LASIK Eye Surgery Questions and Answers

Question:

Hi, I have heard that after around 20 or so years an enhancement is needed, else the myopia will return. Is it true? Or is an once-in-lifetime laser vision correction sufficient for an eternal 20/20 sight? thank you!

Answer:

LASIK has been performed for about ten years worldwide and five years in this country. Therefor our followup is limited. Most of our patients are essentially unchanged. There may be some that fluctuate less than 5% from their early post op results but this is usually clinically insignificant. The bottom line is that there are no good studies to evaluate long term stability. Finally, LASIK doesn't give you a new eye. If you were going to have problems later in life, LASIK does not change that.

Byron Stratas, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Wilmington, NC

Question:

Am I a good canidate for LASIK, I'm 35 my right eye SPH -5.25 CYL-1.75 axis 155 & DIA 14.5. left eye SPH-6.00 CYL-1.00 axis 030 & DIA 14.5 for toric soft lenses. Also does correction for Astigmtisim cost more, the same?

Answer:

Dear Craig, Having the proper prescription is only one factor in determining appropriateness of the procedure. But good news, you have an appropriate prescription. Other factors involve corneal thickness and curvature, as well as several health aspects of the eyes. Andrew Caster, MD

Andrew Caster, MD, FACS
Beverly Hills, CA

Question:

At the age of 6, I had a thorn pierce my right cornea leaving a scar. How would this affect my elegibility for laser correction?

Answer:

Heather, the scar on your cornea could effect your eligibility to have LASIK. It is difficult for me to tell you if you are a candidate or not without seeing the scar. i recommend you go and see a local eye doctor who does the LASIK procedure, and he/she can tell you if you are a candidate or not.

Calvin Sprik, M.D.
Antigo, WI

Question:

DEAR DOCTORS I HAD LASIK SURGERY 4 MONTHS AGO AND MY PRESCRIPTION WAS OD -2.00 +3.00 X 95 OS -1.75 +3.25 X 85 HYPEROPIC ASTIG? OR MIXED ASTIG? MY DOCTOR PERFORMED A DOUBLE PROCEDURE ON MY EYES (DOUBLE CARDING)WITH THE SUMMIT APEX PLUS) I AM CURRENTLY SEEING 20/50 AND MY DOCTOR IS CONSIDERING AN ENHANCEMENT (VERY SCARED) MY QUESTION IS WHY ARE SOME DOCS PEROFORMING DOUBLE CARDING AND SOME DOCS ARE WAITING FOR THE FDA APPROVAL OF HYP ASTIG TREATMENT? I FEEL LIKE I HAVE JUMPED THE GUN AND MADE A MISTAKE. I HAVE SOME ASTIG LEFT WITH SOME MYOPIA NOW. MY DOCTOR TO DATE HAS NOT PERFORMED A TOPO ON ME. ANY TYPE OF RESPONSE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. THANKS JO ANN CISSELL

Answer:

It is hard for me to believe that there are ophthalmologists who do not know that the bitoric treatments give a far superior visual result than "double carding." There are some cases when double carding may be appropriate, but this is the exception. In our practice the patient's best interest is our chief motivation for recomending procedure(s). We place patients with your refractive error on a list so we can treat them the way we would want to be treated. We are not desperate for surgery to do, and we are not motivated by our own economic considerations. I am sorry you are having an outcome that is less than what you could have had. I would go to another surgeon for the rest of your care.

Byron Stratas, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Wilmington, NC

Question:

Do less expensive lasik procedures mean lower quality in vision correction or is it the same as a more expensive procedure? What price range is reasonable?

Answer 1:

Lasik eye surgery is like anything else- you usually get what you pay for. Discount laser centers usually hire doctors by the hour, and have much of your eye tests done by a "technician" or office assistant, not the actual surgeon who will correct your vision. Complications tend to be higher with "high volume" centers. A reasonable price would be $3000-4000 for both eyes. Regards, Mireen Castagna/The Lasik Center (800) 841-3717

Answer 2:

Price is not the issue. Quality and an excellent track record are more important. You can get an excellent surgeon in the $1500 price range. This should include all your follow up for one year and any enhancements for two years. Prices much lower than this are usually loss leaders or are a red flag for questionable medical practices.

Byron Stratas, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Wilmington, NC

Answer 3:

Less expensive does not mean lower quality. Don't base everything on cost though. research your local doctors, and choose which is best for you, and which doctor you feel most comfortable with. as for reasonable, national average is around $2,400.00.

Calvin Sprik, M.D.
Antigo, WI

Answer 4:

LASIK is a complex medical procedure. Discount laser centers, contrary to what they would like you to believe, lower costs in many ways that adversely affect quality. Do you think performing 80 procedures in a day lowers quality? Or hiring less experienced staff, including doctors and laser technicians? Or calibrating the laser less frequently? One discount laser center in our area (Los Angeles) does not dilate the patient's eyes prior to surgery and does not have doctors doing the refractions. In laser eye surgery, just like in most other things, to a large extent, you get what you pay for. Andrew Caster, MD

Andrew Caster, MD, FACS
Beverly Hills, CA

Question:

I have a lazy eye, i am wondering what can be done to fix this problem? Is there a problem with having lasik done, having that problem?

Answer:

You need to see an ophthalmologist to assess the situation. Usually, nothing can be done to correct a lazy eye, but your exact situation needs to be assessed. LASIK can be performed on lazy eyes, but if the laziness is severe, it may not be a good idea to have LASIK on either eye. Andrew Caster, MD

Andrew Caster, MD, FACS
Beverly Hills, CA

Question:

If I have large pupils can I still have the LASIK procedure?

Answer:

Dear Michele, It depends on how large your pupils are, which laser is being used, and which software is used with the laser. Andrew Caster, MD

Andrew Caster, MD, FACS
Beverly Hills, CA

Question:

If I have large pupils can I still have the LASIK procedure?

Answer:

Dear Michele, It depends on how large your pupils are, which laser is being used, and which software is used with the laser. Andrew Caster, MD

Andrew Caster, MD, FACS
Beverly Hills, CA

Question:

Is it safe to have the lasik surgery while taking St John's Wort? This herb is known to cause photosensitivity and I have read that its important to avoid exposure to the sun and ultraviolet light while taking it. If one must go off this herb in order to have the surgery, how long until it's completely out of the body and no threat during surgery?

Answer:

During LASIK, an excimer laser is used to treat the cornea. The light produced by the laser is ultraviolet light, and it has a wavelength of 193 nanometers. The laser beam does not penetrate past the cornea, so you don't have to worry about excessive amounts of UV light on the retina. You do not have to discontinue this herb in order to have LASIK surgery.

Calvin Sprik, M.D.
Antigo, WI

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