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FAQ's About Lasik

Glossary:  laser vision correction and laser eye surgery are synonyms, LASIK and PRK are specific, but different subtypes of laser eye surgery.  CustomVision™ is a refinement of custom laser eye surgery by Stahl Vision to achieve high contrast vision and can be done with both LASIK and PRK.

How can I find out if I would be a good candidate for LASIK?
    We offer free personal consults where we can measure your eyes and review the findings.  There is no pressure or obligation and you'll get a chance to meet with one of our surgeons as well.  Did we mention that this is FREE?  Email us to contact you, or call us toll free at 1-888-660-EYES (3937).

How long does the LASIK procedure take?
    The actual LASIK treatment time is quick, less than five minutes per eye. However, you will be at the laser center for about 2 hours due to pre and post-op time.  Someone else should drive you to your LASIK procedure and the next day's follow-up appointment.

How long will I be off work?
     While your vision may not be perfect 20/20 the day after your LASIK surgery, most patients have good enough vision that they can go back to work two days after their surgery.

Does it hurt?
    No.  Let's say that again, NO.  Some patients have some scratchiness or grittiness for a few hours while others did not experience any discomfort at all. We ask everyone to go home and take a nap immediately after their LASIK procedure.  For any discomfort that remains after your nap, Advil or Tylenol is usually sufficient.  PRK does have more discomfort a few days later as the surface begins to heal rapidly (see PRK for more).

When can I resume normal activities?
     You can resume most normal activities such as driving, working, walking, etc. two days after surgery. Working out and more vigorous exercise can be resumed after the first week.  For women, eye makeup cannot be worn for one week and they should purchase new mascara at the end of the week to avoid any bacteria in the old container. Swimming or contact sports such as basketball, racquetball, etc. should be delayed for three weeks.

So, why should I choose Stahl Vision?
     A realtor will tell you it's location, location and location.  As an eye doctor I will tell you its results, results, and results.  And how good are our results?  99.2% of patients are 20/20, and 83% are better than 20/20*. That is often times better than with their glasses and contacts.  So how do we get such incredibly good results?  Attention to details, by having the best laser (Alcon LADARVision), developing the best nomograms, and lets not forget, having the most experienced LASIK doctors in the region.  Dr. Stahl was the first surgeon in Dayton and the Miami Valley to do laser eye surgery, and is one of the top 50 LASIK surgeons nationwide.  We continually track and monitor our results, fine tuning each patients results for their specific eyes.  Quite honestly, these kind of results take a lot more effort than most centers are capable of.  See laser center comparison guide for more information.

How does CustomVision work, can it really help me see better?
     Each eye has its own unique imperfections and distortions.  With wavefront technology, we can now measure and treat these imperfections.  The result is high definition vision, similar to the difference between regular and high definition TV.  Many of our patients are reporting better vision day and nighttime using CustomVision™ technology with our Alcon LadarVision laser.  In head to head studies with patients having one eye treated with an Alcon laser, and the other with a VISX laser, patients preferred the Alcon treated eye 4:1 over VISX.  In similar studies, again vision with the Alcon laser was preferred 3:1 over the Bausch&Lomb laser.

Will I still have to wear reading glasses?
     Depending on your age and whether or not you have elected to try mono-vision, there is a possibility that you will need reading glasses. Most of us start wearing reading glasses about the time we reach our mid-forties.  Mono-vision is a procedure where we leave one eye slightly near sighted so that you can see up close with one eye, and better at distance with the other.

Can both eyes be done at once?
     Yes, in fact we suggest that you have both eyes done at once if you are having LASIK because the healing is fairly rapid and it avoids the visual imbalance.

What are the complications or risks?
     As with any surgery, there are always possible complications or risks. Most patients experience some temporary dryness, haloing and glare for a few days after their LASIK surgery as part of the recovery process.  There are two questions regarding LASIK complications that deserve special mention:  What is the worst that could happen?  And what is the most common complication?  The worst possible problem would be a severe infection that resulted in some vision loss, especially if it effected both eyes.  Prevention is the best way to handle this extremely rare complication.  By starting antibiotic eye drops the day before surgery, and cleaning/scrubbing your eye lashes the night before and morning of surgery you can go a long way towards preventing infections. The most common LASIK complication of significance is a corneal abrasion that occurs while creating a LASIK flap.  Most patients still do well, but if an abrasion occurs it may take longer to heal with more inflammation.  In surveys around the world, LASIK has been proven to be one of the most safe and effective surgeries available with an extremely low percentage of complications. We provide all of our patients a consent form to review, which lists more possible complications and helps answer other questions you might have about possible risks.

* Wavefront patients tested bilaterally.

  Stahl Vision- building better vision, one patient at a time...