LASIK Surgery

Carmel, Fishers and Indianapolis Locations

LASIK or laser vision correction is one of the safest and most commonly performed surgical procedures in the United States today. We are achieving outstanding results and our patients are among some of the most satisfied LASIK patients around. If you are interested in becoming less dependent on glasses or contact lenses, please give us a call to schedule your FREE LASIK CONSULTATION. Dr. Barrett will help you determine if LASIK laser vision correction is right for you.

LASIK surgery improves your vision by changing the shape of your cornea to more closely match that of your eye, which in turn heightens the ability to bring objects into clearer focus. We have successfully performed LASIK surgery on patients with myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism (retinal distortion), or combinations of the three.

There are many factors that go into our decision to perform LASIK surgery, including:

Your most recent prescription change
Current medications you're taking
Your medical history, including hormonal imbalances and diseases that affect the body's ability to heal
The size of your pupils under certain conditions
The condition of your corneas
Your lifestyle, particularly involvement in contact sports

Why Choose Dr. Barrett? That's Easy...

Fully Licensed and Insured
Free LASIK Consultations
FDA-approved advanced laser technology
Follow-Up Examinations Always Available
Pride Ourselves on Being On Time & Having Flexible Appointment Times
Patient References Available
Statistically monitor outcomes and maintain a continuous quality improvement programs.

Laser Vision Correction at Barrett Eye Care is performed with a primary focus on one area: SAFETY. There are multiple types of laser vision correction procedures being performed today. At Barrett Eye Care we offer two techniques which are not only the two most advanced techniques on the market, they are far and away the two safest techniques available for laser vision correction. Dr. Barrett is performing both epi-LASIK and intralase LASIK for laser vision correction. The long term outcomes of each procedure are comparable. The benefits of each procedure are described below. Dr. Barrett uses the Allegretto Eye-Q Custom Laser for all of his laser vision correction procedures. This laser vision treatment is the most advanced laser treatment option available on the market today. Custom laser treatment has been proven to provide the best visual outcomes and is a big upgrade from prior, non-custom, laser treatments.

Dr. Barrett performs his laser vision correction treatments on Friday afternoons. Most patients plan to take Friday off of work and then return to work the following Monday. The laser vision center is located at 9002 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46260. Patients need to be out of their soft contact lenses for at least 2 weeks prior to their pre-op LASIK consultation. Hard contact lens wearers need to be out of their contact lenses for at least 4 weeks prior to their pre-op LASIK consultation. The cost of the surgery is $1,900.00 per eye. This includes the LASIK pre-op consultation, the laser vision correction procedure with customized ablation, and all post-op visits for 1 year following the surgery. Some patients may require enhancements in one eye or the other following surgery. Enhancements cost $300.00 per eye. Payment plans are available which allow our patients to pay off the balance over one year, two years, or three years.If you have any questions regarding epi-LASIK, intralase LASIK or the Allegretto Eye-Q Laser Treatments, please contact our office.

Epi - LASIK
Dr. Barrett is currently performing epi-LASIK procedures for laser vision correction. This innovative technique is the safest form of laser vision correction available on the market today. This procedure differs from traditional LASIK surgery in its safety profile. Traditional LASIK surgery uses a blade (called a microkeratome) to make a cut in the cornea to create a flap. This flap is then lifted, the laser treatment is applied, and then the flap is replaced. Traditional microkeratome LASIK is a very safe procedure but occasionally problems occur with creation of the flap.

Epi-LASIK or Advanced Surface Treatment eliminates the use of a blade to create a flap thus creating "no-cut laser vision correction". Epi-LASIK involves an instrument that removes the thin, surface tissue (epithelium) of the cornea. The laser treatment is then applied and the cornea is then allowed to heal on its own. Because no flap is created, all of the risks associated with the creation of the flap are removed. As with any surgical procedure, epi-LASIK does carry a small amount of risk but it is safer than traditional LASIK.

Epi-LASIK has been available for approximately 3 years and continues to replace traditional LASIK in many markets due to its improved safety profile. Epi-LASIK does have a slightly longer healing time than LASIK; however, most patients have good, functional vision 24-48 hours after surgery and complete healing in 3-4 days. Patients who require a lot of correction may experience some mild corneal haze following surgery but this haze does not typically affect the vision. Some patients experience some post-operative discomfort but topical and oral medications are prescribed to provide pain relief and most patients report minimal post-operative pain.

Intralase - LASIK
Dr. Barrett is currently performing Intralase LASIK procedures for laser vision correction. This innovative technique is the most frequently used form of laser vision correction available on the market today. This procedure differs from epi-LASIK surgery in its quicker recovery and minimal pain following surgery. In the past, traditional LASIK surgery has used a blade (called a microkeratome) to make a cut in the cornea to create a flap. This flap is then lifted, the laser treatment is applied, and then the flap is replaced. Recently a new laser (Intralase) was developed which replaces the microkeratome blade in creating the flap. Dr. Barrett is one of the few surgeons in the city who has been trained on the Intralase laser for flap creation. Intralase eliminates the use of a blade to create a flap thus creating "all laser" laser vision correction. Intralase involves a separate laser which creates a flap in the cornea. This flap is then lifted, the laser vision correction treatment is applied and the flap is then replaced. Because a laser is used to create the flap, Intralase is safer than traditional microkeratome surgery. As with any surgical procedure, Intralase LASIK surgery does carry a small amount of risk but it is much safer when the Intralase laser is used.

Intralase LASIK has been available for approximately 4 years and continues to replace microkeratome LASIK in many markets due to its improved safety profile. Intralase LASIK has a relatively rapid healing time and most patients have good vision 12-24 hours following surgery. Post-operative pain is usually minimal but every person heals differently and some patients do experience some discomfort for 24-48 hours. Compared with epi-LASIK, Intralase LASIK tends to provide faster healing, quicker visual recovery and less post-operative pain. Both procedures produce comparable visual results

Once we've decided to proceed, we'll give you all the information you need to know for each step of the procedure, as well as what to expect before and after.