Am I a good candidate for LASIK? Generally, active people who are unhappy with their current vision correction system(contact lens/glasses) are good LASIK candidates. In addition, to be considered for LASIK, you should have a stable prescription for the past couple of years and you must have halthy eyes (other than your refractive error). You will also need to be well informed of the possible risks of the procedure and be realistic about the results.Although LASIK restores vision in the majority of people, there are no absolute guarantees. For instance, almost everyone eventually will need reading glasses as they get older. This is part of the natural aging process called presbyopia. top   Is the effect of refractive surgery Permanent? Yes. Following an initial healing period of two to three months, the effect of surgery is lifelong. top   What kind of Anesthesia is used in the surgery? A combination of oral medication (to help with relaxation) and anesthetic eye drops are used. Don't worry...no needles or intravenous drugs are used. top   Will I experience pain during surgery? No, you will feel no pain during surgery. You will feel pressure on and around the eye, but you will not experience any pain. top     Will I experience pain following surgery? Some patients experience a feeling of burning or scratchiness. Discomfort generally lasts from one to three hours following surgery. Most people feel fine if they can take a nap soon after surgery. top   Are there risks? Real risks and complications are rare, however, with any kind of surgery there are chances that something could go wrong during or after the procedure. Two fairly common complications are glare and haloes seen around lights at night, similar to those experiences by contact lens wearers. Another possible side effect is the creation of corneal irregularity. This is perceived by the patient as smeared or ghosted vision. These complications are experienced by many patients but generally go away after a few weeks or months. The risk of serious, permanent vision damage is estimated to be between 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 10,000 cases. The risk of treatable complications which may require additional surgery of additional office visits is estimated to be 1 in 100. The risk of requiring additional enhancement surgery to improve the visual result is estimated to be between 1 in10, to 1 in 20 cases. top     How will the surgery impact my daily life immediately following LASIK? In almost all cases, LASIK will have a minimal affect on your normal activities. Your eyes will not be patched, but you will need to wear protective shields over your eyes immediately following the surgery and at bedtime for several days following the surgery. Most patients are back at work full-time within 36 hours of surgery, but you probably should avoid driving for at least 24 hours following surgery. You can shower and bathe as normal the same day as surgery, although you should avoid getting soap or water in your eyes and you should avoid rubbing your eyes for the first month following LASIK. You can resume non-contact sports as soon as you wish, but you should avoid swimming for one week following surgery. top     How soon after surgery will I see well? Each patient is different. The eyedrop medications cause some blurriness, but most LASIK patients notice dramatic improvement even as they leave the office. Most patients can read the 20/20 line in the eye chart one day after LASIK. top     Will I need glasses or contact lenses after surgery? The goal of surgery is to reduce your dependence on glasses and contacts, but refractive surgery patients still benefit from reading glasses or distance glasses when they desire perfect near or distance vision. A significant percentage of patients wear a thin pair of prescription glasses for night driving. top     Will I need reading Glasses after surgery? Generally, patients under 40 years of age read well without glasses following surgery. Patients over 40 may need magnification for reading fine print. Presbyopia is the term for the natural weakening of the focusing muscles that occurs in our early to mid 40s, causing us to reach for the magnification that reading glasses provide. Refractive surgery does not correct for presbyopia. top     How soon can I use eye makeup? You may wear eye makeup starting 2-3 days after surgery. We strongly recommend you purchase new eye makeup, specifically mascara, to avoid potential infection following surgery. top