Why might I not be a candidate?

At ClearSight Laser Center we find that about 5% of the patients that we evaluate are not suitable for LVC, either because their prescription is outside a treatable range or their corneas present a pre-existing irregularity. Often there are other procedures that will be helpful.

How soon can I go back to work?

Most patients go back to work the second day after surgery, although most people could work the next day (after they are seen for their first post- operative visit).

Are there side effects?

The most common side effects are haloes around lights at night (although this has been greatly reduced with all-laser custom LASIK) and dryness of the eyes. Haloes are often described as being “about what I had with my contacts.” Dryness is usually temporary and back to baseline in about two to three months. Much has been developed to treat temporary dry eye, including new lubricant drops, tear-drainage duct plugs and drops to stimulate tear production.

Is it possible for me to lose vision?

The chance of vision loss, especially with all-laser custom LASIK is extremely remote, but technically, not zero. About one patient out of about 2000 will find that they see reasonably well but not quite as well as they did with their best glasses before surgery. Re-treatment may be helpful for some of these cases.

Will having LVC cause me to need reading glasses?

The need for reading glasses will occur for everyone, usually in their 40s. Sometimes it may seem that the need for reading glasses was a result of the surgery for someone who used to take off their glasses to read. For anyone who sees well in the distance, the need for reading glasses will eventually occur.

Is there an alternative to reading glasses if I’m already in my 40s?

Some people will do pretty well with an arrangement called monovision, in which one eye sees clearly in the distance and one sees clearly at near. Outside the context of LVC, monovision is something many people do with contact lenses. For those desiring surgical monovision, we will recommend that you try it out with contact lenses temporarily to make sure you like the quality of vision.

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