Refractive Eye Surgery FAQs

Most adults with stable vision prescriptions meet the requirements for SMILE laser eye surgery. Since SMILE is so gentle on the eye, many patients qualify for it who wouldn’t qualify for other eye surgeries.

If you wear glasses or contacts but otherwise have healthy eyes, the majority – over 90% – of patients interested in PRK are candidates.

At Elite LASIK & Cataract, however, we have specific technologies that are used to make sure the cornea qualifies and is safe for procedure. These are technologies that not readily available in most primary care eye doctor offices. In addition, Elite LASIK & Cataract is dedicated to following the patient qualification standards set out by the American Academy of Ophthalmology for the PRK procedure.

The Refractive Lens Exchange corrects both distance and reading in a more permanent fashion that other refractive correction options.

The Elite LASIK & Cataract staff has over 40 years of LASIK specific experience and our surgeons are board certified corneal specialists with over 20,000 combined successful procedures.

The best way to reduce eye strain is to take frequent breaks from electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers. When you look at a screen for too long, your eyes can become tired and dry.

Anyone who has healthy eyes and is using regular vision correction is typically a good candidate for LASIK. The evaluation process is incredibly important in determining a patient’s candidacy for the procedure, as our office is equipped with specialized diagnostic equipment not commonly found at a regular eye doctor’s office. This equipment gives us the ability to thoroughly examine the cornea and determine whether or not a LASIK procedure is in the best interest of the patient.

LASIK works by reshaping the cornea (front surface of the eye). A circular flap is created on the surface of the eye with a specialized laser. The surgeon then lifts the flap, reshapes the cornea with a second laser, and replaces the corneal flap to achieve optimal vision.

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PRK works by reshaping the cornea (front surface of the eye). The top layer of cells on the eye are dissolved with an alcohol solution, then the surgeon reshapes the cornea with a laser, and places a bandage contact lens (which will be removed in a week) on the cornea.

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Refractive Lens Exchange works by replacing the lens located in the eye, very similar to a cataract procedure. The surgeon is able to replace the original lens with a multifocal if the patient is interested in achieving both distance and near vision.

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During SMILE, we use an extremely precise laser to create a tiny disc of tissue in the cornea. This disc is then removed through a tiny micro-incision to painlessly reshape the eye and correct the problems causing your vision issues. SMILE is FDA Approved to correct mild to severe nearsightedness (plus some astigmatism if necessary) 

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You are not alone! Many of our patients have difficulty touching their eyes or wearing contact. That’s why this is such a great solution for you! If you are unable to touch your eyes, that is a good thing! After the procedure, we require that you do not touch your eyes for at least five days. There are several medication drops that you will administer during your brief recovery however our doctors have several great tips for instilling those drops without the necessity of touching your eyes. During the procedure, there are several numbing eye drops that are used to greatly reduce the sensation of having your eyes touched; therefore the sensations you would normally expect are lessened significantly.

Yes! Astigmatism is when the eye is shaped more like a football than a basketball. The advanced technology that we use to correct your vision is able to reshape the corneal surface so the astigmatism is corrected.

There are several factors that can influence the possibility of a patient not being a candidate for LASIK. The most common findings that would prevent a person from having the LASIK procedure are a thin cornea, an irregularly shaped cornea, corneal disease, significant corneal scarring, a vision prescription that is too high, or systemic diseases that adversely affect the eye. All of these parameters will be evaluated at your initial examination.

Although you’ll be at Elite LASIK & Cataract for approximately two hours the day of the procedure, the procedure itself typically only takes a total of 10 minutes.

No! Thankfully due to our superior technology, there is a tracker on the laser that tracks your eye 4,000 times per second. If a patient inadvertently moves during the procedure, the laser will automatically stop treatment and once the surgeon has the patient in proper position, treatment will resume.

In most cases, patients describe the procedure as having minimal discomfort; however, each patient experience is unique.

• Intermittent fuzziness / blurry edges on objects
• Fluctuating vision / less than “perfect” vision
• Decreased night vision quality (e.g. “glare”, “halos” or “starbursts”)
• Dry eyes
• Redness
• Tender or swollen eyelids
• Foreign body sensation
• Light sensitivity
• Difficulty focusing on near objects
• Headaches
• Eye strain

After a LASIK procedure, most patients can notice an immediate improvement in vision, although, for the first three to six hours it appears as if you are looking through wax paper. Recovery times for other refractive procedures may vary and we can provide more specific information during your evaluation.

The goal of the LASIK procedure is for the vision to last until the patient needs a cataract surgery, which usually takes place in a patient’s 60’s or 70’s. The distance vision should maintain until that time. The reading vision will maintain until the patient reaches their 40’s, when the eye starts to lose its ability to see up close. At this time, the patient can either use over-the-counter reading glasses or return to us for an additional procedure which is called the KAMRA Inlay.

Learn more about KAMRA

Patients who have the standard cataract procedure may need glasses after surgery for activities like driving or reading. Multifocal lens upgrades can decrease the dependence for glasses in most patients.