Jason Randall Smith, OD,MS

The biggest issue with laser-assisted cataract surgery is the added cost that is not covered by insurance. This dollar amount should be discussed with your surgeon so that you are aware of all financial requirements before and after your surgery, including copays that you may be responsible for.

"Surgeons pay for the laser machine, they pay for interfaces used for each case, they pay a royalty fee on each case, and they pay a significant yearly maintenance fee to keep the lasers working. These costs are not paid for by insurance companies and so the cost has to be incurred by the patient." From the website:
https://lasvegaseyeinstitute.com/cataract-surgery/laser-cataract-surgery-vs-traditional-cataract-surgery/

There is also a risk that the laser energy can make a dilated pupil smaller causing a small risk of surgical complications. You should discuss all of your concerns, questions, financial responsibilities, risks, and benefits with your surgeon, always. Good luck and best wishes.

This question is best answered based on how old your daughter is? Based on her age and a willingness and ability to place something into her eye, contact lenses may be an option as are glasses at any age. Refractive surgery is usually not considered until a child's eyes have reached a stable and consistent prescription status, usually at 18-21 years of age, but this can vary and will vary from surgeon to surgeon. Generally speaking, most LASIK eye surgeons agree on 25-40 as the ideal age range for LASIK eye surgery candidacy for a few reasons. By the age of 25, eyeglasses and contact lens prescriptions have most likely stabilized. A stable prescription is one of the hallmarks of a good LASIK candidate. Here is a good website: https://www.hodgeseyecare.com/what-is-the-best-age-to-get-lasik/blog

Whatever options that you are considering, please discuss all of your questions and concerns with your eye doctor whether it be an optometrist or a refractive surgeon/ophthalmologist. Good luck and best wishes.

There are many types of glaucoma and the treatments are different depending upon which type that you have. Open angle glaucoma can be treated with eye drops. Narrow angle or closed angle glaucoma may require a laser procedure to allow the aqueous fluid to flow in the eye better and for your pressures to be reduced. A surgical procedure called a trabeculectomy is done with other more serious forms of glaucoma. Please discuss your treatment options with your eye doctor and be aware that this is a lifetime commitment by you to keep all eye doctor appointments in order to have your eye pressures monitored, to have visual field tests, and to have your retinas and optic nerves evaluated by having a dilated eye exam, when necessary. Good luck and best wishes.

Since I do not know what medical issues you currently have, let alone the fact that I do not know what medications you are currently taking, this question needs to be properly answered by both your medical doctor as well as your refractive surgeon/ophthalmologist. Both of these professionals will know your vision situation/surgical options and your general health and can properly address any question that you have. Good luck and best wishes.

If you do have "pink eye" or a conjunctivitis, what type of conjunctivitis you actually have will determine which drops should be used. You may have an allergic, bacterial, or viral conjunctivitis, if you actually have a conjunctivitis. Sometimes a red eye/conjunctivitis may indicate that there may be another issue with your eyes besides having a conjunctivitis. Please see your family doctor or an eye doctor in order to properly determine what your eye problem actually is. Good luck and best wishes.

If you do have "pink eye" which is a conjunctivitis, the important question is, what type of conjunctivitis do you have? There are several types of conjunctivitis including bacterial, viral, and allergic and depending what you actually have, a conjunctivitis can be contagious. These are treated differently with eye drops including antibiotics, artificial tears, and anti-allergy drops. It is possible that a conjunctivitis such as viral may go away on its own after an illness/virus has passed. But, before you treat something incorrectly, I would suggest seeing your family doctor or an eye doctor. Sometimes these red eye/ conjunctivitis problems can be a sign that there may be some other issue occurring within the eye. Good luck and best wishes.

There is no scientific or medical evidence that wearing blue light glasses will help with your vision, prevent eye fatigue, or allow you to be more visually comfortable. If you are having any problems while working on your laptop computer, a visit to an eye doctor may be something that you want to consider, especially considering that your eyes will change as we all age, especially after age 40. There are possible eyeglass prescriptions that can make your eyes more comfortable depending upon what a refraction shows (what your eyeglass or contact lens prescription is). And there are some tints that can be added to any eyeglass prescription to reduce the glare that can come from a computer screen. Before you do see an eye doctor, if that is your choice, please take a tape measure, and measure the approximate distance of your computer screen to your eyes. Whether you need a computer pair of glasses or a progressive lens, this can all be addressed by any eye doctor. Good luck and best wishes.

Most often, itchy eyes are caused by allergies. If your eyes are only itchy, I would see an eye doctor in order to receive a proper diagnosis and treatment which will be a prescription for anti-itch/allergy drops. Good luck and best wishes.

Your frequency of eye exams will depend upon your medical conditions, medications that you are using, age, if you are a contact lens wearer, your current eyeglass prescription, your current eye health, pre-existing conditions, and your doctors' preferences. There are some statistics that suggest annual eye exams every 5 years for those age 20-39, every 2-4 years for those age 40-54, every 1-3 years for those age 55-64, and every 1-2 years ages 65 and over. Since these are general numbers and everyone is so different, I would recommend that you discuss this with your eye doctor because he/she will know all factors about your eyes and your health in order to suggest how often you should be seen. Good luck and best wishes.

When you say "eye strain", this can take on several different possibilities. Is your vision blurry, and if so, for how long, and is it blurry looking at the distance like driving, looking at middle range like your computer screen, or blurry up close such as your computer keyboard or a cell phone? Do you have headaches? And if so, where are the headaches located, how long do they last, and do you take anything for the headaches? Do your eyes tear excessively or are they dry? Are you currently using any eye drops? Are you wearing glasses or contact lenses? And if so, when was your last eye exam? If not, this can possibly be a problem that can be resolved with an eyeglass or contact lens prescription, especially if you are over 40 years of age. Do you have any other medical conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure where you should be having an eye exam every year in order to have your retinas checked, your eye pressures checked, and have your prescription checked? I would strongly suggest that you see an eye doctor in order to properly diagnose what is going on with your eyes and have a proper course of treatment. Good luck and best wishes.

This question can only be answered by knowing what type of infection you may have, and there can be many. Do you have a bacterial infection which is treated with antibiotic eye drops? Do you have an allergic or viral conjunctivitis? Do you have a conjunctivitis, a scratched cornea, or a turned-in eye lash which all can cause red eyes and are all treated differently? Is there an internal eye problem such as a uveitis which can be more serious? My best suggestion for you is to see an eye doctor ASAP in order to have whatever is wrong properly evaluated and treated. Good luck and best wishes.

The ability for your corneas to heal after LASIK will vary depending upon your age, any underlying medical conditions, and any other eye conditions. Most people will heal within 2-3 months and vision should be stable after 6 months.
But, in order to fully have a thorough timeline, you should address this question with your refractive surgeon/ophthalmologist who will know everything about your eyes, your eye health, and your general health. They can provide you with a more appropriate and detailed timeline. Thank you and best wishes.

When you say, "tired eyes", this is a very non-specific term and question. When you say "tired", is your vision blurry? Is it blurry after doing close work, computer work, or when driving? If this is the case, then a visit to an eye doctor may be a good option in order to determine if there is a prescription for glasses or contact lenses that may clear things up for you. If your eyes are red, are they fatigued or is there something else going on like a conjunctivitis that needs to be treated by an eye doctor with eye drops or other medications. Please resubmit your question being as specific as you can and then I can address your specifics more thoroughly. Good luck and best wishes.

There are several reasons why laser surgery can be used. I may assume that this was a procedure that was done on your cornea in order to correct your nearsightedness called refractive surgery? Lasers are also used in order to treat narrow angle glaucoma and retinal diabetes problems. If you had refractive surgery, there may be some discomfort after the surgery, but actual hurting or pain should immediately be discussed with your eye doctor. If your eye doctor provided you with eye drops and a post-op appointment plan, make sure that you follow all directions precisely. And any and all concerns should be addressed by their office. If you did have another type of laser surgery, please describe it again to me, and I will answer your question based on the details of your surgery. Thank you and best wishes.

There should be no issues in flying after cataract surgery, but please discuss this with your eye surgeon. Your surgeon may be concerned about the drier air in an airplane cabin if you have dry eyes which can be treated with artificial tears. Your surgeon knows all about your eyes and your general health, especially after surgery, so please discuss all of your concerns with him/her in order to be totally compliant with their instructions and post-op directions. Thank you and best wishes.

The most important thing to remember is that post-op, you do not want any type of eye infection, ever. With a pool, a lake, the ocean, or a jacuzzi, microbes are always present. I always suggest that when swimming in any body of water, eye goggles should be worn. There have also been cases of microbes getting into the ears, causing serious neurological problems, so ear plugs would also be recommended. And chlorine and other chemicals in a pool causes red eyes when not wearing swimming goggles. When showering, water should not get into your eyes during your recovery period. Most often, it is better to wait until your eyes have fully healed and your eye doctor has approved your swimming in your preferred body of water. This is usually after 4-5 weeks, but every case can vary. Any comments here should be verified and approved by your eye doctor because they will know your eye health and general health more than I do. And they will also know how quickly your eyes have healed. So, please discuss every question you have with your eye doctor. Good luck and best wishes.

Yes, LASIK can correct your nearsightedness/myopia. You will need a thorough eye examination including a refraction which will determine your actual prescription, amount of your myopia, your general eye health, and if there is any associated astigmatism present.
If this is something that you want to pursue, you will need an appointment with an eye doctor in order to discuss all of your refractive surgery options.
There are also non-surgical options including wearing glasses or contact lenses. And you should ask any and all questions so that you are aware of including the costs, risks, benefits, recovery time, and long-term issues. Good luck and best wishes.

Yes, LASIK can resolve your hyperopia/farsightedness. If you are interested in this type of refractive surgery, you will need a thorough eye examination which will include a refraction. The refraction will determine your actual eyeglass prescription and will see if there is any associated astigmatism.
Once your eye doctor has all of your information and prescription information, he/she can then provide you the options that are available to you from a refractive surgery perspective. You should definitely come to that appointment asking any and all questions including costs, risks, benefits, recovery time, and long-term consequences. There are also other non-surgical options including
using glasses or contact lenses. Good luck and best wishes.

The treatment options for dry eyes include eye drops, eye ointments, punctal plugs, nasal sprays that increase tear production, using warm compresses, and light therapy with eyelid massage. Depending upon the severity of your dry eye problem, an eye doctor should be consulted in order to determine what your best treatment should be. Good luck and best wishes.

LASIK is not painful. You may experience some minor discomfort or itchiness due to the fact that LASIK uses laser technology to create a cut flap on the cornea and corneal nerves will also be cut. This can result in the temporary loss of reflexive tearing that your eye doctor will treat with eye drops after the surgery or the use of punctal plugs. Some patients have experienced some light sensitivity (photophobia) or starburst effects after surgery. You should discuss all of your concerns with your eye doctor. There are always treatments for any post-op complications, and hopefully there will be none. Good luck and best wishes.

However, some minor discomfort and soreness are to be expected. This discomfort could take the form of itchiness or even burning; more commonly, patients feel a sensation similar to the presence of a foreign object in the eye.