Q: Can I drive myself home after surgery?
A: No. Your vision may be blurry and hazy for a few days, which could make it difficult for you to drive safely. Some people are able to drive the next day to their follow-up appointment, however. Use your own judgment.
Q: How many follow-up appointments will I have?
A: You will have follow-up appointments at 1 day after surgery, 1 week after surgery, 1 or 3 months after surgery, and occasionally 6 months after surgery. The cost of these visits is included in your surgical fee.
Q: How long does the surgery actually take?
A: The actual procedure takes less than 20 minutes. Depending on your prescription and the amount of correction your eyes require, the laser itself is only on each eye for less than a minute, but plan on being in the refractive suite for 2-3 hours.
Q: Can I fly on an airplane after LASIK?
A: It is safe to fly after surgery but your eyes may be more dry than normal and require frequent use of artificial tears.
Q: Does the procedure hurt?
A: Most people have mild irritation for a few hours after LASIK. Some people compare it to wearing dirty contact lenses. Tylenol may help. Also, the eyedrops your surgeon will recommend will be helpful too. We suggest patients go home and relax with their eyes closed for a few hours after surgery. Taking a nap is a good way to do this. Do not rub your eyes. If you experience excessive redness or severe pain, call our office. With PRK, patients will experience slightly more discomfort with healing.
Q: Will I have to have the procedure again later in life?
A: It is unlikely that you will need to have any additional laser vision correction once your vision is stable several months after your procedure.
Q: I have an astigmatism. Can you treat me?
A: We can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism in most patients.
Q: Do you usually treat both eyes at once?
A: Yes. When laser vision correction was new, many surgeons chose to treat your eyes on different days as a safety precaution. However, now the technology is so advanced that most patients prefer to minimize the time off work and reduce the amount of healing time they experience after laser vision correction, so they have both eyes done at the same visit. Also, many patients reported headaches, disorientation and other discomforts from having one eye corrected and the other
one not. So, if there are no problems when we treat your first eye, we feel comfortable treating the second one right away.
Q: Is it true there is a burning smell during the procedure?
A: Some patients notice a smell similar to burned hair during the time the laser is treating the eye. It is normal and passes quickly.."
Q: Can my spouse watch the surgery being performed?
A: Observers are not allowed in the procedure room. They can wait in our waiting area.
Q: Will you validate my parking?
A: Yes, bring your parking ticket in with you and we will validate it.
Q: Can you do the laser vision correction if I am sick the day it is scheduled?
A: Maybe. Call us to discuss how you are feeling and we will make the decision then.
Q: What should I do with my old glasses after I no longer need them?
A: You can leave them in a basket in our office and we will donate them to a vision charity.
Q: How do I get started on arranging laser surgery?
A: Call our office at 216/445-8585 to schedule a free consultation with our team of laser vision correction surgery experts.
Schedule a free consultation with our team of experts to see if one of these vision correction procedures is right for you. Call 216.445.8585 or 800.223.2273, ext. 58585, for an appointment.
