Whether you have recently gotten glasses for the first time or you have been wearing glasses for years, you may understand the frustrations with visual aids. Glasses can get smudged and dirty, making it harder to see.

Contacts can get dry and uncomfortable and may come with unexpected expenses. LASIK is a laser vision correction procedure that can improve your vision, potentially reducing or eliminating the need for glasses.

Keep reading to learn more about whether you will have to wear glasses after LASIK.

What is LASIK? 

LASIK is a laser vision correction procedure that can correct common refractive errors such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism, leaving you with clearer, sharper vision. Refractive errors occur when your cornea is misshapen, or the eye is too long or too short.

To correct this, your LASIK surgeon will use specialized lasers to reshape your cornea. This process changes how light passes through the cornea and focuses on the retina, improving visual acuity. 

Will I Need Glasses After LASIK?

LASIK has the potential to completely eliminate your need for glasses or contacts. About 90% of LASIK patients have vision between 20/20 and 20/40 without glasses or contact lenses after the procedure. 

Although LASIK can make your vision crisper and clearer, it cannot correct or prevent age-related conditions like cataracts or presbyopia. These conditions may require you to use visual aids, even if you have gotten LASIK.

The procedure has a 96% satisfaction rate, with patients citing greater visual freedom than ever before.

What Can I Expect During LASIK?

LASIK is an outpatient procedure that your LASIK surgeon at EyeHealth Northwest will conduct at the EyeHealth Laser Center. They will give you eye drops to numb the surface of your eyes so you don’t feel any discomfort during the procedure.

Your surgeon will begin the procedure using a femtosecond laser to create a small flap on the surface of the cornea. Then, your LASIK surgeon will fold open the flap to access your cornea so they can carefully reshape the tissue with an excimer laser.

After making changes to the cornea, they will close the flap, which will act as a natural bandage for the eye and heal without the need for stitches. The entire procedure will take around 30 minutes.

What Can I Expect After LASIK?

After LASIK, you will need to have someone drive you home. Your LASIK surgeon will provide at-home care instructions and ask you to return for a follow-up appointment the next day.

At your first appointment, your eye doctor will assess your vision and how your eyes are healing. They will let you know when you are cleared to resume activities like working and driving and schedule any further follow-up appointments with you.

Most people notice almost instant improvements in their vision after the procedure. Your vision will likely continue to gradually improve in the days and weeks following LASIK as your eyes finish healing. 

Most patients reach their best possible vision about 3-6 months after LASIK. You may discover you need visual aids for certain activities as you grow older, but the vast majority of patients achieve complete visual freedom from glasses and contacts.

After LASIK, you can enjoy high-definition vision for decades without worrying about visual aids while doing the activities you love. You can look forward to traveling, going to concerts, and movie nights with friends with a clear mind and even clearer vision.

Are you ready to learn more about achieving clear vision with LASIK? Schedule a LASIK consultation at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!

The post Will I Have to Wear Glasses After LASIK? appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

LASIK is quick and minimally invasive, with an uncomplicated recovery process. After your procedure, you can experience clear vision without glasses or contacts holding you back.

Keep reading to learn more about what happens during LASIK.

What to Expect During Your LASIK Consultation

Before scheduling your LASIK procedure, your eye doctor at EyeHealth Northwest will see you for a LASIK consultation. During the consultation, your eye doctor will review your medical history to ensure surgery is safe and successful.

They will ask you about past eye procedures, any eye injuries or illnesses you have had, and underlying health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure. 

They will also examine your eyes during the consultation. They will check your vision to know what level of correction you need.

In addition, they will check to see how healthy your eyes are. They may take images of your cornea or use corneal mapping technology.

Preparing for LASIK

On the day of your LASIK procedure, you should arrive at EyeHealth Northwest with enough time to check in so you can complete any necessary paperwork before surgery.

Your LASIK surgeon will bring you into the procedure room and make you comfortable on the table. They will administer eye drops that numb the surface of your eye so you won’t feel any discomfort and may offer you a sedative to relax.

They will place instruments around your eyes to hold them open and prevent you from blinking. You may feel pressure, but the instruments aren’t painful. 

What Happens During the LASIK Procedure?

Once your eyes are ready, your LASIK surgeon will use a specialized femtosecond laser to create a small flap on the surface of your eye. They will open the flap to gain access to the cornea.

Using an excimer laser, they will make careful adjustments to the shape of your cornea. Once that is complete, your LASIK surgeon will carefully close the flap, which will heal without sutures. 

After that, they will repeat the procedure on your other eye. LASIK typically takes under 30 minutes total. After it’s done, you may need to wait in the office for a short time so the staff can monitor your eye pressure. 

What is LASIK Recovery Like?

After LASIK, your eyes may feel sore or gritty as the numbing eye drops wear off, and your vision may be blurry. This is normal and should get better over the next day or so.

You must wear an eye shield for the next week when you sleep. This prevents you from accidentally rubbing your eyes overnight. 

You will not be able to drive yourself home after the procedure, so you should arrange a ride in advance. You won’t be able to resume driving until you’ve been cleared by your LASIK surgeon, usually at your follow-up appointment the next day. 

Aftercare is very important after LASIK. Your eye doctor will give you prescription eye drops to reduce the risk of infection, and you should use them as directed.

At your follow-up appointments, your eye doctor will assess your vision and how your eyes are healing. They will also tell you when you can return to activities like work, exercise, driving, wearing eye makeup, and swimming. 

Are you ready to learn more about LASIK? Schedule a LASIK consultation at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!

The post What Happens During LASIK? appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

If you’ve been considering LASIK, you may be worried about the cost. It’s true that LASIK is considered an elective procedure, so insurance doesn’t typically cover the cost.

However, the one-time cost of LASIK is a valuable investment in your quality of life.  Keep reading to learn five reasons why LASIK is worth the price!

Reduce Your Need For Glasses Or Contacts

LASIK corrects a wide range of vision problems, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. After LASIK, many people are able to significantly reduce their dependence on visual aids.

Depending on which IOL you choose during cataract surgery, you may still need to wear glasses for certain activities, like reading. However, if you choose a premium IOL, you may not need glasses for any activities.

This means no hassle of caring for contacts and keeping track of glasses all the time. It also saves money since you won’t have to purchase new glasses or contacts regularly. 

You’ll See Clearly When You Wake Up

If you have worn glasses for a while, you’re probably used to waking up to blurry vision. Reaching for your glasses may be the first thing you do every day. 

With LASIK, your vision may improve enough that you don’t need glasses or contacts anymore. That includes first thing in the morning! You’ll be able to wake up and face your day with clear vision. 

Enjoy The Freedom To Fully Participate In Activities

Glasses and contacts can interfere with an active lifestyle. You may have to sacrifice clear vision to go swimming or scuba diving. 

If you’re a fan of skiing or other cold-weather sports, you may struggle with your glasses fogging up so you can’t see through the lenses. Packing for any trip requires making sure you have enough contacts and cleaning supplies, as well as glasses as backups. 

LASIK can make sports, traveling, and other activities more fun and carefree.

Boost Your Self-Confidence

Wearing glasses or contacts can feel awkward. Perhaps you feel like your glasses are hiding your face from the world. 

You might worry about glasses casting shadows and ruining how you look in photos. Maybe your contacts become dry at the end of the day, making driving at night challenging and causing you to lose confidence in going out after dark. 

LASIK can make you feel selfie-ready all the time and give you the crisp, sharp vision that makes you feel confident at all times of day. 

Enjoy Reliable Results from Advanced Technology

LASIK is one of the safest, most effective surgical procedures in the United States. At EyeHealth NW, our board-certified LASIK surgeons use the most advanced technology, including the Wavelight Refractive Suite, which utilizes the FS200 Femtosecond laser, the EX500 excimer laser, and Contoura Vision topography. 

Our experienced team guides patients through the entire process, from consultation to post-procedure follow-up care. 

Are you ready to invest in your vision and learn more about LASIK? To find out if LASIK is the right laser vision correction procedure for you, schedule a LASIK consultation at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!

The post 5 Reasons LASIK is Worth It appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

LASIK is a safe and effective vision correction procedure that can allow you to experience greater visual freedom for many years. Keep reading to learn more about LASIK and to find out whether it is permanent!

How Does LASIK Work?

LASIK is a procedure that can correct refractive errors, which cause blurry vision due to the natural shape of your eye or cornea. The cornea is the clear structure at the front of the eye that acts as the window to the eye and helps focus light onto the retina. 

When the cornea is irregularly shaped, or when the eye is too short or too long, it causes a refractive error like nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. During a LASIK procedure, your eye doctor uses specialized lasers to reshape the cornea. 

The reshaping is a permanent change to the structure of your cornea. After LASIK, the new shape of your cornea will help refract the light to land directly on the retina to produce clear vision and reduce your need for visual aids.

Can Your Vision Change After LASIK?

LASIK only corrects the refraction errors present in your eye at the time of the procedure. It cannot prevent any changes to your eyes or your vision that may occur due to the development of other eye conditions in the future. 

Over time, you may develop vision changes unrelated to your LASIK procedure. One of the most common vision changes that occurs later in life is presbyopia. 

Presbyopia is age-related and causes changes to the lens of the eye. The lens grows less flexible and starts to affect your close-up vision. 

You may find that you need reading glasses for activities like reading or working on a computer. Another common issue that occurs with age is cataracts. 

Like presbyopia, cataracts affect the lens of the eye. Cataracts cause clouding of the lens, which gradually spreads and affects vision. 

Cataracts can lead to blurry or hazy vision, dulling of colors, and reduced night vision. Although LASIK can permamently correct your refractive error, it doesn’t mean you will not experience blurry vision later in life due to other eye conditions.

Additionally, you may need a LASIK touch-up at a later point to ensure your vision is at its best.

What If I Get LASIK Too Young?

One of the reasons that LASIK is so successful is that eye doctors work closely with patients to make sure LASIK is the right procedure for them. One of the criteria eye doctors look at is your age and how stable your vision is.

Your eyes continue to change into early adulthood. This is why your glasses prescription may change often during childhood and teenage years. 

Most people’s vision becomes more stable after the age of twenty-one. Getting LASIK before your eyes have matured and your prescription has stabilized increases the risk of vision changing after the procedure.

Ensuring that you are a good candidate for LASIK will give you the best chance of seeing permanent results from the procedure.

Do you want to learn more about LASIK and find out if it’s the right laser vision correction procedure for you? Schedule a LASIK consultation at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!

The post Is LASIK Permanent? appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

However, there are other benefits that come along with better vision. 

Keep reading to learn more about how LASIK can improve your vision and your life! 

Freedom from Glasses and Contact Lenses 

Most people who undergo LASIK have significant enough vision improvement that they don’t need glasses or contacts anymore. For many people, this means being able to wake up and see clearly as soon as they open their eyes. 

They no longer need to worry about putting contacts in every morning or keeping track of glasses. 

Clearer Vision 

LASIK can typically correct vision to the same degree as glasses or contacts. However, while your visual acuity measurement might be similar, your vision may be better after LASIK. 

Glasses can attract dirt or smudges. The clearness of contacts can be affected by dryness or moving out of position. 

LASIK means never worrying about glasses fogging up or contacts getting dry and compromising your vision.  

Improved Quality of Life

Not relying on glasses and contacts for vision correction can improve everyday activities. Working out and going swimming can be more fun with clear vision. 

Travel is easier when you don’t have to pack contacts or worry about losing a pair of glasses while you’re away from home. Outdoor activities like hiking and camping are easier and safer when you count on a clear vision, no matter the conditions. 

No more worrying about rain on your glasses or finding a way to wash your hands well enough to handle contacts. 

Cost Savings Over Time

A year’s supply of contact lenses can cost a couple of hundred dollars. Specialty lenses, such as those for astigmatism, may cost more. Glasses may also cost a couple hundred or more, depending on how much insurance covers. 

Over time, those costs add up. LASIK is a one-time expense that may pay for itself in just a few years of not buying contacts or glasses. 

Producing Less Waste

The materials in glasses and contacts cannot be easily recycled. Additionally, contacts come in plastic packaging to ensure they’re sterile. 

The result is that many contacts, contact lens packages, contact solution bottles, and discarded glasses can wind up in landfills. LASIK eliminates the need for glasses and contacts, reducing the amount of waste you produce each year. 

Improved Self-Confidence

Having clearer, more reliable vision can improve your confidence. For some people, getting to ditch glasses makes them feel better about how they look. 

For others, the improvements in vision make them feel more secure doing activities like driving at night. 

Better Safety Profile 

Better vision without glasses or contacts can increase your safety profile. Clear vision is critical for common activities such as driving. 

For people who work in fields like construction, medicine, airline pilots, or the military, clear vision can make worksites safer for everyone involved. 

Do you want to find out if LASIK is right for you? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Hillsboro, OR, today!

The post 7 Benefits of Choosing LASIK appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

Keep reading to learn eight reasons to consider LASIK in your twenties!

1. Every Day is in Focus

No more waking up feeling for your glasses or stumbling to the bathroom to put your contacts in. You see everything at a single glance. 

The world looks bright and new, even on gray days. With the improved vision of LASIK, you’re ready to go the moment you get up.

2. Good Sight Means Increased Safety

In a world where normal is 20/20 vision, glasses and contacts are a reminder that your vision isn’t perfect. Blurry vision that needs correction is a disadvantage. 

LASIK restores your sight to near-normal vision, and that added sense of safety impacts your life, career, relationships, and how you see the world. 

3. A Quick Surgical Recovery

As a minimally invasive procedure, LASIK recovery is fast and relatively easy. You’ll only need a brief time off from work, and you can pick up your life where you left off, but now you’ll be seeing much better with reduced dependence on glasses or contacts. 

4. Long-Term Savings

After your LASIK surgery, you won’t have to worry about maintaining your glasses or getting your contact lens prescription filled. You also won’t have to worry about stocking your medicine cabinet with all the solutions and products necessary to keep your lenses sterile and clean.

Over time, whether you wear glasses or rely on contact lenses, you’ll be saving money in the long term.

5. Relax Without Worry

Wearing glasses or contact lenses is never worry-free, especially if you’re in relaxation mode. When you’re curled up on the sofa, swinging in a hammock, or reading a book at the beach and your eyelids grow heavy, it’s not a comfortable feeling while wearing glasses. 

With LASIK, you’ll never worry again about falling asleep in your contacts or losing your glasses when your head droops. Go ahead, take that nap.

6. Begin the Day Stress-Free

Now when you wake up, since you aren’t putting in your contacts, you have time for mindfulness. Centering yourself at the start of the day with a few deep breaths can help with stress relief. 

Life with LASIK buys you more time in the morning, making a five-minute when-you-wake-up meditation a great practice to add to your daily routine. 

7. Gain Peace of Mind 

Where did you put your glasses? Did you reorder disposable contacts? 

Nagging thoughts like these disappear after LASIK. The peace of mind you gain is priceless.

8. Fall Asleep Guilt-Free

How many times have you been so tired that you just wanted to collapse, but you had to get up and take out your contacts? With LASIK, once your head hits the pillow, you don’t have to move it again until morning.

Getting LASIK in your twenties means these eight benefits are ones you’ll enjoy for decades. So why put off the LASIK choice any longer? Enjoy your improved vision, and enjoy your life!

Do you want to learn more about LASIK or determine if you may be a candidate for the procedure? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Hillsboro, OR, today!

The post 8 Reasons to Consider LASIK If You Are in Your Twenties appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

However, LASIK can greatly reduce your need for glasses and provide you with greater visual freedom for years to come by correcting your natural refractive error. Typically recommended for people in their twenties or thirties, LASIK is permanent and safe. 

Keep reading to learn more about LASIK and if it affects your need for cataract surgery!

What are Refractive Errors?

Blurry vision without glasses or contact lenses, for most people, is due to refractive errors. Refraction is the bending of light rays as they pass through the lens of your eye. 

The eye’s lens focuses light on your retina, a thin layer of light-sensitive cells at the back of your eye. The retina translates light into signals that are carried along the optic nerve to the brain, which interprets these signals as visual images. 

When the lens has difficulty focusing light on the retina, this affects the visual information carried by the optic nerve. The result is blurry vision.

Refractive errors can also develop naturally when your eye is either too short or too long or if your cornea is irregular. 

What Are the Types of Refractive Errors?

There are three common types of refractive errors. These can usually be corrected by LASIK surgery: 

• Myopia or nearsightedness is when distant objects appear blurry
• Hyperopia or farsightedness is when close objects appear blurry
• Astigmatism affects both distant and close-up vision, making objects blurry. 

How LASIK Corrects Refractive Errors

LASIK reshapes the cornea, the dome-shaped transparent protective outer layer of the eye. During LASIK, your LASIK surgeon at EyeHealth Northwest will create a flap in the cornea, then use a laser to reshape the cornea, which corrects the refraction problems. 

The result is permanent vision correction, and you will be able to see with reduced dependence on glasses or contacts. 

What Are Cataracts?

As you age, the eye’s lens will begin to grow cloudy. As the lens is the portion of the eye that focuses light on the retina, this cloudiness will affect your ability to see.

The lens also loses its flexibility, which makes it challenging for your eye to focus light correctly on the retina. You may notice changes in your vision that may include the following:

• Blurry, hazy vision
• Faded colors or vision that has a yellowish tint
• Greater sensitivity to light 
• Double vision or ghost images
• Worsening nighttime vision

What is Cataract Surgery?

The visual symptoms associated with cataracts are easily corrected with cataract surgery, the most common surgical procedure compared with any other surgery in medicine. It is also one of the safest, with an estimated three million cataract surgeries done each year, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Cataract surgery will replace the cloudy lens with an intraocular lens (IOL) implant that will restore the clarity and sharpness of your vision. This IOL bends light rays, focusing them on the retina at the back of the eye. 

When the time comes to have cataract surgery, you will be able to choose the artificial lens that replaces your natural lens. In the same way that LASIK surgery frees you from dependence on glasses or contacts, premium IOLs can offer sharp distance and intermediate vision and functional up-close vision. 

Cataracts are inevitable for most adults. However, they should not affect your decision-making regarding LASIK surgery today. 

If you are in your twenties or thirties, LASIK can be an excellent way for you to experience true visual freedom. Although it will not prevent you from developing cataracts, it will allow you years, even decades, of reduced dependence on visual aids.

Do you want to learn if you may be a candidate for LASIK? Schedule a LASIK consultation at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!

The post If I Have LASIK, Will I Still Need Cataract Surgery? appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

Keep reading to learn if refractive lens exchange is similar to LASIK!

How Does LASIK Works?

LASIK is a type of laser surgery that reshapes the cornea to correct vision problems. It’s recommended for patients eighteen years of age and older, but LASIK isn’t typically done on patients forty and older. 

This is because, at age forty and beyond, age-related vision changes such as presbyopia and cataracts can affect your vision. LASIK cannot correct vision changes associated with these conditions. 

Even among younger adults, not everyone is eligible for LASIK surgery. Good candidates for LASIK are in good general health and don’t have an autoimmune disease which can affect the healing process. 

Also, in order to qualify for LASIK, your corneas must meet a minimum thickness. The procedure involves cutting a flap in the cornea’s surface and then reshaping the corneal tissue underneath. 

For patients with thin corneas, LASIK is not recommended. 

How Does RLE Work?

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) is an option for patients with thin corneas. It’s a type of vision correction surgery that is very similar to cataract surgery. 

Both cataract and RLE procedures involve removing the natural lens of the eye and replacing it with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL). With a new lens, you are able to see clearly with sharper, improved vision. 

No Worries About Cataracts

The only difference between RLE and cataract surgery is that cataract surgery removes a cloudy lens, which is the cataract that forms due to the natural aging of the eye. Someone that chooses RLE doesn’t necessarily have cataracts, or if they do, they are small enough that they aren’t impacting their vision. 

RLE still removes the natural lens and replaces it with an IOL, but by undergoing this procedure, you don’t have to worry about cataracts impacting your vision later in life. With a replacement lens, you will be free of any concern that the new lens will grow cloudy and your vision will change or dim as it would with the natural lens of your eye. 

No Inconvenience of Presbyopia

The other benefit of RLE is that it will prevent the development of presbyopia, which is the eye’s diminishing ability to focus on up-close objects. Presbyopia is a natural outcome of aging and develops slowly over time, typically in patients forty and older. 

Since it’s age-related, it is a very common condition. While you may be able to use over-the-counter readers to help combat these vision changes while reading or doing other near tests.

Eventually, you may need prescription glasses to correct vision problems caused by presbyopia.

A Good Choice for Several Reasons

With RLE, the replacement lens is stable and unchanging, so you won’t have trouble focusing as you would with an aging natural lens. And you’ll finally have the sharp, crisp vision you’ve always had with glasses and contacts, but you’ll be free of your dependence on both. 

RLE will enable you to see clearly without relying on either. Between the two benefits of avoiding cataracts and presbyopia, RLE is an excellent choice.

However, LASIK is an equally excellent choice for vision correction. The best way to decide which method is best for you is to visit your eye doctor for an evaluation.

Are you interested in learning more about LASIK or RLE? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Hillsboro, OR, today!

The post Is Refractive Lens Exchange Similar to LASIK? appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

After vision-correction surgery, life can be so much better with reduced dependency on contact lenses and glasses. Maybe you need a little nudge to consider the possibilities. 

Keep reading to learn seven ways that LASIK improves your life!

1. Your Medicine Cabinet is Emptier 

All the tools and gadgets you’ve needed to maintain your contacts or keep your glasses clear and streak-free are gone after LASIK. You’ve got shelves of room to fill with aftershave, cosmetics, whatever you want to store in your bathroom. 

Gone are the days of everything falling out of your medicine cabinet when you open the door. After LASIK, you’ll experience more freedom from the hassle and burden of visual aids. 

2. Your Briefcase, Backpack, or Handbag is Lighter 

Similar freedom holds for everything you used to carry back and forth from home, work, college, or anywhere you go. To be caught without an extra pair of glasses or contacts in the time of need can ruin your day. 

Now with LASIK, you don’t need any of it. The benefits are evident for your eyes, but your shoulders will also thank you!

3. Your To-Do List is Shorter

Remembering to order what you need for your contact lenses means keeping track of how many disposable lenses you have left or carry when traveling. Everything becomes easier when you do not have to rely on visual aids for clear vision. 

4. Your Days Start Simpler

After LASIK, you can wake up, open your eyes and see. The day starts right then and there, without a pause to scramble for your glasses or get up and put in your contacts.

You are present for that transition from sleeping to wakefulness because your mind isn’t worried about following the steps to allow you to see. You are living more fully right from that first conscious moment awake.

LASIK lets you be in that moment like you never were before.

5. Your Nights End Later 

After LASIK, you will not have to experience any more tired, scratchy eyes from wearing your contacts too long. You also will not have to end things early because you have to take your contact lenses out. 

You can stay out a little longer, maybe even to watch the sunrise. The LASIK life offers greater freedom from contacts and glasses, which means the fun lasts as long as you want it to!

6. Your Gaze Holds Longer

Whether you’re catching a stranger’s eye or going to an interview, you’re not going to feel uncomfortable because you wear contacts or glasses. After LASIK, you’re more assured, more prepared, and more you.

7. Your Confidence Grows Steadier 

Thanks to LASIK, you can rely less on visual aids, including glasses and contact lenses. LASIK gives you the confidence you’ve always hoped for but never found in self-help books or online programs. 

One of the best ways to help yourself is to give yourself the gift of clear, sharp vision. 

Are you interested in learning if you may be a candidate for LASIK? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!

The post 7 Ways That LASIK Improves Your Life appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

LASIK has a high satisfaction rate, around 96 percent of people who have had LASIK report that they are happy with their results. Since eye doctors began performing the procedure, many people who have had LASIK have enjoyed sharper vision. 

The primary motivating factor for many patients to have LASIK is reducing their dependency on contact lenses and glasses. Keep reading to learn if you are a good candidate for LASIK surgery!

Who Can Have LASIK?

Those who qualify as LASIK candidates are often adults whose eyes are relatively healthy. The FDA has approved LASIK for patients 18 and older. 

Children are not eligible for the procedure because their eyes are still developing. Most eye doctors recommend getting LASIK in your twenties. 

Many eye doctors require you to have a glasses prescription that has remained stable for at least two years, and you must have a healthy cornea to be a candidate for LASIK. 

Your eye doctor EyeHealth Northwest will perform a series of tests during your consultation to determine if you are a good candidate for LASIK.

What Happens Before the LASIK Procedure? 

During a LASIK consultation, you will have a complete eye examination, and your eye doctor will gather your previous medical history. 

If you’re approved as a candidate for LASIK, your experienced physician will explain the procedure and what to expect during and after surgery.

Part of the LASIK consultation includes imagining and getting measurements of your eye. Your eyes are photographed and electronically mapped using a machine called a corneal topographer. 

These images and measurements become the eye doctor’s map during the procedure to ensure the most precise and successful results.

What Happens During the LASIK Procedure?

Your LASIK surgeon uses a laser to reshape tissue under the cornea’s surface layer during the procedure. The cornea is the round dome at the front of the eye.

Reshaping the cornea allows light entering the eye to focus correctly onto the retina, creating clearer vision and a sharper image.

First, your eye doctor will give your eyes numbing drops. Then they will create a flap in the cornea and reshape the corneal tissue underneath the flap with the laser. 

To correct a nearsighted eye, the doctor flattens the cornea. To correct a farsighted eye, the cornea is made steeper.

The doctor uses the laser to smooth an irregular cornea into a spherical shape for patients with astigmatism. The procedure takes very little time. 

Once your eye surgeon finishes reshaping the cornea, they reposition the flap and place a contact lens over your eye that acts as a bandage.

How is the Recovery From LASIK? 

Most people report improved vision right after surgery, but it can take a few days to reach the final results in some cases. 

You are not allowed to drive on the day of the surgery. You will also need to wear a shield over your eyes for the first 24 hours after the procedure and while sleeping for two weeks.

Most eye doctors recommend staying off work for a few days after the procedure to rest. You may also need to use prescription and lubricating drops to help promote healing. 

There can be possible side effects during the healing process, like glare and halos around lights at night. These side effects are often temporary and disappear within the next couple of months. 

Are you interested in seeing whether or not you are a candidate for LASIK? Schedule a consultation at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!

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