ClearSight Center
Frequently Asked Questions

We are available to answer any questions you may have about the LASIK procedure. This section has some of the most commonly asked questions and our answers to them.

Isn't all laser vision correction the same?
No. Many of the discount centers want you to believe that LASIK should be purchased like a commodity and that surgeon experience, laser technology, diagnostic technology and follow-up care don't matter. Laser vision correction will affect the way you see for the rest of your life. You should make your decision to have laser vision carefully, not quickly. We encourage you to visit other laser centers and we will tell you what to look for in our "Checklist of things to ask your laser vision provider" form, found on this page. Our Web site has a lot of information about our surgeon, our laser technology, our advanced diagnostic technology and what you should expect for the money you spend. We provide you with all of this information because we feel the more you know about us, the more confident you will feel about choosing us as your laser vision correction provider.

Does it really matter which center I choose?
Only if your results matter to you! In the FDA trials for the main laser used at many discount centers, less than half of the participants achieved 20/20 vision. In the FDA studies of the primary laser and procedure used at ClearSight Center, almost every participant achieved 20/20 vision or better. Plus, ClearSight Center offers an unmatched level of commitment by offering qualified patients "20/20 or your money back." Don't lose your chance to gain 20/20 vision!

Why should I choose ClearSight Center?
We know you have a number of choices, if you decide to have the LASIK procedure. It is offered by a number of centers. But it's important to keep in mind that you only have one set of eyes and you should trust them to a physician who has the reputation and training to properly care for them. The experience of the physician who administers the procedure is of the utmost importance. Since vision correction is our only focus, Dr. Wilson has become Oklahoma City's most experienced refractive surgeon and has completed over 35,000 vision correction procedures. We have a whole section of this web site dedicated to showing you why ClearSight Center is the clear choice for laser vision correction in Oklahoma City.

What results can I expect?
The goal of any refractive surgical procedure is to reduce or eliminate your dependence on corrective lenses. If you currently have 20/20 vision with your glasses or contacts, our goal is to provide you with 20/20 vision without them. In addition, our commitment to you is that we will not perform a vision correction procedure on you or anyone we feel is not likely to achieve excellent results. In fact, we typically recommend against laser vision correction for 1 out of every 5 people who attend our pre-LASIK eye exam. This is just one of many steps we take to show you that we are looking out for your best interests.

How long will the results of the surgery last?
Laser vision correction changes your vision permanently. However, your eyes can still change as you age which may cause a need for glasses or contacts or additional vision correction procedures in the future. As people reach their early forties, they develop presbyopia and begin to need reading glasses. If you're over 35, you may want to consider monovision. Of course, unrelated diseases or injury can also change your vision.

Why does Dr. Wilson get better results?
One reason Dr. Wilson gets better results is that he has developed exclusive expertise that is either not generally available or is not broadly applied at other laser centers. Another key reason is that other laser centers often consider 20/40 vision to be a successful result. When they talk about "vision good enough to pass a drivers test" or "results within 3 lines of 20/20" they are talking about 20/40 vision. In reality, very few people are happy with 20/40 vision. Why? Most people see 20/20 with their glasses so they expect 20/20 after the procedure.

With 20/20 vision you can read important signs from twice as far away as with 20/40 vision. At other centers, if all you get is 20/40, that's it. You're done. You've lost the chance to gain 20/20.

How is Dr. Wilson different?
We believe that any doctor who says their goal is 20/20 should be willing to sign a written agreement to give you a full refund if 20/40 or even 20/30 is your best result without glasses or contacts.

We put it in writing every day, so we know that we are Oklahoma's only laser center committed to 20/20 vision.

In fact we know of only a handful of laser centers in the US that stands behind their results with the offer of a full refund, and many of them learned how to do it from Dr Wilson. For your own sake, don't accept anything less!

What are Dr. Wilson's credentials?
Dr. Wilson is a Board Certified ophthalmologist with over 25 years of eye surgery experience. He has performed more than 35,000 successful eye surgeries and has more experience in refractive surgery than any other doctor in the area. In fact, he was the first doctor in the area with an approved laser for laser vision correction.  He was also the first to perform CK, IntraLase and CustomVue. One of his key principles is that he offers nothing to you that he hasn't already done on those closest to him: he has had refractive surgery himself and has treated many family members including his sister, son and wife.

What laser do you use?
Not all lasers are made the same and that is why ClearSight Center uses the newest generation VISX Star S4 ActiveTrak Excimer Laser System. VISX lasers have been used in over 2 million procedures worldwide, and are used by over 60% of the surgeons nationwide. This laser is what makes CustomVue possible and the results are outstanding with twice as many FDA study patients achieving 20/20 vision when compared to the laser used in most discount centers. 

Should I wait for future procedures?
With the combination of IntraLase and CustomVue, the future is here today. We see nothing on the horizon that will allow better results for nearsightedness or astigmatism than Dr. Wilson is obtaining today.

Who can benefit from LASIK?
If you are age 18 to 65 and need glasses to drive, your vision can probably be improved with LASIK. Acceptable candidates for LASIK are in good general health and have no eye diseases such as cataracts or glaucoma. Also, your glasses or contact lens prescription should not have changed significantly in the last year. If you are under age 30 and your eyes are still changing from year to year, you should not have the procedure until your vision is stable. To know for sure, you need to complete the laser vision eye exam provided by ClearSight Center.

Can I have laser vision correction while I am pregnant or trying to conceive?
Pregnancy can affect your vision, therefore if you are pregnant or trying to conceive, you should not have laser vision correction. You should wait several months after your pregnancy before having laser vision correction.

Is laser vision correction safe?
While there are possible risks with any surgical procedure, serious complications with LASIK or PRK are extremely rare. The chance of having a vision-reducing complication from LASIK has been documented in clinical studies to be less than one percent. Many of the risks and complications associated with this procedure can be reduced or eliminated through careful patient selection and thorough pre-operative testing using the latest diagnostic technology.

After laser vision correction, you may experience some visual side effects. These are usually mild and most often diminish over a few days to a few weeks. But there is a slight chance that some of these side effects won't go away completely, such as feelings of dryness, glare and halos. If after a thorough examination we decide you are a good candidate for laser vision correction, you will be given additional information about the procedure that will allow you to make an informed decision about whether to proceed. Be sure you have all your questions answered to your satisfaction.

Will LASIK eliminate my need for glasses or contacts?
Just about everyone (even people with perfect vision) will need reading glasses sometime during their forties and certainly in their fifties. Most people are happier with clear distance vision. They don't generally mind using eyeglasses occasionally for reading, especially extra small print. So while you may need to wear reading glasses after LASIK, we expect you to be free of glasses for most of your activities such as driving, sports and shopping.

Has anyone ever gone blind because of LASIK?
In the many thousands of LASIK cases performed worldwide, we know of no recorded incidence of anyone losing their eyesight due to this procedure.

What about nighttime side-effects?
You may have seen news stories about people having difficulty driving at night after refractive surgery. Nighttime side-effects may include halos, starbursts, and glare around lights and blurry vision. These effects usually diminish as the eye heals in the first three to six months. They are often caused by residual nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. Sometimes additional touch-up (enhancement) procedures will be recommended.

Another possible cause of nighttime side effects is pupil size. At night, the pupil expands to let in more light. Light coming through the peripheral cornea may be out of focus if the pupil opens beyond the laser treatment area. Because of this, a few people with very large pupils are not good candidates for LASIK. However, the advent of CustomVue has expanded treatment zones and most patients that were at one time not candidates for LASIK because of large pupils, can now be treated.

In fact, CustomVue may be the best news possible for people concerned about their nighttime vision. In the FDA clinical trials for CustomVue, four times as many people were very satisfied with their nighttime vision after CustomVue as were very satisfied with their glasses or contacts. In other words, CustomVue greatly reduces the chance of long term night vision problems due to laser vision correction and actually improves the night vision of many people.

Does LASIK cause dry eye?
Following a LASIK procedure, most patients have temporary dry eye, which can be treated most often with artificial tears. This dry eye sensation usually clears up within eight to 12 weeks except in rare cases, where it may take longer.

If you already have a history of dry eye, you should discuss it with our doctors at your pre-op examination. Tests can often diagnose dry eye but it is still somewhat difficult to predict who will experience significant dry eye following LASIK. A thorough evaluation of your current medications, medical history and work environment should all be taken into account.

There also seems to be less dry eye in those patients who choose IntraLase. This may be due to the lower pressure, added precision or shallower depth of IntraLase flaps. 

What keeps the flap in position?
Following your procedure, the flap stays in position without the need for stitches. Initially, there is a vacuum effect created by the cells lining the inner surface of the cornea. As the eye heals over the first few days, the epithelium (the outer surface of the cornea) seals the edges of the flap. With the precise, computer controlled flap construction of IntraLase the flap is more stable than ever before.

Will it hurt?
There is no pain during any of the laser vision procedures since anesthetic eye drops numb your eyes, although some patients may experience mild discomfort or a pressure sensation during their procedure. After LASIK, you might experience mild irritation for a few days after your procedure. An over-the-counter pain reliever or use of artificial tears will generally take care of this discomfort.

How long does the procedure take?
Since both eyes are usually treated during the same appointment, you will be in the surgery room for approximately 30 minutes. Once in the laser room your eyes will be cleaned and prepared for surgery. The surgery itself usually only takes five minutes or so per eye.

Do I need to take time off work?
Following LASIK, most patients return to work the day after their procedure. With PRK the recovery time may be a little longer. As always, your recovery time will depend on the amount of correction you need and the healing pattern of your individual eyes.

Do I have to go without my contacts before having laser vision correction?
Contact lenses tend to leave a "ghost image" of themselves on your corneas and we want to be sure we are treating your real prescription and not that ghost image. If you are wearing hard or gas permeable contacts or if you are sleeping in extended wear lenses, it is important that you remove them at least three weeks prior to your procedure. Soft daily wear lenses should be out for at least three days before traditional LASIK and out for two weeks before CustomVue. Soft toric lenses may need to be out longer. Our doctors will advise you how long you need to be out of your contacts prior to your surgery.

Will my insurance cover my procedure?
A few insurance companies do pay for all or part of vision correction procedures. You can check with your plan administrator, or we will be happy to make a copy of your insurance card and check coverage for you. Many people have medical flex plans they use to save up to 50 percent on their procedure by using pre-tax dollars. Your employer's human resources department can tell you whether you have this benefit. Laser vision correction also may be tax deductible as a medical expense (check with your financial advisor).

If you do not have insurance coverage, we do offer affordable payment plans. It is easy to apply online and receive credit approval before you schedule an appointment. We also accept cash, personal checks, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.

How much should I pay for laser vision correction?
The cost of vision correction varies among practices, based on surgeon experience and what the center includes in the fee. We are not the least expensive providers because we never sacrifice safety to save you money. We have invested heavily in advanced laser technology and our diagnostic technology is second to none. In fact, Dr. Wilson has been a leader in bringing the most advanced technology to Oklahoma. This investment is extremely important to achieving the best visual results and our patients tell us they can see the difference. We encourage you to visit other laser centers and compare. We encourage you to review and even print our "Checklist of things to ask your laser vision provider" form, found on this page.

It's only natural to want to get the best price, but remember, quality and service are extremely important when it comes to medical care. After all, laser vision correction is a procedure that will affect your vision for the rest of your life and your vision is one of your most important assets. The best way to find out exactly what your price will be is to come in for an exam. After a comprehensive evaluation to determine what procedures you're a candidate for and what degree of correction you need, we'll be able to give you a specific price.

What payment plans are available?
We offer several payment plans. Depending on the package you choose your options may include:
12 Months Same As Cash (0% APR)  or
Payments as low as $28 per eye per month
   (our $599 package at 11.9% APR for 60 mos $0 down WAC)

What is the next step?
If clearer, more natural vision would be a dream come true then your next step is to have a no cost no obligation laser vision consultation. At the consultation we'll check the health of your eyes to see that you are a good candidate for laser vision correction and we'll be ready to answer all of your questions. Then, if you are ready for a better vision, you can schedule your procedures for a time that is convenient for you. To schedule your no-cost-no-obligation laser eye consultation, call us at 733-2020 or 1-888-733-2020 or send us an email requesting an appointment.

Our experienced doctors specialize in Laser Vision Correction in Oklahoma City, OK. Please contact our office to schedule your complimentary laser vision correction consultation at 405-733-2020 or toll free at 1-888-733-2020.