FAQ

Advanced all laser lasik means  healing is very fast. Most people see better immediately and return to work the next day. 

Your follow-up care is as important as the actual procedure. In order to allow your eyes to heal and maintain your new vision, you'll be asked to protect your eyes from the sun and from other elements. Make-up and mascara should be avoided around the eyes as well for a short period of time. Don't worry, you'll receive a full list of instructions on how to care for your eyes. 

You are required to come to our office within the first 24 hours after your LASIK procedure for your first post-operative appointment. 

You'll want to wear your eye shield at bedtime for one week (two weeks if you sleep on your stomach) to keep from rubbing your eyes while asleep. Light exercise is okay, but you'll want to avoid excessive workouts for five days. 

You may fly two days after surgery.

Monovision is a strategy for eliminating the need for bifocals or reading glasses. The goal of the treatment is to achieve spectacle freedom while performing everyday visual tasks. Monovision can be achieved through the use of contact lenses or LASIK. As a result of treatment, one eye, usually the dominant one, is focused at distance. The non-dominant eye is focused at near. With both eyes open, the brain automatically picks the image that is best in focus. 

For example, when looking at objects that are at near, such as a watch, cell phone, or a price tag, the “near” eye is doing most of the work. While performing tasks that require distance vision, such as driving or watching TV, the “distance” eye does most of the work. 

This strategy is well tolerated by most people but is not for everyone. For this to be successful, careful pre-operative planning must be done which includes: 

• Determination of eye dominance and working distance 
• Simulation of monovision with loose lens test and/or soft contact lens
• Planning for treatment of any corneal astigmatism that may be present

No. Many of the discount LASIK centers want you to believe that LASIK should be purchased like a “commodity.” In fact, the following aspects of LASIK matter just as much as the surgery itself:

• A surgeon’s experience
• Lasers used during the procedure
• Diagnostic technology
• Follow-up care

Laser vision correction will affect the way you see for the rest of your life. You should make your decision to have laser surgery carefully, not quickly or based on the lowest price. We understand financial concerns that are tied to the cost of LASIK, but our commitment to providing excellent lifetime vision is important to us, that's why we offer zero-interest financing for the first 24 months.

Our team is happy to answer any questions. Call us at 310.275.5533, or schedule a visit to learn more about our financing specials and cost breakdown.

The FDA recognizes LASIK surgery to be a safe and effective method of vision correction. Certain health conditions can increase your risk of developing complications with LASIK surgery. Autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, a compromised immune system, persistent dry eye, herpes simplex of the eye, keratitis, cataracts, or eyelid disorders, among others, all increase your risk of developing complications. You should discuss your complete medical history with Dr. Benjamin in your initial consultation, so he can advise you if LASIK surgery is the right vision correction treatment for you. 

LASIK is so low risk that even a failed procedure doesn't mean blindness, it just means that you might be a point off on the eyesight chart. 

It's so safe that Dr. Benjamin has performed the surgery on many of his family members and has undergone the procedure himself.

If you have any questions, our team is always ready to help. Schedule a consultation today.

WILL I HAVE A 20/20 VISION? 

The goal of any refractive procedure is to reduce dependence on glasses or contact lenses. However, it is impossible to guarantee a 20/20 result. We will not take the risks of performing LASIK on you if we are not positive of a good outcome, which would be getting rid of the mentioned dependence on glasses or contact lenses. At the same time, it is possible that we will be able to achieve even better vision than 20/20.

We have our own LASIK suite, unlike most centers that share suites with many doctors. This allows us to provide customizations and features that provide outstanding results and ensure our patients achieve their best vision.

The ambient humidity and temperature greatly affect not only the laser performance but most importantly how your eyes respond to the treatment. That’s why, at Benjamin Eye Institute, we have a unique, autonomous climate-control system in our laser suite. The air in the suite is conditioned independently from the building’s air conditioning system. The air passes through a series of HEPA filters, which prevent bacteria from contaminating the surgical environment. The air is constantly maintained at a certain humidity and temperature level. This system, unique to our suite, is quite costly, but we think you are worth it! Of course modern, well-maintained and calibrated laser equipment, an experienced surgeon, meticulous preoperative evaluation, and experienced and well-trained laser technicians are crucial to the success of the procedure. However, one important factor is frequently overlooked: the operating room environment. State-of-the-art technology is at the heart of every successful LASIK procedure. At Benjamin Eye Institute, we are at the forefront of LASIK technology, employing only the latest technologies and advancements for laser vision correction.

LASIK eye surgery is a safe, effective, and stable procedure. While there may be a million reasons to have LASIK, there may be some conditions that exclude some people. At Benjamin Eye Institute, patients will be thoroughly screened for conditions that may affect their LASIK candidacy. If any of these conditions are found, Dr. Benjamin will recommend one of many effective LASIK alternatives. LASIK alternatives are determined by each individual patient’s unique vision needs. We don’t just treat your vision issues, we treat you.

Alternatives to LASIK come in many different forms. Here are some of the most popular treatment options offered at Benjamin Eye Institute:

VISIAN IMPLANTABLE CONTACT LENS (ICL)

ICLs are also known as permanent contact lenses. This surgery option is very different from LASIK, which involves laser removal of microscopic pieces of corneal tissue. ICLs are devices that work with your eye's natural lens to yield clear vision at all distances. A small incision is created in the eye and the ICL is placed to work in conjunction with your existing lens. Depending on the type of lens that is implanted, the incision may be allowed to self-heal or it will be closed with dissolvable sutures. Patients that undergo ICL surgery typically achieve improved vision within a day

PHOTOREFRACTIVE KERATECTOMY (PRK)

PRK is similar to LASIK in that the same type of excimer laser is used. However, instead of creating a corneal flap like LASIK, a laser beam is applied directly to the surface of the eye to reshape the cornea. PRK is used less frequently since the development of LASIK, but in some individual cases, PRK may still be the procedure of choice. The primary healing may take several days longer than that of LASIK, but the long-term effects are the same.

CLEAR LENS REPLACEMENT (CLR)

Clear Lens Replacement surgery is typically suggested for individuals experiencing presbyopia or extreme farsightedness (hyperopia) for whom LASIK or PRK are not suitable. If you have both presbyopia and moderate to severe hyperopia, a clear lens replacement may be the only viable option for clear vision and nominal reliance on glasses following your refractive surgery. Clear (refractive) lens exchange surgery can also correct myopia (nearsightedness), but generally it is not recommended when LASIK or PRK are still viable options.

The cornea is full of tiny irregularities that make it impossible for you to see better than with glasses. Traditional LASIK methods only target the central part of the cornea with a small number of measurements. With topographic LASIK, we make thousands of measurements over the entire surface of the cornea to see higher-order aberrations, which are more complex and subtle refractive errors.

Having a detailed map, we are able to smooth out your refractive errors (this is called ablation). Therefore, the possibility of such side effects as glare, halos and poor night vision is almost fully eliminated. And even if you weren't considered a candidate for refractive surgery before, topography-guided ablation may be the key to excellent vision for you.

No. Prior to surgery, numbing eye drops are applied to numb up the the eye during the procedure. Dr. Benjamin may also provide medication to aid in relaxation. Following your surgery, Dr. Benjamin can provide you with prescription pain medication, if necessary. Many patients report no discomfort or just very mild discomfort following LASIK in the 24 to 48 hours following surgery.

Determining one’s candidacy for laser vision correction should not be taken lightly. While LASIK or PRK are safe, precise, stable and effective procedures not everyone is a great candidate. There are hundreds of reasons to have LASIK, but there are a few not to have the procedure.  Patients may be ineligible for LASIK if they suffer from any of the following conditions: 

• Thin corneas 
• Corneal scarring 
• A history of dry eye 
• A high degree of refractive errors 
• Large pupils 

For patients who are not ideal candidates for traditional LASIK methods, Dr. Benjamin offers alternatives. Schedule a consultation today.

The difference is in the way of creating the flap itself. Conventional LASIK uses a mechanical blade (microkeratome). 99% of all flap complications are caused by the blade. That is why we use a femtosecond laser instead of a knife; the laser creates a perfect flap under full computer control. The thinner is the flap, the less is the chance of complications. When the flap is made, the excimer laser is used to perform the procedure of vision correction itself. This purely laser procedure is called ALL-LASER LASIK.

Prior to surgery

Numbing eye drops are applied to the eye to alleviate any discomfort during the procedure. The eye doctor may also provide medication to aid in relaxation.

During surgery LASIK is performed on each eye separately, with each procedure taking only about five minutes. First, Dr. Benjamin uses a femtosecond laser to create a thin, circular flap in the cornea. The flap is then folded back to access the underlying cornea (stoma) and Dr. Benjamin eliminates some corneal tissue using another laser called an excimer laser.

This highly specialized excimer laser uses a cool ultraviolet light beam to remove microscopic amounts of tissue from the cornea to reshape it, refocusing light entering the eye for improved vision. For nearsighted people, the goal is to flatten the cornea. For farsighted people, a steeper cornea is desired. For astigmatism, the excimer laser works by smoothing an unbalanced cornea into a more normal shape. After the laser reshapes the cornea, the flap is then laid back in place, covering the area where the corneal tissue was removed. The cornea is then allowed to heal naturally.

LASIK is an acronym that stands for Laser Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis. It may also be referred to as laser eye surgery or laser vision correction. Simply put, Dr. Benjamin utilizes a laser to reshape the inner cornea of the eye. The cornea, or the clear outer protective covering of the eye, once reshaped, will correct a patient’s vision issues. It is the most common eye surgery performed in the country. 

LASIK is an FDA-approved procedure that is painless, fast, and effective. In most cases, it only takes a few seconds per eye. In total, the surgical appointment is about an hour from start to finish. LASIK is the world’s most popular refractive procedure. Tens of millions of patients are enjoying excellent vision and improved lifestyle without having to resort to glasses or contacts. 

Modern All-Laser Wavefront Optimized LASIK may even help patients achieve better vision than is possible with glasses or contacts, and even better than 20/20.