What I Feel During Lasik?

Lasik is a comfortable eye surgery. The surgery will take about 30 minutes. It is essential you know what you will encounter during the procedure.

A numbing local anesthetic drop will be placed in your eye so that you dont feel the pain or any sensation.

The area around your eye will be cleaned with a sterile betadine or other sterilizing agent to reduce chances of any infection.

A lid speculum will be used to hold your eyelids open, so that you dont blink during the surgery

A ring will be placed on your eye and very high pressures will be applied to create suction to the cornea. Your vision will temporarily dim while the suction ring is on and you may feel the pressure and experience some discomfort.

The microkeratome is a cutting instrument which is attached to the suction ring and used to cut a flap in your cornea.

The microkeratome and the suction ring are then removed. You will be able to see, but you will experience fluctuating degrees of blurred vision.

The flap is folded back on its hinge, to expose the underlying corneal tissue.

The laser will be positioned over your eye and you will be asked to stare at a light. This helps to track your eye and see that it is properly centered.

When your eye is in the correct position, the laser which is preprogrammed to vaporize specific amount of corneal tissue based on your eye parameters. You might notice some unusual sounds and smell.

The flap is put back into position.

A shield might be provided to cover the eye. This prevents you from rubbing your eye, putting pressure on your eye while you sleep, and to protect your eye from accidental injury.

Insurance : Can you expect to be covered for Lasik?

It is no secret that Lasik surgery is not cheap. The price can vary greatly from area to area and can vary depending on the condition of the eye. Lasik surgery is also considered elective, meaning that insurance companies will usually not pay for any part of the Lasik procedure. Before you have the Lasik procedure. it is no secret that Lasik surgery is not cheap. The price can vary greatly from area to area and can vary depending on the condition of the eye. Lasik surgery is also considered elective, meaning that insurance companies will usually not pay for any part of the Lasik procedure. Before you have the Lasik procedure. check into your insurance plans, especially if you have some sort of vision insurance. Most insurance companies consider Lasik surgery an elective procedure. This usually means that they won’t pay. Sometimes an employer will make special arrangements with certain Lasik centers for their patients. These special arrangements are usually available for employees. Often these can give potential Lasik patients a special or reduced price for this procedure. Some companies also offer expanded vision insurance program plans. It used to be that most vision insurance would only pay for basic vision exams, eyeglasses or contact lenses. Some of expanded vision insurance plans now offer Lasik in the plan. Expanded vision plans that offer Lasik may not pay for the whole procedure, but for maybe half of the surgery or even a percentage. If you have an expanded vision health plan, check with your insurance plan to see if your Lasik procedure will be covered.

When you are looking into having a Lasik procedure, make sure you check carefully into the pricing options that the Lasik center can offer. Lasik ads can be deceiving. Often commercials for Lasik procedures tell people that the procedure can be performed for $500 per eye. That may be the case for those who have very low cases of vision problems, but the higher your eyeglass prescription, the more your Lasik procedure will cost. The average Lasik procedure costs around $2000. Many times, Lasik will cost more than that. Also, it is important to remember that a less experienced Lasik surgeon may charge considerably less. It is important to not choose a doctor based solely on the fee they charge. That surgeon may not use the latest technology or may have considerably less experience.

Before having any Lasik procedure, it is important to find out what your financial obligations will be. In some countries such as Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, Lasik procedures are covered by insurance although it is considered elective. In the United States and Canada, insurance will not cover the costs associated with Lasik procedures. One good way to help pay for your Lasik surgery is through a flexible spending account. Many employers offer these benefits to their employers. Money saved through flexible spending accounts can be used for medical procedures not covered by insurance plans. If you have saved enough money in your flexible spending account, the cost of your Lasik vision correction surgery may be completely covered. If you do not have enough in your account, then it can often partially cover the costs. If you are using a flexible spending account to finance your Lasik surgery procedure, it is important to inform your Lasik doctor before the surgery. Many times, you will need to fill out special paper work with your employer and the Lasik center before the surgery is scheduled. Sometimes you Lasik surgery can be deducted from your federal income tax. Before you decided to have a Lasik procedure, check with your tax accountant to see if this option is possible for you. Whether you have expanded vision insurance or not, it is important to remember that in most cases you will be financially responsible for your Lasik surgery procedure. Although Lasik surgery can be costly, there are ways to help defray the cost. There are also many ways to help finance your Lasik surgery. It is always a good idea to keep your options open when paying for your Lasik surgery. Tell your Lasik surgeon what you can do and how much you can pay and most surgeons will be glad to work out some sort of payment plan to fit your budget.

LASIK represents the combination of two separate p..

LASIK represents the combination of two separate procedures: 1) making a corneal flap,

and 2) sculpting the cornea under the flap with a laser. In the first step, the surgeon

uses an instrument called a microkeratome to make a hinged corneal flap. The flap is

folded back exposing the bed of the cornea. In the second step, a cool laser beam sculpts

the curvature of the exposed corneal by evaporating tissue. Then the corneal flap is

repositioned and it adheres without the need for stitches. Visual recovery is typically

rapid. Microkeratome technology has existed for nearly 50 years while the excimer laser

was first applied to the human eye in 1983.

LASIK can treat both myopia and hyperopia with or without astigmatism. Before 1999, all

LASIK was performed “off-label”, meaning the FDA did not approve its use. The FDA

approved myopic LASIK (with or without astigmatism) in late 1999 for the Summit Apex Plus

and VISX Star S2 lasers. Other lasers are also approved for myopic LASIK.
Meanwhile, excimer lasers have also received approval for hyperopic LASIK (with or

without astigmatism). The Autonomous LADARVision system received this approval in

September of 2000. VISX received the nod from the FDA October of 2000 for PRK and

subsequently for LASIK