Best LASIK Eye Specialists in PA

When we discuss LASIK with our new patients, most people want to fully understand the complications of the surgery. When you come to Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania, know that you are with the best LASIK eye specialists in PA. We will answer all your questions about the surgery, complications, risk factors and more.

Side Effects

LASIK surgery rarely has complications or side effects. Patients commonly experience dry eye or temporary disturbances in vision, but both are temporary, only lasting a few weeks. Rarely are these conditions a long-term problem.

Dry eye occurs because there is a temporary decrease in tear production with LASIK surgery. For about six months, patients might experience unusually dry eye while the eye is healing. Even after your eyes are healed, you might have an increase in your dry eye condition. We recommend certain eye drops to use during this period, and for patients with severe dry eye, we might recommend special tear duct plugs to prevent fluid from draining away from your eye surface to keep the eyes lubricated.

By visual disturbances, we mean seeing halos around lights, excessive sensitivity to glare or even double vision. These conditions may not occur at all, or may last a few days to weeks as the eyes heal.

Predictability

LASIK surgery is most effective for people with slight nearsightedness. While our surgeons can correct higher degrees of refractive error (nearsightedness, farsightedness and even astigmatism), results are less predictable. Under-corrections sometimes occur, meaning too little tissue has been removed from the eye, resulting in less clear vision. Under-corrections are most common in people with high degrees of nearsightedness. Overcorrections can also occur, meaning too much tissue was removed from the eye. Astigmatisms are more difficult to correct, and you still may have to wear glasses or contact lenses.

Many patients over age 40 weigh the odds of having LASIK surgery versus just wearing reading glasses. It’s a good question, and one all patients should consider. After age 40, all adults lose some ability to focus on nearby objects. This is called presbyopia and is a natural progression of aging in the eye. Presbyopia is the reason you have more difficulty reading small print or doing up close tasks like sewing or other hobbies.

Even if you have LASIK surgery to correct for other vision refraction, you may still need to use reading glasses after age 40 for this inevitable presbyopia that will occur. However, many of our patients are more than happy to get LASIK to correct distance vision, knowing they will have to wear reading glasses when they are older.

Your Expectations

The bottom line of all of the above information is that we want to ensure you have all the information you need about this procedure and both the benefits as well as the risks of LASIK. It is important that patients have realistic information so that you have proper expectations about the outcome of this surgery. In the vast majority of cases, most people can achieve excellent vision in most cases of refractive error. Even better, your vision lasts for decades after LASIK correction. Imagine being able to swim, play sports and see the alarm clock without reaching for your glasses. Most patients are simply amazed with the results.

Experience matters, so come see the best LASIK eye specialists in PA at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania. You’ll be in good hands!