LASIK

What is LASIK Surgery?

LASIK: A Modern Miracle For Many

LASIK was approved as a vision correction procedure by the FDA in 1999. It is performed to help people with refractive errors in their eyes (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism) see clearly without glasses or contacts. Millions of people have had LASIK worldwide and many of those have achieved 20/20 vision or better after the procedure.

At Dakota Eye Institute, Dr. Paul Selid will evaluate your refractive error, vision goals and eye health to determine if LASIK could be a good option for you. Simply having a refractive error is not the only condition needed for LASIK at Dakota Eye. You must meet certain criteria for this to be a suitable and effective procedure for you.

General LASIK Requirements

18 years or older
Stable vision prescription for at least one year
Free of eye disease or other interfering vision conditions

Proper corneal thickness
Good overall health
Realistic expectations
Full understanding of the potential risks

A comprehensive eye exam is necessary to determine if LASIK is right for you. If you are considering LASIK vision correction, steer clear of any doctor who will perform the procedure without an eye exam, has no track record of success, or guarantees you will achieve 20/20 vision. Our LASIK surgeon at Dakota Eye Institute will be up-front and honest about your eye health and will help you understand the vision results you should expect from LASIK.

We encourage you to take advantage of our free, no-obligation LASIK Screening so you can learn more about your LASIK candidacy. You can ask questions and learn more about our LASIK technology, experience, and results.

Common Question About LASIK Eye Surgery

Numbing eye drops are placed into your eyes before the procedure to block the feeling of pain. Of course, every person has their own unique threshold for discomfort, but most patients do not report that the process is painful. You will feel a sensation of pressure on the eye during the first step of the process. Medicated eye drops or over-the-counter pain medications may help soothe any discomfort you experience as your eyes heal.

The full LASIK procedure takes 20 minutes, from the time you enter the LASIK suite until you go into the recovery area. However, the laser treatment where we reshape your cornea takes less than 2 minutes! Some patients can even see more clearly immediately after the procedure.

Although LASIK has a less than 1% serious complication rate among experienced LASIK doctors, it is still a surgical procedure and therefore carries some element of risk. Complications of LASIK can include:

Starbursts, glare or haloes in low light environments
Dry eyes
Overcorrection or under correction
Corneal flap complications
Infection
Pain
Blurred vision

The U.S. military has approved laser eye surgery for our troops, so this lends further credibility to the safety and effectiveness of LASIK.

You may only need 1 or 2 days off work for LASIK: one day for the procedure and one day to rest afterward (although the second day may not be necessary). People are usually amazed to learn how quick LASIK recovery is. In fact, the healing process begins immediately after surgery. Most patients can return to normal, non-strenuous activities the very next day, although there may be some vision fluctuations as your eyes continue to heal and your vision stabilizes. It is important to keep your follow-up visits so Dr. Selid can monitor your progress.

While most patients can achieve 20/20 vision or better after LASIK at Dakota Eye Institute, it is important to realize that your vision is constantly changing. One eye condition that most people develop after age 40 is presbyopia. This is a gradual stiffening of the eye lenses that makes it difficult to focus on things up close like reading material. Over-the-counter reading glasses may be necessary, even if you have had successful LASIK. There are also different surgical methods to correct presbyopia. If you are experiencing this condition and are frustrated with reading glasses, contact us to learn about your treatment options.

There are several conditions that must be met to be considered for LASIK:

18 years or older
Stable vision prescription for at least one year
Free of eye disease or other interfering vision conditions
Proper corneal thickness
Good overall health
Realistic expectations
Full understanding of the potential risks

The only way to know if you meet these requirements is by having a comprehensive LASIK Screening with us. It’s free and will let you know for sure if this is a vision correction option for you.

It is not likely that the cost of LASIK will go down in the future. In fact, as technology changes the costs may actually rise over time. While the price of LASIK is a definite concern for many people, you don’t want to shop for the lowest price if it means sacrificing quality. When you are researching LASIK centers, be sure to weigh the cost against:

The surgeon’s training, experience, results and ability to be with you before, during and after your procedure
The type of technology being used
Whether or not the low advertised price will apply to your vision prescription
Additional hidden fees that will apply
Inclusion or exclusion of enhancement surgeries and follow-up care

You only have one set of eyes, so make sure you put your vision care into a local doctor and center you trust – a center like Dakota Eye Institute.

Yes. This is called a bilateral LASIK procedure. You can choose to have the surgery on both eyes or just one eye at a time.

Patients should wait 1 week before wearing makeup. We recommend that patients purchase new eye makeup to avoid infection.