If you haven’t considered it, you may have a friend that has. After all, laser eye surgery is one of the most popular elective medical procedures out there. During the pandemic, it’s become even more coveted: In the last quarter of 2020, procedures were up 16.3 percent year over year. A slew of reasons, even those as simple as foggy glasses from mask use, has driven people into the exam room.
“We’re seeing an increase in people wanting to have the surgery and not have to deal with glasses or contacts anymore,” says Dr. Masih Ahmed, an ophthalmologist and assistant professor at the Cullen Eye Institute at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
More scientifically known as laser in-situ keratomileusis surgery, LASIK — the most popular type of laser eye surgery — corrects vision in people who have blurry vision. It can fix your vision if you’re farsighted or nearsighted, or have an astigmatism.
If you’ve been considering laser eye surgery for a while, or simply want to learn more, here’s everything you should know.
In the simplest terms, what is laser eye surgery?
The goal of laser eye surgery is to give people crisp vision that’s even better than vision with glasses or contacts. One industry study claims that 99 percent of patients who undergo LASIK have better than 20/40 vision after the procedure, while 90 percent are able to reach 20/20 vision.
There are a few different types of laser eye surgery, and your opthamologist or optometrist can help you determine what’s best for you.
LASIK was developed in the late 1980s. Providers use a laser to cut a flap in the cornea, which is the transparent front part of the eye responsible for focusing light. Then they fold the flap so they can reshape the cornea, also with a laser, to help correct blurriness.
LASIK is typically a quick and painless procedure. Each eye takes around five to seven minutes to correct. And while you might be given a sedative, you likely won’t need a painkiller.
Recovery is also quick: Ahmed says he does most LASIK procedures on Fridays, and most patients can return to work on Monday. While your vision might be blurry at first, it should continue to improve over the next few months.
While LASIK is best for people with thick corneas, PRK (photorefractive keratectomy surgery) is the second most popular corrective procedure. It’s similar to LASIK but better for patients who have dry eyes or thinner corneas.
The newest laser eye surgery is SMILE, or small incision lenticule extraction. While it can be a quicker and less invasive procedure, providers are harder to find, given the procedure’s newness.
Who’s a good candidate for laser eye surgery?
The best candidates for LASIK surgery have stable vision. You should be at least 18 years old, though Ahmed prefers patients to be over 21, when your eyes have finished developing. Most patients tend to be in their 20s and 30s, but older patients can also get the surgery.
“In your 20s and 30s is a great time to do it,” Ahmed says, “because your prescription is still very stable.” Many people in their 40s or 50s develop presbyopia, making surgery more complicated.
Presbyopia is the loss of your ability to focus on nearby objects. Doctors can use LASIK to correct this, but some people experience dizziness with this correction, Ahmed says.
To avoid this, sometimes you can try testing out the potential outcome through contact lenses. However, ophthalmologist Dr. Mark Lobanoff, founder and owner of the Minneapolis-based OVO LASIK + LENS, says this isn’t a great method because it can be imprecise. “The brain has to adapt to LASIK over time,” he says.
Plus, LASIK is reversible if a patient can’t tolerate it. Many clinics, like Lobanoff’s, will do free reversals.
Who’s not a good candidate for laser eye surgery?
During your screening appointment, your doctor will ask about any eye conditions, like dry eye or corneal infections, or past eye surgeries you might have had, like cataract surgery.
They might also ask you about your family history. If this includes a pattern of cornea issues, such as eye diseases which impact your vision by means of the cornea, surgery could pose risks. If your family has a history of glaucoma, a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, or a track record of early cataracts, which cause your vision to get cloudy, your doctor may also be cautious about offering LASIK.
If you have an autoimmune condition, like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, you can be at a greater risk for severe dry eye after LASIK. Pregnant candidates should also wait until after giving birth to get LASIK, because vision can change during pregnancy.
How much does laser eye surgery cost and is it covered by insurance?
Getting LASIK, especially at a younger age, can save you money, thanks to not needing new contacts, glasses or regular eye appointments. “You get a bigger economic bang for the buck if you do it earlier,” says Lobanoff.
However, laser eye surgery is often considered a cosmetic procedure, meaning it’s not considered “medically necessary,” and insurance typically doesn’t cover it. Some vision plans might also provide LASIK discounts.
As technology has developed, the cost of LASIK has fallen over the years, but prices still vary widely. In Houston, says Ahmed, patients can expect the procedure to cost anywhere from $400 to $3,000 per eye.
“It all depends on the practice,” he says. “Try to find the most experienced surgeon, someone who’s seen it all and done it all.”