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LASIK

at Eye Associates of New Mexico

Request a LASIK Consultation
Contact our Lasik department today to schedule your free Lasik screening 505-220-6977

LASIK Eye Surgery in Albuquerque

LASIK is one of the many refractive surgeries offered at Eye Associates of New Mexico. The goal of all refractive surgery is to change the focus of the eye to decrease dependence on glasses or contact lenses. This includes treatment of nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, reliance on reading glasses, and cataract. Eye Associates of New Mexico is proud to serve our region by providing expertise in LASIK, PRK, implantable contact lens (ICL), refractive lens exchange, and advanced technology intraocular lens surgery. Our refractive experts will work with you to identify the best – and safest – procedure for you.

What is LASIK?

LASIK is a laser procedure that is performed under the surface of the cornea. During LASIK surgery, a femtosecond laser is used to create a flap on the front third of the cornea allowing the excimer laser correction to be done underneath the surface. The front “flap” is then gently laid back down and is self-healing. LASIK allows for the rapid return of vision with little discomfort and quick return to normal activities.

This improves vision by reshaping your eye’s cornea. That’s the clear outer layer at the front of your eye. LASIK can treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.

Take our LASIK self-test to see if you are a good candidate.

LASIK Self-Test

LASIK Technology

Eye Associates of New Mexico is pleased to offer IntraLase technology. IntraLase allows for a truly blade-free LASIK procedure. The IntraLase laser is a femtosecond laser developed by Johnson and Johnson, which allows a precision laser cut of the LASIK flap. The LASIK treatment is then performed with the excimer laser.

Eye Associates of New Mexico offers custom LASIK treatment technology with the iDesign system. The iDesign takes a very precise and custom measurement of your cornea using wavefront aberrometry. This customized scan is used to determine the treatment of your cornea, allowing the correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, while also correcting more subtle visual aberrations known as “higher order” aberrations. Serving the Albuquerque and New Mexico areas, schedule an appointment with our LASIK Surgeons today.

Cost and Financing
Am I a LASIK Surgery Candidate?
LASIK FAQ’s
LASIK Self-Test

How Much Does LASIK Surgery Cost?

The cost of LASIK surgery can vary person to person depending on a variety of factors. Learn more about costs and financing options available at Eye Associates of New Mexico.

Learn More

What is Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)?

PRK is a procedure that uses the excimer laser to gently sculpt the surface of the cornea into a new shape in order to correct either myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism. Results with PRK have been excellent and we now have data extending back nearly 2 decades. The healing time after PRK can take several weeks.

EVO ICL is an implantable contact lens that corrects common vision problems such as nearsightedness (myopia) and astigmatism. The lens is made of Collamer®, which is a biocompatible material that works in harmony with the eye. The lens, which is slightly smaller than a typical contact lens, is implanted in the eye during a 20 to 30 minute procedure. Unlike laser vision surgeries that permanently change the shape of the cornea, the EVO ICL procedure is additive, meaning that no corneal tissue is removed, and reversible. Worldwide, more than 2 million EVO ICL lenses have been implanted.

What is Farsightedness?

Farsightedness or hyperopia is the opposite of myopia. The eyeball is either too short or the focusing power of the lens or the cornea is too weak not allowing light to focus sharply enough. As a consequence, the retina receives a blurred image. In the normal situation, the cornea is spherical or round, similar to a basketball. Farsightedness can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery, such as LASIK surgery.

What is Nearsightedness?

Nearsightedness is also known as myopia and describes the condition where the eye focuses light too sharply either due to the length of the eyeball or the focusing power of the cornea or lens. As a consequence, the retina received a blurred image. Nearsightedness can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery, such as LASIK surgery.

What is Astigmatism?

Astigmatism is the term to describe how oval the cornea is. This “football shape” causes light to be streaked into a smeared or double image. Astigmatism can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery, such as LASIK surgery.

LASIK Surgery FAQ

Yes, both LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis) and PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) have been FDA approved for many years. PRK was FDA approved in 1995, and LASIK gained FDA approval in 1999.

LASIK eye surgery can treat a very broad range of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. The best way to determine who is a good candidate is with a thorough eye exam. Candidates must be 21 years of age or older, in good general health, and have good eye health with no diseases such as cataracts or glaucoma. Click here to start your self-test to determine if refractive surgery might be right for you?

During the LASIK procedure, there is generally no pain. Instead, there is a sensation of firm pressure while the corneal flap is being created by the laser. Following the procedure, patients may experience some mild scratchiness that is relieved by the use of artificial tears and resting with the eyes closed.

There is generally minimal to no discomfort during the PRK procedure. Following the procedure, you may experience a gritty sensation with some mild to moderate discomfort which is alleviated by us placing a contact lens on the eye to act as a bandage. Over-the-counter pain medications such as Tylenol or ibuprofen may be taken to alleviate discomfort during the first 24-48 hours. All discomfort should be resolved within 2-3 days as the surface layer heals, and the bandage contact lens can usually be removed within 3-5 days.

Most patients undergoing LASIK and PRK prefer to have both eyes treated on the same day since it is more convenient for them, however, this is a decision entirely between the patient and the doctor.

Yes. Your eye doctor will ask you to look at a blinking light within the laser during the procedure. This will ensure that the laser treatment will be centered properly over the center of your vision during the treatment.

Most patients will be able to return to their normal activities within a few days. Depending on your work environment, your doctor may make specific recommendations regarding your return to work date following surgery.

You may resume normal bathing/showering the day after the procedure. Avoid getting soap or water in the eyes for the first week, and we recommend avoiding swimming or hot tubs for 2 weeks following the procedure.

We recommend avoiding eye makeup for the first week after the procedure. In general, it’s a good idea to get new eye makeup after the procedure to avoid infection risk.

Refractive eye surgery is an investment in your vision, typically a couple thousand dollars per eye. This includes comprehensive pre-operative testing and counselling, all post-operative visits, any need for touch-ups, and the assurance that you are being treated by fellowship-trained, board-certified ophthalmologists who have your best interests at heart. Your vision is precious to you and us – we want you to have an excellent experience and outcome. It is not typical for insurance to cover LASIK, although some do a portion, and we will check for you. Many patients use FSA or HSA to pay for LASIK, and we also have payment plans to help spread it out over time. For many of our patients, treatment with LASIK has saved them considerable expenses over the years on glasses and contacts. The evaluation for LASIK is free at Eye Associates of New Mexico.

Yes, refractive surgery, including LASIK, can treat most forms of astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness. We perform comprehensive testing and examination to offer you a solution best suited to your specific eyes—including LASIK, PRK, ICL, and, of course, specialty glasses or contact lenses. Our priority is your safety, and we do not encourage everybody to have the same harmful surgery. As a physician-patient team, we will work together to find a solution that best serves your vision and lifestyle.

During your complimentary LASIK consultation, we will perform imaging of the front and the back of the eye and perform a comprehensive examination of your eye. We will discuss together your goals and which treatment options may suit those goals, as well as the risks, benefits, and alternatives to refractive surgery for vision correction.

If you have trouble with dry eyes, it is reasonable to begin using preservative-free artificial tears before your consultation. This will help us obtain better-quality imaging and help you have a better outcome after surgery. Refractive surgery is an excellent option for patients with reasonable exceptions and a desire to change their vision. We want to ensure your eyes are healthy for surgery – which we will help you assess at your consultation.

Typically, patients are seen one day, one week, and one month after LASIK surgery. For ICL surgery, we see patients two to four hours after surgery, one day, one week, and one month.

It is not common for insurance to cover LASIK – but patients often use their FSA or HAS accounts to pay for LASIK or refractive surgery. We will check your insurance plan or company benefits to see if you can have coverage for LASIK.

We will stick with you through every phase of the surgery process – from pre-operative testing and counselling to the day of surgery and all post-operative visits to make sure that your outcome is as good as it possibly can be. As the largest and most experienced eye care provider in New Mexico, our team of board-certified, fellowship-trained ophthalmologists and residency-trained optometrists are adept at managing the truly complete range of eye problems. We can provide you with a single experience with subspecialty eye care.

About 10-15 minutes per eye. We’ll take great care of you.

Yes, we do offer refractive enhancements (touch-ups).

Yes! Eye Associates of New Mexico offers a truly comprehensive approach to eye care. We have fellowship-trained, board-certified ophthalmologists working in nearly every subspeciality within the eye who can care for you completely. As alternatives to LASIK, we can provide photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), implantable contact lenses (ICL), refractive lens exchange (RLE) with- or- without multifocal lenses, cornea crosslinking, specialty contact lenses including scleral and hybrid lenses, and even partial thickness cornea transplants. Our consultation will review some options based on comprehensive testing and examination so that you can make an informed decision for a safe and effective solution.

Interested in Pursuing LASIK Surgery?

Our  eye surgeons are dedicated to excellence in refractive surgery. We offer LASIK, PRK, and ICL consultations in select locations across the state for anyone interested to learn more about the procedure and finding out if it is a good option to correct their vision. Contact us at your convenience for your free refractive surgery screening and consultation.

Meet Your LASIK Surgeons

The refractive expert surgeons at Eye Associates of New Mexico have over 75 years of combined experience and have performed thousands of procedures in our LASIK centers. Eye Associates is dedicated to offering state-of-the-art LASIK techniques such as custom, blade-free LASIK, PRK, implantable contact lens (ICL), and refractive lens exchange.

Are you seeking a New Mexico LASIK eye surgery specialist? Our doctors all live right here in New Mexico, are board certified, have expertise in treating routine and complex surgery, and are ready to help. Eye Associates of New Mexico are leaders in ophthalmology. We welcome you to learn about our refractive expert surgeons listed below and see why we have the experience and technology to deliver the finest results in LASIK eye surgery.

You are invited to come in for a consultation to discuss your candidacy for LASIK, PRK, ICL, or refractive lens exchange, the associated costs, and meet with our New Mexico LASIK eye surgeons. Learn how LASIK has helped millions of people around the world see better.

LASIK Doctors

Patrick W. Commiskey
Patrick W. Commiskey
MD
Mark P. Lesher
Mark P. Lesher
MD
P. James Sanchez
P. James Sanchez
MD
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