LASIK

Lasik Eye Surgery
Let us help you start the process of getting LASIK or vision correction surgery that will change your life and provide you with a world of clear natural vision.

Visual Freedom

Would you like to live your life with more visual freedom? Are you tired of the everyday struggles with glasses and contact lenses? If you are like most people, you probably would rather not have to stick a contact lens in your eye. LASIK eye surgery, PRK and SMILE laser vision correction are alternatives that have helped nearly 30 million people and you can benefit as well. We will help you determine the safest and most precise way to correct your vision. It starts with a complimentary consultation where you and our surgeons will discuss options and your potential candidacy.

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I just want to say THANK YOU to all LA Sight staff! I was super nervous about the surgery, but everyone in the office made me feel safe! Surgery was really fast!!! No pain at all. I still can't believe that I don't need glasses anymore. I highly recommend LA sight! They know what they're doing. They really care about patients!

What Happens During the LASIK Surgery Procedure?

LASIK corrects optical imperfections including nearsightedness, astigmatism and farsightedness. It’s quick, virtually painless, and results can be observed immediately. The vast majority of people return to full activities the very next day. LASIK works by changing the curvature of the front corneal surface using computer-guided laser systems. To fully understand how LASIK works, it helps to first understand how the eye works.

How the Eye Works

The eye works like an elegant biological camera. Light from the outside world is focused by the combined effect of the cornea and the lens, so that a sharp image is created on the retina. In an eye with no need for distance prescription, light is brought into sharp focus exactly on the retina.  The optically optimal eye of a person with zero prescription can see clearly at all ranges, near and far. Nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism are all imperfections of distance vision.

How LASIK Works

LASIK takes the imperfect shape of your cornea, whether too steep, too flat or out of round, and brings it back into round.  This technology has elegantly resculpted the vision of literally millions of patients worldwide over the last 25 years.  It takes a lifetime of blurry vision, and sharpens it in literally seconds.

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LASIK Really Works!

LA Sight LASIK Results

The most important thing anyone interested in LASIK wants to know is, “What results can I expect?”. We publish a statistical review of our outcomes on an annual basis. We invite other surgeons and laser centers to analyze and publish their results. In that way, we can learn from, and help, each other. Ultimately, this kind of candid disclosure and public accountability serves the interests of our profession and all patients seeking LASIK care. When we talk with any prospective client seeking vision correction, we try to qualify our own use of statistics as follows:

01

Statistics are designed to analyze trends in a population or a group. They should not be used to predict future results in individual cases. For example, if the incidence of serious complications in LASIK is 1 in 15,000, that is extremely low for the overall population. But if you are that 1 case, then for you the complication rate is 100%.

02

Regrettably, some people use statistics to distort or misrepresent the truth, typically to their advantage. Do not base any decision, especially a surgical one, on statistics alone.

03

Laser correction for nearsightedness (myopia) is significantly different from correction for farsightedness (hyperopia). The shape and pattern of laser sculpting is different, and the long-term stability is different. Therefore, it makes more sense to us to present outcomes data for near- and farsightedness separately.

Results Treating Nearsightedness, with or without Astigmatism

Eyes
%
Total # Treated
2,462
100%
Follow-Up Data Available
1,192
48.4%
20/15 or better
215
18.0%
20/20 or better
1,121
94.1%
20/25 or better
60
5.0%
20/30
0
0%
20/40 or worse
0
0%
Data analysis period: January 2022 through March 2023.  Qualifications: We report on visual acuity outcomes for 1,192 eyes treated for myopia or myopic astigmatism. Industry-accepted reporting windows are typically 4 – 10 weeks for myopic treatments, and 12 – 16 weeks for hyperopic treatments.  We cannot include outcomes that fall outside of those windows, even if 1-day and 3-week post-op visions were superb.

Results Treating Farsightedness, with or without Astigmatism

Eyes
%
Total # Treated
54
100%
Follow-Up Data Available
26
48%
20/15 or better
2
7.6%
20/20 or better
24
93.4%
20/25 or better
2
7.6%
20/30
0
0%
20/40 or worse
0
0%
Data analysis period: January 2022 through March 2023.  Qualifications: A total of  2,516 eyes are reported, 1,192 eyes (97.8%) having treatment for nearsightedness with or without astigmatism, and 54 for farsightedness (~2.1).  This is in slightly more skewed that the distribution of these optical conditions in the normal adult population.  We are quite a bit more cautious in supporting interest in farsightedness for several reasons; see Farsightedness Treatment Concerns.
The information below may clarify or additionally explain the results in the tables above.
  • The current retrospective review analyzed all eyes treated in the period January 2022 through March 2023.  Some eyes were excluded from analysis for one of four reasons:
  • If the targeted goal of treatment was for clarity at near range (“monovision”), then uncorrected distance acuity would not be an appropriate measurement or indicator of outcome.  there were 76 eyes in this category in this review (3%);
  • Some eyes did not have 20/20 correctable visual acuity before treatment, so did not have the potential to recover 20/20 (or better) acuity after treatment; and
  • Some patients did not return for follow-up visits at 1 month or 3 months after surgery (5 eyes), when visual acuity and prescription measurements are stable.
  • This review included patients treated with all ranges of myopia (up to about -10.00 D in this series) and all ranges of astigmatism (up to about -6.00 D in this series).
  • In the farsightedness treatment group, patients with less than 6 weeks of follow-up data were excluded.
"LASIK technology is approved by NASA, the US Air Force, Navy, Army, & the Marine Corps for their members."
— wired.com

Live Life Without Hesitation Over Vision.

Some of the benefits of LASIK eye surgery are:

Decreased dependency on glasses or contacts
Ability to get up and GO!
Convenience with travel
No hassle with contact solutions
Clear, natural vision
Major lifestyle advantages with sports
Improved appearance with NO glasses

Tired of your contacts and glasses?

See what they are really costing you.

The average person spends over $20,000 on glasses, contact lenses, solution, eye exams, etc. Use our LASIK affordability calculator and see how much you can save with LASIK.

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What is the Price of LASIK?

At LA Sight we take pride in providing superb quality care at a price that’s incredibly reasonable. We offer two LASIK treatment options, and both include all pre- and post-operative care:

LA Sight LASIK is $1,600/eye, standard treatment using the Wavelight laser. All-laser LASIK is $1,950/eye, using the Visumax and Wavelight lasers.
We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, cash or check.  (No bitcoin yet.)  If you choose an extended payment option, such as Care Credit, finance charges may apply.

We understand that many individuals experience the pressures of finances. Our LASIK is one of the most affordable procedures offered in Los Angeles. We’re committed to providing affordable LASIK without sacrificing attentive and personalized service. You can afford LASIK! Contact us and we will arrange affordable financing so you can enjoy hassle-free vision for the very first time.

Invest in Your Vision

By choosing to undergo LASIK, you are making an investment in many ways.  It is an investment towards improving your overall vision and quality of life, but even more it’s an investment that could save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

The monthly expense for glasses and contacts – the frames, doctors exams, contacts, solutions – is ongoing and lifelong.  LASIK is an affordable one-time cost:  not only do you get rid of glasses and contacts, you eliminate the constant expense, which could end up saving you thousands of dollars or even more in the long run.

Affordable Financing

Beyond providing two tiers of LASIK treatment options, we also help patients with financing procedure related costs. We work with Care Credit, a lending program tailored to healthcare financing. We are committed to making LASIK as accessible as possible.

Frequently Asked LASIK Questions

 

What are the odds of eliminating my glasses?

At LA Sight, 100% of patients will see well enough without glasses to pass the DMV eye test (“20/40”). Just under 30% achieve 20/15 or better acuity, while 98.3% achieve 20/20 or better vision. The results are better for patients with lower amounts of correction. See our LASIK Results section.

Does the treatment hurt?

With both PRK and LASIK, there is no pain or discomfort at the time of surgery, as anesthetic eye drops are used. With LASIK, there may be a mild foreign body sensation for several hours after care, accompanied by a lot of tearing. After that, there should be no discomfort at all. After PRK, there can be mild to moderate discomfort for 1-3 days. The discomfort is minimized by use of a ‘band-aid’ soft contact lens and special eye drops. When epithelial healing is complete, the lens is removed, there is no further risk of discomfort. With LASIK, many patients observe that they experience no pain, no irritation, and not even any slight foreign body or ‘eyelash’ sensation. Most are pleasantly surprised at how little discomfort they had, and usually mention this when they talk about their experience.

Can I lose vision as a result of this treatment?

This is one of the most important concerns that patients have. No patient in our practice has ever lost their vision, or suffered any untoward accident or misadventure leading to blindness (or even serious vision compromise) as a result of laser treatment. No patient in any of the extensive FDA studies of excimer laser treatment has suffered profound vision loss. In the entire world experience, we are aware of an extremely small number of cases (approximately one per million surgeries performed) that have caused serious eye or vision problems. That includes surgeries done by untrained or ill-trained surgeons, experimental and “off-brand” lasers, and so forth. It is the general consensus among very experienced, competent US and European surgeons that this should not happen in the hands of good surgeons doing good work with proper equipment.

Is this a “no-risk” procedure?

No surgical procedure is without risk. We take risk every day when we get out of bed, walk across a street, drive a car, or fly in an airplane. We consider these “acceptable” risks and a part of modern life. There are certain risks involved in taking any action (such as having LASIK) and there are risks involved in not taking action. For example, there is a small risk of blindness associated with use of soft contact lenses (due to amebic corneal infection in perhaps 1 per million contact lens wearers), and risk of serious eye injury if glasses are worn and facial trauma occurs. This latter risk is also in the range of the “one in a million”.

What about long-term results?

The long-term stability of laser vision surgery is remarkable. In our practice, we have seen patients retain excellent unaided vision (in the range of “20/20” and even “20/15”) for over a decade. Laser vision correction is at least 1,000 times more accurate, and more stable, than any prior corrective surgery ever performed, including radial keratotomy (“RK”). Excimer laser surgery was first performed in 1988. Extensive testing around the world has confirmed that there are no long-term health problems to the eye from this type of care.

Will my eyes deteriorate in the future?

Most people see the eye doctor for a checkup and prescription update every one to three years. It is normal for a person’s optical prescription to change a very small amount every several years. The reason for this is explained in the Refractive Drift section of our “Advanced Optical Issues” page. This slow rate of change “drift” of the prescription through life is not worsened, nor is it eliminated, by having LASIK. After LASIK, if the eyes change, the change will be very slight and should stay close to “zero prescription” point where you want them!

What if I move during the procedure?

Many patients worry about this, and the concern is sometimes substantial. Almost everyone moves a tiny bit during the procedure. Under the laser microscope, a person’s face and eyes can move (slightly) in concert with normal breathing. This is why we perform every surgery with “assisted stabilization” to assure ideal rendering and centration of the laser treatment, and/or we use lasers with pupil-tracking systems. Also, we can pause the laser treatment whenever we want, and resume when it is safe, stable, and proper to do so.

What if I blink when they’re doing the laser?

The eyelids are gently held apart during the laser treatment by a special instrument, which feels a little odd, but doesn’t typically hurt.

Will I need to wear an eye patch after the procedure?

No. Some patients are given a “band-aid” contact lens overnight to promote healing.

If I don’t get a full correction, will I be able to have a repeat procedure to improve the results?

Approximately 3% of our patients return for an enhancement procedure. These patients have had a dramatic improvement in their vision, but have not achieved a “perfect” correction. After LASIK, a “touch-up” or “enhancement” is even easier than the original treatment, because we can find and carefully lift the original flap.

What are the common problems and complications?

By far the most common issue is under-correction or over-correction. In this case, vision will be “good, but not perfect.” Further laser treatment, known as an “enhancement” or a “touch-up”, can improve the vision further by treating the remaining optical imperfection. About 20% of patients can experience optical consequences during the healing process, including glare, halos at night, or ghost images. In almost all cases, these disappear within several weeks or months. Careful attention to detail in centration and calibration of the laser, as well as measurement of pupil size, substantially lessens the incidence of these problems.

How many people have had PRK and LASIK?

It is estimated that more than 25 million people worldwide have had laser vision care; about 50% of these were performed in the U.S. However, as we stress to each patient, what matters most are your own eyes and the results in your own case, not the number of patients that have gone before you.

How soon can I return to work and other activities?

The answer is different for PRK and LASIK. We recommend a return to full work activities no sooner than about 3 days after PRK. For that reason, most people choose to have their PRK on a Thursday or Friday. With LASIK, my experience has been that many patients often feel so good the day after surgery that they feel like going right back to work. It would not be realistic to promise that everyone will feel perfect the next day after LASIK, but certainly the overwhelming majority of individuals I have cared for have expressed this sentiment. Almost all other activities including strenuous exercise, reading, and even driving at night are OK as soon as you feel comfortable.

Can my results be guaranteed?

As in any medical intervention, especially any type of surgery or laser therapy, there can be no guarantee of results in any specific case. We work extremely hard to see that each person we care for gets the maximum possible benefit. Even though the laser treatment is exquisitely precise and our experience is quite significant, variations in final visual result can arise due to individual variations in healing, and to other factors.

Will the treatment cause cataracts, or influence the treatment of cataracts?

No. Laser corrective treatment does not cause cataracts, and does not affect the removal of cataracts.

 

You may also wish to browse the FDA’s LASIK frequently asked questions page.

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