FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does laser surgery hurt? No. On the day of your treatment you will be given anesthetic (numbing) eye drops and valium to relax you. During the actual procedure you have no pain or discomfort at all because of these medications. After these medications wear off, some people experience discomfort with PRK/LASEK/Epi-LASEK for 24-48 hours; there is typically no discomfort with LASIK. For the discomfort associated with PRK/LASEK/Epi-LASEK, Dr. Muller provides you with pain medication both in the form of eye drops and pills to make you more comfortable. If you are concerned about pain (or anything else), we encourage you to speak to patients who have already had the procedure. They would love to talk about their experience and are an excellent source of information. It would be our pleasure to provide you with names and numbers. What is the likelihood that I will be free of the need to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses for distance vision after the treatment? Approximately 98% of persons who undergo refractive laser surgery obtain 20/20, or better, visual acuity. If for any reason you are not thrilled with the sharpness of your vision after your treatment, you can discuss with Dr. Muller the possibility of "touching it up" with a retreatment. Does insurance cover these procedures? Some insurances do; we can tell you if yours does. We also honor many vision plans and offer low monthly payment options in an effort to make quality laser vision correction affordable to everyone. Please inquire! Has anyone ever gone blind from these procedures? This would be an exceedingly rare occurence. The excimer laser is a device that is very heavily regulated by the FDA; it is able to be used because it has been deemed to be both safe and effective after years of rigorous testing and follow-up. The FDA continues to monitor it's use and would curtail its use if there were unacceptable complications, as this is considered elective surgery. What are the most common side effects or complications? Subtle fluctuations in visual acuity during the healing period, overcorrection, undercorrection, glare/halos associated with lights at night and dry eyes. Fluctuating visual acuity, glare/halos at night and the feeling of dry eyes dissipate over time (typically within a couple of weeks of the procedure). Other possible complications are infection and flap complications. If either of these should occur, prompt diagnosis and institution of appropriate treatment help to insure a fine outcome. How long does the procedure take? The actual laser time for PRK/LASEK/Epi-LASEK and LASIK is typically less than sixty seconds. From start to finish you should expect to be in the laser suite for approximately fifteen minutes. Will I see well immediately following the procedure? Results vary from person to person. Most people who undergo PRK/LASEK/Epi-LASEK have functional vision within one to three days after treatment, while most people who undergo LASIK have functional vision within 8 hours after treatment. With continued healing the full visual results of the treatment are generally realized within one to four weeks. When may I return to work? Most people return to work within one to three days after treatment. Are both eyes treated at the same time? That is between you and Dr. Muller. If you wish to have both eyes treated at the same time this is not a problem (in fact, the vast majority of people choose this option). Should you feel that you would like to separate the treatment between the two eyes, this is fine as well. How long has this technology been available? This technology has been available for over two decades and was originally used by IBM to etch computer chips. In the early eighties this technology was applied to reshaping corneas and the FDA trials began. After having completed animal studies and the treatment of blind human eyes in the mid-eighties, the FDA allowed cornea surgeons to treat the first human sighted eyes in 1987. At a recent International Refractive Surgery meeting the investigator who performed the first excimer laser treatment on a person with healthy, normal eyes in the United States presented follow-up data. At this time the person is still 20/20 and is absolutely thrilled with her visual results. Will it last or will I need to have it done again? Laser Vision Correction results are permanent. Fine-tuning or enhancement treatments may be performed to attain the final desired correction. This fine-tuning procedure is undertaken in approximately 1.5% of patients. How old/young do I have to be for the procedure? You need to be at least 18 years old with healthy eyes that have had stable vision for at least one year. There is no upper age limit. What if I have astigmatism? Laser Vision Correction is also approved for the correction of astigmatism. What if I have additional questions? We understand your concerns and want you to feel confident about your decision, so please ask us anything! (212) 585-3161
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