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
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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
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.
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.
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.
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.
- 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:
- Glasses and contact lenses
- PRK
- Implantable contact lenses
- Refractive lens exchange
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
Free yourself from glasses, contacts and cataracts
Discover if vision correction treatment can give you more confidence and convenience
“Why, why, why didn’t I get my eyes done sooner?”
Get your laser eye surgery questions answered
our harrisburg laser eye specialists give you the straight goods on the world’s most popular elective procedure
The best vision correction procedure for me
Looking for the best vision correction procedure? There are many different options out there, but how do you know which one is best for you? Dr Chotiner from Memorial Eye Institute discusses finding the best option for you in this video.
Can I see better after my LASIK eye surgery?
Wondering what your vision will be like after LASIK eye surgery? Dr Chotiner discusses the impeccable vision you'll experience 24 hours, post vision correction surgery.
What is the recovery time for LASIK?
The recovery for LASIK is swift, pain-free and lets you resume life with a whole new perspective without the challenges of glasses or contact lenses.
Academic resources on LASIK
Follow the links below to discover more about LASIK from authoritative sources
The purpose of this study is to compare patient satisfaction with LASIK and contact lenses for vision correction and to establish a new benchmark to compare LASIK with a popular alternative rather than a hypothetical perfect eye. Click here to read on.
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 organisations
Recognized leaders in Harrisburg eye surgery
CHOOSE THE MOST EXPERIENCED CATARACT AND 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 …
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 …
