Q. Are you a candidate for LASIK?

A. The ideal candidate for LASIK is over 18 years old with normal eye health and a prescription that has not increased significantly in the last 12 months. People with certain medical conditions or women who are pregnant may not be good candidates for LASIK.

Q. Will the procedure hurt?

A. Anesthetic drops prior to surgery help to numb the surface of the eye, minimizing the chances of discomfort during the procedure. You may experience a dry, scratchy sensation immediately after surgery, but most patients are quite comfortable after taking a short nap. Any mild discomfort after surgery should respond well to the eye lubricant drops provided in your free post–op care.

Q. What can I expect on Surgery Day?

A. You can expect the following:
• Plan on being at Schaeffer Laser Vision for 2–3 hours
• Dress comfortably and warmly (the laser room is cool)
• Arrange for a ride home
• Procedure time of approximately 10–15 minutes
• Total laser time of 20–70 seconds per eye
• Rest comfortably after your LASIK procedure
• Eye drops and shields for use during sleep for first four days or as directed by your doctor

Q. What Pre–Operative issues do I need to be aware of?

A.
• Your refraction must be stable.
• Our Contact Lens Removal Guidelines are as follows:
• Soft Daily Wear – 2 weeks
• Soft Extended Wear – 2 weeks
• RGP / Hard Lenses – 4 weeks plus 1 week per decade of wear
• Toric – Minimum 2 weeks
• No make–up, perfume or hairspray on surgery day

Q. Are there any Risks?

A. Yes, but less than 1% of LASIK patients develop complications that can reduce the quality of their corrected vision. Our surgeons, staff doctors and your private eye doctor minimize the risk of problems by carefully evaluating your overall eye health and candidacy for LASIK. The appropriate risks, benefits and expectations specific to your case will be addressed at your pre–operative exam and again before you go into surgery.

Q. Does Schaeffer Laser Vision stand behind my results?

A. Absolutely! Schaeffer Laser Vision (SLV) stands behind the results of our surgeons. While we cannot guarantee that you will have perfect distance vision for a lifetime, our Lifetime Assurance Plan is designed to help you maintain excellent vision forever. Most nearsighted patients qualify for the plan, provided they have no significant health problem and are not outside the prescription range covered by the plan. Even the small number of patients who do not qualify for the Lifetime plan are eligible for free re–treatments, if medically appropriate, for two years following their procedures.

Q. What will my recovery be like?

A. Most LASIK patients are very excited about the quality of their vision the day after their procedure, typically arriving for their one–day visit with legal driving vision! While most patients notice dramatic visual results within the first few days following their procedure, the speed of visual recovery depends on personal healing patterns and the amount of treatment provided. Patients with extremely high prescriptions, for instance, often recover more slowly, but tend to be some of our happiest patients.

Q. What is the Lifetime Assurance Plan?

A. Schaeffer Laser Vision’s Lifetime Assurance Plan is an exceptional vision care policy offering LASIK retreatments, known as enhancements, to patients throughout their lifetime. While most patients have a single successful treatment, a small percentage of patients may require a slight fine–tuning of their result. Patients who are eligible for the program receive enhancements with similar technology free of charge.

Eligible patients will be given a SLV Lifetime Assurance Passport to document their compliance in returning for post–operative visits and their yearly examinations with an affiliate eye doctor.

If you have any questions about the Lifetime Assurance Program, please call 1–205–802–2020

Q. What kind of results can I expect?

A. Depending on your prescription and how quickly you heal, you may experience the results of LASIK immediately. Most Schaeffer Laser Vision patients are capable of reading the clock in the laser room moments after their procedure, and usually demonstrate legal driving vision the next day. You can expect your vision to continue to improve over the next few days or weeks, as your eye doctor monitors your progress at your regularly scheduled appointments.

For most patients, laser vision correction permanently reshapes the cornea, resulting in excellent vision even many years later. A small percentage of the over 60,000 eyes that our surgeon has treated have required a repeat treatment, or ’LASIK enhancement’.

Q. What does the cost of the procedure include?

A. Your fee covers your LASIK consultation, the pre–operative evaluation, your surgery, all facility fees, most medications and a full year of post–operative care. For most patients, the fee also includes the Lifetime Assurance Plan, which provides LASIK re–treatments, if needed, at no additional cost.

Q. Is LASIK covered by my Insurance plan?

A. Insurance rarely covers elective procedures like LASIK, but Schaeffer Laser Vision offers a reduced fee to patients covered by several major insurers. You can contact Schaeffer Laser Vision or your employer to check your eligibility.

Q. Are there ways to make LASIK more affordable?

A. Schaeffer Laser Vision can assist you in obtaining financing with monthly payments as low as $67.00.

If you have a Medical Flex–Spending Account through your employer, you can use pre–tax earnings to reduce your effective cost by hundreds of dollars.

Many companies participate in our Group Advantage Plan, which can significantly reduce the cost of your procedure. Check with your employer; if they do not currently participate, we may be able to offer the program to your company prior to your payment for LASIK.

Of course, you also have the option of extending your payment period by using most major credit cards.

Q. Who are my doctors and what will they do?

A. At Schaeffer Laser Vision, we believe in a team approach that includes you, your private eye doctor, our team of eye doctors and our surgeon working towards your personalized treatment plan.

The process begins when you schedule your LASIK consultation with a Schaeffer Laser Vision doctor or your private SLV–affiliated eye doctor who will provide a complete examination to assure that you are a candidate for LASIK. This pre–operative visit usually requires a dilation that can lengthen your visit and leave your vision temporarily blurred. Your doctor’s office then schedules your surgery, and your pre–op exam results are transferred to the Schaeffer Laser Vision surgeon and Clinical Directors for careful planning of your procedure.

Following surgery, your doctor will closely monitor your progress for a full year. After your year of free follow–up care, you need to be seen on an annual basis in order to maintain eligibility for the Lifetime Assurance Plan.