LASIK Surgery

Laser Refractive Surgery

LASIK stands for laser assisted in situ keratomileusis. It is a type of laser vision correction in which a laser reshapes your cornea to improve vision.

Only a qualified eye care professional can determine if LASIK is right for you. By performing a comprehensive preoperative exam, which includes tests, measurements, and a review of your medical history, we can learn if you are a good candidate for LASIK.

Have astigmatism?

LASIK may actually be especially well suited for you. This is because the ovular cornea that defines your astigmatism is reshaped by the procedure.

You should be aware that LASIK is surgery, but it is a quick surgery. Most LASIK procedures take about ten minutes per eye.

LASIK systems are extremely accurate and use high-speed video imaging to track your eye position, moving at a speed 10x faster than you can react. If you move, it moves.  Here at Eye Associates of South Texas, we use the WaveLight® EX500 Excimer and FS200 Femtosecond laser technology.

LASIK is laser vision correction, and most people think of heat when they think of lasers. But our surgeons use “cool-beam,” high-energy lasers that vaporize only targeted tissue.

You may notice clearer vision immediately after your procedure. However, your vision will continue to improve in the months to follow.

Although all surgery has risks, most people who undergo LASIK treatment do not suffer from serious side effects.  Risks and side effects associated with LASIK include: infection or issues with healing; permanent vision loss that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or further surgery; debilitating visual symptoms, such as glare, halos, or double vision that can seriously affect nighttime vision; under- or over-treatment, necessitating further refinement to reach the intended correction; and severe dry eye syndrome.

Some people feel slight pressure or mild discomfort during LASIK. But because anesthetic drops are administered to your eye before the procedure, the surgery tends to be painless.

After the surgery, we recommend a follow-up schedule of the first day after surgery, then again at one week, one month, and three months. These examinations watch for infection and to monitor healing.

Insurance providers don’t often cover the cost of LASIK, but some do offer assistance and discounts through employee health plans and Flexible Spending Accounts. Check with your individual insurance carrier(s) to learn more. Financing is available and can bring the cost of this life-changing procedure to around $100/month.

LASIK (Laser-Assisted-In-Situ Keratomileusis).

Often called refractive surgery or a laser vision correction, this is a highly effective ambulatory procedure. LASIK is North America’s most frequently performed elective surgery.

The following vision problems are corrected by LASIK eye surgery:

Myopia (Nearsightedness) occurs when your eye is too long in relation to your cornea curvature. This causes light rays in front of the retina to focus on the eye, creating a blurred image.

Hyperopia (farsightedness) occurs when your eye is too short with respect to your cornea curvature. Distant objects are seen more clearly with hyperopia than near objects.

Astigmatism occurs when your cornea (the front surface of the eye) is shaped like a football. More than one focal point in the eye distorts what you see with astigmatism. Due to the unequal bending of light rays entering your eyes, you experience a tilting of images

How LASIK Works

The LASIK procedure is performed by ophthalmologists, medical doctors who specialize in eye surgical treatments. Here’s a general procedure outline: drops of the anesthetic eye are applied to the eye. In order to access the inner corneal tissue, the LASIK surgeon creates a protective flap with a special laser (femtosecond) Your vision dims and becomes blurry for about a minute during this part of the procedure. You can see the laser flashing fixation light and the bright lights used for the procedure after the flap is created. Next, your cornea’s inner layers (stroma) receive cool laser light pulses controlled by computers. Despite the invisibility of the laser light, the laser makes a clicking sound as it gently reshapes the inner corneal layer to improve and eliminates your prescription in many cases. An eye-tracking device tracks your eye movements during this part of the procedure to ensure accurate correction. The LASIK surgeon repositions and aligns the flap carefully after the re-shaping of the tissue, to its original position. Protective shields are placed over your eye to prevent accidental rubbing as the flap heals over the next several hours naturally and securely. Patients experience moderate discomfort and irritation for a couple of hours after the LASIK eye surgery procedure, but most are comfortable after a nap and rest.

A consultation with one of the surgeons from Eye Associates of South Texas in advance of the procedure will help you determine the correct type of laser eye surgery.

PRK

PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) is a type of refractive surgery to correct myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. PRK was the first type of vision correction laser eye surgery and is the predecessor of the popular LASIK procedure.

Custom LASIK

Is a procedure for laser vision correction that helps your surgeon customize the laser treatment for your individual eyes. This procedure can lead to a clearer and sharper vision than ever before. Using a gentle laser, Bladeless LASIK creates an accurate, uniform corneal flap. As the name implies, this customizable eye surgery uses no blades. Wavefront Technology creates a custom map of your visual system’s unique attributes that transfers to the laser, allowing your LASIK surgeon to meet your individual visual needs. In custom LASIK surgery, Wavefront technology is used, including custom bladeless LASIK

LASIK Frequently Asked Questions:

What is LASIK?

A LASIK operation is designed to minimize or eliminate the need for glasses or contacts. An excimer laser gently reshapes the cornea to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism with computer-controlled precision. You must be at least 18 years of age, have healthy eyes and have a stable eye prescription for the last twelve months to be considered a candidate.
Is LASIK a safe operation?

Complications of laser vision correction surgery since FDA approved in 1995 are very rare today. Although the potential outcome of your surgery can be provided by our LASIK surgeons, no surgeon can guarantee a specific visual acuity. Those with certain medical conditions (herpes keratitis) and women who are pregnant or nursing (within the last 3 months) are not candidates.

Is LASIK surgery painful?

Many patients are surprised with their LASIK surgery that they don’t feel any pain. You may get a mild sedative (valium) before surgery to help you relax. Before LASIK eye surgery starts, anesthetic drops are used to numb the eye and during laser correction, you may feel a sensation of light pressure. After your procedure, your eye may feel somewhat irritated for a couple of hours and after taking a short nap, most patients are quite comfortable. In the days after your surgery, drops will be prescribed for your eyes to provide comfort and healing.

How quickly can I resume normal activities after LASIK surgery?

In the first weeks after LASIK, there are minimal restrictions. The following day, many patients can resume normal activities. LASIK’s vision results may vary, but after surgery, most patients can see clearly 24-48 hours. Over several months, further improvement in vision may continue. Your doctor will recommend that you avoid certain activities for several weeks, such as swimming or contact sports.

How does LASIK compare PRK (Photo Refractive Keratectomy)?

PRK and LASIK surgery have comparable results and during your evaluation, your doctor will be able to discuss which is best suited to your condition. LASIK surgery creates a hinged flap on the cornea, which is a major difference. Patients with LASIK report minimal irritation and stabilize their vision faster than PRK. PRK involves the treatment of the cornea surface. With hazy vision and some discomfort, PRK recovery takes a few days. When the cornea of the patient is too thin for LASIK, PRK is often recommended.

How long will the correction of vision last?

After laser vision correction, your distance vision is fairly permanent. Laser vision correction is aimed at reducing or eliminating your reliance on glasses and contact lenses. A normal age-related change (presbyopia) is the need for reading glasses, and correction of laser vision does not change this.

What are the LASIK or PRK surgery side effects and risks?

Temporary side effects after correction of laser vision may include eye dryness, light sensitivity, or nighttime halos. Glares or halos usually resolve in a couple of weeks at night. With the Custom Wavefront technology, night vision disturbances associated with imperfections in the eye before LASIK can now be reduced. During the healing process, the use of artificial tears can treat dry eyes. Individual results may vary, as with other elective procedures.

If you’re looking for laser refractive surgery (LASIK/PRK) in the South Texas area, trust your vision to the Eye Associates of South Texas ‘ experienced LASIK surgeons. We are working to make professional LASIK surgery accessible throughout South Texas with convenient eye clinics in Seguin, San Antonio, New Braunfels, LaVernia, Luling, Gonzales, Lockhart, Hondo, and Castroville. To set up your consultation, contact our office today!

How much does LASIK surgery cost?

Lasik surgery is an elective surgery that means that it is not usually covered by your medical insurance. Certain vision plans may offer a discount on the total price of the procedure. The cost of LASIK is generally between $1500 and $3000 dollars an eye depending on the type of procedure performed. At Eye Associates of South Texas, we use the latest lasers FS200 Flap maker femtosecond laser and the EX500 Excimer laser to perform the most modern and state-of-the-art LASIK surgery. We perform LASIK on patients from all our location cities: San Antonio, New Braunfels, Seguin, La Vernia, Castroville, Luling, Lockhart, Hondo, Gonzales, and surrounding communities. We offer CareCredit financing to qualified individuals, making the cost of your LASIK as little as $100 a month. This represents great value as you will be saving over the years on the cost of eyeglasses, contact lenses, and cleaning solutions.

EAST LASIK CENTER

Eye Associates of South Texas has the first and only permanent LASIK center between Austin and San Antonio. It is located in a surgical suite within our San Marcos location at 1218 SH-123, San Marcos, TX 78666. It features the state-of-the-art Alcon refractive suite. This allows our patients to have LASIK near to home! Our skilled board-certified LASIK surgeons are ready for you to make 20/20 your reality and possibly finally get rid of your contact lenses and glasses!

We will serve the cities of Kyle, Buda, San Marcos, New Braunfels, and Seguin have not had access to a local State-of-the-Art Modern LASIK until now. Patients from Austin and San Antonio are also welcome to enjoy the new LASIK center!

The LASIK suite will have the FS200 (Femtosecond LASER) and the EX500 (Excimer Laser) to provide an all LASER LASIK procedure. They also have CONTURA a wavefront-guided LASIK to improve vision to better than 20/20 in some instances. https://professional.myalcon.com/refractive-surgery/wavelight-refractive-suite/

The surgeons of Eye Associates of South Texas are amongst the most experienced in the World: Dr. J.T. Kavanagh MD, Sharron K. Acosta MD, Jason Burns M.D., Christina Bui MD, and Richard Rodriguez M.D. All our surgeons are board-certified ophthalmologists.

The LASIK center has the latest cornea imaging technologies including the Alcon Contura Wavefront, Oculus Pentacam, and Nidek OPD-III Wavefront Scanner. This will allow our doctors to offer you the most accurate treatments available. Many patients achieve better than 20/20 vision!

So if you are in the market for or are considering LASIK surgery feel free to call the Eye Associates of South Texas at 830-379-3937 for your free LASIK Consultation. If you are indeed a candidate and you wish to proceed you will see one of the Eye Associates doctors for a preoperative assessment.

If you have an Eye Doctor let them know where you want your surgery! We work with all local eye doctors both Optometrists and Ophthalmologists. The doctors of Eye Associates of South Texas are ready to make 20/20 vision your reality!

Contact us today for your free LASIK consultation. Call us today 830-379-3937