nearsightedness and slight astigmatism, with good results on all eye exam tests (thick cornea, no eye scarring or infections, etc.).

I did visit two different Lasik surgeons to get their independent opinions of me as a candidate, and also their description of their services. One of the Lasik surgeons is on the staff at the medical college in a nearby major metropolitan center, so I was pretty assured that their opinions were valid.

On the day of the Lasik surgery I came in, paid my first payment for the procedure, and had my eye prescription rechecked. I was given post-procedure instructions on eye drops, no exercising (yeah!), and to go to sleep after the Lasik procedure. I was given a relaxant, and the Lasik physician and I went to the surgery suite.

The chair has padded pillows to rest and restrict head movement, and a teddy bear to hold if I wanted it. There was a clamp to hold my eyes open, and a suction ring, and then my vision in that eye went a bit dim. The first Lasik laser made the flap, and I focused on a small light while the other laser made the cornea changes. This took less than thirty seconds, or so I was told.

Mainly I was aware of clicking noises and some pressure, but no pain or real discomfort. After the eye flaps were put back in place, I rested in a recliner for about 20 minutes. I could see more clearly immediately after the Lasik operation was over, but was told not to try and test my eyes for a number of days, and rather concentrate on getting them healthy and healed.

I am surprised and immensely pleased it went so easily, well, and pain free. I would recommend this type of Lasik procedure to anyone.

Meet a Lasik Pioneer!

One of the first publicized physicians that perform the Lasik eye corrective operation was Dr. Boothe, of Dallas Texas. He has performed the Lasik operation for a number of different clients, including members of the NFL Dallas Cowboys football team. There are countless testimonials of how satisfied his Lasik clients were with the surgery, even a number of years later.

One of the important considerations for any doctor is kindness, and Dr Boothe’s Lasik patients comment on this trait after their procedures. They all agree that Dr. Boothe made them feel very relaxed about the procedure, and took time to answer any and all questions that they might have. This is especially important with the Lasik process, as eye health is crucially important, and confidence in the doctor makes considering the Lasik option much more feasible.

Dr. Boothe became a specialist of the eye, and especially the cornea, in 1987.

He has performed more than 80,000 Lasik laser vision corrections in that time. He has also contributed to the field of expanding Lasik practice, with the new VISX three dimensional wavefront procedures. These procedures are especially useful for those people with unusual configurations of their eyes.

One of the other newer Lasik procedures uses only the laser, instead of the usual Lasik operation using both scalpel and laser. He is the leader in the performance of this field, and has done more than 45,000 of these operations. This type of Lasik procedure holds new promise for the field, and should be investigated by anyone considering any type of Lasik procedure.

Looking at some of Dr. Boothe’s background will help prospective Lasik clients to look for a physician of similar quality in their area. Dr. Boothe’s center itself is located in the Dallas metropolitan area, but there are many fine doctors that practice Lasik procedures in all parts of the country. He has taught a number of other surgeons in the technique, and so one question that should be asked is where the physician received his training in the Lasik procedure, and which doctors taught the technique.

A most critical part of traditional Lasik surgery is using the microkeratome to make and lift a flap in the eye. Dr. Boothe’s love of medicine and absorption in furthering the techniques used in Lasik make him a pioneer in the field of ophthalmology. He is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, and emphasizes that any patient should check the board certification for any physician they are considering for performing the Lasik procedure in addition to standard medical certifications, such as the American Medical Association.

One reason that Dr. Boothe entered the field of Lasik surgery was because a good eye surgeon can dramatically improve the quality of life for his patients, as is attested by his many thousands of satisfied patients. The doctor that a patient selects for the Lasik procedure should have high standards for safety, accuracy, and precision. This should be reflected in the results and opinions of the patients that the doctor has. Lasik can be a life improving procedure, and careful selection of a physician in the same mold as Dr. Boothe can make it much more certain.