Yes, but with any surgery there are risks. The chance of having a vision-reducing complication is less than 1%. Dr. Oyakawa had PRK in both eyes. He has done laser vision correction surgery, on his brother, daughter, relatives, physicians, and staff members.
There is no surgical procedure that can be guaranteed. We offer the best fit of technology, convenience, and value for the patient. Residual refractive errors after surgery will be enhanced with a minimal fee up to one year if all factors indicate it will be safe to do so.
An eyelid retainer is used during surgery to prevent you from blinking.
Please see the section on lasers. We use two tracking lasers.
The enhancement rate is about 10-15%. It depends on many factors. Initial refractive error is probably the most important factor. Each individual has a different healing response. Hyperopic and myopic refractive errors greater than –6.00 have a higher enhancement rate. Another important factor is the willingness of the surgeon to enhance someone who is seeing well by Snellen Acuity but still has visual complaints. We have enhanced patients with a Snellen Acuity of 20/20 or 20/15 when it was safe to do so and it was believed it would resolve the visual complaints. We have “enhanced” patients who had their initial procedure done elsewhere and were seeing 20/20 but had problems with glare and haloes at night.
Most patients see well enough to drive to their appointment the next day. However, use good judgment and have someone else drive you if you vision is still blurry.
Most patients can return to work the day after surgery. Appropriate precautions should be taken if the work environment is dirty or dusty.
The next day, avoid getting soap and water in the eyes.
Avoid cleaning your lashes for 10 days.
The flap continues to heal for many months. Only use light pressure on the eyes for the first few weeks. After a few months you may rub your eyes in a normal gentle manner.
Two weeks!
The next day, but you will need to use more artificial tears since the cabin air tends to be much drier.
The next day. Avoid getting sweat in your eyes and wash your face prior to exercising.
After five days minimum.
The change to the cornea is permanent. The refraction can change due to other changes in the eye, such as a cataract. Fortunately, they can be corrected. Changes in the retina can affect vision as one ages.
Yes, the goal of refractive surgery is to decrease or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses. However, a few monovision patients use glasses for night driving or for prolonged computer work or reading. Some monovision patients use one disposable contact lens in their near eye for good binocular vision during sports, such as tennis. Glasses or contact lens can be used while the eye stabilizes prior to enhancement.
