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More About LASIK

What is LASIK?

LASIK is our most popular refractive procedure, utilizing the WaveLight EX500 laser. During the procedure, a hinged corneal flap is moved aside before reshaping the cornea. The flap is then repositioned and adheres back to the underlying cornea. The entire procedure generally takes less than 10 minutes per eye. In fact, it is quite common for our patients to drive themselves back to our office the day following surgery without the use of contacts or glasses. Most patients are able to return to work the day after this procedure.

How does LASIK work?

LASIK reshapes the cornea—the clear covering on the front of your eyes— using the precision of a WaveLight laser. Reshaping the cornea brings the power needed from glasses or contact lenses onto the eye. LASIK can now correct most vision conditions such as nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism (uneven curvature of the eye).

STEP 1:
FLAP CREATION

Rapid laser pulses are used to create a flap under the surface of the eye.

STEP 2:
FLAP IS FOLDED BACK

The prepared flap is folded back like the page of a book, exposing the area to be treated.

STEP 3:
CORNEAL RESHAPING

The laser changes the shape of the cornea within seconds. This reshaping corrects the vision problem.

STEP 4:
FLAP IS RE-POSITIONED

Finally, the flap is returned to its original position, protecting the eye much like a natural bandage.

LASIK FAQS

Am I a candidate for LASIK?

Generally, patients who are 18 years old or older with a stable prescription, healthy eyes, normal corneas, and adequate corneal thickness may qualify. LASIK is excellent at correcting myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism.

Dr. Porter will determine if you qualify for LASIK during our free vision correction evaluation. As technology continues to advance, more patients qualify for LASIK now than ever before. This includes many people who may have been told that they are not candidates in the past. If you don’t qualify for LASIK, there is a good chance you may qualify for a different vision correction procedure at Porter Ophthalmology including LALEX (SMILE), PRK, EVO, or LR.

During our free vision correction evaluation, we will examine your eye and take advanced measurements to get a full picture of the health of your eyes. Our doctors use this information to recommend the best procedure for your eyes and your vision goals.

The good news: Unlike many practices that offer only a few types of vision correction procedures, Porter Ophthalmology offers its patients all seven of the latest vision correction procedures – LASIK, SMILE, PRK, EVO ICL and LR (RLE), Monovision, and advanced Cataract surgery. This means more patients qualify than ever before and Dr. Porter can recommend the absolute best procedure for you.

Dr. Porter is the only LALEX SMILE provider in North Carolina. 

 
Following LASIK your vision will be blurred for the first few hours and you may experience some mild scratchiness or dryness of your eyes. Any eye discomfort typically resolves within the first few hours and the vision is significantly improved by the next day. Most people are able to return to work either the next day or the day after following LASIK.

LASIK is a safe and effective procedure for laser vision correction. A recent 15-year-long-term study was published emphasizing the safety of LASIK. Now with advances in technology and our knowledge about LASIK, we expect that modern laser eye surgery is even more safe than it was 15 years ago when the study patients were treated.

It has also been shown that LASIK is generally safer than wearing contact lenses over the long term, in addition to being less expensive. Some of the more common side effects after LASIK include dry eyes or seeing glare and halos at night. Fortunately, these side effects are usually temporary and improve weeks to months after treatment. Serious complications of LASIK are extremely rare.

 
During the procedure we use numbing drops on the eye that prevent the sensation of anything sharp or painful. At times you may feel slight pressure on the eye or the sensation of touch or drops on the eye but these are minimal. Dr. Porter will walk you through every step of the short procedure. 

We totally get it! You’re not alone in feeling nervous about a procedure you’ve never had before. Most of our patients feel the same way. The good news? Dr. Porter walks you through every single step of the short procedure in a really calming way. And if you’d like, we can provide calming medication beforehand.

Here’s what’s amazing: right after surgery, our patients consistently tell us they were worried for nothing. They say it was fast, easy, and there was no pain. When they sit up and realize they can already see better, they almost always ask the same thing: “Why did I wait so long to do this?”

At the beginning of the LASIK procedure we will help you to relax and open your eyelids. From that point on a small eyelid holder will gently hold your eye open for the duration of the laser treatment so that you don’t have to worry about blinking.
 

The excimer laser we use in our office includes an advanced eye tracking system that checks the position of your eye before every pulse of the laser (this occurs many times per second!). If your eye moves or it is not in the ideal location, the built-in safety measures will automatically pause the laser. Once your eye is realigned, the laser treatment will resume. Additionally, there is a target light in the laser for you to look at during LASIK that will help you keep your eye in the correct position.

 

A common misconception of LASIK is that the effect wears off with time. In reality, we expect the vision correcting effect of LASIK to last forever.

However, we know that natural changes will begin to affect the focusing ability of the lens inside your eye starting in your mid-40s. This leads to presbyopia or the need for reading glasses to see things up close. This is a normal and expected change with time that is unrelated to having LASIK. The good news is that if you don’t like using reading glasses, Porter Ophthalmology has additional solutions to make you less dependent on them.

Usually no, although we have seen some very rare instances where insurance plans pay for part of the cost of LASIK. At Porter Ophthalmology, we offer flexible spending plans and 0% interest-free financing options that can be a great way to make LASIK more affordable.

You’ll typically save money by getting LASIK versus a lifetime of contact lenses, glasses, solution, and other related vision expenses. 

Why choose Dr. Porter for Your LASIK procedure?

  • The only Raleigh Practice Offering SEVEN Types of Vision Correction Procedures: Ensure you get the RIGHT procedure for YOUR vision—not whatever the practice happens to offer
  • Fellowship-Trained Specialist: Advanced training from University of Illinois at Chicago’s prestigious refractive surgery program—most surgeons don’t have refractive fellowship training
  • 0% Financing for One Year: Make vision correction affordable with interest-free payment plans for qualified patients, plus HSA/FSA accepted and multiple payment options. 
  • Private Practice Advantage: Personalized care without corporate quotas or pressure. Dr. Porter recommends what’s best for YOU, not what’s best for volume
  • UNC-Trained, Raleigh-Based: Chief Resident at UNC Hospitals with deep roots in the Triangle community
  • Academic Excellence: Active in clinical research and publications, bringing cutting-edge techniques in LASIK, LALEX SMILE, EVO ICL, PRK, RLE, Monovision, and Cataract procedures. 

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