Laser surgery can be used to correct nearsightedness (nearsightedness), farsightedness (farsightedness), and astigmatism. It can also be used to treat some types of cataracts. Laser eye surgery is safe when performed by an experienced surgeon who has been trained specifically in laser eye surgery.
Laser eye surgery has become an increasingly popular option for improving vision and correcting common issues. There are a few different types of lasers, but they all work in the same basic way: by focusing light on the retina to reshape it.
Read on to learn more about bIs Laser For Eyes Safe, How Much Does Laser Eye Surgery Cost and Types Of Laser Eye Surgery
Is Laser For Eyes Safe
Patients seek LASIK surgery for many reasons.
One is near universal: “to wake up in the morning and not reach for your glasses or spend two minutes putting in contact lenses,” says Christopher Hood, M.D., a clinical assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center.
Most want to enjoy work and leisure with clear vision, too.
But the idea of eye surgery — and being awake during it — can be scary. Nor is the procedure, which involves cutting a small flap in the cornea surface cells in order to reshape the cornea underneath it, right for everyone.
Others may balk at the price: The average cost per eye, according to Hood, is about $2,200.
Because LASIK isn’t typically covered by insurance, some people might choose to save and pay for it via a flexible spending account. U-M’s credit union also offers financing plans.
No matter the concern, “we help (patients) weigh the risks and benefits,” Hood says. “For some people, it’s a no-brainer.”
Here, he explains several pros and cons of LASIK:
Pro: LASIK eye surgery is quick and safe
Performed as an outpatient procedure, LASIK might take about 20 minutes — “and most of that time is spent getting set up for surgery,” Hood notes.
Recipients, who remain awake, may be given a Valium to calm their nerves. For protection and peace of mind, the laser is designed to shut off if a patient’s eye makes any sudden movements that could prompt error or injury.
Con: Not everyone is eligible
Those deemed unsuitable often are 40 and older. That’s because they may have presbyopia, where the lens of the eye becomes stiff and hinders close-up vision (LASIK alters the cornea, not the lens).
Another similar surgery known as photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK, can be better for people with high prescriptions or very thin corneas, Hood notes, because they lack “enough residual cornea to be structurally sound” for the flap-making that LASIK involves.
Pro: Results come quickly
It doesn’t take long to gain clear sight. LASIK patients will notice a difference in a few hours. “You’re seeing really, really well by the next day,” Hood says. Most normal activities can resume within 48 hours.
Those who receive PRK, however, can expect a longer recovery — about a month — and some minor pain due to the corneal surface removal.
Roni Shtein, M.D., performs LASIK eye surgery on a patient at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center.
Con: Some LASIK risks are possible
Although LASIK may cause dry eyes for up to three months (and can be managed with artificial tears), the odds of it becoming a permanent issue are rare. Another uncommon side effect: nighttime glare or halos.
Still, says Hood, “the risk is much lower than it used to be and the technology is much better. The treatment zone is much larger now, covering the entire cornea.”
Pro: You can live life without glasses or contacts
Whether they choose LASIK or PRK, many patients view the prospect as life-changing — and a means to enjoy even basic activities that once were hindered by poor vision.
“For most people, something changes or prompts them to come in for surgery,” Hood says. “They realize they’re sick of contacts because of dry dyes or want to ride their bicycle without glasses.”
Con: The flaps can be injured
Flaps created during LASIK aren’t secured, so patients should not rub their eyes while they heal. Any trauma to a flap (such as getting poked by a tree branch or fingernail) could dislodge it — even years after surgery, Hood says. Visit your eye doctor immediately if such contact occurs.
Because no flaps are created via PRK, those patients don’t have that risk. Athletes and active individuals might pursue that option to perform at their best.
Pro: Your vision will be greatly improved
LASIK recipients can regain 20/20 vision. Just don’t expect superhuman sight: “At best, we’re going to achieve what we can get with glasses or contact lenses,” Hood says.
For those with higher prescriptions, that prospect may vary: “The chances of us getting a 20/20 are about 20 or 30 percent,” he says, “but we have a very good chance of you functioning without glasses.”
Con: There’s a slight chance you’ll need LASIK again
Again, those with a higher prescription prior to surgery are more likely to see a minor decrease in vision quality over time — a condition known as myopic regression.
“There can be a tendency for it to drift back, but never to the same degree,” Hood says. That might require a doctor-patient discussion, he notes, as a second LASIK surgery has increased and different risks.
How Much Does Laser Eye Surgery Cost
Laser vision correction surgery has been popular since it was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) more than 2 decades ago.
For most of that time, about 1 million eyesTrusted Source were corrected using laser surgery techniques each year. Popularity has declined recently, with about 800,000 eyes corrected each year on average for the last several years.
LASIK, or laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, can be expensive. But LASIK is just one type of corrective surgery. Many of these procedures are simply referred to as “LASIK” regardless of the method.
Still, no matter how it’s done, vision correction surgery can cost thousands of dollars. And that’s for each eye.
Find out how much you can expect to pay for LASIK and what to look for in a surgeon.
What is the price range for laser eye surgery?
The cost of LASIK and other correction vision surgeries vary widely.
According to a 2021 reportTrusted Source on the state of LASIK procedures, prices are lower than they were decades ago due to advances in technology, but prices still range from about $1,000 to $4,000 per eye.
The average price in the United States was $2,632 per eye in 2020.
The report put the cost of vision correction surgery as about equal to the cost of glasses or contacts and eye exams for 8 to 10 years.
What affects cost?
The price of vision correction surgery depends on a lot of factors. These include:
- your location
- experience of the surgeon
- what technique will be used
- what costs are included
- your individual eye health or vision problems
Is LASIK covered by insurance?
Since laser vision correction is an elective, or optional, surgery, very few private insurance companies cover the cost of the procedure.
While you can usually use healthcare programs like a federal savings account (FSA) or a health savings account (HSA), most vision correction surgeries are paid by the person having the procedure.
In some cases, larger insurance companies or private insurance plans may offer coverage for LASIK procedures.
Types Of Laser Eye Surgery
There are several different types of laser eye surgery. The various terms used to describe each one can be confusing though. In this article we will discuss the difference between LASIK and LASEK, Presbymax, Blended Vision, as well as SMILE and some of the reasons why one may be preferred to another.
Laser eye surgery commonly corrects short-sightedness (myopia), long-sightedness (hypermetropia), astigmatism and reading vision problems (presbyopia). The technique used to correct the conditions above are all different but are achieved through the use of a laser which reshapes the surface of the cornea and adjusts the focus of the eye.
Upon your initial consultation you will have various diagnostic tests carried out to determine suitability for the laser procedure and which type of procedure is best suited to you:
LASIK eye surgery
This is one of the safest and most commonly performed surgical procedures worldwide with 90% of patients being suitable.
The procedure starts with an anaesthetic drop being put into the eye to numb the surface. The next step involves creating a thin microscopic flap in the surface of the cornea and then re-shaping the cornea underneath this in order to change its power and accurately focus light. All of this is completely painless and takes less than 5 minutes for each eye.
The main advantages of LASIK are that both the laser eye surgery procedure and recovery are painless and that most patients experience fantastic vision after only a few hours meaning that a fast return to work and play is possible.
LASIK is the most common form of laser eye surgery carried out in the world today. It’s estimated that there have been over 50 million procedures carried out worldwide. In many developed countries up to one in thirty of the general population of all ages have already had this procedure carried out.
At OCL Vision, all of our LASIK (and advanced surface) procedures are wavefront treatments with 7 dimensional eye tracking which means that the laser will be programmed to give you the best quality of vision possible.
Our laser eye surgeon Mr Ali Mearza explaining the different types of laser eye surgery.
LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted In-situ Keratomileusis. In order to better understand what this involves it’s helpful to break this down a little further:
- Laser: At OCL Vision 2 lasers are used ensuring that we always carry out bladeless surgery. The first laser is a femtosecond laser which is programmed to make the flap as thin and small as safely possible using the lowest amounts of energy without compromising on precision or safety. We will read about the second laser below
- Assisted: Many people believe that the lasers do it all. We pride ourselves on having the most up to date, fastest and precise technology for laser eye surgery in London. However, despite this, your surgeon is the main determining factor of a safe outcome. The reason for this is not only down to how the lasers are programmed but also because there are manual components of surgery and the surgeon’s skill and experience play an important part in ensuring that everything is carried out to perfection
- In-situ: This literally means ‘in its place’ which just means that the steps explained above and below occur in the cornea which is the clear natural watch crystal of the front surface of the eye
- Keratomileusis: This means re-shaping and is carried out by a second laser. This laser is called an ‘excimer’ laser which stands for ‘excited dimer’. This explains the process by which electricity is able to combine with two gasses (argon and fluoride) inside the laser and create light energy of a very specific ultraviolet wavelength which allows for extremely precise reshaping. This is a cold laser and thus contrary to popular belief there is absolutely no heat nor burning involved in modern laser eye surgery
LASEK eye surgery
This is an alternative to the LASIK procedure and a better choice for patients who have thinner corneas. LASEK stands for laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy. It is one of a collection of procedures that we term advanced surface laser ablation.
All of these surface procedures involve reshaping the cornea without creating a flap. In order to do this, the surface layer of cells on the cornea (the epithelium) is disrupted either manually or with a laser and must regrow. For this reason, although the procedure is painless, the recovery is painful for 2-3 days and the vision is blurry for the first week, taking a few weeks to get to the 20/20 or 6/6 vision level or better. We give you anaesthetic drops and painkillers to go home with, in order to minimise any discomfort.
We tend to only recommend a surface procedure when we feel that LASIK is not advisable; for example in thin or irregular corneas and around 10% of the laser vision correction procedures that we carry out are surface advanced surface laser ablation procedures. In higher prescriptions, we use the anti-scarring agent MMC (mitomycin C) to reduce the chance of haze following the procedure.
Once this procedure is finished, a bandage contact lens will be inserted to aid the healing process, which is a slower visual recovery than the Lasik procedure. The bandage contact lens will be removed between 3-5 days after surgery with vision improving noticeably for weeks after the treatment.
Presbymax eye surgery
This is a procedure available only on the Schwind Amaris 1050RS laser platform. This procedure extends the depth of focus in the non-dominant eye by precisely adjusting the optics of the eye. This extended range of focus creates a smoother transition between the distance and near vision for a complete range of focus.
Presbymax treats presbyopia, also known as ‘reading vision’. The following conditions can also be corrected at the same time: myopia (short-sightedness), hypermetropia (long-sightedness), and astigmatism (irregular eye shape).
Not all patients are suitable to have Presbymax and the best treatment will be determined by your in-depth examination and discussion with your individual surgeon.
Looking for more information on what sets our laser eye surgery apart? Our laser eye surgery brochure contains all the information you need. View our brochure page to receive your free download.