If you want great eyesight without glasses or contacts, you have likely heard about LASIK. LASIK is a fantastic way to improve your vision.
But, hearing rumors about LASIK shouldn’t be enough to persuade you to go through with it. Speaking with a professional will give you the information you need to decide to get LASIK, or not.
Keep reading to find out what you will discuss in your LASIK consultation.
The primary reason to go to a LASIK consultation is to see if you meet the requirements for LASIK. These requirements are to see if you are a good candidate for the procedure.
You must be a good candidate because there are certain risks involved with the procedure. People who fit all the criteria are low-risk patients. This is why LASIK has such an incredible success rate, around 96%!
During the consultation, your eye doctor will determine your eligibility. They will ask certain questions and put you through a series of tests and examinations. This information will help the doctor determine your eligibility.
This decision is made based on the following:
Young people do not have fully developed eyes. If your eyes are not developed, your prescription could change after your procedure.
This will ruin the results of your treatment. But there is no upper age limit, so you can receive LASIK even when you are older!
For much the same reason as being young, LASIK is not suitable for pregnant women. Pregnancy hormones can alter your eyes and eyesight.
This can affect your prescription and ruin the results of LASIK.
Your eyesight needs to remain at the same prescription for at least a year.
Certain diseases or conditions affect your immune system, and your ability to recover. These must be under control before you can undergo elective surgery like LASIK.
LASIK involves creating a flap during the procedure. So your eyes need to be healthy before having LASIK or it could affect the recovery process.
If your corneas are too thin, LASIK surgeons cannot safely reshape the cornea.
This is a shortlist of criteria you will discuss in your consultation. There are many more candidacy requirements that you will learn about. Thoroughness is key!
Researching on the internet is a great way to get cursory knowledge on a subject. But speaking with a licensed professional is invaluable when it comes to a topic like LASIK.
Being guided by a professional will give you the knowledge you need to make an informed decision. It will also ease your nerves pre-procedure.
Trust is the foundation of a successful LASIK procedure. Meeting face to face will help you decide on whether they are right for you.
Schedule a LASIK consultation at Vision Care of Maine in Bangor, ME, and find out if LASIK is right for you. It could change how you see things forever and change your life for the better!
LASIK is an elective surgery. This means many people are skeptical about its safety. After all, who would want to risk something as important as their eyesight by having a procedure they don’t need?
This line of thinking is understandable, but flawed. It has also spawned many misconceptions about LASIK.
These may have dissuaded people who could otherwise be experiencing clearer vision! Keep reading to find out if myths about LASIK are true!
It sounds like LASIK should be painful, but it’s not. There are numbing eye drops you receive so you never feel any pain.
At most, you may feel a slightly unnerving and unfamiliar pressure on your eye for a few seconds. If you are nervous going into the surgery, ask about receiving medication to help you relax.
The only potentially painful part about LASIK is the beginning of your recovery. Once the anesthetic wears off, you will likely feel a bit sore or experience some discomfort as your eyes begin to heal.
But this should not be anything close to severe pain. After a few days, your eyes will feel a lot better!
False again. LASIK is a permanent procedure. This doesn’t mean you won’t encounter other vision problems that could cause loss of eyesight such as cataracts, presbyopia, and glaucoma. LASIK can only treat current refractive errors permanently.
A refractive error occurs when the light entering your eye is not focused directly onto the retina, but rather in front of or behind it. By reshaping the cornea, the surgeon can correct the light passing through.
This isn’t true, either. LASIK has an astounding rate of success, with over 96% of patients reporting satisfaction with their results. That is 96% of millions of patients, making it one of the most successful surgeries in any medical field.
As with any procedure, there is a certain amount of risk that you take on, but LASIK is unique in how predictable your results can be.
Because LASIK is an elective procedure, most insurance plans will not cover it. But what many people don’t consider is that you don’t have to eat that cost all at once.
You can break it down into monthly payments over the course of a year or two, making the cost much more manageable. You can also look into employer opportunities such as a flexible spending account.
These (known more commonly as an FSA) let you set aside money before it is taxed and spend it on various healthcare costs that insurance won’t normally cover like LASIK.
You should also consider the long term financial benefits of LASIK. Besides the priceless benefits of a glasses-free lifestyle, you will also be saving on repair costs, updating prescriptions, and contact replacements. They may seem like small costs but they add up quickly. The sooner you get LASIK, the more you save!
Think you could be a good candidate for LASIK? Schedule your LASIK consultation at Vision Care of Maine in Bangor, ME now!
If not now, when will you make the choice to experience clear vision for yourself?
As successful as LASIK is, it is not free from certain side effects. One of the most common side effects that patients experience is dry eye.
This occurs because the surgeon cuts through the cornea of the eye to reshape it. This is the main reason that LASIK works the way it does.
This can sever important nerves that tell the brain when the eye needs hydration. As a result, you may experience a weakened tear response and fewer tears being produced. This is what leads to dry eye in patients after LASIK.
The good news is that dry eye from LASIK is rarely severe. It is usually only temporary and almost always heals in a matter of days or weeks.
If your dry eye persists long after your surgery, or you are experiencing worse than expected symptoms, talk to your eye doctor. Keep reading to learn more about dry eye after LASIK!
Dry eye is annoying at best, and it may be painful at worst. If you are experiencing post-LASIK dry eye, there are steps you can take to help decrease symptoms as your eyes heal.
As you begin your recovery, you may find it difficult to stay off of your screens. The brain often forgets to blink while it’s being stimulated by things like the internet, television shows, or video games.
Not blinking can compound on already dry eyes, causing the problem to worsen over time. Limiting your screen time is an easy way to keep your eyes comfortable as you recover from LASIK.
Certain foods promote healthy tear production. Staying hydrated gives your body the ingredients it needs to create tears.
In particular, look for foods high in omega-3 fatty acids. This includes fish oil, walnuts, and chia seeds.
Adding water vapor to the air can help keep them stay moist. This provides a baseline atmosphere that is healthy for the eyes.
Humidifiers are best in the places that you spend the most time, like your office or bedroom.
This means you need to wear sunglasses outside. You’ll block dust and dirt and the sun’s UV rays while doing this.
You also need to be very careful to avoid getting water or shampoo in your eyes while you shower. Irritated eyes produce even less tears, a process that can feed back into itself.
Rubbing your eyes is never a good idea, but this is something you must avoid after LASIK. This does not help with dry eye in the long run.
It is also a guaranteed way to cause serious post LASIK complications. Instead of rubbing your eyes, use eye drops to relieve your dry eye.
You can use over the counter eye drops, but be sure you know what type you are getting. Eye drops with higher viscosity provide longer lasting relief.
They can make your eyesight blurry for some time. Thinner eye drops provide instant relief, though it’s relatively short-lived.
Although most LASIK patients can expect to quickly regain their normal eye functions quickly, everyone is different. If you are concerned that your eyes are taking too long to recover, contact your eye doctor and talk to them about it.
Wondering if LASIK could be the right procedure for you? The first step is to schedule a LASIK consultation at Vision Care of Maine in Brewer, ME!
LASIK is great at changing your life, but the process involved with getting it can seem intimidating. When dealing with a surgery that involves your eyesight, it’s only natural to be skeptical or apprehensive.
To make sure that you can relax and maintain enthusiasm for your new vision, here are 4 tips to make your LASIK experience better!
Knowing more about LASIK can remove a lot of the uncertainty around the subject. During your LASIK consultation at Vision Care of Maine, you can learn all about the procedure.
This will give you information about why it is so successful, and what you can do to achieve the best outcome. Feel free to ask any questions you have throughout the screening!
There’s no such thing as a dumb or bad question when it comes to your eyes, so ask away!
With everything that will be going on during the surgery, the last thing you need to worry about is how you are going to get home. Ask a friend or family member to drive you to the procedure and home when it’s over.
You can’t drive after you’ve had LASIK, as your eyes will still be numb or recovering. Your vision might be blurry or unstable, at least for a few days after the procedure.
Even if your vision is clear right after LASIK, it’s not safe to drive yourself home. Most patients can drive the next day, but ask your eye doctor to be certain.
LASIK only takes about 15 minutes per eye. Though it’s short, it is important for you to be able to remain as still as possible through parts of it.
As special as LASIK is, there’s no need to dress fancy for this occasion. Opt for some clothing that is comfortable and makes you feel relaxed.
This may be sweatpants, leggings, or a hoodie that’s well-loved. You may want to think about wearing layers in case you get cold as well.
Sleep helps to reduce stress, and even though LASIK is safe and fast, it can be stressful for some people. Going into surgery feeling well-rested can give you the confidence you need to make it through the procedure calm and collected.
On the other side of the surgery, sleep is also an important part of the healing process. Right after your procedure, you will be quite tired, so a solid nap should be high up on your short post-op to-do list.
But it is even more important that you do not bump or rub your eyes, which can be difficult to avoid while you are asleep. This is why you will receive eye shields to cover your eyes while you rest.
The shields are designed to fit comfortably, so just be sure they are on before you pass out! Sleeping for a few hours once you get home is one of the best things you can do for your eyes as they recover.
Ready to have a great LASIK experience? The first step is finding out if you’re a good candidate for the procedure!
Schedule your LASIK consultation at Vision Care of Maine in Bangor, ME today!
Looking for a way to spice things up this summer? How about for the rest of your life? LASIK can change your life by giving you freedom from glasses and contacts.
Summer is the perfect time to experience this! There are infinite possibilities to enjoy your summer after LASIK, but here are a few to get you started!
Nothing says summer vacation like traveling. If you’re getting LASIK, that means you’ve likely graduated or working.
Even taking a long weekend to go out of state and enjoy somewhere warmer is a classic summer staple. With the added benefit of LASIK, it could be the most memorable trip of your life!
Not having to worry about forgetting your glasses or contacts is a prime LASIK benefit. No matter where you go, you will always have your eyesight with you.
That level of peace of mind is priceless and will allow you to stay in the moment during your adventures.
Looking to get in shape this summer? Not everyone likes to go to the gym, but if you can play a game while exercising, it becomes much easier to stay active!
The only thing is, if you need to wear glasses, sports become much more complicated and much less fun.
Glasses can break or get knocked off of your face. Contacts are uncomfortable the longer you keep them in. They become more frustrating and dry your eyes out at the same time.
Without them, you can’t see what you are doing. LASIK gives you the ability to be more competitive, which can encourage you to stay fit and feel better.
Of course, you can’t talk about summer without talking about going to the beach. It is the quintessential summer experience, offering fun, relaxation, and adventure.
All that can be easily found in one place! Whether you’re splashing around or sunbathing, the beach is the best in the summer!
But the beach is also hazardous to glasses and contacts. Those waves you’re swimming in will sweep away your glasses before you blink.
The soft sand you’re sunbathing on will scratch your glasses or it could damage your contacts! Forget taking to the sky and paragliding if you need to worry about losing your glasses.
The best part about LASIK is that it gives you options. Even if you don’t like the beach, it’s still nice to know that you can enjoy it if you wanted to.
LASIK gives you the freedom to be who you want to be. You don’t have to hide behind your glasses or jab contacts in your eyes anymore. That’s a big change all by itself!
Setting up a LASIK consultation is the first step towards gaining vision freedom. Set one up today at Vision Care of Maine in Bangor, ME and start your summer with clarity!
If you are using a screen reader and are having problems using this website, please call (207) 945-6200
