Wish you didn’t need glasses for distance vision? Tired of the hassles of wearing contact lenses? For nearsighted people over 18 years of age, there is another option: laser vision correction.

While the term may sound complicated, the procedure itself can take less than ten minutes to perform. Studies have shown that laser surgery is at least 98% effective in restoring vision of 20/40 or better (eliminating the need for glasses or contacts) in people who once suffered mild to severe nearsightedness.

Dr. Michael Cohen, Ophthalmologist at MKMG, has been performing laser vision correction since it was first approved in the U.S. in 1995, and considers it a safe and successful alternative to traditional vision correction.

"I’ve performed laser surgery on several hundred patients with excellent results," he said. "In just a few, painless minutes, we can enable a patient to have excellent vision without glasses or contacts, usually permanently."

He performs the surgery using a computer-controlled laser at The Laser Center in White Plains, a state-of-the-art facility that offers patients a choice of two procedures.

PRK surgery takes 3-5 minutes, and typically restores full vision within a few days to a month or two. After PRK is performed, patients are given steroidal eyedrops which must be taken daily for 2-3 months. Most patients experience only mild discomfort during the week following PRK.

LASIK, which may be preferable to PRK for many patients, takes approximately 7-10 minutes and permits faster vision recovery. Vision is typically restored within a day or two, often immediately. There is virtually no discomfort following LASIK surgery, and follow-up eyedrops can be tapered off much more quickly than with PRK.

Fees range from $4,500 for PRK to $5,500 for LASIK, and they include any and all follow-up care needed. A variety of payment plans are also available.

For more information or a consultation to see if laser vision correction is right for you, call Dr. Cohen at 242-1355.