LASIK is a laser eye surgery that reshapes the cornea to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. It has been performed for more than 25 years.
Modern LASIK Eye Surgery in San Francisco
LASIK has helped tens of millions of people live without glasses over the past 25 years. At Lucēre Vision, Dr. Ling performs modern LASIK with the WaveLight Plus platform, which customizes the treatment to the exact shape of your cornea. Most patients see well within 24 hours.
How LASIK Works
The contour of your cornea is like a pair of glasses you were born with. As your eyes develop, the way the cornea focuses light and the focus your eye needs for sharp vision drift apart. LASIK eye surgery brings the two back into alignment by changing the contour of the cornea.
It's an all-laser procedure. A femtosecond laser creates an ultra-thin flap on the surface of the cornea. A second laser, the excimer, reshapes the cornea underneath the flap in a matter of seconds. The flap is then laid back in place, where it heals quickly on its own. Vision starts to sharpen within hours.
Who LASIK is Right For
LASIK is a versatile procedure that can treat a wide range of prescriptions: nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Modern ray-tracing technology also lets us treat higher-order aberrations and high levels of astigmatism with precision.
You're likely a good candidate for LASIK if you have a low to moderate prescription, a normal corneal contour, adequate corneal thickness, and a healthy tear film. We confirm all of this at your Advanced Vision Consultation. If your cornea is thin relative to your prescription, or your prescription is high, Dr. Ling may recommend PRK, SMILE Pro, or EVO ICL instead. Because he performs all of them, the recommendation is based on your eyes.
WaveLight Plus and Ray Tracing
WaveLight Plus uses a ray-tracing diagnostic to measure both the front and back surfaces of your cornea and how they affect the quality of your vision. That data is used to customize your treatment, including higher-order aberrations that a pair of glasses can't correct.
What that means for you: vision quality after WaveLight Plus LASIK can go beyond what glasses offer, and patients can expect improved vision in both daytime and nighttime conditions.
Experience the Lucēre difference.
Find the right path for your eyes.
Is LASIK Safe?
Compared to other medical procedures, LASIK is considered one of the safest in modern medicine, with one of the highest benefit-to-risk ratios. Few procedures reduce your dependence on glasses so quickly while letting you return to normal life the next day.
Every procedure carries some risk, and the best protection is careful screening. That's why your Vision Consultation comes first. With thorough measurements and an in-depth conversation with Dr. Ling, the risks of LASIK are considered among the lowest of any elective procedure.
LASIK Recovery
Right after your LASIK procedure, you can sit up and see. More often than not, your vision is already clearer than it was before surgery. Over the first several hours you'll have some light sensitivity and blurriness, and possibly a scratchy sensation and tearing. We send you home with sunglasses to protect your eyes.
The best thing to do is go home, take a nap, and keep your eyes closed as much as you can. Frequent artificial tears help. You'll notice clarity improving within hours, and most people are back to normal activities the next day without glasses.
Find out if LASIK is right for you
Start with an Advanced Vision Consultation. Dr. Ling will measure your eyes, walk you through your options, and tell you whether LASIK is the right choice.
Schedule a Vision Consultation
LASIK FAQs
Other procedures Lucēre Vision provides
If you aren't sure which one applies to you, schedule a Vision Consultation with our team to learn more.