Laser eye surgery

Imagine reading your alarm clock without fumbling for your eyeglasses, or life without putting in contact lenses each morning. That’s what it possible with laser eye surgery.

Often called lasik surgery, there are several types of laser eye surgery. They include:

• LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis)  
• PRK (photorefractive keratectomy)
• LASEK (laser-assisted sub-epithelial keratomileusis)

These procedures reshape the cornea at the front of your eye to improve vision.

Laser eye surgery is used to correct basic vision problems, including:

• nearsightedness (myopia) – when objects closer to the eye can be seen clearly, while those in the distance are blurry
• farsightedness (hyperopia) – when objects closer to the eye are blurry while those in the distance can be seen clearly
• astigmatism – when the shape of the eye causes blurry vision at any distance

The ideal candidate for laser eye surgery:

• is 21 years or older
• has healthy eyes
• has not had a significant change in vision in the last 12 months

To learn if laser eye surgery may be an option for you, start by making an appointment with one of our eye surgeons.

At your first appointment, the surgeon will determine if you are a good candidate for surgery. The surgeon will answer your questions about surgery and provide information about the cost of laser eye surgery, depending on the type of surgery best for your eyes.

If you decide to have surgery, a second appointment is scheduled to complete the testing needed to plan your surgery.

Usually, a separate surgery is scheduled for each eye, about one week apart. You will also have a follow-up appointment with your eye surgeon after each surgery to check your vision and ensure that the eye is healing.

Our surgeons perform laser eye surgery at Phillips Eye Institute, a campus of Abbott Northwestern Hospital. As the Upper Midwest’s only specialty eye hospital, Phillips Eye Institute is highly regarded for its patient safety practices and excellent care.