Custom LASIK involves using a wavefront analyzer, which enables your surgeon to create a highly customized procedure unique to your individual eyes. The laser vision correction procedure can result in patients seeing more clearly than with conventional LASIK.

Custom LASIK uses a tool called the wavefront analyzer to accurately measure the way light travels through your eyes. The resulting data is programmed into the laser, which then treats your eyes based on highly individualized measurements. Custom LASIK allows the surgeon to avoid increasing higher-order aberrations, which are tiny imperfections in the eye. These aberrations have significant effects on your quality of vision, and have not been addressed with contacts, glasses or conventional LASIK.

Conventional LASIK can still be a good choice for many patients, though most will prefer the higher level of customization, less risk of glare and halos, and better chance of achieving 20/20 vision that Custom LASIK can provide. Your doctor can answer these and other LASIK questions, help you understand your various options and decide which laser vision procedure is right for you.

Laser vision correction has proven overwhelmingly successful in reducing dependency on glasses and contact lenses, though the degree of improvement varies among individuals. How well and how quickly your visual acuity (sharpness) improves depends on your healing and the severity of your prescription. Although TLC San Antonio cannot promise patients perfect vision, most LASIK recipients with mild to moderate prescriptions achieve 20/20 vision or are within one to two lines of 20/20 vision on an eye chart. This means they no longer need glasses or contacts to drive, play sports, watch movies and TV or participate in career fields requiring excellent vision such as police work and fire departments.

Clinical studies have shown that Custom LASIK can improve not only what you can see but how well you can see it. Many Custom LASIK patients have reported that they can see better than ever before. Custom LASIK addresses the unique imperfections in each person’s vision, making it less likely that surgery will result in an increase in glare or halos.

Your pre-procedure LASIK consultation with your doctor is the perfect time to ask LASIK questions. S/he will help determine the range of your probable outcome based on your particular prescription, healing profile and expectations.

More than two million LASIK procedures have been performed at TLC Laser Eye Centers. The results and research gained from more than two million LASIK procedures performed at TLC Laser Eye Centers allows TLC Surgeons to continually fine-tune their techniques, more effectively forecast post-surgery results and counsel new laser vision patients.

Best of all, TLC stands behind its patients’ distance vision results for life. The TLC Lifetime Commitment® program ensures no-charge enhancement procedures for life for qualified nearsighted patients should an enhancement ever be needed in the future. This commitment will be honored by any TLC San Antonio location in North America.

Your eye doctor is your best resource for determining which procedure is best for you. Custom LASIK is recommended for most patients due to the superior visual results it produces. Schedule a free LASIK consultation with your TLC-affiliated optometrist to determine which procedure best fits your individual needs. This is also a good opportunity to get answers to any other LASIK questions you may have.

LASIK is a popular vision correction procedure that can treat a range of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. To determine if you qualify for LASIK, you must be at least 18, healthy, have good eye health, and have no diseases such as cataracts or glaucoma. Talk to your optometrist to learn more about LASIK and the different laser options available to you. Your TLC-affiliated doctor and surgeon will explain what results you can expect by measuring your prescription and examining your eyes.

The price of a LASIK procedure is highly sensitive to the type of technology recommended for your specific condition. Generally, Custom LASIK is more expensive than its conventional version because Custom LASIK is performed using some of the most advanced technology in the vision industry. The procedure combines the technology of the wavefront analyzer with the precision of a computerized laser and the skill of your respective surgeon. The fee you pay at TLC includes all of your pre- and post-operative care. Financing options and various insurance discounts may be available to you.

Most laser vision correction patients find LASIK surgery to be slightly uncomfortable but not painful. One good way to learn more about how it might feel is to talk to someone who has had LASIK, such as a friend, relative or a staff member at the doctor’s office. For most LASIK patients, the feeling of anxiety and the fear of the unknown is actually worse than the LASIK procedure itself. Anesthetic drops are used to numb the eye just before LASIK surgery begins, and you may also be given a mild sedative to help you relax. After your LASIK surgery, your eye may feel a foreign body sensation or irritation for a few hours, but most patients are quite comfortable after taking a short nap. You will be given drops for your eyes to counteract any dryness you may experience in the days following the surgery.

This is another frequent LASIK question. Many LASIK patients see well the day after their procedure and may resume most of their normal daily activities soon after. Some patients with higher prescriptions may recover more slowly, although the speed of visual recovery depends on personal healing patterns. Most patients notice dramatic visual results in their vision within the first few days after their LASIK procedure.

As with any elective surgical procedure, there are risks associated with the laser vision correction procedure. Fortunately, the chances of having vision-reducing complications have been shown to be minimal. Millions of people have had excellent results from laser vision correction.

Some potential LASIK complications include conditions such as dry eyes, complications in making the corneal flap, night glare (halos), under- or over-correction and loss of best-corrected vision.

These risks will be discussed fully with you prior to the procedure, when you are asking all of your LASIK questions. Proper preoperative LASIK screening ensures that the surgeons only proceed with the procedure when it is medically advisable. You will also receive diligent post-operative care that helps identify and address any potential healing complications.

The best way to prevent LASIK complications is to choose a LASIK surgeon who is experienced and well respected in the community and in their field.

During your LASIK procedure, two doctors are involved: your TLC-affiliated eye doctor for pre-and post-operative care, and your LASIK surgeon at TLC San Antonio. Our doctors are trained in all aspects of laser vision correction. Having your eye doctor involved is recommended for personalized care. If you need an eye doctor, we can help find one in your area. Our team-based care with your doctor ensures the best possible results. Over a million people have trusted TLC for LASIK surgery.

We understand that not everyone can pay for LASIK surgery up front, so we offer a variety of ways to make it more affordable for you.

Care Credit

We work with Care Credit to offer patients attractive financing options that make your LASIK procedure as affordable as possible. Care Credit is a credit card designed exclusively for healthcare services, with special financing offers such as up to 24 months with 0% interest. You’ll get an answer within minutes of completing your application, and with a 95% approval rate, you stand a good chance of success with funds that will be made available immediately.

0% Financing

TLC San Antonio is proud to offer a financing plan up with monthly payments for up to 48 months. 0% interest $1,300 down payment with a $25 minimum monthly payment per eye until the balance is paid off. Refer a friend or family member to receive a $500 deduction from your owed balance. (Your credit will be applied to your balance once the referral completes their LASIK procedure)

TLC San Antonio partners with most vision and health insurance companies to give members a savings on LASIK. These include but are not limited to VSP, Davis Vision, Regence and most Blue Cross Blue Shield plans.

The program is simple. TLC will determine your cost with your appropriate savings applied. There are no claim forms to file or waiting on reimbursement. We take your savings off our retail fees and you pay the lower price on the day of your procedure. It is that easy!

TLC San Antonio will work with you to determine if you are eligible for any discounts for your LASIK procedure and assist you with any questions you may have.

Most major medical plans and vision plans include a LASIK benefit, which is a discount on LASIK surgery fees. TLC San Antonio honors these discounts (however, the insurance discount cannot be combined with any other discounts).

You may find that you don’t have to pay the full retail fee for LASIK because many insurance providers provide a discount on LASIK surgery. We partner with a large number of health and vision insurance companies that include a benefit for LASIK surgery in their plans, including:

Blue Cross

Blue Shield

Health Net

Cigna

Aetna

Anthem

VSP

Davis Vision

And many more!

To learn more about whether you are eligible for a LASIK discount you can contact your insurance provider or contact our office directly.