Frequently Asked Questions About Laser Vision Correction
What should I expect from my consultation?
You will need to have a pre-surgical examination to determine if your eye is healthy and suitable for surgery. Please bring your most recent glasses and/or contact lens prescription. You should expect to be at our office for one hour. There is no cost for the consultation.
At your consultation, we will check your vision with and without your glasses or contacts, and one of our specialized refractive surgery technicians will take a computerized image of your eyes. Then you will meet with one of our experienced Northwestern Medicine surgeons to discuss whether you are a candidate for refractive surgery. If you are, you will learn more about the procedure and have the opportunity to ask your surgeon any questions.
After you have met with your surgeon, we will discuss pricing, financing options and surgery scheduling.
What should I expect on the day of my surgery?
We will have you come 30 minutes prior to your surgery to sign the consent form, provide payment, review post-operative instructions, and meet with your surgeon to answer any last minute questions. Your surgeon may give you a mild sedative to help you relax during the procedure, and anesthetic eye drops will be given to numb your eye.
Typically, LASIK takes 10 to 15 minutes per eye. Your surgeon will explain every step during the procedure.
You should expect to be at our office for one to two hours. Due to the mild sedative, we require you to have a friend or family member drive you home.
What should I expect after my surgery?
The night after your LASIK procedure:
We recommend relaxing and keeping your eyes closed as much as possible.
The following day, you will have a post-operative examination with your surgeon.
Will I have to limit my activities after surgery, and for how long?
You will sleep with protective goggles for one week. When outside, you will wear either sunglasses or clear protective eyewear.
Most patients feel like they can return to most of their daily activities one day after the LASIK procedure. Recovery from a photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) procedure may take a few days longer.
Most people can resume light exercise or workouts the day after LASIK surgery. You should refrain from swimming and contact sports for two weeks following your procedure.
How soon after surgery will I see well?
Each patient is different. The eye drop medications can cause some blurriness, but most patients who have undergone LASIK notice a dramatic improvement even as they leave the office. You should feel like you can resume most of your daily activities, such as office work and driving, one day after the LASIK procedure.
The improvement with PRK procedures typically takes three or four days longer than LASIK.
What is the chance of having a complication with LASIK?
Your surgeon will discuss at length the risks and benefits of laser vision correction, and afterwards you will receive printed material detailing this information.
Will I need reading glasses after surgery?
The goal of refractive surgery is to eliminate or reduce your dependence on glasses and contact lenses. Generally, patients under 40 years of age read well without glasses following the surgery. Patients over 45 years typically need reading glasses.
Presbyopia is the term for the natural weakening of the focusing mechanism that occurs in all people in their early to mid-40s. This causes the need for reading glasses.
Refractive surgery does not correct for presbyopia. In some instances, monovision LASIK may reduce or eliminate the need for reading glasses. Your surgeon will discuss these options with you.
You will need to have a pre-surgical examination to determine if your eye is healthy and suitable for surgery. Please bring your most recent glasses and/or contact lens prescription. You should expect to be at our office for one hour. There is no cost for the consultation.
At your consultation, we will check your vision with and without your glasses or contacts, and one of our specialized refractive surgery technicians will take a computerized image of your eyes. Then you will meet with one of our experienced Northwestern Medicine surgeons to discuss whether you are a candidate for refractive surgery. If you are, you will learn more about the procedure and have the opportunity to ask your surgeon any questions.
After you have met with your surgeon, we will discuss pricing, financing options and surgery scheduling.
What should I expect on the day of my surgery?
We will have you come 30 minutes prior to your surgery to sign the consent form, provide payment, review post-operative instructions, and meet with your surgeon to answer any last minute questions. Your surgeon may give you a mild sedative to help you relax during the procedure, and anesthetic eye drops will be given to numb your eye.
Typically, LASIK takes 10 to 15 minutes per eye. Your surgeon will explain every step during the procedure.
You should expect to be at our office for one to two hours. Due to the mild sedative, we require you to have a friend or family member drive you home.
What should I expect after my surgery?
The night after your LASIK procedure:
- You may be more sensitive to light.
- Your eyes may sting.
- You may feel like something is in your eye.
We recommend relaxing and keeping your eyes closed as much as possible.
The following day, you will have a post-operative examination with your surgeon.
Will I have to limit my activities after surgery, and for how long?
You will sleep with protective goggles for one week. When outside, you will wear either sunglasses or clear protective eyewear.
Most patients feel like they can return to most of their daily activities one day after the LASIK procedure. Recovery from a photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) procedure may take a few days longer.
Most people can resume light exercise or workouts the day after LASIK surgery. You should refrain from swimming and contact sports for two weeks following your procedure.
How soon after surgery will I see well?
Each patient is different. The eye drop medications can cause some blurriness, but most patients who have undergone LASIK notice a dramatic improvement even as they leave the office. You should feel like you can resume most of your daily activities, such as office work and driving, one day after the LASIK procedure.
The improvement with PRK procedures typically takes three or four days longer than LASIK.
What is the chance of having a complication with LASIK?
Your surgeon will discuss at length the risks and benefits of laser vision correction, and afterwards you will receive printed material detailing this information.
Will I need reading glasses after surgery?
The goal of refractive surgery is to eliminate or reduce your dependence on glasses and contact lenses. Generally, patients under 40 years of age read well without glasses following the surgery. Patients over 45 years typically need reading glasses.
Presbyopia is the term for the natural weakening of the focusing mechanism that occurs in all people in their early to mid-40s. This causes the need for reading glasses.
Refractive surgery does not correct for presbyopia. In some instances, monovision LASIK may reduce or eliminate the need for reading glasses. Your surgeon will discuss these options with you.
Schedule Your free Lasik Consultation
Contact us today to schedule a no-cost consultation and discover if you are a candidate for LASIK. To schedule a consultation, call us at 312.695.2549 or fill out this online form.
OUR LOCATION
The Northwestern Medicine LASIK team is located at 259 E. Erie St, Chicago, Illinois in Lavin Pavilion, Suite 1510. For more information, please visit our Contact Us page.
The Northwestern Medicine LASIK team is located at 259 E. Erie St, Chicago, Illinois in Lavin Pavilion, Suite 1510. For more information, please visit our Contact Us page.
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