LASIK is performed to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. It is a surgery on the eye performed by a medical eye doctor known as an Ophthalmologist.

Patient’s who meet the criteria for LASIK are generally over the age of eighteen and have had a consistent prescription for over two years. Other determining factors are the patient’s health, the medications they take and also if the patient suffers from any eye problems or conditions, particularly dry eye syndrome.

The first step a patient should take when considering LASIK is to schedule an appointment with their eye doctor. The patient will want to share their desires to undergo LASIK and have a thorough discussion with their eye doctor about the procedure and what it entails.

During the comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor will do some preliminary tests to determine if you are a good candidate for refractive eye surgery. Part of the preliminary testing includes dilation and taking measurements of your eyes.

If approved for the procedure you can expect some of the preliminary tests performed by your eye doctor to be repeated by your ophthalmologist, so do not be alarmed.

While every eye is different in size, shape and prescription, it is safe to estimate that the procedure itself averages under ten minutes per eye. The majority of your appointment time for the LASIK procedure, which is approximately two hours, is attributed to the preparation prior to and the recovery period post-surgery.

After the procedure, the patient can expect to return to the office for a check-up within the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours. The patient can also expect for their vision to fluctuate for weeks following the procedure. However, between the third and sixth month after LASIK the patient’s vision should stabilize.

In general, most insurances do not cover LASIK. Therefore, patient’s should contact the facility to inquire about the out of pocket cost of the LASIK procedure and the possibility of their insurance covering that cost.