LASIK Frequently Asked Questions

LASIK is a laser assisted surgery to correct vision problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism by reshaping the cornea. The actual LASIK surgery only takes about 10 minutes per eye and is the most commonly performed laser eye surgery. You should see improvements in your vision almost immediately, with it eventually stabilizing over the next few weeks or months.

While any surgical procedure comes with a level of risk, however, LASIK is a very safe and effective laser vision correction procedure with minimal risks. Temporary risks can include dry eyes and difficulty seeing at night. There are other risks that your eye doctor will discuss with you during your consultation, however, they are very rare.

Most patients describe the sensation during LASIK as a slight pressure. At the start of the procedure, our doctors will apply numbing drops, so there are no injections involved. Depending on the patient, the doctor may have them take medication beforehand to help them relax. Most LASIK patients are back to regular routines the next day.

Most patients return to normal activities (including driving and working) the next day, although we recommend you take a long nap immediately following your procedure. You should avoid certain activities (swimming, vigorous workouts, rubbing your eyes) for a period of time after the surgery.

Many patients report greatly improved vision as soon as they sit up after the procedure, with many more seeing significant improvement by their first follow-up visit. We schedule regular follow-up visits after laser eye surgery to ensure your eyes are healing properly.

Yes, you can get LASIK on both eyes at the same time and this is normally preferred for convenience, but there is no extra fee to have each eye treated separately.

LASIK is a very efficient procedure that only takes about ten minutes per eye, while the actual laser is only on your eye for a matter of seconds. Most people resume normal activity the next day, but be sure to follow your ophthalmologist’s instructions.

Many patients are very concerned about blinking during LASIK surgery, but there is no need to worry! After anesthetic drops are placed in your eyes, decreasing your urge to blink, an eyelid holder will be placed to hold your eyes open and stop you from blinking.

The price comes down to the equipment and expertise needed to produce a safe and efficient process for vision correction. You can get your quote through our free consultation. Our initial consultation will include an eye exam and last about one hour. During the consultation, you will learn more about the LASIK vision correction process and be given the financing options available.

Unfortunately, most insurance companies consider LASIK an elective procedure, and will not cover it. However, there are special circumstances in which insurance companies may make an exception, depending on safety requirements or medical conditions, so always check with your provider to see if there is anything they can do to help. Our staff is also more than happy to help by reviewing your insurance policy to see if there are any possible discounts for LASIK surgery.

There are several ways you can pay for your LASIK procedure:

• We offer financing through our partnerships with Care Credit and Alphaeon*
• We accept flex plan and medical savings account dollars, offering tax-free savings.
• Many of our patients elect to put their LASIK procedure expenses on a credit card with low-interest or rewards programs.

Whatever payment method you choose, we’ll work with you to make sure this life-changing procedure is affordable and fits within your budget. If you’re interested in exploring our financing options, our team will be happy to help you apply for a payment plan after your free LASIK screening.

*Subject to credit approval

LASIK, in most cases, provides permanent improvements to vision, but in some cases vision can still deteriorate, based on other factors that are unrelated to the LASIK procedure.

LASIK results are not the same for everyone, but most patients do not have to wear contact lenses or glasses after refractive surgery.

Lots of patients experience dry eyes after LASIK surgery, however, for most people, dry eyes are a temporary side effect that begins to improve in the months following LASIK.

YES! LASIK surgery can fix nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism by reshaping the cornea. Your eye doctor will determine whether you are a good candidate for LASIK surgery during your consultation.

LASIK was approved for use by the FDA in October of 1995, but prior to that, our doctors performed over 20,000 refractive procedures, including PRK, ALK, and RK. Kleiman Evangelista Eye Center became one of the first laser eye centers in the DFW area to offer LASIK, and it continues to be the focal point of our practice.

At Kleiman Evangelista, we recognize that you might have some concerns about undergoing eye surgery. To help you make the decision, we offer a vision correction consultation and eye exam using advanced diagnostic tools and pupil dilation. This provides a full picture of your current prescription, age, corneal shape and thickness, pupil size, and presence of dry eye, to determine if LASIK will be effective and safe for you. Typically, if you don’t suffer from any underlying eye disorders like glaucoma, cataracts, or severe dry eye, and have had no major changes in your eyeglass prescription for a year, you‘ll be a good candidate for the surgery.

If LASIK vision correction isn’t right for you, we offer several other procedures as alternatives to LASIK. Take our LASIK self-test to find out how you could benefit from refractive surgery.

Kleiman Evangelista offers LASIK, PRK, EVO ICL, and Clear Lens Exchange (CLE). All of which are designed to correct refractive errors and get you out of contacts and glasses.

The Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) for nearsightedness and astigmatism is a refractive lens also known as a phakic IOL. “Phakic” meaning that the natural lens of the eye is in place, and “IOL” meaning intraocular lens, or a lens inside the eye. The EVO ICL is a posterior chamber implant that is introduced through a small incision in the eye and is placed behind the iris (the colored part of the eye), and in front of the natural crystalline lens in order to improve your nearsightedness and astigmatism.

The key benefit of EVO ICL surgery is the permanent correction or reduction of your nearsightedness and treatment of astigmatism allowing you to see clearly at long distances without eyeglasses or contact lenses to reduce your dependence upon them. In addition to the improvement of your uncorrected vision (vision without eyeglasses or contact lenses), your best corrected vision (best vision with contact lenses/eye glasses) may be improved.

The EVO ICL surgery is performed on an outpatient basis which means that the patient has surgery and leaves the same day. The procedure itself usually takes 20-30 minutes or less. The patient will need someone to drive them home on surgery day. A light, topical or local anesthetic is administered. There is very little discomfort during or after surgery. Some eye drops or medication may be prescribed and a visit with your eye care professional is usually scheduled the day after surgery.

EVO ICL is intended to remain in place without maintenance. EVO ICL can be removed by your eye care professional if needed in the future. If your physician removes the EVO ICL lens, you will lose the benefit of your nearsightedness correction.