Learn more about LASIK
Wouldn’t it be amazing to enjoy all of life’s outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, swimming, biking, and golfing without glasses or contacts? Imagine doing simple daily activities at home such as reading your alarm clock, watching TV, or seeing people’s facial expressions without the hassle of wearing contacts or glasses.
Dr. Peter Shriver, our highly-skilled LASIK surgeon at Middlesex Eye Physicians in Connecticut, can help you enjoy your life to the fullest with life-changing LASIK surgery!
If you are seeking clear vision or are tired of the inconvenience and discomfort of glasses and contacts, it’s time to consider vision correction surgery. Middlesex Eye Physicians takes great pride in offering the latest advancements in vision correction.
You can feel confident with Dr. Shriver. With advanced fellowship training in cornea and refractive surgery, he has performed over 10,000 LASIK surgeries.
We suggest that you schedule a comprehensive evaluation with Dr. Shriver to determine the best vision correction procedure for your specific needs. During your LASIK consultation, you will undergo special testing and a thorough eye exam to make sure you are a candidate.
Even if you have been told in the past that you are not a candidate for LASIK, advancements in technology may now make it possible for you!
What is LASIK Surgery?
Laser Vision Correction Surgery, also known as Refractive Surgery, is an elective surgery that can correct refractive problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. “Refraction” has to do with the way that our eyes bend light to see the world around us.
LASIK is the most common type of refractive surgery. It uses laser technology to reshape the cornea and enable light rays to be focused in a crisp image.
Millions of people in the U.S have had LASIK since it became FDA approved almost two decades ago. Major advancements in technology continue to enhance the safety and visual outcomes of LASIK.
The process for LASIK was smooth and easy with Catherine and Dr. Shriver. They work well as a team and explained everything thoroughly. I wish I had done this sooner. I had waited, thinking I was too nearsighted. My son had it done and loves it. I decided to see Dr. Shriver and THRILLED I did LASIK! My vision is so good, the floaters are going away and I see better than when I was wearing contacts. Dr. Shriver is amazing and extremely professional.
Out of habit, I reach for my glasses in the morning and then remember I do not need them anymore! The day of my LASIK surgery, I could see right away and as my eyes heal, my vision gets better and better. I felt very comfortable with Dr. Shriver and Catherine. He is skilled and I recommended him to friends, giving out his business card. I am very glad I finally had LASIK done!
-by Elizabeth M 12/14/2021
What Are the Benefits of LASIK Eye Surgery?
- Clear, natural vision
- Eliminating or reducing dependency on glasses or contacts
- Removing the discomfort of glasses or contacts while enjoying outdoor activities
- Safer vision for night driving
- Improved appearance
- No more expensive glasses and contacts
Are All LASIK Patients Able to Stop Wearing Glasses or Contact Lenses?
More than 80% of patients who have LASIK can perform most daily functions well without glasses or contact lenses. It’s important for LASIK candidates to have realistic expectations.
Not all patients achieve 20/20 vision. Some patients experience a dramatic improvement in their distance vision but need reading glasses for close work. Dr. Shriver can often predict how much vision improvement can be achieved during the pre-operative consultation.
The goal of refractive surgery is to reduce your dependence on corrective lenses. The success of the surgery often depends on the level of a patient’s refractive error before surgery.
Some patients with severe refractive errors do not achieve perfect vision. But they are often very pleased to achieve significant vision improvement that allows them to reduce their dependence on glasses.
How Will I Know If I am a Candidate For LASIK?
LASIK is not recommended for everyone. Dr. Shriver selects patients who meet appropriate criteria for successful surgery depending on their age, health, and the condition of their cornea.
He will do a thorough eye examination and medical history before determining that you are a good candidate for LASIK. If you are a candidate for LASIK a computerized mapping of the cornea (Corneal Topography) is performed using our non-invasive Pentacam machine. Patients with the following conditions are generally not good candidates for LASIK:
- Keratoconus
- Certain types of eye diseases
- Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis
What If I Am Not a Candidate for LASIK?
PRK, or photorefractive keratectomy, is another type of refractive surgery. PRK was actually developed before LASIK. It offers some advantages over LASIK to certain patients. For example, it is usually the best treatment for patients with thin corneas. There is also no risk of complications from creating a corneal flap. If you’re not a LASIK candidate, Dr. Shriver will discuss PRK with you which you may qualify for instead!
PRK
PRK, or photorefractive keratectomy, is very similar to LASIK laser vision correction. The primary difference is that during this procedure a flap is NOT created on the surface of the cornea, instead, a small area of the “skin” that covers the surface of the cornea, called the epithelium is removed to perform the procedure. An Excimer laser, which is the same laser used for LASIK, uses a cool laser beam, coupled with bladeless, customized technology, to precisely custom reshape the cornea by vaporizing cells within the cornea’s stromal bed. This enhances the eye’s ability to focus light and provides better clarity of vision. PRK can be used to treat near-sightedness, far-sightedness, and astigmatism.
There is no pain during the surgery; in fact, your eyes will be numbed with anesthetizing drops. Special “bandage” contacts are placed on your eyes during surgery and will be removed by the surgeon three to five days after surgery. This allows for the epithelial layer of the cornea to heal. It is suggested that patients allow themselves a couple days to recuperate after surgery. It is normal to feel some discomfort or scratchiness for a couple days after the surgery; the doctor will normally prescribe some medication for any postoperative discomfort. Medicated eye drops and moisturizing eye drops are to be used after surgery for a few days to a few weeks.
PRK is generally performed on patients who have thin or abnormally shaped corneas. While there is a slower recovery, PRK is an incredibly safe (safer for some eyes) procedure. Research shows that 6 months after surgery and long term, visual outcomes are comparable for both PRK and LASIK.
How Much Does LASIK Cost in Connecticut?
To find out if you are a candidate for LASIK, you will need a complete eye consultation at Middlesex Eye Physicians. There are different types of eye vision correction procedures depending on the condition of your eyes, and the costs may vary. Dr. Shriver will explain which procedure is best for you.
If the cost of LASIK eye surgery is a major obstacle for you, it’s important to consider that LASIK is a permanent solution. Most patients can cut out wearing expensive glasses and contacts.
LASIK seems expensive because it is an up-front cost. If you add up your costs for eye exams, glasses, or contact lenses with solution over ten years, you will see that LASIK is an excellent investment!
If you’re concerned that LASIK will not fit in your budget, Middlesex Eye Physicians uses CareCredit for financing. This can make LASIK more affordable by helping you finance the cost over time.
What Happens During the LASIK Procedure?
When you arrive, your LASIK surgeon will give you numbing eye drops. This will numb your eyes and ensures you won’t feel any pain during LASIK. You may also receive a mild sedative if you are nervous. You will be awake during the procedure, but you will not feel any pain.
Dr. Shriver will explain what is happening during every step. While you rest under the laser, an instrument helps hold your eyelid open. Your eye is stabilized while the laser is used; you may feel pressure, but you won’t feel any pain.
You will be asked to focus on a light creating a target for the laser. You will hear a tapping sound as the laser vaporizes small amounts of tissue. The first part of the procedure involves creating a hinged flap in the corneal stroma. This is with a Femtosecond laser.
The next step is to use an Excimer laser to reshape the corneal stroma. In the final step, Dr. Shriver will reposition the flap over the treated area and apply antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops.
What Is Blade-Free, All-Laser LASIK?
All LASIK (and PRK), is performed with no knife/blades; only two lasers are utilized, being the most recent technological advancements in corrective corneal procedures. This technology minimizes risk, minimizes trauma to the eyes and rarely are there serious complications for either LASIK and PRK. The Intralase Femtosecond laser creates the corneal flap using rapid pulses of laser light during LASIK procedures.
Bladeless, customized technology allows individualized programming for your eye’s subtle surface irregularities (Excimer laser). Then this laser is used to reshape the cornea stroma.
Bladeless, customized technology uses three-dimensional measurements of how images are processed as they travel through various parts of your eye. This includes both the cornea and the lens.
This system allows surgeons to treat more complicated problems like blurriness, glare and halos than is possible with traditional LASIK. The custom LASIK system ensures that patients receive the safest, most accurate laser correction with the best visual outcomes.
What Are the Possible Complications of LASIK?
There are risks and complications with every eye surgery, including LASIK and PRK. Some complications of LASIK are temporary, and some can be permanent, yet very rare.
The risk of a serious complication is less than 1.1% with Custom LASIK. Possible complications with LASIK include:
- Glare and halos
- Under correction of vision, causing the need for a second “enhancement” surgery
- Over correction of vision, causing the need for a second “enhancement” surgery
- Corneal infection
- Corneal scarring
- Permanent vision loss
Considering LASIK? Schedule a LASIK consultation (FREE OF CHARGE) at Middlesex Eye Physicians in Middletown, CT!
Financing Options
Here at Middlesex Eye Physicians financial considerations should not be an obstacle in obtaining vision correction. Our goal is to make our procedures affordable for any budget and still offer a combination of expertise, experience, and advanced technology at a price everyone can afford.
You may choose from the following payment options:
- Cash or check
- Credit card
Monthly Payment Plans Offered through Care Credit:
- Zero down payment & zero interest for 6 months and 12 months
The application process is fast, easy, and of course, completely confidential 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
