1. Who Will Perform My LASIK Surgery?

It is common for a LASIK center to have several surgeons perform their LASIK procedures. Every laser eye surgeon is different in their degree of experience, training, and qualifications, and without knowing which surgeon will be performing your surgery ahead of time it can be difficult to know their unique qualifications in advance.

At NeoVision Eye Center, your LASIK surgery will be performed by the highly trained and well-respected Dr. Shobha Tandon, MD, PHD.  Dr. Tandon was trained at Stanford University and is a certified LASIK Surgeon with over 18 years of experience performing LASIK surgeries in the Bay Area.

She was voted “the Ophthalmologist of The Year” by the Consumer Research Council, awarded Honors by America’s Registry of Outstanding Professionals, and was recently named one of America’s Top Ophthalmologists by the Consumer Research Council. You can learn more about Dr. Tandon’s experience here.

2. How Many of My Surgeon’s Patients Achieved a Vision of 20/40 or better, without the need for any re-treatment?

This is perhaps one of the most important questions you can ask a LASIK center.  The success rate of your LASIK surgeon is a critical factor you should examine when deciding on the right LASIK surgeon for you.

The need for re-treatment can arise when under-correction or over-correction of a patient’s vision occurs due to unusual individual healing patterns.  However, it can also be needed due to an inadequate assessment of your eye glass prescription and corneal imperfections due to having a non-qualified or medically trained individual performing your eligibility consultation and pre-operative exam.

To compensate for these uncertainties and need for re-treatment, some LASIK centers will offer free lifetime re-treatment.  Don’t take these offers for face-value, a closer look will reveal that these offers are often a safeguard to compensate for a less than perfect surgery. It is important to investigate these LASIK centers very thoroughly – read reviews from past patients, research the surgeon’s credentials and reviews, and carefully understand the quality of their work.

At NeoVision Eye Center, Dr. Tandon boasts a 100% rate of LASIK patients seeing 20/40 or better without any re-treatment.

3. What Technology Will My LASIK Surgeon Be Using?

Not all technology is created equally, and this is especially true for LASIK laser machines.  It is important to do your homework and empower yourself with the information on which lasers and tech will be used for your LASIK surgery.

Ideally, your LASIK surgeon will be using the latest technology which will allow them extended capabilities for ensuring the best refractive outcome possible.

Dr. Tandon uses the VISX Star S4 Smooth Scan Laser, one of the most advanced laser systems available in laser vision correction today. The S4 offers Active Trak™, an infrared eye tracking systems that follows the eye in all three dimensions. The S4 also offers Variable Spot Scanning™, which uses seven variable-sized beams for faster, smoother and more precise treatments. The Blend Zone™ feature enables a larger treatment area and is available for those with larger pupils, to minimize night-time glare. VISX Star S4 laser provides us the best possible treatment options for you.

At NeoVision Eye Center, we are proud to provide our patients with the benefits of CustomLASIK (CustomVue). CustomLASIK provides patients a higher chance of seeing 20/20; the ability to treat people with larger pupils; reduced frequency of night vision problems following treatment; and clearer, crisper results compared to treatments performed without CustomLASIK.

We also provide our patients with the benefits of IntraLase LASIK. The “all-laser” LASIK approach, using the IntraLase and Excimer laser, not only avoids blade-related complications such as corneal irregularities and scarring but may also offer the potential for better vision than after standard LASIK. It also allows Dr. Tandon the ability to perform safe LASIK on patients who have previously been disqualified due to corneal thickness.

It is important for you to find out exactly what technology and machines will be used by your LASIK center. Do they have the newest equipment and latest updates? NeoVision Eye Centers are diligent in keeping up-to-date with every regular software update and machine upgrades every year.  This is an important, but costly, process and not all centers (especially discount ones) keep up with this maintenance in an effort to keep costs low. You should always be thorough in finding out exactly what kind of surgery, technology, and equipment will be used by your LASIK center.

4. Is the Service I’m Getting Actually LASIK?

In addition to finding out everything you can about the machines and technology used, you need to ensure the surgery you’re receiving is actually LASIK.

Many centers will advertise their services as laser eye surgery, leading potential customers to believe they will be getting LASIK, when they actually end up performing PRK surgery.

There is a definite difference in the two procedures: During a LASIK procedure, your surgeon will create a corneal flap that is then lifted in order to reshape your cornea with an excimer laser. A PRK procedure does not create this flap and instead, the thin surface layer of the cornea is removed (no flap) and then the underlying tissue is reshaped with an excimer laser. PRK is also a much older technology and does not have the same optimal results as LASIK.

In addition to the two procedures being different, they have varying recovery times and risk of infections/post-surgery complications. It is crucial you ask if you’re getting actual LASIK with all the correct technology or are you getting PRK?

Learn more about the differences between LASIK and PRK here.

5. Who Will Determine My Eligibility for LASIK Surgery?

In order to determine if LASIK is right for you, the first step is a LASIK consultation that determines your eligibility for the procedure.  It is of the utmost importance that your LASIK surgeon is the one that determines your eligibility. If a LASIK center is having a non-medically trained staff member (i.e. Someone who is not an ophthalmologist) determine your eligibility, you are opening yourself up to the possibility of serious problems.

Only your LASIK surgeon, who is a highly-trained ophthalmologist, can determine if the unique characteristics of your eyes, existing conditions, and lifestyle make you a good LASIK candidate.

At NeoVision Eye Center, Dr. Tandon will be the one both determining your eligibility and performing your LASIK surgery.

6. If I am Eligible for LASIK, Who Will Perform My Pre-Operative Comprehensive Eye Exam and Provide Post-Operative Care?

Again, it is extremely important that you LASIK surgeon performs your LASIK eligibility consultation, pre-operative comprehensive eye exam, LASIK surgery, and post-operative care.

During your pre-operative eye exam, your LASIK surgeon is determining crucial details about your unique refraction and corneal imperfections (for CustomLasik).  These details are carefully mathematically recorded and the data obtained is used to generate your individualized laser treatment plan.

This treatment plan is the essential blueprint that directs the Excimer Laser across your cornea and determines the duration of treatment. It is essential that the data obtained during your pre-op exam is accurate in order to provide the best results possible.

After your LASIK surgery is complete, your LASIK center will provide you with the necessary post-operative care.  During this post-operative period, you will need to come in for scheduled assessments after one day, one week, one month, three months, six months, and one year after surgery.

It is important that your LASIK surgeon is the one performing these post-operative assessments and the care provided within.  Your LASIK surgeon understands your situation and needs the best, and should be the one handling this care.  At some LASIK centers, your LASIK surgeon is not providing pre or post-op care.

At NeoVision Eye Center, Dr. Tandon will personally perform your pre-operative eye exam and examine you during all six of your post-op visits to ensure proper healing and satisfaction.

7. How Much Will My LASIK Surgery Cost?

Many LASIK centers will provide different incentives, promotions, and offers for the cost of LASIK.  While many LASIK centers are honest and respectable, there are some that are willing to advertise misleading prices to get a patient in the door.  The initial “price” is then changed due to your prescription, choice of surgeon, laser equipment used, and post-operative care.

To safeguard yourself from these price fluctuations, it is important to be quoted a fixed price for your unique prescription and surgeon.  It is also important to ensure there are no hidden fees associated with your six post-operative visits to your LASIK surgeon.  If you find that the advertised price you were lead to believe was true has drastically changed once you ask questions, it might be a red flag.

At NeoVision Eye Center, there are no surprises in your treatment or quoted price.  We offer one global fee for all LASIK surgeries, no matter your prescription.  The LASIK fee you are quoted includes all pre-operative, surgical, and post-operative care for one full year by your LASIK surgeon using our latest technology.