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Millions of people worldwide are already enjoying the benefits of Vision by VISX, including thousands of eye doctors and their staff members. And so can you. The Laser Vision Correction process is a lot easier than you may think.

Visit Your Eyecare Professional

You don't have to wait until your regular eye exam, so visit your eyecare professional or contact a VISX-certified doctor or center near you today. You can have laser vision correction as soon as you're ready and eligible for it.

Find Out if Laser Vision Correction is Right for You

Your eyecare professional can tell you if laser vision correction is right for you. Some guidelines are:

• You must have healthy eyes, and be at least 18 years old to undergo the procedure for nearsightedness. You must be 21 years of age or older for the farsightedness or astigmatism procedures.
• Your vision must be stable for at least 1 year before the laser procedure.
• You are not a good candidate if you have degenerative or autoimmune diseases, if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you have a condition that deters or slows healing.

Get an Examination

Your eyecare professional can conduct a thorough examination to determine whether your eyes are healthy and suitable for the procedure. Your eyes will then be photographed and a computerized map (corneal topography) will be created. This "map" will assess the shape of your cornea and is one of the many diagnostic tests the doctor uses to help plan your procedure.

The Procedure

Laser Vision Correction surgery is an outpatient procedure that takes less than 15 minutes to complete for most patients. Your entire visit will be complete in about an hour.

First, you will relax in a reclining chair. Anesthetic drops will be placed in your eye, your eye doctor will position your head under a laser, and a retainer will be used to gently and comfortably hold your eyelids open during the procedure. The doctor enters your refractive error (your prescription) into the computer. You will be asked to focus on a blinking light for a minute or less. The doctor will view your eye directly through a surgical microscope to ensure that you are fixating properly and can pause at any time. For most people the procedure itself is painless. Your eye is numbed with eye drops that are instilled prior to the procedure and no general anesthetic is necessary.

Once finished, you will get up, receive instructions from the staff, and rest for a few minutes. You may experience some temporary discomfort after treatment; your doctor can prescribe pain medication if needed. Afterward, you'll go home to rest and relax for several hours.

After the Procedure

Vision usually improves immediately after treatment for most patients, although it's normal that some patients may experience small visual changes during the first several months. Two or three days of rest is recommended before returning to work.

Please review the important information contained in the CustomVue Patient Information Booklet and Patient Information Sheet.