By Gone America

LASIK changes the way you view the world

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How Long Does LASIK Last?

If you are considering getting LASIK eye surgery, your decision to get it, or not get it, may be impacted by how long the surgery’s effects last. After all, you likely don’t want to go through the trouble of getting surgery performed on your eyes if it’s only going to last for a short while. The duration of the effects needs to be commensurate with the intensity of the surgical experience, and indeed doctors have designed LASIK to be worth the time and effort involved.

A Permanent Solution

One of the best aspects of LASIK is that its effects are permanent, to the best of our current knowledge. It’s important to add the caveat “to the best of your knowledge,” because the procedure is relatively new, and there are no long-term longitudinal studies to confirm that LASIK’s effects don’t degrade over time.

This is because LASIK works by reshaping the corneal stroma, which is a piece of tissue in the eye that affects your overall visual acuity. Lasers (or, in certain cases, an actual scalpel) are used to remove small amounts of the tissue and bring it closer in shape and size to the ideal, which leads to dramatic improvements in the patient’s vision. The reshaped cornea retains its corrected formation over time, and to the best of our medical knowledge, there is no reason to think that would ever change. Accordingly, all models used to predict the long term effects of LASIK show that it should be lasting, and virtually permanent.

Other Timetables

If you decided to get LASIK, it’s great to know that the effects are permanent. But you should also know about several other timetables that pertain your preparation for and recovery from the procedure.

If you decided to get LASIK and you currently wear contact lenses, then you will be requested to stop wearing your contacts for a period of time before the operation. Those who wear soft contacts will need to refrain from wearing them for about two weeks prior to the operation. Those wearing hard contacts will need to wear them for a much longer period: Six weeks minimum, plus six additional weeks for every three years they have been wearing the lenses. This reduces the chances of contracting an infection during the operation.

After getting LASIK surgery, you will need to use antibiotics to ward off infection for a period of about one month. You will also need to wear dark, protective glasses for two or three days after the procedure and avoid bright light, which can aggravate your eyes.

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What Is the Average LASIK Cost?

LASIK is not an inexpensive procedure, and in the overwhelming majority of instances, you as the patient will be responsible for footing the entire cost.

Accordingly, it is important that you know roughly how much the procedure will cost you. Different providers will charge highly variable prices, and if you know the averages and shop around, you can end up getting a great deal.

The National LASIK Averages

Because not everyone needs LASIK in both eyes, the average costs are broken down by eye, and also by the type of LASIK surgery performed.

For LASIK centers that publish their prices without breaking them down by the exact type of procedure performed, the average price in 2013 was about $2,070 per eye. That’s an increase of about $130 from the previous year, indicating that prices for the procedure are increasing faster than inflation, likely due to growing awareness and demand.

For centers that perform non-customized LASIK and use blades or other non-laser instruments to do, the average cost per eye was about $1,550.

For centers that perform LASIK with the wavefront-guided technique, the cost published cost per eye averages roughly $2,150. This latter procedure is more expensive because the recovery team is, on average, briefer, and there is thought to be a reduced chance of complications.

Percentile Breakdown

A survey of published prices for LASIK surgery shows that prices for the procedure in fact vary widely, which is not reflected in the averages shown above.

For the wavefront-guided version of the procedure, almost 45 percent of providers charge under $2,000 per eye, which is substantially less than the average. Another 45 percent charge between $2,000 and $2,500, and about 10 percent charge over $2,500. This suggests that not only is there a good chance to save significantly by shopping around, there’s also a chance to get stuck with excessive costs if you go with the first provider you find.

Insurance Coverage for LASIK

In the great majority of cases, the patient is responsible for covering the entire cost of LASIK because insurance companies still regard it as “non medically necessary.”

However, if you are among a lucky few, you might have coverage. There are some small insurance plans that do offer full coverage. As well, some employers have negotiated coverage for portions of their employees for whom corrected vision can improve the performance at work. Even if your insurance doesn’t offer coverage, you may be able to get a discount on the procedure if you get it through certain pre-approved providers.

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Will My Insurance Cover LASIK?

Although LASIK surgery to correct common eyesight issues is a transformative procedure with the ability to radically improve patients’ quality of life, it remains surprisingly uncommon. A major reason for this is when paid for out-of-pocket, LASIK can be quite expensive (north of $4,000).

At that price, it’s understandable that many patients are interested in getting their insurance to foot the bill for the surgery. But since this is a relatively new procedure, and because it is rarely “medically necessary,” it is unlikely that your insurance provider covers it in the same way they would cover another surgery.

For more info on whether your insurance company covers the procedure, keep reading below.

How Insurers Treat LASIK

At this point, almost every major insurer refuses to cover the cost of LASIK for their patients. This is because the procedure is overwhelmingly done on a “voluntary” basis. It is still normal and even expected for people with vision problems to make due with glasses and contact lenses. This makes vision correction surgery seem like an expensive luxury, and one that most people can simply do without.

Partial Discount with Some Plans

But just because your insurer won’t foot the entire cost of the operation doesn’t mean that you aren’t eligible for partial coverage.

Since there is demand for the procedure, many large insurers have negotiated discounts for their customers at certain major chains that provide LASIK surgery. Generally, the insurance companies will have struck a deal with one or two chains. Essentially, the chain agrees to give patients a discount on the cost in return for the insurance company funneling their patients toward that chain. But after the discount, the insurer doesn’t pay for any of the costs. In many cases, the chains give the insurers a commission for each customer “referred,” meaning that your insurer may actually be getting paid for you getting the surgery, rather than paying for it themselves.

Full Coverage for a Lucky Few

However, there are some instances where people are able to receive substantial or full coverage for the cost of a LASIK surgery. If you purchase your insurance through the open market then you probably won’t fall into this group, but others who have coverage through their employer might, depending on their roles at their company.

For these people who are covered through their company, LASIK falls into the category of corrective procedures that are not medically necessary, but are beneficial for their professional work. For example, pilots, professional musicians, and actors are frequently eligible for LASIK coverage through their employers. The same is true for some members of the military, and some high-ranking employees of corporations who have “premium” healthcare coverage.

If you think you might qualify for this form of coverage, check with your employer’s HR department, or with a representative of your employer’s health insurance provider. Either should be able to advise you on your eligibility. And if it does turn out that you are eligible for coverage, be sure to get a written certification of that eligibility before visiting the doctor. You don’t want to go through with an expensive LASIK procedure, and end up stuck with the bill because you didn’t do your due diligence!

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How Does LASIK Work?

If you have been following the news in recent years, then you no doubt heard of LASIK. LASIK is the miracle surgery that restores vision and permanently frees people from the burdens of wearing glasses or daily contact lenses.

This astonishing new procedure is leading to a revolution in how people deal with commonplace vision disorders. Whereas in the past degeneration of the eye was uncorrectable outside of wearing corrective lenses, this procedure now allows anyone to dramatically improve their eyesight via a simple, one-time operation. It’s fast, easy, and has an extremely low rate of failure and complications. But how, exactly, does it work? For more on that, keep reading.

The Basics of Vision Correction

LASIK, of course, is an operation on the eye. And it affects the part of the eye that is overwhelming responsible for the deterioration of human sight that is common as we age.

Specifically, the tissue in question is known as the corneal stroma. Without a magnifying glass or other special tool, it is so small that it is practically invisible. But it has huge implications for your ability to see, and accordingly, for your overall quality of life.

Although the exact function of the stroma is quite complicated and still the subject of ongoing study, the important thing to understand is that for unimpaired vision, it is critical that the stroma have a very particular shape. In people with astigmatism and other common disorders of the eye, the shape of this tissue is slightly different from the ideal. But, those microscopic differences are all that separates people with perfect vision from those who can’t see anything without the assistance of prescription glasses or contact lenses.

During the surgery, doctors use extremely precise tools to slightly reshape this stroma. In fact, they remove just a miniscule portion of the tissue on the outside of the stroma. And by doing so, they correct its shape, and along with its shape, the patient’s vision.

To those unacquainted with the procedure, it can seem strange or surprising that such a small change could result in a massive and sudden improvement in the patient’s vision. But that’s exactly what happens. The operation is completed in an hour or less, and the patient returns home that same day. After a few days spent recovering, the marked improvement in vision is already complete. All in all, the time spent “under the knife,” (or laser, as the case may be) is less than hour, and the time needed for full recovery is less than a week. And that corrects a problem that would have, in past generations, lingered with the patient for their entire lifetime.

The Process of LASIK

Of course, there is a bit more to the process of getting this corrective surgery than is outlined above. Along with undergoing the actual laser procedure, the patient will need to spend a period of time both preparing for, and then recovering from, the surgery.

To begin the process, you should visit a qualified provider and discuss with them how to prepare. If you only wear glasses to correct your vision, then the period of preparation for the surgery will be virtually nil. But if you wear contacts, things will be slightly more complicated. Those who wear soft contacts will need to switch to wearing only glasses roughly two weeks before their surgery. If you wear hard contacts (which is rare these days), then you will need to refrain from wearing them for at least six weeks prior to the procedure, plus another six weeks for every three years that you have spent wearing the hard contacts. For older individuals who have worn hard contact for decades and still do, that can mean years of “preparation” during which they cannot wear their normal contacts. This contact-free time is to prevent infections that can result from contamination during the surgery.

Once the operation is complete, you will need to administer antibacterial drops to your eyes several times each day, as an ongoing insurance against infection. Many people also experience dryness immediately after the procedure, which can linger for several days and is alleviated with over the counter drops, like Visine. You should also avoid exposure to bright light for several days after the procedure, which is why many people opt to wear sunglasses at all times for the first couple days of their recovery.

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Does laser eye surgery hurt?

One common question potential candidates have when deciding whether or not to have the laser surgery procedure done is:

"Does laser eye surgery hurt?"

The answer to the question is no. The procedure itself is pain free, in most cases it takes only a few minutes to complete. In fact, with many new technologies today, the entire procedure takes only a matter of seconds for surgeons to complete. Although the procedure itself is not painful, some patients do complain of discomfort following the procedure. This could stem from a number of factors, however it is namely due to after-surgery complications which occur in certain patients.

Why do people believe it is painful? -

The common misconception that the procedure is painful typically comes from the fact that it is a surgical procedure being performed. Further, the eye flaps, which are cut using a laser during the procedure, are extremely thin. In turn, many people have the impression that the procedure is painful. On the contrary, most people who have had the surgery done claim they did not feel a thing during the surgical procedure, and that minor to mild discomfort was experienced afterward, however pain associated with surgery is not a complaint from most.

Why you don't experience pain -

Yes, you are awake during the procedure. But, like any other surgical procedure you have completed, sedatives are used. In turn, you are not going to experience any pain; in most cases, patients claim they do not feel a thing during the procedure. Anesthetic eye drops are generally used on patients as well, which helps to numb the area, and helps eliminate the potential a patient does feel pain with the laser cutting technologies being used during the procedure.

What can you expect realistically afterward? -

The answer to this question really depends. Most patients do complain of minor discomfort. However, this is the case with any other surgery or procedure. Once the anesthesia dies down, you have to remember the eye flaps were cut, so you are going to experience an unusual sensation and some discomfort. Further, some patients do experience lasik complications during the procedure; if this is the case, some pain, redness, burning, and other discomfort may be felt following the procedure itself.

Although you won't feel pain during, it is realistic to expect mild discomfort following the procedure. If you are planning on having the surgery performed, it is best to get the facts directly from the surgeon, and to talk to anyone you know who may have had the procedure in the past, so you can glean some information from their personal experience.

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Explore The Types Of Laser Eye Surgery Availalbe Today

Laser eye surgery has only continued to increase in popularity in recent years as more and more people discover the incredible value of this type of surgical procedure. That said there are some key differences in the various types of laser eye surgery that every individual should consider in order to make a more informed decision. For example, PRK is a type of surgery where the cornea's outermost layer is scraped away manually. Once this has been accomplished a laser is able to reshape tissue in the underlying area of the cornea. This type of procedure is best used where cutting the cornea into a flap is not possible due to a thin or deteriorated cornea.

Reshape The Physical Dimensions Of The Eye

LASIK Is another type of laser eye surgery that has proven extremely successful over the years in helping patients to enjoy better eyesight. In this particular type of procedure metal blades are used to cut a small flap into the cornea. Once this flap has been cut it is then easy for the surgeon to use a laser to reshape the physical dimensions of the eye. After the procedure has been completed the flap is simply returned to its original position to allow for healing. It is important to note that laser eye surgery is virtually painless for almost all patients. One of the unique aspects of LASIK type surgery is that vision correction is instantaneous and immediate. This is comforting news for those who wish to experience improved vision in a fast, efficient and safe way.

Quicker Healing And More Precise Surgical Procedures

In addition, there are other types of LASIK surgery that take advantage of the latest advances in software and computer technology. These cutting edge and state-of-the-art procedures only serve to improve the reliability and safety of this already incredibly safe and effective procedure. The distinction between the latest LASIK technology available today is that it uses lasers to not only reshape the eye surface but to also create the thin flap that has traditionally been made using metal blades. In most instances this provides for quicker healing and more precise surgical procedures. Perhaps most impressive of all is that modern surgical software can be integrated into this type of procedure to produce incredibly accurate tolerances for patients. The end result is faster healing, better vision and better long-term viability with regard to the procedures performed. There has never been a better time in history to consider having corrective eye surgery performed that makes full use of modern state-of-the-art laser technology. Twitter

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