Miss Missouri's LASIK experience.

Hunkeler Eye institute had the pleasure of treating Miss Missouri 2015 McKensie Garber. McKensie wore contacts throughout her pageant career but is now able to see 20/20 without the need for contacts or glasses thanks to LASIK with Dr. Dustin McKnight in June 2016.

Picture of McKensie Garber wearing glasses, sitting down next to female doctor with short, dark hair and glasses.
Picture of McKensie Garber wearing glasses, sitting down next to male doctor with robe with blonde hair and beard.

Our process.

  • 1

    Preoperative evaluation.

    During her preoperative evaluation, Miss Missouri was given a complete dilated exam. During that exam, Dr. Dustin McKnight evaluated both of her eyes to assure that LASIK was the right choice for her.

Some factors in deciding if LASIK is the right choice include:

    Corneal Thickness
    Overall health of the eye
    Age and stability of prescription (Must be 18 years old and glasses and or contact prescription must remain stable for at least 1 year)
    Pregnancy history
    Good/ stable overall general health
    If you are a diabetic, your diabetes must be well controlled.
    Ability to lay in a flat position for at least 20 minutes
    Willingness to stay out of contact lenses for 2-4 weeks prior to surgery.

At this visit the patient and the doctor communicate about timing of surgery, as well as post operative instructions restrictions and appointments if LASIK is deemed appropriate.
After her preoperative appointment with Dr. Dustin McKnight it was decided that LASIK would be the best option for Garber’s vision correction.

set of five pictures showing both male and female doctors' procedures on McKensie Garber.

  • 2

    Procedure.

    Before the procedure, McKensie was given a medication to help her relax and an anesthetic eye drop to numb the eyes. When it is time for the procedure the patient is taken to the LASIK suite where they lay down for the duration of the procedure.

On procedure day Garber was first seen by Hunkeler Eye Institute’s LASIK coordinator Donna. Donna first checked in with McKensie assuring that she understood the procedure and everything that came after including postoperative appointments, what she may feel after surgery and when to expect to feel completely normal again. Measurements were taken of the eye for the custom LASIK procedure on the day of surgery.
Dr. McKnight uses the Intralase method. IntraLase is different from traditional LASIK methods because it is the first blade-free way to create a corneal flap. Traditional LASIK methods use an instrument called a microkeratome to create a corneal flap.Using the IntraLase method tiny, ultra-precise pulses of laser light are used to create the corneal flap so no blade or other instruments are used. Patients report better postoperative vision when using an IntraLase laser particularly in terms of their ability to see in low light. Some other benefits of using the IntraLase laser are the corneal flap is made by the tiny ultra-precise laser light pulses rather than a one-dimensional cut made by your doctor a more precise flap is made, making it unique to each patient's eye, this is beneficial because everyone's eye is shaped a little different. The creation of the flap is much faster than traditional LASIK, taking only 15-20 seconds.
Many people are worried about pain and if creating a corneal flap or the LASIK procedure itself will hurt. While some patients report feeling slight pressure the procedure is not painful. Dr. McKnight will numb your eye prior to surgery.After the procedure, your eyes may feel dry and itchy but that will resolve within a few days. You may use Preservative Artificial Tears to help relieve any discomfort you experience after your LASIK procedure.

Set of five pictures showing the surgical process on McKensie Garber.

  • 3

    Postoperative.

    At your one day postoperative appointment your vision is usually almost at your target visual acuity Dr. McKnight will check your vision and check your corneal flap to assure that it is healing and to assure that your visual acuity is nearing your target. Any additional questions or concerns will be addressed at this appointment as will any additional appointments that will need to be scheduled.