Facts About Laser Vision Correction Recovery

LASIK eye surgery is amazing technology that can correct a person’s nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism (the refractive errors that cause people to need prescription lenses). You can live your whole life with these refractive errors, find out you are an excellent candidate for laser vision correction and have the procedure done in just minutes per eye – effectively erasing the vision problems.

For most patients, the recovery period for laser vision correction is faster than you might think. In fact, you may be able to return to work or other normal activities the day after your procedure.

Laser vision correction recovery steps may include:

• Wearing dark sunglasses when you leave the office 
• Wearing a protective eye shield the first few nights to prevent rubbing while you sleep
• Taking eye drops to moisten your eyes
• Taking antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medication
• Resting at home for a few hours following your procedure, limiting  reading or television watching
• Taking over-the-counter pain medications, if needed (although most patients do not experience any pain or discomfort during or after the procedure)
• Taking a bath instead of a shower for the first 24 hours after the procedure
• Avoiding rubbing your eyes
• Avoiding eye makeup for several days
• Avoiding areas that are dusty or smoky for several days
• Avoiding alcohol consumption for 48 hours after surgery
• Returning to your LASIK provider for a post-op appointment the day after your procedure

Because your eyes will need to relax, you cannot drive yourself home after laser vision correction, but you should be able to drive yourself to your post-op appointment the following day. The post-op appointment will identify any complications, such as infection, so it is important to keep your scheduled appointment to ensure your laser vision correction is successful.

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks associated with laser vision correction, including:

• Mild, moderate or severe dry eye
• Vision problems, such as halos, glare, starbursts and double vision
• Need for glasses or contacts after surgery
• Loss of vision

With or without laser vision correction surgery, many people develop presbyopia (or the need for reading glasses) as they grow older.

To learn more about laser vision correction recovery and all the facts about laser vision correction, contact our doctors at Pacific Eye Specialists to schedule a laser vision correction consultation at pacificeyespecialists.com or call 415-921-7555.

Potential Risks of Laser Vision Correction Surgery

If you ever have a doctor tell you that there are no potential complications of Laser Vision Correction, run the other way – and don’t look back! Laser vision correction eye surgery, not unlike any type of surgery, carries with it possible risks. More than 14 million Americans have had laser vision correction, and if you search hard enough, you will find people who are willing to share their laser vision correction horror stories.

You may hear of LASIK patients who experienced:

·         Temporary vision problems and discomfort, such as light sensitivity, halos, glare, double vision or hazy vision

·         Corneal flap complications (this is the flap that is created on your cornea to allow the surgeon access to reshape your underlying corneal tissue and correct your refractive error), such as flap wrinkles, irregular healing, inflammation under the flap, epithelial ingrowth

·         Decreased tear production leading to dry eyes

·         Need for glasses after surgery due to incomplete vision correction

·         Eye infection

·         Vision loss

People who do report negative outcomes of laser vision correction may be the receiving end of:

·         Inferior technologies

·         Inexperienced surgeon

·         Not being a suitable candidate for laser vision correction in the first place

The fact is that laser vision correction has an overall excellent safety record and very high success rates for the majority of people who want to reverse their nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. Studies in the 1990s showed that up to 5% of people who had laser vision correction had some type of problem; today this percentage is under 1% for serious complications. When you are researching different laser vision correction providers, be sure to ask them hard questions to find out what their laser vision correction success rates are. If the surgeon isn’t willing or able to provide you with a satisfactory answer, keep looking.

A laser vision correction Consultation will provide answers as to your candidacy for this popular procedure. Your eye health and unique vision characteristics may not be suitable for laser vision correction, and the Consultation is the only way to properly determine this.

Contact Pacific Eye Specialists to schedule your free laser vision correction Consultation. You can find out if your eyes are right for the procedure and have all of your questions answered. Call 415-921-7555 or visit pacificeyespecialists.com.

Adult Eye Exams

It’s not just children that should have their eyes checked. Even as an adult, if you have had 20/20 vision your whole life, there are age-related vision problems that occur with everyone. Presbyopia is just one of these vision impairments. After the age of 40, the lens of your eye begins to harden and lose its flexibility. You may not begin to notice it at first, but eventually you will have trouble reading things up close. You’ll start to notice you need to stretch your arms further and further away in order to read your cell phone or a restaurant menu.

The good news is that there is a solution to Presbyopia. Often people will start wearing bifocals. Bifocals allow someone with Presbyopia to see up close, but also to focus in the distance if they have nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.

If you don’t want to wear lenses, you can also speak with an ophthalmologist about your options. Many doctors can provide lens replacement surgery. The lens of your eye is removed and replaced by a synthetic lens that will never harden. Depending on the type of lens, you may also be able to correct your existing refractive error at the same time.

So don’t put up with bad vision any longer! Come in and see us at Pacific Eye Specialists today!

Scared of Laser Vision Correction? Get the Facts!

If you’ve been living for years with nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, constantly annoyed with contact lenses and glasses, you’ve undoubtedly heard about how laser vision correction can improve your vision. You may have even gone so far as having a laser vision correction consultation to find out that you are, indeed, a good candidate for the procedure. So why haven’t you taken the plunge and had laer vision correction eye surgery?

Maybe it’s the cost of the procedure (although there are excellent financing options available). But maybe you are apprehensive – scared, even – about having someone perform a procedure on your eyes. It is understandable to have anxiety about laser vision correction, but consider this: According to the Eye Surgery Education Council, “LASIK vision correction has the highest patient satisfaction rate of any elective surgery: 95.4%, according to a 10-year survey of scientific studies from around the world. And new advances in technology now deliver better outcomes than ever. The majority of patients enjoy 20/20 vision or better after laser vision correction. Nearly all patients achieve 20/40 or better, which is fully functional and good enough to drive legally in most states without corrective lenses.”


Other studies have shown that there are more than 700,000 laser vision correction procedures performed in the United States every year. Satisfied patients express feelings of amazement because they can see with clarity, first thing in the morning; play sports, swim and travel without worrying about glasses or contacts; and have clear peripheral vision.


Laser vision correction is not something to jump into; you should take time to fully research the laser vision correction surgeons in your area to determine who offers the best technologies and has the best track record of success. Notice we didn’t mention finding the best price. Advances in laser vision correction technology have bumped up the cost of laser vision correction slightly, but the overall results are superior and, according to most who’ve had it, well worth the money.


You should also be fully aware of the potential complications of laser vision correction, which can include:

·         Dry eye syndrome

·         Possible need for glasses or contact lenses after surgery

·         Potentially debilitating vision problems like glare, starbursts, halos or double vision

·         Vision loss

If you want to find out all the facts about laser vision correction, contact our doctors at Pacific Eye Specialists to schedule a LASIK consultation at pacificeyespecialists.com or call 415-921-7555.

Mistakes You Don't Want to Make With Laser Vision Correction Surgery

Laser vision correction Surgery is a common surgery; however it’s still a medical procedure.  Here are the three important rules to follow when considering this kind of surgery.  First, make sure that you receive a full consultation and thorough exam. Second, remember to look for the personal skill and commitment of your doctor.  Third, don’t choose based on price, some of the cheaper procedures only 3% of applicants qualify for. Plus, when it comes to eye sight you want to make sure that the type of laser vision correction surgery used is custom for your specific eyes. For more information visit our website today!