ALCON Surgical

LASIK:

Find a Doctor

Enter your ZIP code to
find a specialist in your area.

Understanding LASIK
surgery

Request a Free Copy

LASIK Surgery Testimonials

As Katrina, Ryan, Spencer, and Loryn discuss their struggles with vision problems—and how OptiLASIK® Laser Vision Correction changed the way they see the world—think about your own vision, and whether you could benefit from living life free of contacts and glasses.

Katrina

Never thought a year ago from now that I would have eye surgery, but I am excited and really happy I had that done.

I had pretty terrible astigmatism as well as just really bad myopia, which means I couldn’t see anything far away.

There have been a few times where I've gone to movies and I've sat through the whole movie just seeing blurs across the screen.

I feel like I didn’t look attractive with glasses, and that really impacted the way I saw myself and walked around outside. I always put my glasses away whenever I went out… It’s just kind of like a hidden embarrassment. I mean, glasses help me see… but in a way I felt like they were kind of impacting my self-image at the same time.

They take the surface measurement of your eye and they create a type of equation for a program that they put into the laser and the laser uses that to shape your eye.

The doctor came out to get me during the procedure and he was like, "Trina, are you ready?" I was like, "Yeah, I'm ready!" And I like jumped up and like everybody in the waiting room just thought I was crazy, but I was ready.

And they laid me down and they put me underneath the laser and it was only eight seconds for this eye and ten seconds for this eye.

You know I didn't feel anything. It was actually pretty cool.It was like looking at a light show.

Such a life-changing thing. I mean, it's how you see the world -- that's a life-changing thing.

There's nothing to be scared about.

Loryn

I've never experienced the world like I experience the world now.

When I was growing up, um, it was tough. My vision was tough. I was in 6th grade and I had a hard time seeing the chalkboard.

So I started wearing contacts in college because I wanted to be able to go surfing.It was more uncomfortable and cumbersome to wear them than it was to not wear them and not see as well.

The first time I heard about Lasik and it was one of my first jobs out of college and my boss just said, "You know, Loryn, you should have Lasik; you should have laser eye surgery, because-- you'll be free.You'll be able to do things you want to do."

And I remember, you know, driving home and I was like, "Oh my gosh, I can see."And then, I would look around at the hills and I could see, I could see the houses on the hills and the windows.

Lasik is freedom -- it's the freedom to experience the world without having something else on your eyes and the freedom of being able to see everything and the beauty that is has.

If I could've done it 10 years ago, I would've. I would roll back time and I would do it then.

Spencer

I still go back to when I was young for the very first time wearing glasses and-and saying, "Wow, I can see. I can see." And now, I can do that without glasses.

Quite frankly, I was a little nervous to even consider it because it is your eyes and your eyes are all you have. And as time went on, I knew technology was getting better.I knew doctors were getting more experienced.I had friends that, um, I found out they-they got Lasik and I would ask them, "You know, how-how is it not putting on glasses? Can you see?You know, are there any difficulties?"And, I got great responses.People were just blown away.

Everyone's eyes are different. Everybody's eyeballs are different. So the WaveLight® was intriguing to me. The precision is so sharp and so fine.

They told me to go home, take a nap. I went home and slept for a few hours and, uh, and that was it.I remember waking up from the nap and being able to see my alarm clock for the first time without having to reach for my glasses and without having to have my contacts in and that was pretty neat.

I was able to see right after the surgery. I was able to see right away and then just as time, you know, as the days were going, as the weeks were going, everything just crisped up and got a little clearer, and a little clearer, everyday.

The coolest thing, still, is waking up in the morning and not having to do that whole routine of contacts and solution or glasses. I can just get up and go.

It's so easy.It's so simple.It's painless. If your vision was as bad as mine, you got to get it done.You got to do it.

It's not a cheap procedure and you don't want it to be cheap.You don't want to, you know, you don't want to get a deal on something like your eyes.

It's phenomenal.

Ryan

Oh, my vision was really bad before the procedure, um, not legally blind, but getting there.

And I remember the teacher sitting me in the back of the room and I raised my hand and said, "You know, I can't, I can't read what you're asking me to read off the board. I can't see it.”

During the wildfires, a few years ago, I had to go with my partner and we would sort of help these people get out of their homes, but it was extremely smoky and I had to actually go through probably 4 or 5 pairs of lenses a day just to be able to function in my job.

Finally, this new generation of lasers came out, and you know, I'm not, I'm not exaggerating when I say I was like, "This is it. They've got it figured out. It's time to do it."

My doctor told me this was the latest, you know, most advanced technology. He explained how the-the little dots that the laser will make were gonna be much, much smaller than the dots that-that the older generations of lasers made. Said that it would do less damage to my cornea or to my eye. It would require less time to heal.

The way they explained it to me was they said that, "Nobody's eye is perfectly smooth. That it has all kinds of weird bumps on it." And they were gonna actually customize the procedure to just specifically address the imperfections on my eye.

And they'd use a computer to take a picture of my eye and you could actually see a 3-dimensional map of where all these little bumps and things were. And they're like, "Oh yeah, we're gonna get this one and that one." Just floored me that they could do that.

There was lots of colors and kind of lights and swirls and things like this. And you kind of hear some noises, but it was, it was no big deal. The doctor talked me through every step of the procedure. It wasn't uncomfortable. It wasn't unpleasant. It was kind of relaxing.

I was impressed with-with how advanced this technology is. I mean, literally you basically walk in there, you lie down. They center the laser and basically, push go. Boom, boom, boom! It's done.

After having the procedure, I went and-and did the St. Anthony's triathlon in Florida. I was kind of excited to have my first race without having to deal with contact lenses. And, sure enough, I managed to win by 13 seconds in my division.

There is literally so many aspects of my life that have been improved so dramatically. You know, surfing I can see sets coming in from a distance. I can sail. I can see how the wind is changing the water in the distance and know where to head.

I can work 24-hour shifts now where it's not literally hanging all night long in my eyes. It was 100% the right decision. Laser surgery's rad. I really don't know what else to say. It's unreal. Do it.

As Katrina, Ryan, Spencer, and Loryn discuss their struggles with vision problems—and how OptiLASIK® Laser Vision Correction changed the way they see the world—think about your own vision, and whether you could benefit from living life free of contacts and glasses.

The accounts given here represent individual experiences and are not necessarily representative of all patient experiences. Individual results may vary. The products mentioned are not for all patients, talk to your doctor to determine the right steps for you. The information contained here is adapted from patient testimonials and may not represent the view of Alcon.

Read the Product Information (Brief Statement of Intended Use)

OptiLASIK® Laser Vision Correction

Myopia:

  • Approval of the premarket approval application is for the WaveLight® ALLEGRETTO WAVE®/ ALLEGRETTO WAVE® Eye-Q Excimer Laser System to perform LASIK treatments in patients 18 years of age or older for the reduction or elimination of myopic refractive errors up to -12.0 diopters (D) of sphere with and without astigmatic refractive errors up to -6.0 D; and in patients with documented evidence of a stable manifest refraction defined as less than or equal to 0.50 D of preoperative spherical equivalent shift over one year prior to surgery.
  • LASIK is an elective procedure with the alternatives including but not limited to eyeglasses, contact lenses, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), and other refractive surgeries.
  • Approval of the application is based on clinical trials in the United States with 901 eyes treated, of which 813 of 866 eligible eyes were followed for 12 months. Accountability at 3 months was 93.8%, at 6 months was 91.9%, and at 12 months was 93.9%.
  • The studies found that of the 844 eyes eligible for the uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) analysis of effectiveness at the 3-month stability time point, 98.0% were corrected to 20/40 or better, and 84.4% were corrected to 20/20 or better without spectacles or contact lenses.
  • The clinical trials showed that the following subjective patient adverse events were reported as "moderate to severe" at a level at least 1% higher than baseline of the subjects at 3 months posttreatment: visual fluctuations (12.8% at baseline versus 28.6% at 3 months).
  • Long-term risks of LASIK for myopia with and without astigmatism beyond 12 months have not been studied.
  • Note that the complete name for this ophthalmic laser is "WaveLight® ALLEGRETTO WAVE® / ALLEGRETTO WAVE® Eye-Q Excimer Laser System for laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) treatments of myopic refractive errors up to -12.0 diopters (D) of sphere with and without astigmatic refractive errors up to -6.0 D at the spectacle plane."

Hyperopia:

  • Approval of the premarket approval application is for the WaveLight® ALLEGRETTO WAVE®/ ALLEGRETTO WAVE® Eye-Q Excimer Laser System to perform LASIK treatments in patients 18 years of age or older for the reduction or elimination of hyperopic refractive errors up to +6.0 diopters (D) of sphere with and without astigmatic refractive errors up to 5.0 D at the spectacle plane, with a maximum manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) of +6.0 D; and in patients with documented evidence of a stable manifest refraction defined as less than or equal to 0.50 D of preoperative spherical equivalent shift over one year prior to surgery, exclusive of changes due to unmasking latent hyperopia.
  • LASIK is an elective procedure with the alternatives including but not limited to eyeglasses, contact lenses, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), and other refractive surgeries.
  • Approval of the application is based on clinical trials in the United States with 290 eyes treated, of which 100 of 290 eligible eyes were followed for 12 months. Accountability at 3 months was 95.2%, at 6 months was 93.9%, and at 12 months was 69.9%.
  • The studies found that of the 212 eyes eligible for the uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) analysis of effectiveness at the 6-month stability time point, 95.3% were corrected to 20/40 or better, and 67.5% were corrected to 20/20 or better without spectacles or contact lenses.
  • The study showed that the following subjective patient adverse events were reported as "much worse" by at least 1% of the subjects (in order of increasing frequency) at 6 months post final treatment: glare from bright lights (3.0%); night driving glare (4.2%) light sensitivity (4.9%); visual fluctuations (6.1%); and halos (6.4%).
  • Long term risks of LASIK for hyperopia with and without astigmatism beyond 12 months have not been studied.
  • Note that the complete name for this ophthalmic laser is "WaveLight® ALLEGRETTO WAVE®/ ALLEGRETTO WAVE® Eye-Q Excimer Laser System for laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) treatments of hyperopic refractive errors up to +6.0 diopters (D) of sphere with and without astigmatic refractive errors up to 5.0 D with a maximum manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) of +6.0 D."

Mixed Astigmatism:

  • Approval of the premarket approval application is for the WaveLight® ALLEGRETTO WAVE®/ ALLEGRETTO WAVE® Eye-Q Excimer Laser System to perform LASIK treatments in patients 21 years of age or older for the reduction or elimination of naturally occurring mixed astigmatism of up to 6.00 D at the spectacle plane; and in patients with documentation of a stable manifest refraction defined as less than or equal to 0.50 D of preoperative spherical equivalent shift over one year prior to surgery.
  • LASIK is an elective procedure with the alternatives including but not limited to eyeglasses, contact lenses, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), and other refractive surgeries.
  • Approval of the application is based on clinical trials in the United States with 162 eyes treated, of which 111 were eligible to be followed at 6 months. Accountability at 1 month was 99.4%, at 3 months was 96.0%, and at 6 months was 100.0%.
  • The studies found that of the 142 eyes eligible for the uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) analysis of effectiveness at the 3-month stability time point, 95.8% achieved acuity of 20/40 or better, and 67.6% achieved acuity of 20/20 or better without spectacles or contact lenses.
  • The clinical trials showed that the following subjective patient adverse events were reported as "moderate to severe" at a level at least 1% higher than baseline of the subjects at 3 months post-treatment: sensitivity to light (43.3% at baseline versus 52.9% at 3 months); visual fluctuations (32.1% at baseline versus 43.0% at 3 months); and halos (37.0% at baseline versus 42.3% at 3 months).
  • Long term risks of LASIK for mixed astigmatism beyond 6 months have not been studied.
  • The safety and effectiveness of LASIK surgery has ONLY been established with an optical zone of 6.0 - 7.0 mm and an ablation zone of 9.0 mm.
  • Note that the complete name for this ophthalmic laser is "WaveLight® ALLEGRETTO WAVE®/ ALLEGRETTO WAVE® Eye-Q Excimer Laser System for laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) treatments of naturally occurring mixed astigmatism of up to 6.00 D at the spectacle plane."

Wavefront-Guided Treatment of Myopia:

  • Approval of the premarket approval application is for the WaveLight® ALLEGRETTO WAVE® / ALLEGRETTO WAVE® Eye-Q Excimer Laser System used in conjunction with the WaveLight® Analyzer device. The device uses a 6.5 mm optical zone, a 9.0 mm ablation/treatment zone, and is indicated for wavefront-guided (WFG) laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK):
    1) for the reduction or elimination of up to -7.00 diopters (D) of spherical equivalent myopia or myopia with astigmatism, with up to -7.00 D of spherical component and up to 3.00 D of astigmatic component at the spectacle plane;
    2) in patients who are 18 years of age or older; and
    3) in patients with documentation of a stable manifest refraction defined as ≤0.50 D of preoperative spherical equivalent shift over one year prior to surgery.
  • LASIK is an elective procedure with the alternatives including but not limited to eyeglasses, contact lenses, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), traditional LASIK and other refractive surgeries.
  • Approval of the application is based on a randomized clinical trial in the United States with 374 eyes treated; 188 with wavefront-guided LASIK (Study Cohort) and 186 with Wavefront Optimized®LASIK (Control Cohort). 178 of the Study Cohort and 180 of the Control Cohort were eligible to be followed at 6 months. In the Study Cohort, accountability at 1 month was 96.8%, at 3 months was 96.8%, and at 6 months was 93.3%. In the Control Cohort, accountability at 1 month was 94.6%, at 3 months was 94.6%, and at 6 months was 92.2%.
  • The studies found that of the 180 eyes eligible for the uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) analysis of effectiveness at the 6-month stability time point in the Study Cohort, 99.4% were corrected to 20/40 or better, and 93.4% were corrected to 20/20 or better without spectacles or contact lenses. In the Control Cohort, of the 176 eyes eligible for the uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) analysis of effectiveness at the 6-month stability time point, 99.4% were corrected to 20/40 or better, and 92.8% were corrected to 20/20 or better without spectacles or contact lenses.
  • The clinical trials showed that the following subjective patient adverse events were reported as "moderate to severe" at a level at least 1% higher than baseline of the subjects at 3 months post-treatment in the Study Cohort, light sensitivity (37.2% at baseline versus 47.8% at 3 months) and visual fluctuations (13.8% at baseline versus 20.0% at 3 months). In the Control Cohort, halos (36.6% at baseline versus 45.4% at 3 months) and visual fluctuations (18.3% at baseline versus 21.9% at 3 months).
  • Long term risks of wavefront-guided LASIK for myopia with and without astigmatism beyond 6 months have not been studied.
  • Note that the complete name for this ophthalmic laser is "WaveLight® ALLEGRETTO WAVE® / ALLEGRETTO WAVE® Eye-Q Excimer Laser System used in conjunction with the WaveLight® Analyzer device. The device uses a 6.5 mm optical zone, a 9.0 mm ablation/treatment zone, and is indicated for wavefront-guided (WFG) laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK): 1) for the reduction or elimination of up to -7.00 diopters (D) of spherical equivalent myopia or myopia with astigmatism, with up to -7.00 D of spherical component and up to 3.00 D of astigmatic component at the spectacle plane; 2) in patients who are 18 years of age or older; and 3) in patients with documentation of a stable manifest refraction defined as ≤0.50 D of preoperative spherical equivalent shift over one year prior to surgery."


AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL

CAUTION: Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.

INDICATIONS: The AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® Apodized Diffractive Optic Posterior Chamber Intraocular Lens (IOL) is intended for primary implantation for the visual correction of aphakia secondary to removal of a cataractous lens in adult patients with and without presbyopia, who desire near, intermediate and distance vision with increased spectacle independence. The lens is intended to be placed in the capsular bag.

WARNINGS: Careful preoperative evaluation and sound clinical judgment should be used by the surgeon to decide the risk/benefit ratio before implanting a lens in a patient with any of the conditions described in the Directions for Use labeling. Some adverse reactions that have been associated with the implantation of intraocular lenses are: hypopyon, intraocular infection, acute corneal decompensation, macular edema, pupillary block, retinal detachment, and secondary surgical intervention (including but not limited to lens repositioning, biometry error, visual disturbances or patient dissatisfaction). As a result of the multifocality, some visual effects (halos or radial lines around point sources of light at night) may also be expected due to the superposition of focused and unfocused multiple images. A reduction in contrast sensitivity may also be experienced by some patients, especially in low lighting conditions such as driving at night. In order to achieve optimal visual performance with this lens, emmetropia must be targeted. Patients with significant preoperative or expected postoperative astigmatism >1.0D may not achieve optimal visual outcomes. Care should be taken to achieve IOL centration, as lens decentration may result in a patient experiencing visual disturbances under certain lighting conditions.

PRECAUTIONS: Do not resterilize. Do not store over 45° C. Use only sterile irrigating solutions such as BSS® or BSS PLUS® Sterile Intraocular Irrigating Solution. Clinical studies with the AcrySof®IQ ReSTOR® IOL indicated that posterior capsule opacification (PCO), when present, developed earlier into clinically significant PCO. Studies have shown that color vision discrimination is not adversely affected in individuals with the AcrySof® Natural IOL and normal color vision. The effect on vision of the AcrySof® Natural IOL in subjects with hereditary color vision defects and acquired color vision defects secondary to ocular disease (e.g., glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, chronic uveitis, and other retinal or optic nerve diseases) has not been studied. The long-term effects of filtering blue light and the clinical efficacy of that filtering on the retina have not been conclusively established.

ATTENTION: Reference the Physician Labeling/Directions for Use for a complete listing of indications, warnings, and precautions.

AcrySof® IQ Toric IOL

CAUTION: Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.

INDICATIONS: AcrySof® IQ Toric IOL Models SN6AT3, SN6AT4, and SN6AT5 Posterior Chamber Intraocular lenses are intended for primary implantation in the capsular bag of the eye for the visual correction of aphakia and pre-existing corneal astigmatism secondary to the removal of a cataractous lens in adult patients with or without presbyopia, who desire improved uncorrected distance vision, reduction of residual refractive cylinder and increased spectacle independence for distance vision.

WARNINGS: Careful preoperative evaluation and sound clinical judgment should be used by the surgeon to decide the risk/benefit ratio before implanting a lens in a patient with any of the conditions described in the Directions for Use labeling. Toric IOLs should not be implanted if the posterior capsule is ruptured, if the zonules are damaged, or if a primary posterior capsulotomy is planned. Rotation can reduce astigmatic correction; if necessary lens repositioning should occur as early as possible prior to lens encapsulation. All viscoelastics should be removed from both the anterior and posterior sides of the lens; residual viscoelastics may allow the lens to rotate.

PRECAUTIONS: Studies have shown that color vision discrimination is not adversely affected in individuals with the AcrySof® Natural IOL and normal color vision. The effect on vision of the AcrySof® Natural IOL in subjects with hereditary color vision defects and acquired color vision defects secondary to ocular disease (e.g., glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, chronic uveitis, and other retinal or optic nerve diseases) has not been studied. Do not resterilize; do not store over 45° C; use only sterile irrigating solutions such as BSS® or BSS PLUS® Sterile Intraocular Irrigating Solutions.

ATTENTION: Reference the Directions for Use labeling for a complete listing of indications, warnings and precautions.

LenSx® Laser Refractive Cataract Surgery

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements. This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.Any forward-looking statements reflect the views of our management as of the date of this press release with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information or future events or circumstances or otherwise.