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What is LASIK?

Imagining what it would be like to wake up every day and go through all your daily activities without glasses or contacts? Over 14 million people in the U.S. have chosen to have LASIK’s life-changing experience or other vision correction surgeries.

The exceptional LASIK surgeons at Northwest Eye can help you enjoy all your favorite outdoor activities without your glasses or contacts interfering. Having LASIK is a big decision, and it’s important that you Be Eye Wise and do your research.

You’ll want to find the most experienced surgeons for your most precious resource: your eyes! For the best result, those surgeons need to have the finest tools offered by advanced technology, such as iDesign wavefront-guided lasers. You will one of the find the best LASIK programs available in Minnesota at Northwest Eye!

Curious About LASIK?

Having LASIK is a big decision. Do your research and look for experienced surgeons for your most precious resource: your eyes! In addition to doctor experience, technology plays a big role in the success of your procedure. At Northwest Eye, we offer advanced technology, such as iDesign wavefront-guided lasers, allowing us to customize your surgery depending on the curves and shape of your eyes.

What is LASIK?

The word LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis. LASIK is a procedure that corrects your vision by reshaping the cornea with a laser.

Refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism occur when the shape of the eye prevents light from focusing on the retina. By reshaping your cornea (the part of your eye that refracts light onto your lens), LASIK improves visual acuity and reduces or eliminates your need for glasses and contact lenses.

What Are the Benefits of LASIK?

There are countless benefits to LASIK, including:

  • Clear, natural vision

  • Minimal or no dependency on glasses or contacts

  • Comfort and freedom with sports and outdoor activities

  • Better night driving

  • Elimination of ongoing costs of glasses and contacts

  • Ease during traveling

Advanced Custom LASIK Surgery

Custom LASIK surgery is the latest technological advancement that allows your Northwest Eye LASIK surgeon to precisely tailor the surgery to your eyes.  iDesign Wavefront technology is used to create a detailed 3D image of your eyes, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘fingerprint’ of your eye.

This allows your doctor to treat “higher-order aberrations” (complicated visual imperfections that affect your vision) more effectively. Using wavefront is now enabling LASIK surgeons to shape the cornea more accurately to treat blurriness, glare, halos, and double vision. Each eye is shaped differently, so this allows us to customize the treatment specifically for you – not just for your prescription.

Am I a candidate for LASIK?

If you want to find out whether vision correction surgery is right for you, Be Eye Wise and complete our LASIK self-evaluation or schedule a no-obligation, free LASIK Evaluation with Northwest Eye. Our LASIK consultants will determine if you are a good candidate for LASIK or explore your options for LASIK alternatives, including Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK), Phakic Intraocular Lenses (IOLs), and Clear Lens Exchange.

Start the Test Now!

What Can I Expect at My FREE LASIK Consultation?

Our free, no-obligation LASIK consultation takes approximately 90 minutes and includes:

  • Multiple scans of your eyes to determine your unique vision characteristics

  • Corneal thickness measurement

  • Review of your past and current medical history

  • Evaluation of your current eye condition, including any eye diseases.

  • Discussion with your potential surgeon

  • Extended time to review  risks, benefits, and other questions you may have

At Northwest Eye, we don’t pressure you toward LASIK eye surgery if you are not ready. We educate you on the different procedures and outcomes available and then discuss which treatment option best delivers your desired visual result.

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How Much Does LASIK Cost?

At Northwest Eye, not only do we pride ourselves on improving your vision with LASIK surgery, but we are also proud to offer fair, honest, and competitive LASIK pricing.

If you are interested in vision correction surgery at Northwest Eye, but are concerned about the cost, one thing to consider is your cost of glasses, eye exams, contacts, and solutions over time. While LASIK seems expensive because it is one “lump sum” charge, most people save money over time. Still, our team knows this is a big decision and that’s why we promise to educate you every step of your LASIK journey – starting with the no-cost consultation.

No-Cost LASIK Consultation:
Northwest Eye has dedicated LASIK consultants who are specially trained to answer all of your LASIK your questions and can provide you with complete information on pricing after your no-cost evaluation.

To learn more or to schedule your no-cost evaluation please call our LASIK team at 763-416-7600.

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LASIK FAQs

Curious about what’s involved with LASIK eye surgery? Here are some answers to common questions we are often asked about LASIK and other Laser eye surgeries. We also  have a dedicated team of LASIK Consultants ready to answer your questions: Cassie: 763-383-4125 or Kiti: 763-416-7627

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Are There Alternatives to LASIK?

The term “LASIK” is often used as a catch-all phrase for refractive laser eye surgery. In addition to LASIK, several refractive laser eye treatment procedures at Northwest Eye offer the same benefit of living a life free of contacts or glasses. Each procedure offers a unique technique that may be the best option for your eye’s distinct characteristics.

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PRK vs. LASIK

PRK differs from LASIK in how the surgeon accesses the underlying corneal tissue during the beginning of the procedure. With the PRK procedure, there is no corneal flap created, like there is in LASIK.

The cornea’s entire epithelial (outer) layer is lightly removed to expose the underlying corneal tissue for laser reshaping. The epithelial cells typically grow back within one week. The actual corneal reshaping process with the excimer laser is the same in both PRK and LASIK.

There are some distinct benefits to PRK. It is usually the optimum treatment for patients with thin corneas, and there is no risk of flap complications.

While the visual outcomes of PRK at Northwest Eye are comparable to LASIK, the recovery times are usually longer, and some patients may experience discomfort during the healing process.

 

PHAKIC IOL vs. LASIK

Phakic IOLs are clear implantable lenses surgically placed either between the cornea and the iris (the colored portion of your eye) or just behind the iris, without removing your natural lens. Implantable lenses work like contact lenses to correct nearsightedness.

The difference is that Phakic IOLs are intended to be permanently placed, although they can be surgically removed if needed. Phakic IOLs work from within your eye instead of sitting on the surface of your eye. This procedure offers an alternative to LASIK and PRK eye surgery for correcting moderate to severe nearsightedness (called myopia).

In some cases, they produce better and more predictable vision outcomes than laser refractive surgery. Unlike LASIK and PRK surgery which corrects imperfections on the cornea, Phakic lenses enable light to focus correctly on the retina for clearer vision without glasses or contacts.

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) vs. LASIK

Another option for refractive surgery is a Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE), also known as Clear Lens Exchange or Natural Lens Replacement. Unlike LASIK and PRK, which corrects vision by making changes to your eye’s cornea, a Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) replaces your eye’s clear natural lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL).

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)e is often the best choice for people with extreme farsightedness (called presbyopia), who are not ideal candidates for LASIK, PRK, or Phakic IOL surgery. The actual procedure is virtually identical to cataract surgery. The only difference is that the existing lens replaced in the eye is clear rather than cloudy due to a cataract.

LASIK Doctors

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Serving Our Community

With six locations throughout the Twin Cities metro area, Northwest Eye is among the largest eye care providers in the Midwest. Be Eye Wise and schedule a general eye exam or a specific service consultation today. We have optical  at the following offices:  Golden Valley, Minnetonka, Maple Grove, St. Anthony, and Wayzata, MN.

8501 Golden Valley Rd.,
Suite 100 & 200
Golden Valley, MN 55427
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12501 Whitewater Drive, Suite 110
Minnetonka, MN 55343
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12000 Elm Creek Blvd N., Suite 100
Maple Grove, MN 55369
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2601 39th Ave NE., Suite 1
St. Anthony, MN 55421
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250 Central Ave N., Suites 105 & 107, Optical Suite 106
Wayzata, MN 55391
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7125 Tamarack Rd, Suite 150,
Woodbury, MN 55125
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11091 Ulysses St NE., Suite 400
Blaine, MN 55434
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9801 Dupont Ave S., Suite 100
Bloomington, MN 55431
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10709 Wayzata Blvd., Suites 100 & 120
Minnetonka, MN 55305
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