As Smarty Moms, we rely heavily on each other for great information. Whether it’s a dance school, tutors, doctors, a great bottle of wine, you name it – girlfriends are great for sharing their personal experience that naturally makes us feel more comfortable and confident about our own decisions. But there are just some topics that require an expert. LASIK is just one of those topics. We were lucky enough to sit down with our favorite Smarty doc – Dr. Mozayeni, Founder and Surgeon at Providence Eye & Laser Specialists. We’ve got all the Smarty Scoop for all of you still old schooling it in your contact lenses & glasses!
CSP: Dr. Mozayeni, is there such thing as a perfect LASIK candidate and if so, who is it?
Dr. Mozayeni: Many different types of people make perfect LASIK candidates. If you are over the age of 18, wear glasses and/or contacts to correct your distance vision and your prescription has been stable for at least 1 year, then you may be the perfect LASIK candidate. From here, you would have to visit with me for a free consultation. During that consultation my team and I will look at dozens of aspects about your vision, your corneas and the health of your eyes to ensure you are a perfect candidate. You are NOT a candidate if you are under the age of 18, your prescription is still changing, are pregnant or have Keratoconus. If you have a chronic disease, you should contact our office and we can provide you with specific answers for your condition.
CSP: Is there more than one procedure that would correct my vision and help me get out of these contacts & glasses?
Dr. Mozayeni: Yes, there are a couple of options. As I talk to you and review all of the data we gather about your eyes, I will recommend and explain to you which procedure is most appropriate for your situation. LASIK is what people are looking to have and about 80% of the good candidates do have LASIK. However, the other 20% I will recommend PRK usually because of a certain characteristic of their cornea. Although these procedures are slightly different, the end result is typically the same. It’s critical that you not only be a great candidate, but also that the correct procedure is recommended for your specific situation.
CSP: How do you know if LASIK is right for you?
Dr. Mozayeni: This is your personal decision. I recommend that you first have a LASIK consultation. Our consultations are meant to be an educational process with no pressure to go forward until you are ready. You will learn so much about your vision, our technology and you will get to meet me and decide if I am the right doctor to perform your LASIK. Your gut will tell you if this is right for you.
CSP: We have ‘friends’ who are in their mid-forties who now need glasses for distance and reading. We’ve heard of something called monovison. What is that exactly?
Dr. Mozayeni: Great question! Monovision (which can be done with LASIK or PRK) is when one eye is corrected for distance and one eye is corrected for near vision. I know it sounds crazy, but the brain and the eye are very powerful when they work together and they learn to automatically adjust hence usually eliminating the need for glasses/contacts for distance and reading. We ALWAYS do this with a test drive first with contact lens. The contact lenses will mimic what we can do surgically. This gives you an opportunity to see if your brain likes it and if it works for your personal and professional life. This is just a brief overview; during the consultation I will discuss your specific situation with you in detail.
CSP: I’m a Mom so that makes me someone who needs to know the details of the logistics. Are there things I need to do before LASIK, how long does it take to perform LASIK and how long is the recovery time?
Dr. Mozayeni: Most of our patients are shocked at how simple LASIK really can be:
-Prior to having LASIK you will need some time out of your contacts to allow your corneas to relax and go back to their natural shape. The contacts distort the shape of your corneas and I can’t reshape something that is distorted. Most people have to be out of their contacts for only 1 week but depending on your type of contacts and how you wear them you may have to be out just a little longer.
–On the day of your LASIK you are in our office only about 1.5 hours and in the laser suite only about 10 minutes! We are with you every step of the way telling you exactly what to expect.
-Recovery is typically about 24 hours. I will see you the morning after your LASIK for your 1-day post-op and once I have examined you I will clear you for most of your normal daily activities. There are some short-term restrictions that we will be sure to review with you as they apply.
CSP: I certainly understand that this could be an excellent investment in myself. But let’s get to the details, how can I pay for this?
Dr. Mozayeni: Making a financial plan is an important component when deciding to have LASIK surgery. We try to make it as easy as possible. Here are the options that we provide:
-Health Savings Account (HAS) or Flex Spending Account (FSA)
-Credit Card (MasterCard or Visa)
-Personal check
-Cash
-Financing – we work with a company by the name of Care Credit.
Dr. Mozayeni offers complimentary consultations Monday through Friday at Providence Eye & Laser Specialist located in the Arboretum at the corner of Providence Road and Highway 51. Additionally, their Optometrist Dr. Vanessa Mills & Dr. Zach Engle are accepting new patients for general eye care over the age of ten. All of them are Smarty approved;-)
Dr. Mozayeni also performed LASIK on Smarty Jen ten years ago AND Smarty Cheryl this year. We’re both still raving about our 20/20 gear-free eagle vision!
You can find Providence Eye & Laser Specialists at:
Providence Eye and Laser Specialists
3025 Springbank Lane, Charlotte, NC 28226
866-379-6146
Facebook
Twitter: @ProvidenceEye
2 comments
My husband just had it done on Monday with Dr. Mozayeni after I shared Cheryl’s story with him. He loves his new eagle eyes. Thanks for the recommendation and thorough explanation!
Yay! That’s awesome, Lindsay! There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about how awesome it is to have had LASIK! And, Dr. M is the best in town. So glad your hubby is loving it, too!