(BPT) – Now that we are in a new year, it’s a great time to get caught up on your to-do list, so you can enjoy a fresh start knowing that you’re taking care of business — and yourself. This is even more timely if you have rollover HSA funds, as you may only have 60 days to use them. One vital appointment many put off is an annual eye exam, which is a crucial health screening for anyone, whether you wear glasses or contact lenses or not. If you do wear contact lenses or glasses, this is also a great time to ask your eye doctor about LASIK surgery, an advanced, safe and effective form of vision correction, which could correct your vision and potentially free you from having to wear corrective lenses.¹

“LASIK surgery is a painless, rapid-healing, life-changing procedure that improves vision and generally provides freedom from glasses and contact lenses,” said Dr. Mark C. Lobanoff, Founder of OVO LASIK + LENS. “This treatment has the potential to increase your ability to see fine detail and in many patients can give better vision than even contact lenses or glasses.”

Here are important facts you should know about LASIK surgery, and why you might want to consider it.

Who can get LASIK surgery?

LASIK surgery can help correct a number of vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Patients who are 18 and older can receive LASIK surgery if their eyes are free from eye disease, and they also have no systemic bodily diseases that can slow proper healing. Patients with signs of cataracts or other ocular conditions are often provided other alternatives for their specific condition.

Who should not get LASIK?

Before assuming you may not be a candidate for LASIK surgery, check with your eye doctor.

“Your eye surgeon and medical professionals can provide great guidance in this area,” said Lobanoff. “Those with glaucoma, rare corneal dystrophies and other eye conditions can be assessed by the surgeon for best options of vision correction. Diseases such as autoimmune disorders and other systemic diseases will be evaluated for the progression of their specific condition prior to undergoing consideration for a LASIK treatment. Fortunately, most patients are good candidates for the surgery.”

What is the LASIK procedure like?

The LASIK treatment itself only takes minutes from start to finish. However, the preliminary eye exam and other highly advanced diagnostic tests that are required to create your personalized treatment plan before the procedure might last a few hours. During those tests, your doctor will:

• Map the shape of your cornea
• Screen for eye disease
• Measure your eye, including corneal thickness and pupil size
• Assess the retina for your eye’s visual potential

What happens during the procedure

Before the procedure, anesthetic drops will be placed in your eyes. You’ll then lie down on a patient bed and focus your vision on the lights as described by your surgeon. Then, laser energy from the excimer laser precisely reshapes your cornea.

Most LASIK patients notice improved vision immediately.

“One of the most amazing things about LASIK is that you see instant results,” said Lobanoff. “After surgery, when the patient looks around and can see without their glasses, they know their vision has improved.”

Recovery from LASIK

Following the treatment, your doctor will provide you with recommendations to follow to ensure proper healing. You shouldn’t drive on the day of your surgery, so you will need to plan to have someone take you home. You should also be sure to pick up any medications you have been prescribed, and only use eyedrops that your doctor has recommended. After the surgery, you will need to keep your eyes clean from sweat, dust and makeup, and avoid touching and rubbing your eyes.

As with any surgical procedure, there may be risks involved. Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of vision-correcting surgeries, and visit YourLasikSolution.com for more information.

WaveLight^® Excimer Laser Systems IMPORTANT PRODUCT INFORMATION

CAUTION: Federal (U.S.) law restricts the WaveLight^® Excimer Laser Systems to sale by or on the order of a physician.

INDICATIONS: FDA has approved the WaveLight^® Excimer Laser Systems for use in laser- assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) treatments for nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism, including mixed astigmatism.

In addition, the WaveLight^® Excimer Laser Systems, when used with the WaveLight^® TOPOLYZER^® Devices are approved for topography-guided LASIK treatments for the reduction or elimination of up to -9.00 diopters of nearsightedness, or for the reduction of elimination of nearsightedness with astigmatism with up to -8.00 diopters of nearsightedness and up to -3.00 diopters of astigmatism.

The WaveLight^® Excimer Laser Systems are only indicated for use in patients who are 18 years of age or older (21 years of age or older for mixed astigmatism), who have documented evidence that their refraction did not change by more than 0.50 diopters during the year before their preoperative examination.

Alternatives to LASIK: LASIK is just one option for correcting your vision. Alternative options include eyeglasses, contact lenses, photorefractive keratectomy surgery (PRK), and other refractive surgeries. Be sure to talk to your doctor to find out if LASIK is appropriate for your condition.

ATTENTION: Ask your doctor for a copy of the current Patient Information Booklet for your procedure for a complete listing of the indications, contraindications, complications, warnings, precautions, side effects, and clinical study summaries.

ADVERSE EVENTS AND COMPLICATIONS: Common risks of LASIK procedures include:

• Developing dry eye syndrome, which can be severe;
• The possible need for glasses or contact lenses after surgery;
• Visual symptoms including halos, glare, starbursts, and double vision, which can be debilitating; and
• The loss of vision.

References

1. Alcon data on file, 2018.

© 2022 Alcon Inc. 1/22 US-REF-2200001