LASIK Eye Surgery in Harrisburg

Learn about this popular and long-standing treatment for farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism

Be free from glasses and contacts with all-laser LASIK in Harrisburg

LEARN ABOUT THIS POPULAR AND LONG-STANDING TREATMENT FOR FARSIGHTEDNESS, NEARSIGHTEDNESS AND ASTIGMATISM

AS SEEN IN

Are you a candidate for all-laser LASIK?

IN THIS VIDEO, Dr ERIK CHOTINER explains how to find out if you’re suitable for LASIK laser eye surgery

No bad days with beautifully natural vision

GET RID OF THE HASSLE OF glasses and contacts AND EMBRACE LIFE WITH GREAT VISION EVERY DAY

Gain crystal clear vision in minutes

After LASIK laser eye surgery, you’ll be able to see the world through clear eyes without the barrier of glasses and contact lenses. Imagine, after years of being dependent on these little pieces of plastic, you can now throw them away in a matter of minutes.

Discover true independence

How often have glasses and contact lenses let you down? Can you think of all the times they fogged-up, fell-off or made you feel uncomfortable?

When you stop depending on things that don’t serve you, your confidence grows. After LASIK, our patients can embrace any activity they choose without anxiety surrounding their glasses or contacts getting in the way.

Experience life without limitations

Every day is sure to feel like a new and exciting adventure. Whether you’re the type of person who enjoys swimming at Mt Gretna Lake & Beach, skiing Roundtop Mountain or attending a tasting event at Mellow Mink Brewing, poor vision and the hassle of glasses and contact lenses will never spoil your fun again.

Live it up with better vision

After LASIK laser eye surgery, our patients are thrilled that they made the investment to enhance their everyday by changing how they see the world. We’d be honoured to help you on your journey to better sight and ultimately, a better life.

Gain crystal clear vision in minutes

After LASIK laser eye surgery, you’ll be able to see the world through clear eyes without the barrier of glasses and contact lenses. Imagine, after years of being dependent on these little pieces of plastic, you can now throw them away in a matter of minutes.

Discover true independence

How often have glasses and contact lenses let you down? Can you think of all the times they fogged-up, fell-off or made you feel uncomfortable?

When you stop depending on things that don’t serve you, your confidence grows. After LASIK, our patients can embrace any activity they choose without anxiety surrounding their glasses or contacts getting in the way.

Experience life without limitations

Every day is sure to feel like a new and exciting adventure. Whether you’re the type of person who enjoys swimming at Mt Gretna Lake & Beach, skiing Roundtop Mountain or attending a tasting event at Mellow Mink Brewing, poor vision and the hassle of glasses and contact lenses will never spoil your fun again.

Live it up with better visionLive it up with better vision

After LASIK laser eye surgery, our patients are thrilled that they made the investment to enhance their everyday by changing how they see the world. We’d be honoured to help you on your journey to better sight and ultimately, a better life.

Be glasses-free in 3 easy steps

TRUST US TO EXPERTLY GUIDE YOU TO A LIFE FREE FROM GLASSES AND CONTACTS

Contact us

The first step is to find out if LASIK is right for you. That’s why we offer a free first appointment. Give us a call on 717-657-2020 or use our easy online calendar to book a free appointment.

We’ll meet

Visit our laser eye surgery center in Harrisburg for a free assessment. We’ll give you a comprehensive eye examination and discuss your lifestyle needs. You’ll leave with a clear answer about the best treatment option for your eyes.

Be free!

In no time at all, you’ll be free to enjoy the world with brand new eyes – without the hassle of glasses and contact lenses. Our patients tell us that every day is better and they can’t wait what’s next.

Free from glasses and contacts in 30 seconds

Discover how LASIK frees you from glasses and contacts

LASIK is for those who:

  • Want to reduce or eliminate their dependence on glasses or contacts
  • Are at least 18 years of age
  • Have had a stable eye prescription for at least one year
  • Have no health issues affecting their eyes
  • Have no signs of glaucoma or cataracts

The all-laser approach

Memorial Eye Institute was the first practice in Central PA, and one of the first in the country to offer all-laser LASIK. We utilize two exciting technological advances, the WaveLight FS200 femtosecond laser and the WaveLight ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ excimer laser, to provide the highest quality vision possible to our patients.

Since the excimer laser’s approval by the FDA in 1995, millions of people have eliminated their nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, and their dependence on glasses and contact lenses.

Excimer lasers differ in several ways. Conventional excimer laser treatments have been replaced with wavefront-guided custom treatments that give our patients the opportunity to improve the quality of their vision beyond 20/20.

Making the corneal flap
The first step of LASIK involves making a very thin flap in the cornea. Our WaveLight FS200 femtosecond laser adds a tremendous amount of precision and safety by using a laser (not a blade) to create the LASIK flap. The FS200 laser directs a laser beam into a tiny two-micron size spot of energy. The beam passes harmlessly through the cornea’s outer layers until it reaches its exact focal point within the cornea. In just seconds, with computer precision, the FS 200 delivers over a million pulses as it separates the layers of corneal tissue and creates a customized flap of the desired thickness, size, orientation, and location. After treatment, the flap is folded back into its original position, where it bonds without the need for stitches.

This unprecedented level of control makes LASIK safer and allows more patients to qualify for LASIK. The level of accuracy, precision, and control with the FS200 laser is simply impossible to achieve with a mechanical microkeratome.

High-quality vision

After making the corneal flap with the FS200 excimer laser, we reshape the cornea with the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™, one of the fastest excimer laser systems in the world, with an average patient treatment time of fewer than 30 seconds. Its flying-spot laser beam is less than 1mm wide, which allows Dr. Chotiner to sculpt the cornea with precise accuracy. The laser’s ‘PerfectPulse Technology’ ensures that every laser pulse has ultra-stable energy levels and is placed exactly where it belongs.

To treat nearsightedness, the steep cornea is made flatter by removing tissue from the center of the cornea. This moves the point of focus from in front of the retina to directly on the retina.

To treat farsightedness, the flat cornea is made steeper by removing tissue outside of the central optical zone of the cornea. This moves the point of focus from behind the retina to directly on the retina.

To treat astigmatism, the cornea is made more spherical – like a basketball instead of a football. This eliminates multiple focusing points within the eye and creates one point of focus on the retina. We can treat astigmatism at the same time as nearsightedness and farsightedness.

Such a high-speed laser must also have an ultra-fast eye-tracking system to follow eye movement during the procedure. Using three independent infrared light sources, the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ will automatically pause the treatment if the eye moves out of range and resume treatment when the eye is back in position.

LASIK: Introduction

LASIK

For more than 40 years, central Pennsylvania has looked to Memorial Eye Institute for the most advanced technologies and techniques in eye care and eye surgery. As a result, Memorial Eye Institute has built its leading-edge reputation by always being ahead of the curve.

Memorial Eye was Pennsylvania’s first fully approved and accredited outpatient ophthalmic surgery center. It was central Pennsylvania’s first Laser Vision Correction center and Pennsylvania’s first ALL-LASER LASIK facility. Memorial Eye Institute is one of a select group of centers nationwide to be recognized by TRUSTED LASIK SURGEONS, a professional group of the nation’s most experienced and exceptional laser vision correction and lens implant surgeons.

One of the most popular ways to correct vision is with a procedure called LASIK (laser in-situ keratomileusis), which uses an excimer laser to change the curvature of the cornea (outer window of the eye). LASIK is the procedure of choice for most patients because they recover more quickly than with other methods of vision correction. In fact, most LASIK patients notice a significant improvement in their vision hours after surgery. LASIK removes tissue within the cornea, thereby contouring its shape to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

Patient benefits

The precision of all-laser LASIK with the FS200 and ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ lasers offer many benefits compared to a conventional approach.

  • Custom-tailored precise corneal flap creation which is especially important for patients with thin corneas
  • Reduced risk of unwanted visual side effects such as glare and halos
  • More likely to achieve 20/20 or better vision
  • Increased safety

We’ve invested in the FS200 and ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ lasers because they offer the best and safest results. With one of the widest ranges of treatment approval, we can offer this new generation technology to the majority of our patients, including those with high levels of nearsightedness and farsightedness.

We offer a number of finance options and affordable payment plans. It is easy to apply online and receive credit approval before you schedule an appointment.

LASIK risks include:

  • Under or overcorrections
  • Flap disruption or wrinkling
  • Inflammation
  • Infection
  • Temporary ocular discomfort

Laser refractive surgery is a safe, effective, and permanent procedure, but it does have some risks like any surgical procedure. After LASIK, some patients experience some visual side effects, including light sensitivity, glare and halos. However, these vision problems are usually temporary. Severe complications to LASIK are extremely rare.

Since everyone heals somewhat differently, some patients may overreact to the procedure, and some may underreact, resulting in overcorrections and under corrections. Once the eye has stabilized (3 to 6 months) you and your doctor can discuss whether a re-treatment could help fine-tune your vision.

After a thorough eye exam, you and your eye doctor will determine if LASIK eye surgery is an option for you. If you are a good candidate, we will give you 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.

Options and alternatives include:

Step 1: The FS200 laser is focused to a precise depth within the cornea.

Step 2: Corneal tissue is separated by over a million tiny, two-micron sized bubbles.

Step 3: The flap is lifted to allow for the ALLEGRETTO WAVE excimer laser treatment.

Step 4: The flap is placed back into its original position after treatment.

LASIK has the highest patient satisfaction of any elective procedure with the vast majority of patients seeing 20/20 or better.

Life’s better without glasses. But don’t just take our word for it

thousands of people in and around the Harrisburg community live it up AFTER LASIK AND CATARACT SURGERY THANKS TO MEMORIAL EYE INSTITUTE

Can you be free from glasses and contacts?

The best way to find out if laser eye surgery is right for you is to book a free appointment. You’ll get a clear answer from our experts on your suitability and treatment options

Free yourself from glasses and contacts

Discover if vision correction treatment can give you more confidence and convenience

I want to see glasses-free!

Life’s complicated enough these days. With all I’ve got going on, who’s got time for glasses and contact lenses too? Click here to see if you can become glasses-free…

I hate my reading glasses!

These things aren’t me at all. On, off, on, off… what a huge inconvenience to have to deal with day-in and day-out. Click here to find out if you can ditch your readers…

I have a high prescription and I’m not suitable for laser eye surgery

We offer Implantable Contact Lenses (ICLs) as an ideal option to get you out of glasses and contact lenses Click here to see the options available

“Why, why, why didn’t I get my eyes done sooner?”

Academic resources on LASIK

Follow the links below to discover more about LASIK from authoritative sources

For people who need them, glasses or contact lenses can present minor inconvenience.

But the everyday pitfalls of these tools — a smudged lens or irritation from dirt, for instance — could be more than a nuisance for competitive athletes. Click here to read on.

LASIK is an acronym for laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis—a type of laser eye surgery that permanently reshapes the cornea to correct refractive errors. Click here to read more.

Voted “Simply the Best” by the Harrisburg community

We are honoured to have received the following community awards

Affiliations and memberships

We’re proud to be members of these prestigious professional organiZations

Take this quick quiz to see if you can be free of glasses and contacts

Not everyone is suitable for LASIK. Your options change depending on your eyes, your age and your lifestyle. Find out which type of treatment (if any), is right for you by taking this 2 min quiz now:

Recognized leaders in Harrisburg LASIK eye surgery

CHOOSE THE MOST EXPERIENCED LASIK SPECIALISTS IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA

Dr. Bennett Chotiner
M.D., F.A.C.S.

MEDICAL DIRECTOR, GENERAL OPHTHALMOLOGY, CATARACT & REFRACTIVE SURGERY, LASIK SURGERY

Dr. Bennett Chotiner is the founder and medical director of Memorial Eye Institute. A noted innovator, in 1977 he established his clinical practice, the Pennsylvania Eye Associates. In 1984, he established the Pennsylvania Eye Surgery Center, Pennsylvania’s first …

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Dr. Erik A Chotiner
M.D., F.A.C.S.

GENERAL OPHTHALMOLOGY, CATARACT & REFRACTIVE SURGERY, LASIK SURGERY

Erik Chotiner, M.D. diagnoses and treats a wide range of medical eye conditions. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Franklin and Marshall College. Dr. Chotiner attended Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia where he received multiple awards including the Physiology Prize for …

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Dr. Richard M. Kowalski
Dr. Richard M. KowalskiO.D
Dr. Kowalski is a specialist in comprehensive eye care, refractive surgery consultations and contact lenses…

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Dr. Kenneth H. Levin
Dr. Kenneth H. LevinM.D. F.A.C.S
Dr. Levin is a specialist in cataract surgery, glaucoma and general ophthalmology

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Dr. Bradford K. Sgrignoli
Dr. Bradford K. SgrignoliD.O
Dr. Sgrignoli is a specialist in retina and vitreous disease & surgery, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy…

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Dr. Michael J. Silvetti
Dr. Michael J. SilvettiO.D
Dr. Silvetti is a specialist in comprehensive eye care, refractive surgery consultations, contact lenses and low vision consultations…

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Dr. Katherine Won
Dr. Katherine WonO.D
Dr. Won is a specialist in comprehensive eye care and contact lenses…

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