10 Basic Facts about LASIK

When a person is considering LASIK surgery, it can be an arduous task sifting through all of the information. We often are asked:

• Why is there such a large difference in price ranging from $299 an eye to $2999 an eye?
• Is there really a difference in the laser technologies? How do I know what is the best?
• What are the chances I will have dry eye, glare, or halo at night?
• What are the chances I will have 20/20 vision?
• Will I have to wear reading glasses?
• And the big question….Will I go blind?

Here are 10 Basic Facts about LASIK that will help you understand what LASIK can provide:

LASIK can be affordable:

• Given the current healthcare environment, patients are forced to pay high co-pays with less coverage for services and reimbursement for glasses and/or contact lenses. Many patients are taking advantage of their Health Savings Accounts to pay for LASIK surgery, which will save them money in the years to come.
• For those patients who do not have the opportunity of a Health Savings account, interest free financing is a great alternative in providing them with a way to deter future cost for glasses and/or contact lenses.
• At 20/20 Institute, we accept all HSA and FSA accounts, honor vision insurance discounts and assist with Care Credit interest free financing to assist you with your financial goals in completing the LASIK procedure.

LASIK technology is not all the same:

• LASIK is a medical procedure for your eyes. Just as in other areas of the medical field, technology changes and advances in a particular medical area are made. The same can be said in the LASIK arena. As more information has been gained regarding the LASIK procedure, technology changes and advances have occurred.
• At 20/20 Institute, we stay abreast of the most up-to-date technology for screening, bladeless flap creation and wave front optimized vision correction.

LASIK surgeons are not all the same:

• It is important to research your surgeon to insure his/her qualifications and history of procedure results. It is also important to know if your surgeon is available for you if a complication should arise. Some providers have surgeons who travel and may not be available for you after procedure.
• At 20/20 Institute, we have board certified LASIK surgeons who have extensive experience in highly successful LASIK procedures and live and work in the Indianapolis community with their families.

LASIK candidacy is an important factor for success:

• There are several factors that deem a person a LASIK candidate or not. It is necessary to have a thorough evaluation with a qualified provider who has specific experience with LASIK. If a person is not an ideal candidate for LASIK, the likelihood of success is decreased.
• At 20/20 Institute, we have doctors who have several years of LASIK experience and follow the protocols set out by the ASCRS guidelines for refractive surgery to help insure the best procedure outcome possible.

LASIK is a safe procedure:

• LASIK has been FDA approved in the United States for over 20 years. The PROWL 2 study conducted by the FDA confirmed 95% of patients achieved 20/20 vision or better while there was a decrease in ghosting of 33% prior to procedure to 6% after procedure.
• At 20/20 Institute, we were participants in the PROWL 2 study to assist the FDA in researching the safety of the LASIK procedure.

LASIK results are proven:

• It is important that your LASIK provider track the patient outcomes and can provide you with their statistics.
• At 20/20 Institute, we are able to provide our patients with the statistical averages for our outcomes over the past 8 years we have been in practice in the Indianapolis area. Our results for obtaining 20/20 vision are much higher than the national average.

LASIK is a simple procedure with a quick recovery:

• The LASIK procedure typically takes approximately 10 minutes total for both eyes to have full correction. Vision recovery is almost instantaneous and most patients can resume activities with minimal restrictions.
• At 20/20 Institute, most of our patients recover so quickly they are back to work and normal activities as early as the very next day.

LASIK side effects are typically temporary:

• Because LASIK is a medical procedure, there are side effects that may or may not occur; however, usually those side effects are temporary only lasting during the healing phase after procedure and then fully subside once the corneal has healed.
• At 20/20 Institute, often our patients experience less severe side effects than the norm due to our updated technology, screening process and patient preparation prior to procedure.

LASIK successful outcomes are high:

• Time has shown that the outcomes for the LASIK procedure are so high that patients often rank having LASIK as one of the top five experiences in their lifetime.
• At 20/20 Institute, we survey our patients regarding their satisfaction with their surgical procedure. Our patients overall rate their vision and experience with LASIK as excellent.

LASIK complications are low:

• LASIK is a medical procedure so should never be entered into lightly; however, studies show that serious complications from the LASIK procedure are less than 1% of the patient population. A person is 400 times more likely to sustain a sight threatening infection from wearing contacts than to have a sight threatening complication from LASIK.
• At 20/20 Institute, our complication rates with the LASIK procedure are less than 1% of our patient population.