Frequently Asked Questions

It is recommended to be at least 18 years old before undergoing this type of procedure, since vision may still change before that age.

To be a good candidate, you must be at least 18 years old and have had stable vision for at least two years. Our no-obligation preoperative evaluation will determine whether you are a good candidate. This evaluation, performed by an optometrist, lasts about 2 hours and allows us to thoroughly assess the health of your eyes. It is essential to ensure that your eyes are in excellent condition so that the surgical results are optimal. We will then be able to determine which technique is best suited to you.

No. Hormones produced during pregnancy and breastfeeding can make vision unstable and cause dry eyes. It is therefore recommended to wait three months after pregnancy or breastfeeding before undergoing surgery.

It is impossible to guarantee surgery. During the preoperative evaluation, we can give you a good idea of the expected results, without being able to guarantee the final outcome. However, since serious complications are rare, the results achieved with the many patients we have treated have been excellent. In some cases, a laser enhancement may be needed to correct residual myopia, astigmatism, or hyperopia.

The cost of surgery depends on the technique used and/or the intraocular lenses implanted. A no-obligation preoperative evaluation is required to determine whether you are eligible for surgery and to confirm the exact cost. At the IRIS Ophthalmology Clinic, the price of your surgery does not vary based on the degree of your myopia or hyperopia.

First, there is no waiting list, and you are assured of highly professional, attentive, and personalized care, along with the latest generation of intraocular lenses. You will benefit from a calm and safe environment, state-of-the-art equipment, and an operating room used exclusively for eye surgeries, which helps minimize the risk of infections that may be present in a hospital setting. Cataract surgery on both eyes can also be performed on the same day, reducing travel and making recovery easier. In addition, the preoperative evaluation is carried out by vision care professionals, including optometrists and ophthalmologists. You will also be able to contact your ophthalmologist at any time in case of emergency.

At this time, there is no miracle solution or surgery that can fully correct presbyopia. However, two options can help minimize its effects. First, multifocal intraocular lenses can provide good distance, near, and intermediate vision, allowing you to carry out daily activities such as reading, working at a computer, or playing sports without glasses or contact lenses. Second, there is monovision. This is a compromise for people who do not wish to wear reading glasses. The procedure involves correcting one eye for distance vision and the other for near vision. A trial with contact lenses is required beforehand to determine whether you are able to function comfortably in your daily activities.

Both eyes are operated on at the same time when the chosen technique is ULTRALASIK or PRK. The same also applies to intraocular procedures, including phakic lens implantation and cataract surgery, when the ophthalmologist considers it safe to do so.

Laser refractive surgery can sometimes cause dry eyes. However, this sensation is temporary and usually lasts only until healing is complete, which is typically between three and six months. It is common for patients who show signs of dry eye during the preoperative evaluation to begin treatment for dry eye before surgery. Once the condition is stable, a second evaluation with the optometrist makes it possible to confirm the right time to proceed with surgery.

Research suggests that myopia is possibly caused by a combination of two factors: genetics and environmental factors.

There would be many cases of heredity with regard to myopia. On the other hand, heredity alone is not able to explain the expansion of myopia in the population.

Then come the environmental factors. For example, long hours spent in front of screens would increase the risk of developing nearsightedness. Spending less time outdoors, having less sunlight exposure reduces the amount of dopamine secreted, a hormone that prevents the overgrowth of the eye.

Myopia usually develops during our young age and it does so gradually. It is not uncommon for children to become nearsighted without their knowledge. Myopia can progress from year to year until early adulthood.

Myopia can be corrected by two types of surgery.
 

By LASIK surgery for younger patients (usually 18 – 40 years old). This very fast and precise surgery makes it possible to flatten the curvature of the cornea and to move back the focal point to direct it precisely on the retina. For laser surgery, both eyes are often operated on the same day.
 

Another alternative for patients who also have symptoms of presbyopia in addition to their myopia would be intraocular lens surgery. This surgery corrects myopia by also replacing the culprit of presbyopia: your lens. A lens adapted to your eye is chosen to allow you to see well near, far or near and far at the same time. It is possible to operate on both eyes on the same day if there are no contraindications.

Although overcorrections are rare due to assessments by trained professionals and an ultra-precise laser, a slight overcorrection could make your eye hyperopic. Hyperopia is the opposite of myopia. During the evaluation, you will be advised of your chances of having a second intervention. At our clinic, the rate of retouching is around 1%.

One of the conditions for being eligible for laser surgery is having stable vision for at least two years. If your vision is stable, then in principle, myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism should not return.

However, if a decrease in vision is noticed after the initial procedure, a retreatment may be possible. Within the first six months following the procedure, this decrease is often related to the surgery itself. If it occurs more than six months after the procedure, the decrease may be related to how the eye has healed.

In either case, postoperative follow-up exams allow us to assess the results of your procedure. These follow-ups and any enhancements are included for two years.

Farsightedness beyond the +4.00 diopter mark is often hereditary and generally requires the wearing of glasses. A strong farsighted person has blurred near vision.

For young farsighted people

These prescriptions are not optimal for refractive laser surgery. A young candidate must have good corneal thickness on the periphery of the treatment area to allow the laser to sufficiently bulge the cornea in order to correct all of the prescription. In addition, people with strong hyperopia are more likely to have regression following laser treatment. If the professionals at the IRIS Ophthalmology Clinic notice too many contraindications to laser surgery, they may recommend another type of operation: the Phake intraocular lens.

For farsighted people in their 50s

Strong farsighted people have a better odds with intraocular lenses. Normally, a patient over the age of 50 with severe hyperopia can undergo intraocular lens surgery. These lenses, which replace the lens, allow the rays to converge directly on the retina for good near, far, or near and far vision simultaneously.

For farsighted people, near vision can be corrected in two ways in order to allow you to see well near, far, or both simultaneously:

– Either by bulging the cornea (in LASIK);

– Either by replacing the lens with an intraocular lens with the right power.

There is no “best” treatment for farsightedness. Each patient is different and that is why each assessment is personalized to you. If our professionals do not see almost all of the success factors for your surgery, they will take the time to explain to you why surgery would not be ideal.

There are several types of intraocular lenses for different lifestyles. Some lenses like monofocal lenses allow you to see well at only one distance.

Other lenses such as diffractive multifocal lenses allow you to simultaneously have a good quality of near and far vision.

The evaluation with our optometrists will allow you to clearly identify your needs and allow you to make an informed decision on the lens that best suits your lifestyle.

A person with hyperopia ranging from +1.00 to +2.00 can generally see well near and far thanks to the accommodation of their natural lens. However, after constant exertion, this person will likely experience eyestrain with headaches.

For hyperopia ranging from moderate to advanced (+3.00 and more), accommodation of the lens is usually not sufficient and glasses are necessary. Without glasses, vision is often blurred, near and far.

ULTRALASIK surgery corrects farsightedness by sculpting a kind of “gutter” all around the treatment area on the cornea. In this way, it is possible to give a rounder shape to the cornea, helping the light beams to converge better on the retina.

Uncorrected hyperopia requires constant effort from the lens. This is why, in some cases, the professionals at the IRIS Ophthalmology Clinic will explain to you that correcting all of the hyperopia could make you myopic.

The reason is simple: your lens has become accustomed to constantly straining to allow you to see well up close and has developed a residual accommodation. This means that your lens is no longer able to be fully at rest and remains in a slightly contracted shape. Fully correcting farsightedness without considering residual accommodation could make you slightly nearsighted.

Our team could then suggest that you keep a slight farsightedness at the corneal level, just enough to be compensated by the residual accommodation of your lens, which would give you a so-called “plano” vision.

You can return to work and drive as early as the next day. However, for certain work environments or activities such as swimming, it is recommended to wait one week.

When you select “Apply Now,” you will be redirected to the Affirm application page, where you can apply for credit or log in to your existing Affirm account. Follow the on-screen steps to complete your application and receive an approval decision in less than 3 minutes!

Yes! Once your account is approved, you’ll be able to use Affirm to make purchases within your approved credit limit.

Financing allows you to purchase more expensive items sooner by splitting your payments into smaller, affordable monthly installments, while paying less than with a traditional credit card. With Affirm, the application process is simple and fast, making it more convenient than ever to finance your purchase.