How long does the procedure take?
The actual procedure takes approximately 10 minutes per eye. The actual laser time is about 30 seconds to make the flap and anywhere from a few seconds to a minute and a half the change your prescription. The more prescription you have the longer the procedure. The rest of the time is spent preparing your eyes for treatment.
How long will I be off work?
Most people are able to return to work the day after LASIK surgery, but many people who do extensive near tasks or computer work chose to take an extra day off. We consider this real surgery and advise our patients to listen to their eyes. If your vision is not crisp and clear and you spend a lot of time at a computer, take an extra day off of work. If you work at a construction or other site that has a lot of dirt or debris, take an extra day or two to recover.
Does it hurt?
Many of our patients tell us it is like a bad day with contact lenses. It is dry, scratchy or irritated. We advise our patients to use Ibuprofen or Extra Strength Tylenol, and to call us if the discomfort worsens after a few hours, as this is very unusual. Dr. Lipsky is available and on call 24 hours a day for our patients.
When can I resume normal activities?
You can resume most normal activities such as driving, working, and mild exercise the day after surgery. We advise patients with high risk leisure activities to wait one week and wear eye protection (kickboxing, karate, basketball, swimming, or other contact sports). Women are advised not to wear eyeliner or mascara for one week post operatively. This is because unlike eye shadow, mascara and eyeliner need to be rubbed off. We also strongly advise our patients to wear protective eyewear when doing potentially hazardous activities
How much experience does the doctor have?
Dr. Lipsky has been an ophthalmologist and surgeon for over 25 years. He performed his first Radial Keratotomy surgery in 1983 and has performed thousands of refractive surgical procedures since then. He began using the laser technique in 1995 when the lasers were first approved by the FDA. He built Advanced Laser Vision in 2000 to better serve his patients with the best technology available. He was previously named VISX top 100 surgeons in the country.
What kind of vision can I expect?
Our outcomes are better than ever with over a 90% 20/20 or better rate. The day of surgery your vision will be blurry from the water and medications in your eyes. The vision clears over the first 24 hours and you get better qualityaq vision. Most of our patients are 20/20 the day after surgery, but they say it's not clear yet. The vision gets clearer over the next few days and by our patients 1 week post operative visit they comment - "WOW it's really clear now!"
Can both eyes be done at once?
This is one of the few eye surgery's that is recommended as best when both eyes are treated at the same time. Our patient's appear to heal faster and easier when both eyes are focused the same way. It is easier on their busy lifestyles and causes less downtime for them. Most of our patients prefer to have both eyes treated at the same time. An exception to this rule may be for patients with extreme prescriptions who have PRK. This procedure while as great as LASIK, tends to heal slower and many people chose to keep one eye working while one eye heals.
What are the complications or risks?
With the new technology of Intralase our patients have a safer procedure with less risk of mechanical problems with Microkeratome Blade surgery. Our new Intra-LASIK procedure is all laser and is Blade Free. Complications with this surgery are rare, but as with any surgical procedure there are risks and benefits. Please contact our office to discuss your concerns. We have our consent form and the VISX FDA booklet available for you to review so you may make an educated decision for surgery.
If you haven’t found what you are looking for, please contact our office at (281) 464-9616 and we will be glad to answer any questions you may have.
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