FAQs

There are three main types of eye care professionals that people who require corrective lenses may regularly visit throughout their lives:

• Optometrist – These eye doctors perform eye exams and prescribe corrective lenses (glasses or contacts). They also may diagnose and prescribe medications to treat certain conditions, such as eye infections, dry eye, early-stage macular degeneration, and more.
• Ophthalmologist – An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who has been trained to perform everything from eye exams to eye disease diagnosis and treatment, including eye surgery, such as LASIK, cataract surgery, and more.

At Miramar Eye Institute, we have a board-certified ophthalmologist (Dr. Kenneth Karp) and a full-time optometrist (Dr. Lindsay Fuentes) in our office in Miramar, Florida.

Yes! At Miramar Eye Institute, we are sensitive to the fact that patients have different financial needs. Because vision correction is an important part of your overall health and well-being, we strongly believe that financial considerations should not be an obstacle to obtaining your procedure. It’s why we offer a multitude of payment and financing options, including:

• Cash or check
• Credit card
• Insurance coverage
• Flexible savings account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) funds
• Low monthly payment plan, available through CareCredit

Please ask our staff for more details. We’re happy to walk you through the steps needed so you can get the financing you need, should you need it.

Whether you’re coming to Miramar Eye Institute for a comprehensive eye exam, contact lens fitting, or an eye surgery consult, there are certain things you should always bring with you. This includes:

• Driver’s license or photo ID
• Insurance information and cards
• List of all medications you currently take
• Payment for co-pay, deductible (if required), or for the visit (if self-pay)
• Your current glasses or contacts
• Sunglasses, if your eyes will be dilated
• Prior records, especially if you’ve had previous eye surgery

If you’re interested in LASIK or being fitted for contact lenses, please let us know when you schedule the appointment, as we may require additional information.

To begin with, you should know that you’re not alone. Cataract surgery is one of the most common eye surgeries among older adults. It is a quick and painless treatment that replaces an eye’s lens that has become cloudy and is affecting your vision. Only one eye is treated at a time.

Here is a rundown of what you might expect during a typical cataract surgery:

• You will be awake for the surgery, but you will be under mild sedation and anesthetic drops will numb the area, so you won’t feel any pain. You may hear sounds and feel sensations of pressure – but nothing should hurt.
• You will be positioned lying face up during the procedure, which will take approximately 15 minutes.
• During the procedure, your eye surgeon will make a small incision in the cornea and will remove the cloudy lens using specialized tools.
• Once the cloudy lens is removed, a clear prosthetic lens – called an intraocular lens (IOL) – will be inserted in its place. The IOL is a permanent implant that does not break down and should not require replacement.
• There are different types of IOLs available, and some can correct refractive vision problems, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and more.
• After the procedure, be sure to follow your eye surgeon’s instructions for the best results. This will include no driving until the eye has healed, and to avoid touching your eye for a period of time following cataract surgery. In most cases, normal activity can be resumed as soon as the day after surgery.

LASIK is a type of laser vision correction surgery that can dramatically improve your ability to see without corrective lenses. The procedure involves use of a special laser to remove corneal tissue and reshape the cornea in a precise, controlled manner. Most often, both eyes are treated in the same procedure. The LASIK procedure itself is fairly quick. You will recline comfortably and numbing drops will be administered to the eye. A special device is used to hold your eye open. During the procedure, your vision may dim while instruments are used to create a flap in the cornea of the eye. You will be asked to stare at a light while laser energy is directed at cornea tissue. You may hear a ticking sound and may also smell something similar to the smell of hair burning. Once the cornea has been reshaped as planned, the corneal flap is put back in place. For more information on post-surgical instructions click here. You may experience minor, temporary symptoms after LASIK, including a sensitivity to light or a halo around light sources. This should improve significantly after the first couple of days following the LASIK procedure. Be sure to follow the preparation and aftercare instructions provided by your eye surgeon for the best results. For more information, read What to Expect During Treatment Day.