LASIK FAQs

Most pregnant women are advised to wait to undergo LASIK until after pregnancy for two important reasons:

• First, a pregnant woman undergoes a number of physical and hormonal changes, which can cause adjustments in her vision. Laser vision correction is advised only for patients with stable vision, pregnant or not.
• Second, eye drops and other medications are administered as part of the LASIK procedure and recovery. Although these therapies are perfectly safe for adults, they should be avoided to protect a developing fetus that may be more sensitive.

For similar reasons, laser vision correction is not recommended for women who are breastfeeding unless special precautions are taken. In the months following childbirth (especially during breastfeeding), a woman could possibly continue to experience hormonal changes that can affect her vision. Additionally, the medications that are administered as part of the LASIK process could potentially enter the woman’s body, including her breast milk. It would be an extremely small amount, if any. To prevent any potential health-related issues, we recommend either a pump/dump approach for beast milk and/or pediatrician clearance if LASIK is performed while nursing.

In general, LASIK surgeons recommend that women wait at least two menstrual cycles after they give birth before considering laser eye surgery. At this time, hormones will have largely returned to normal levels and a woman’s eyesight should have returned to its pre-pregnancy prescription.

Yes! In the past, patients who had undergone cataract surgery were not candidates for laser eye surgery.

Today, however, ophthalmologist Andrew Holzman can provide safe LASIK eye surgery to correct corneal abnormalities like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism in post-cataract patients.

Cataract patients considering LASIK should wait a few months following cataract surgery before undergoing LASIK in order to ensure their eyes have healed without complication. Once a patient’s eyes have fully stabilized, Dr. Holzman conducts comprehensive exams to determine candidacy for laser treatment.

Patients in their 40s often begin experiencing presbyopia, a weakening of the crystalline lens, which can make it more difficult to focus and refocus at various distances. LASIK surgery can still benefit patients over 40, but it must be performed in a special way to account for presbyopia.

LASIK monovision is a variation on the classic procedure that helps mature patients retain the ability to focus at a range of distances.

Our surgeon often recommends this method to patients over the age of 40 who visit our Washington, DC, area practice.

Between the ages of 40 and 45, we all begin to experience presbyopia to varying degrees. Presbyopia causes the lens of the eye to weaken, making it more difficult to alternate focus from far away to close up. Close-up vision is increasingly affected until reading glasses are required. In most cases, the condition continues to worsen with age, and eventually intermediate-range correction may be needed as well.

After age 40, a laser procedure can address distance vision, but will not eliminate the need for reading glasses. For patients 40 and older who would like to avoid wearing glasses, Dr. Holzman offers laser vision correction with a monovision adjustment.

With this surgical method, the dominant eye is treated for a full distance vision correction, while the other eye receives a slight under-correction that is optimal for reading. Every patient has a dominant eye that is favored for distance vision, usually on the same side as the dominant hand. Because the dominant eye is the one the brain relies on for visual information, your brain easily makes the adjustment when the non-dominant eye takes the role of “reader.”

Some patients fear that it may be difficult to adjust to monovision, but most find that this is not the case. Dr. Holzman always suggests patients use contact lenses to try monovision before undergoing a LASIK procedure. Wearing these contacts day and night for a period of a few days allows you to determine whether the monovision adjustment is right for you.

Yes! When LASIK is performed at our Washington, DC, area practice, it is very safe. Our LASIK surgeon’s experience and technologically sophisticated approach to refractive surgery minimizes risks and can ensure that you experience the best possible results of LASIK surgery.

The most common side effect of corneal correction with an excimer laser is dry eye, which usually subsides on its own after a few months. Dr. Holzman will recommend special eye drops after your surgery which will help you manage dry eyes.

To determine if the procedure is right for you, Dr. Holzman will conduct a thorough review of your ocular health and overall health history.

Patients can ensure they receive the best possible care by choosing an experienced and well-respected LASIK surgeon. Dr. Holzman is a leader in refractive surgery who lectures and teaches regularly, sharing his expertise with colleagues and medical students alike. Additionally, he performs bladeless LASIK involving the use of a laser instead of a blade to create the corneal flap, a technique that significantly reduces the risk of infection and flap complications. Dr. Holzman has spent his entire career developing protocols to make LASIK safer and more comfortable for each patient.

We are so confident in a great outcome that we provide a Lifetime Commitment for qualified patients. In fact, 99 percent of our patients have no need for a second surgery. However, if you do require a touch-up within the first year, you will receive a second enhancement procedure with the same technology at no additional charge.

If your vision is blurred within a few months of LASIK surgery, you may need a corrective enhancement.

Additional testing must be done to determine candidacy for a second laser vision correction procedure. During the enhancement procedure, the flap created during the first surgery is lifted, and the excimer laser is used to further reshape and refine the cornea. For this reason, the cornea must be healthy and have a sufficient amount of tissue remaining.

LASIK eye surgery is considered to be a permanent correction of your vision. However, aging changes eyesight over the years. Patients over the age of 40 may begin to develop presbyopia and require reading glasses to see objects up close. A small percentage of people may experience a slight decline in distance vision, and in these cases, a second surgery can be performed.