Frequently Asked Questions

Am I a good candidate for LASIK?

The best way for you to determine if you are a good LASIK candidate is thorough an eye exam from your optometrist. Appropriate LASIK candidates must be at least 18 years of age, in good general health, and have good eye health with no diseases such as cataracts or glaucoma. Laser vision correction can treat a very broad range of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

A LASIK consultation must be done to determine if you are a candidate for this procedure, and during that time your doctor can help to explain the different procedures to you and determine which LASIK procedure is right for you. Your TLC Affiliate Doctor along with your TLC Laser Surgeon will explain what results you can reasonably expect by measuring your prescription and thoroughly examining your eyes. He or she will explain what results you can reasonably expect by measuring your prescription and thoroughly examining your eyes. TLC Laser Eye Centers has a consistent record of doing what is best for the patient. In fact, many people choose TLC based upon our reputation for excellent patient care!

I have heard about Custom LASIK. What is this procedure?

Custom LASIK is a procedure that involves the use of a wavefront analyzer and enables your LASIK surgeon to customize the Conventional LASIK procedure to your individual eyes. This customized laser vision correction procedure can result in patients seeing clearer and sharper than ever before.

What will my LASIK recovery be like?

Most LASIK patients usually see quite well the day following their LASIK procedure and may be able to resume most of their normal daily activities, but patients with higher prescriptions may recover more slowly. Although the speed of visual recovery depends on personal healing patterns, most patients notice dramatic visual results within the first few days following their LASIK procedure.

What are the risks associated with LASIK?

As with any elective surgical procedure, there are risks associated with the laser vision correction procedure. However, the chance of having vision reducing complications have been documented in a number of clinical studies to be minimal. Remember, millions of people have had excellent results from laser vision correction.

Some potential LASIK complications include conditions such as dry eyes, complications in making the corneal flap, night glare (halos), under or over-correction and loss of best-corrected vision. At TLC Laser Eye Centers, these and other risks of vision correction are discussed fully with the patient prior to their procedure. Proper preoperative LASIK screening ensures that we proceed with the procedure only when it is medically advisable. As well, diligent post-operative care helps to identify and address any potential healing complications. Perhaps the best way to help prevent LASIK complications is to choose a LASIK surgeon who is experienced and respected in their community. This is one of the advantages of choosing TLC Laser Eye Centers. TLC Laser Eye Centers is careful to join only with respected and knowledgeable eye care professionals who value patient care above all else.

What is the difference between Conventional LASIK and Custom LASIK?

Custom LASIK uses a tool called the wavefront analyzer to accurately measure the way light travels through your eyes. The resulting map of your eye is then programmed into the laser, and the laser treats your eye based upon that personalized 3D map. Custom LASIK helps to treat "higher order" aberrations, which are tiny imperfections in the eye that can have a significant impact on one's quality of vision. In fact, higher order aberrations have been linked to visual glare and halos. Higher order aberrations have not been previously treatable with contacts, glasses or Conventional LASIK.

Conventional LASIK is still a very good choice for many patients, though most will prefer the higher level of customization that Custom LASIK can provide. Ultimately, you need to discuss the options with your doctor. You can trust your TLC Affiliated eye care professional to help you make the correct laser vision correction decision.

Is the actual LASIK part performed the same way? Or is Custom LASIK a completely different procedure?

The actual LASIK procedure is performed in exactly the same way in both Conventional LASIK and Custom LASIK. The pre-op testing for Conventional LASIK and Custom LASIK differ greatly. The wavefront analyzer used with Custom LASIK brings a whole new level of knowledge and accuracy to the LASIK surgeon.

I've heard a lot of great things about LASIK. What can LASIK do for me?

While laser vision correction has proven overwhelmingly successful in reducing dependency on glasses and contact lenses, the degree of improvement may vary among individuals. How well and how quickly your visual acuity improves depends on how well you heal and the severity of your prescription. Although TLC Laser Eye Centers cannot promise patients "perfect" or 20/20 vision, most laser vision correction patients with mild to moderate prescriptions do achieve 20/20 vision or are within 1 to 2 lines of 20/20 vision on an eye chart. This means they no longer need glasses or contacts to drive, play sports, watch movies and TV, or participate in careers requiring excellent vision such as police and fire departments. Additionally, Custom LASIK has proven to be an exciting development. Clinical studies have shown that Custom LASIK can improve not only what you can see but how well you can see it. In the past, all vision was measured using a standard vision chart. If you could see the letters, the doctor would proclaim your vision as a number, such as 20/20, 20/100, etc. But now, with Custom LASIK, doctors are able to focus on the quantity and quality of your vision.

Many laser vision patients who have had the Custom LASIK procedure are reporting being able to see clearer than ever before. It's as if someone had taken an ink pad and freshly stamped each letter on the vision chart in bold black letters. Because Custom LASIK corrects the unique imperfections in each individual's vision, it is likely that night vision will also be improved. Your pre-procedure LASIK consultation with your doctor will help determine the range of your probable outcome based on your particular prescription, healing profile and expectations. The results and research gained from tens of thousands of LASIK procedures performed through TLC Laser Eye Centers are shared throughout our network, allowing doctors to continually fine-tune techniques, more effectively forecast visual results, and counsel new laser vision patients. Keep in mind, as a LASIK patient ages the need for reading glasses is quite common. TLC Laser Centers stands behind its patients' distance vision results for life because we have confidence in the stability of results over the long-term. The TLC Lifetime Commitment^SM program ensures a no charge enhancement procedures for life for qualified nearsighted patients - and this commitment will be honored by any TLC Laser Eye Centers location in North America. Be sure to ask your local TLC Laser Eye Center location for the details about this program.

How will I know what LASIK procedure I need to have?

Your eye care professional is the best person to tell you that. Custom LASIK is necessary for some and desirable for many. Everyone's eyes are different and your eyes may best be treated with Custom LASIK. You should schedule a LASIK consultation with your TLC affiliated optometrist. Together, you can determine if LASIK is right for you.

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What does LASIK cost?

Who will my doctors be and what will they do?

Doctors are involved in all three phases of your laser vision correction procedure: the pre-procedure LASIK consultation, the laser vision procedure itself and your post-procedure care. Two doctors are involved in the overall LASIK procedure: the TLC LASIK surgeon who performs the LASIK procedure itself at the TLC Laser Eye Center, and your own TLC affiliated eye doctor who can provide your pre- and post-operative care (if you do not currently have an eye doctor, your pre and post- operative care can also be provided at the TLC Laser Eye Center). All doctors working with TLC Laser Eye Center, including your own eye doctor, have been educated in all aspects of laser vision correction. Although TLC affiliated surgeons are renowned for their training and expertise, the outcome of your laser procedure also depends upon the right pre-operative and post-operative care before and after your surgery. We recommend you consult with your own eye doctor who is more familiar with your eyes, your history, and will continue to care for you years after your procedure. If you don't have an eye doctor who can help, we'll provide you with one. We will work very closely with your eye doctor to provide you with a high level of care and results.

What do I need to know about different laser technologies?

TLC Laser Eye Centers, through our network of more than 60 LASIK centers, has access to the latest laser vision correction technologies including eye trackers and scanning lasers. All TLC Laser Eye Centers in the United States and Canada use only FDA-approved lasers to gently reshape the cornea during LASIK. These excimer lasers use cool, computer-controlled beams of ultra-violet light. The best LASIK technology and laser for you is determined during the personal TLC LASIK consultation and is dependent on such things as your prescription, thickness of your cornea, size of your pupil and ocular anatomy.

Will the LASIK procedure hurt?

Most laser vision correction patients find the LASIK surgery to be slightly uncomfortable. One good way to learn more about how it might feel is to talk to someone who has had LASIK, such as a friend or relative, or a staff member at the doctor's office. For most LASIK patients, the feeling of anxiety and the fear of the unknown is worse than the actual LASIK vision correction procedure itself. Anesthetic drops are used to numb the eye just before LASIK surgery begins and you may be given a mild sedative. After your LASIK surgery, your eye may feel a foreign body sensation or irritation for a few hours, but most patients are quite comfortable after taking a short nap. You will be given drops for your eyes to counteract the potential dryness you may experience for several days following the surgery.

 For more information on LASIK visit our TLC LASIK blog.