
WHAT IS LASIK?
Our iLASIK Treatment is an all-laser vision correction procedure that may give you the ability to live without the hassle of contacts and glasses, and the freedom to see life more clearly every day. Please consult with your eye care professional and carefully review the Patient Information Booklet regarding the potential risks and benefits of this procedure. Results may vary for each individual patient.
Watch the short demonstration videos below for a step-by-step guide to the iLASIK procedure.
BEFORE iLasik
You’ve set your sights on us. Now what?
Once you’ve found a doctor, you will receive a pre-operative eye exam to ensure you are a good fit for iLASIK Surgery. It’s the ideal opportunity to get prepared for your procedure, should you opt to move forward.
Your consult, at a glance:
- Information about Wavefront-guided technology
- A discussion of your complete medical history
- Disclosure of all medications or supplements
- A thorough eye exam to identify any current conditions and prescriptions
- A look at your overall eye health
- A discussion of the risks and benefits of the procedure
DURING iLasik
Clear vision. Quicker than you thought possible.
Today is the day! Chances are, you’re feeling anxious and excited at the prospect of living your life with improved vision. You can focus on that, and leave the rest to the pros.
A surgical snapshot, below:
- Things to remember
- Duration of procedure
- What you’ll experience
- The beginnings of recovery
AFTER iLasik
The proof is in the post-op.
Congratulations! Welcome to the beginning of a life with clearer, sharper vision. Now that you’ve had your vision improved through iLASIK Surgery, you’ll want to know how to maintain your eye health and safeguard your vision.
Your post-op overview covers:
- Common experiences
- Recovery
- Looking forward
iLasik Frequently Asked Questions
iLasik Surgery Overview
1. What is the iLasik Procedure?
LASIK with iLASIK technologies have been used in over 15 million procedures worldwide.
2. How does the iLasik procedure work?
Step 1: Creating Your Eye Map
A detailed 3-D map of the unique visual imperfections of your eye is created using wavefront eye-mapping technology that is 25x more precise than the measurements used to write a standard prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Step 2: Preparing Your Eye
An ultra-fast laser creates a thin flap to prepare your cornea for your personalized wavefront vision correction.
Step 3: Delivering Your Personalized Treatment
In this final step, an ultra-precise laser gently reshapes your cornea to the desired curvature, based on the digital information from your personalized eye map measurements.
3. How do I know if the iLasik procedure is right for me?
It is FDA approved to correct mild to severe nearsightedness, farsightedness, and all types of astigmatism. If you meet the following conditions, it’s likely you are an excellent candidate for the iLASIK procedure:
- Be at least 21 years of age and have refractive error.
- Have healthy eyes that are free from eye disease or corneal abnormality (e.g., scar, infection, etc.).
- Have documented evidence that your refraction did not change by more than 0.50 to 1 diopters during the year before your pre-operative examination.
- Be informed of LASIK risks and benefits as compared to other available treatments for your refractive error.
- Be able to lie flat without difficulty.
- Be able to tolerate local or topical anesthesia.
- Be willing to sign an informed consent form as provided by your eye care professional.
- Be able to keep your eye accurately on the fixation light for the entire laser surgical procedure.
A certified LASIK doctor can tell you with greater certainty whether the iLASIK procedure is right for you.
4. Is the iLasik procedure safe?
Talk to your doctor about the risks of this procedure. Side effects include but may not limited to.
- Eye dryness
- Reduction of vision or the possible need for glasses or contact lenses after surgery
- Visual disturbances such as halos, glare, starbursts, ghost images and other visual symptoms
Complications from the iLASIK procedure usually can be successfully managed medically or with follow-up care. The frequency and severity of complications vary, depending on how much nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or astigmatism you have prior to the procedure and other factors.
5. How much does the iLasik procedure cost?
The iLASIK procedure fee can range from $4,200-$5,000 ($2,100-$2,500 per eye). This calculation excludes the annual routine eye exam.
Most certified iLASIK®technology doctors offer attractive financing options to make the iLASIK procedure easy on your pocketbook/wallet, and there are financing options available outside the doctor’s practice as well.
You also might be eligible to pay a portion of the cost or the entire procedure fee using a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or vision insurance.
iLasik Surgery Details
1. What part of the eye is the treatment performed on?
The cornea provides about 65 to 75 percent of the focusing power of the eye. The rest is provided by the eye’s lens, which is located behind the pupil.
The cornea is clear because it is a highly organized network of collagen (a connective tissue protein) and it contains no blood vessels.
The central region of the cornea — the portion affected by the iLASIK procedure — is typically 500 to 600 microns (about a half of a millimeter) thick.
2. What is the Wavefront Technology?
Eyeglass lenses correct only simple refractive errors — nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or astigmatism. But most people also have higher-order aberrations (HOAs) that affect the quality of their vision.
By correcting HOAs as well as common refractive errors with wavefront technology, LASIK using iLASIK® technologies often produces noticeably sharper vision than that possible with eyeglasses and contact lenses.1
3. What is Wavefront-Guided LASIK?
Wavefront-guided LASIK measures and treats lower-order aberrations (LOA) such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism as well as higher-order aberrations (HOAs), with the goal of providing better vision than that possible with eyeglasses, contact lenses or conventional LASIK.
Wavefront-guided LASIK produces a higher level of personalization compared with wavefront-optimized LASIK (see the next question below), which is based only on the eye’s refractive error and corneal curvature.
4. What is Wavefront-Optimized LASIK?
The goal of wavefront-optimized LASIK is to provide better visual outcomes than conventional LASIK — primarily by reducing the amount of spherical aberration caused by the laser reshaping process during LASIK.
5. What is the WaveScan WaveFront System?
6. What type of laser is used for the iLasik surgery?
7. What is an Excimer Laser?
8. What is a Femtosecond Laser?
9. How much nearsightedness can the iLasik procedure correct?
10. How much farsightedness can the iLasik correct?
11. How much astigmatism can the iLasik procedure correct?
- For nearsightedness, the iLASIK procedure can correct up to -3.00 diopters of astigmatism
- For farsightedness, the iLASIK procedure can correct up to +2.00 diopters of astigmatism
- For mixed astigmatism, 1.00 to 5.00 diopters
12. How old must a person be to have a LASIK procedure with he iLasik technologies?
Bring records of your previous eye exams with you to your iLASIK procedure consultation. Your surgeon will want to see that your eyeglass prescription has not changed more than 0.50 to 1 diopter (D) over the previous 12 months before you have the iLASIK procedure, regardless of your age.
13. What conditions might disqualify me from having the iLasik procedure?
- Autoimmune diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis; lupus; multiple sclerosis)
- Diabetes
- If you are taking Accutane® (a prescription medication for acne)
- If you are taking Cordarone® (a prescription medication for irregular heartbeat)
- A history of Herpes simplex or Herpes zoster eye infections
- Signs of keratoconus or abnormal corneal topography
- Significant dry eye that is unresponsive to treatment
- Severe allergies
- If you are pregnant or nursing
- If you have thin corneas
Your eye doctor will discuss these and other possible contraindications at your pre-operative exam and consultation.
14. Can I have LASIK if I am pregnant?
15. Can I have the iLasik procedure if I have dry eyes?
For these reasons, if you have dry eyes you need to have the condition successfully treated before proceeding with the iLASIK procedure.
16. I have thin corneas. Can I still have the iLasik procedure?
iLASIK procedure like all types of LASIK surgery, corrects vision by reshaping the cornea. In this process, a very small amount of tissue is removed from the central cornea.
During your iLASIK® technology pre-operative exam and consultation, your eye doctor will take detailed measurements of the thickness and shape of your cornea and calculate how much laser treatment is required to fully and safely correct your vision.
If your corneas are too thin, you still might be a candidate for other types of vision correction surgery.
17. Will I still need glasses after the iLasik procedure?
For glasses needed for near vision, please see the question about reading glasses.
18. Will the iLasik procedure eliminate my need for reading glasses?
When most people start experiencing presbyopia, they simply purchase reading glasses and use them when needed to see small print. But there are options available if you have presbyopia and want to reduce or eliminate your need for reading glasses after the iLASIK procedure.
Ask your eye doctor about options for reducing your need for reading glasses during your iLASIK® technology pre-operative exam and consultation.
19. What are the complications associated with the iLasik surgery?
20. Is the iLasik procedure safe or effective?
21. What happens if I don't see well after the iLasik procedure?
Before the Procedure
1. When do I have to stop wearing contacts prior to the iLasik procedure?
Your eye doctor or iLASIK® technology surgeon will give you specific advice about when to stop wearing your contact lenses at your iLASIK® technology pre-operative eye exam and consultation.
2. Do I have to discontinue any medications I take prior to the iLasik procedure?
3. Can I drive myself home after the pre-op exam?
Day of the Procedure
1. Do I have to discontinue taking medications on surgery day?
2. Does the iLasik procedure hurt?
You will feel some pressure on your eye when the flap is created to prepare your cornea for treatment and the sensation usually lasts less than a minute.
When you return home, you may experience moderate pain and discomfort that could last up to 3 days. Your surgeon will advise you which medications to use if you are uncomfortable.
If you experience significant discomfort after your iLASIK procedure, call your surgeon for further instructions.
3. Will I be given something to calm my nerves on surgery day?
4. Am I awake during the iLasik procedure?
5. What happens if I blink or move during the iLasik procedure?
You will be lying on a comfortable chair during the brief iLASIK procedure, and your head will rest on a contoured cushion. Your surgeon will be close by and may gently hold your head to help you stay perfectly steady when the laser is active, which lasts less than a minute.
The iLASIK procedure also includes an automated “eye tracker” feature that monitors the position of your eye and compensates for any small involuntary eye movements during the laser treatment delivering the treatment right where it is intended.
6. How long does the iLasik procedure take?
7. Can I drive home after the iLasik procedure?
You may resume driving only after receiving permission from your doctor.
8. Can I read and watch TV when I get home from my iLasik procedure?
Be sure to check with your surgeon and follow your surgeon’s directions.
After the Procedure
1. Will my eyes hurt after the iLasik procedure?
As the cornea heals, you may experience some blurriness, tears may form and you will be sensitive to bright lights.
If you experience significant discomfort after your iLASIK procedure — particularly if it worsens over time — call your eye doctor for further instructions.
2. Are there precautions I need to take the first few days after the iLasik procedure?
Ask your LASIK surgeon about precautions.
3. How long do I have to wear and eye shield during sleep after the iLasik procedure?
Your doctor will advise you how long you should wear the shields before you leave the laser center on the day of your procedure and/or during your follow-up visits.
4. When will my vision stabilize after the iLasik procedure?
5. How long does it take for my eyes to fully recover from the iLasik procedure?
Ask your LASIK surgeon about recovery time.
6. How soon can I drive after the iLasik procedure?
Your eye doctor or LASIK surgeon will examine your eyes and make sure they are healing properly. Your surgeon will let you know when it is safe for you to drive at your first follow up visit.
7. When can I resume wearing makeup after the iLasik procedure?
8. How soon can I swim after the iLasik procedure?
9. How soon can I exercise after the iLasik procedure?
10. Do I still need routine eye exams after iLasik procedure?
1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). What are the risks and how can I find the right doctor for me? FDA website. Last updated June 9, 2014. Accessed August 6, 2015.
Professional Pensacola Bladeless LASIK
One of the most popular ways to correct vision is with a procedure called LASIK (laser in-situ keratomileusis) from Panhandle Laser Vision Institute. Dr. Barry Concool, who teaches and credentials other eye surgeons in the most modern customized bladeless laser techniques is our surgeon. He uses two of the most advanced lasers in the world to perform LASIK. One, the Intralase, creates incredibly precise flaps in the cornea. The second, a VISX, customizes each eye for the optimum visual outcomes. Most LASIK patients notice a significant improvement in their vision soon after surgery and are driving and going to work the next day. LASIK treats all kinds of visual errors including nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
LASIK is for those who:
- want to reduce or eliminate their dependence on glasses or contacts
- are at least 18 years of age
- have had a stable eye prescription for at least one year
- have no health issues affecting their eyes
- have no signs of glaucoma or cataracts
Want to know if you’re a LASIK candidate? Click here to find out.