LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis), commonly referred to as laser eye surgery or laser vision correction, is a type of refractive surgery for the correction of myopia and astigmatism.

In most cases, PRK and LASIK does not hurt during or immediately after the procedure. Before your LASIK eye surgery begins, numbing eye drops are used to alleviate any pain or discomfort to the eye during the procedure. LASIK does not hurt during the procedure, however you may feel some pressure on your eyes.

During LASIK eye surgery, an instrument called a microkeratome or femtosecond laser is used to create a thin flap in the cornea. After the cornea is reshaped so that it can properly focus light onto the retina, the cornea flap is put back in place and the surgery is complete.

All patients must:

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Have healthy corneas.
• Not have an active eye disease.
• Have at least 20/40 vision with contacts or glasses.
• Have a stable eyeglass prescription for a specific amount of time.

To have LASIK eye surgery, you must have a stable prescription. This means your eyeglass prescription has not changed for at least two consecutive years. LASIK is FDA-approved for people aged 18 and older. It is important for eyes to be healthy, free of diseases, injuries and infections.

LASIK eye surgery age limits.
LASIK is FDA-approved for anyone aged 18 and older. This is the only hard and fast rule when it comes to an age limit for this procedure, but since adult vision is typically at its healthiest from age 19 to 40, anyone within this range is a great candidate.

Based upon the research into and clinical experience with LASIK, the rate of complications from LASIK eye surgery is estimated to be less than 1 percent, which makes it one of the safest elective surgical procedures available today.

The truth is, there has never been a case of blindness as a result of LASIK eye surgery complications reported in the United States.

Most clinical studies of LASIK vision outcomes have a few elements in common. These include: An assessment of how many people achieve 20/20 vision or better (so-called “perfect” vision) and how many achieve 20/40 vision or better (the minimum visual acuity required to obtain a driver’s license in most states).

Since your eyes are still healing, they will be especially sensitive in the first 24 hours after the LASIK procedure. So it’s recommended to wait at least 24 hours before watching TV again. Watching TV immediately after the procedure can cause your eyes to strain, and that will negatively affect the healing process.

Most patients see clearly within 24 hours after vision correction surgery, but others take two to five days to recover.

Since LASIK surgery is typically performed to correct distance vision and refractive errors rather than issues stemming from presbyopia, whether or not you will need reading glasses after LASIK depends on your age. … If you’re under 40, LASIK surgery will not cause you to need reading glasses, contrary to misconceptions.

Avoid putting makeup, creams, or lotion around the eyes for at least a week or two after LASIK to keep these products from getting in your eyes and potentially causing an infection.

Most vision insurance plans do not cover refractive surgery because insurance companies consider it cosmetic and therefore medically unnecessary. However, some employers make arrangements with a given LASIK center for special discounts for their employees.