If you are looking to get LASIK in Portland, we can help you enjoy clear, carefree vision for all of life’s adventures.
If you are looking to get LASIK in Portland, we can help you enjoy clear, carefree vision for all of life’s adventures.
A lot of Portlanders get excited by the idea of LASIK and correcting their vision, but the options and technical terms can be confusing and downright intimidating.
It’s natural to feel hesitant about trusting your vision to just anyone.
Tersigni Vision provides the widest range of LASIK and LASIK alternative vision correction procedures in Portland. We take extra time to explain all of your options and answer your every question about LASIK Portland.
Imagine no more blurry vision when you get up with your newborn, seeing clearly on the drive home after your high schooler’s late-night game, or going out with friends and feeling fantastic with the confidence of seeing the world without glasses and contacts.
We want you to feel confident in your decision and cared for as an individual.
Doing your favorite activities untethered from glasses or contacts
Opening up your eyes in the morning with crystal-clear vision
Simplifying your routine every morning, night and each workout
Avoiding the hassles and cost of getting new glasses and contacts every six months to a year
Never losing another pair of readers
No more foggy glasses, scratched lenses, or itchy eyes
Enjoying carefree vision
LASIK and the full portfolio and modern vision correction procedures.
The widest range of procedures in Portland ensures the best procedure match for your vision.
We prioritize patient education. No high-pressure sales tactics.
Dr. Tersigni has had vision correction surgery himself, so he knows your concerns first-hand.
Concierge service and personalized treatment at every stage which patients describe as truly unique.
Minimized downtime after surgery. Get back to life!
A renowned surgeon with advanced training and specialization in LASIK and vision correction.
Dr. Tersigni calls Portland home.
Don’t settle for a one-size-fits-all vision correction solution. Whether you have been tethered to glasses since second grade, just started wearing bifocals, or even if you have been told you are not a candidate for LASIK, come visit with us and see what you’re missing at Tersigni Vision.
LASIK is a trusted laser vision correction procedure that gently reshapes the cornea to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. At Tersigni Vision in Portland, Oregon, Dr. Steven Tersigni specializes in advanced refractive surgery like LASIK to help patients experience life with greater visual freedom. With a commitment to precision and personalized care, Dr. Tersigni uses proven techniques and cutting-edge technology to reduce or even eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses. This minimally invasive procedure has delivered life-changing results for millions—and for patients at Tersigni Vision, it’s all about seeing the world clearly with confidence.
Dr. Steven Tersigni is a leading LASIK surgeon in Portland with a passion for helping patients experience visual freedom through personalized, advanced care. After graduating cum laude from the University of Oregon, he earned both his medical degree and a master’s in public health from Tulane University. He went on to complete his ophthalmology residency at the Ira G. Ross Eye Institute in New York and a prestigious fellowship in anterior segment and refractive surgery under world-renowned surgeon Dr. Y. Ralph Chu. Before founding Tersigni Vision, he refined his expertise at Brinton Vision, one of the nation’s top vision correction centers. Dr. Tersigni has contributed to ten FDA trials, published research in national journals, and is a proud member of the Refractive Surgery Alliance, ASCRS, the World College of Refractive Surgery and Visual Sciences, and AAO. As a refractive surgery patient himself, Dr. Tersigni brings both personal insight and surgical precision to every procedure. He and his wife Kayla now call Portland home, where they enjoy raising their family in the community they love.
Tersigni Vision recommends LASIK for adults 18 and older who have nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, and have maintained a stable prescription for at least a year. Ideal candidates have healthy eyes, sufficient corneal thickness, and realistic expectations about the results of laser vision correction. Dr. Tersigni takes a personalized, thorough approach to evaluating your eye health and vision goals to determine if LASIK is the best fit. At Tersigni Vision in Portland, our priority is helping you achieve clear, confident vision—with expert care and advanced diagnostic technology guiding every step of the process.
At Tersigni Vision in Portland, we use the most advanced laser technology available to deliver safe, precise, and personalized LASIK outcomes. Dr. Tersigni draws from years of surgical experience, FDA clinical trial involvement, and hands-on research to select the most effective technology for our LASIK suite. Every patient benefits from the same high standard of care—we never cut corners or offer tiered treatment options. Instead, we use all-laser, blade-free LASIK to create custom treatment plans that lead to clearer, more confident vision.
The ZEISS VisuMax is used in the first step of LASIK to create a thin corneal flap with exceptional precision and gentleness—completely replacing the outdated use of a mechanical blade. This femtosecond laser is known for its smooth, minimally invasive performance and is trusted by top surgeons worldwide. It also allows Dr. Tersigni to perform SMILE, a next-generation laser procedure for patients who may not be LASIK candidates. With its pinpoint accuracy, gentle touch, and compatibility with other ZEISS technologies, the VisuMax ensures your treatment is comfortable, efficient, and highly customized.
To reshape the cornea and improve how light is focused onto the retina, Dr. Tersigni uses the WaveLight® EX500—one of the fastest excimer lasers available. Operating at 500 Hz, it tracks and adjusts to eye movements in real-time, delivering treatment with unmatched speed and precision. This laser is designed to preserve the eye’s natural shape while minimizing distortions and enhancing clarity. It also integrates seamlessly with diagnostic tools for a smooth, streamlined surgical experience.
We believe that investing in the most advanced technology leads to the best results—and your vision is worth nothing less. With our all-laser, fully personalized LASIK process, most patients are surprised by how fast and comfortable the procedure feels. Just keep your eyes on the green light—Dr. Tersigni will take care of the rest.
LASIK is a precise, laser-based procedure that improves vision by reshaping the cornea—the clear front surface of your eye. At Tersigni Vision, Dr. Tersigni begins by using a femtosecond laser to create a thin, bladeless flap in the outer layer of the cornea. This flap is gently lifted to expose the underlying tissue, which is then reshaped with an excimer laser to match your exact prescription. Once the cornea is reshaped, the flap is repositioned, where it naturally adheres and begins healing immediately. The entire process takes just minutes per eye, and most patients notice clearer vision within 24 hours. With Dr. Tersigni’s expertise and the latest LASIK technology, you can feel confident you’re receiving safe, efficient care tailored to deliver sharp, lasting results.
LASIK or Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, is one of the most successful surgical procedures in the world today. The more modern version of this laser vision correction procedure, Sub-Bowman keratomileusis (SBK), is just as successful and can be used to treat farsightedness (hyperopia), nearsightedness (myopia), presbyopia, and astigmatism. Doctor Tersigni and Tersigni Vision use information gained from your Tersigni Vision Advanced Ocular Analysis, performed early in the process, to fully map the eye’s interior and surface to ensure complete precision during the LASIK procedure.
And, as technology has advanced, there are now many patients who have previously been told they are not a candidate either because they were too old, too young, or have astigmatism, who can now have LASIK eye surgery or one of the modern LASIK alternatives offered at Tersigni Vision.
How can LASIK surgery at Tersigni Vision improve my quality of life?
Your quality of life can be greatly enhanced by the clearer vision LASIK provides. The reduced dependence on corrective lenses, such as eyeglasses and contact lenses, improves your comfort and confidence in everyday life.
When determining who are the best candidates for LASIK laser vision correction surgery there are several factors to consider. LASIK may be able to help overcome refractive error and achieve clear vision if you:
Even if you are not a candidate for LASIK, you may be a candidate for one of the many modern LASIK alternatives that we provide at Tersigni Vision.
Yes, Tersigni Vision provides the full range of refractive surgery options beyond LASIK for those who aren’t suitable candidates. These may include PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy), ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens), RLE (Refractive Lens Exchange), and more. There are many tools and technologies available to us to help eliminate your need for an eyeglass prescription.
At Tersigni Vision, we perform a comprehensive eye exam before recommending LASIK. This includes evaluating your cornea, retina, eye pressure, and other aspects of your eye health. This guarantees that the process is appropriate and tailored to your particular needs.
At Tersigni Vision, LASIK treats astigmatism by reshaping the cornea to correct the uneven light refraction, enhancing your visual perception and reducing your dependence on corrective lenses.
There haven’t been any incidents of blindness directly linked to LASIK reported. The safest elective surgery in the world, according to research, is LASIK surgery. Although there is still risk with any medical procedure, wearing contact lenses actually has a significantly higher risk of eye damage, visual impairment, and vision loss than does laser eye surgery. To minimize any potential hazards, Tersigni Vision will only perform LASIK on approved patients with healthy eyes. We will spend as much time as you need to make sure you understand the advantages and disadvantages of LASIK so you can decide if it is the ideal procedure for you.
The FDA has approved LASIK as a safe and effective procedure for correcting certain vision problems. At Tersigni Vision, we only use FDA-approved technology and techniques for LASIK and other vision correction procedures.
LASIK surgery outcomes may be impacted by dry eye syndrome. Because of this, we extensively evaluate your eye health before recommending LASIK, assessing for dry eyes among other things. Prior to LASIK, we might recommend treatment if you have dry eyes.
LASIK may be ineffective or inappropriate for someone with keratoconus, which is a disease of the cornea. For individuals with keratoconus, however, we provide a number of alternative vision correction solutions. Dr. Tersigni will perform a thorough eye examination so that we can choose the most appropriate course of action for you.
Yes, glaucoma can affect your eligibility for LASIK surgery, but it doesn’t automatically exclude you from being a candidate. We will do a thorough eye exam to assess your unique circumstances and offer the best guidance.
LASIK is performed on the cornea, which is on the front of the eye, and the retina is not directly involved. To guarantee overall eye health and suitability for the procedure, we do perform a careful retinal examination before surgery.
How Can I Pay for LASIK?
Even though there is an upfront expense associated with a vision correction surgery, for the majority of patients, it ultimately works out to be substantially less than the lifetime cost of glasses and contacts.
All standard payment methods are accepted by Tersigni Vision, including cash, credit card, checks, and more. While LASIK and other laser vision correction surgeries are usually not covered by insurance, we can also work with Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). A LASIK procedure in Portland is also tax-deductible, and we have financing options to best fit your budget.
See our Affordable Financing Options
Tersigni Vision uses state-of-the-art femtosecond laser technology and an excimer laser for LASIK surgery. The femtosecond laser creates a thin surgical flap in the cornea, and the excimer laser is then used to reshape the underlying corneal tissue with incredible precision.
The Excimer laser plays a key role in LASIK surgery, precisely removing corneal tissue to reshape the cornea. This helps correct refractive errors such as near-sightedness, far-sightedness, and astigmatism, improving your visual acuity.
LASIK was initially conducted with a microkeratome, or mechanically controlled blade. Although it was an excellent procedure, it wasn’t quite as precise as many surgeons would have liked. However, it was safe and helped a lot of patients.
From this desire for better precision came the femtosecond laser used in SBK. This laser is more accurate, comfortable, precise and predictable. This has allowed many patients who were previously excluded from LASIK to be able to enjoy the freedom and confidence that SBK LASIK provides.
The latest technology in LASIK includes wavefront-optimized, wavefront-guided, and topography-guided LASIK procedures. These are collectively referred to as “custom” treatments. With the aid of these technologies, Dr. Tersigni can provide a more magnified image of the tiniest details of the eye. He does this by using precise maps of the cornea. This allows for a truly customized treatment and can sometimes help you have better vision than you can get in glasses or contacts.
A good LASIK procedure requires accuracy and precision at all times. With the help of corneal topography mapping and our excimer laser technology, we can precisely reshape your cornea to enhance your visual acuity.
Corneal topography allows us to map the surface of your cornea, identifying irregularities and aiding in precise and individualized treatment planning. It ensures that the LASIK surgery improves your eye health and visual acuity with the highest accuracy and precision.
Wavefront technology helps us create a detailed 3D map of your eye, capturing minute imperfections that traditional methods may miss. The excimer laser is then guided by this information during LASIK surgery, perhaps resulting in better results and visual quality.
Despite the procedure only taking about 15 minutes, on the day of your LASIK eye surgery, you should expect to be at Tersigni Vision in Portland for approximately two hours. You will also require someone to drive you home.
Special clothing does not need to be worn for the procedure. Sometimes, we may repeat some of the tests conducted during your Tersigni Vision Advanced Ocular Analysis to double-check that everything is accounted for.
When it’s time for the actual procedure, you will be given eye-numbing drops, and a gentle eyelid holder will be put in place so there will be no need to worry about blinking. The laser eye correction will then be performed first by creating the surgical flap with the femto-second laser, and then comes the excimer laser treatment, with each step usually taking less 20 seconds per eye.
Dr. Tersigni, who performs LASIK in Portland, Oregon, has his patients expect to spend about 2-3 hours at our vision correction center on the day of their procedure. This allows them plenty of time to fill out any necessary paperwork, perform any necessary testing, complete the LASIK eye surgery (which only takes around 15 minutes), then take time to recover before leaving with someone to drive them home.
Yes, we numb your eye with local anaesthetic in the form of eye drops during the treatment to ensure you feel as little discomfort as possible.
After your LASIK procedure, your surgical technicians will give you post-operative instructions, as well as protective eye shields to use during sleep the first two nights.
Most LASIK eye surgery patients experience little, if any, discomfort during or after the procedure, though it’s not uncommon for your vision to be blurry for the first two to three hours. However, it won’t be long before you can see vivid, clear details without the use of glasses or contact lenses.
Most patients can return to work and daily routine the day following their surgery. Your surgeon will schedule a follow-up appointment for the day after your surgery to ensure that everything is healing correctly. At this appointment you will be cleared to return to regular activities.
The changes made to the eye’s cornea during laser eye surgery are permanent and should last the rest of your life. However, the eye will continue to age and change along with the rest of your body and those aging changes (most commonly presbyopia and cataracts) can affect your vision, leading to the need for reading glasses. Eventually, most everyone will need cataract surgery when they get older. Rarely, there are occasions where a LASIK enhancement is needed if the original surgery doesn’t achieve the desired results or your eye changes significantly for some other medical reason.
After successful LASIK surgery, most patients no longer require contact lenses or need to wear glasses for clear vision. In the rare event of residual refractive error, temporary use of contact lenses or glasses may be needed.
Yes, Tersigni Vision is proud to provide Portland LASIK eye surgery services to residents in Portland, Oregon and throughout the Pacific Northwest region.
Board certification is critical as it confirms the LASIK surgeon has met specific training, skill, and experience standards. Dr. Tersigni is a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) with advanced training in LASIK and vision correction.
Tersigni Vision strictly adheres to the highest hygiene and safety standards to prevent infections. This includes frequent sanitization of our premises and surgical tools, use of personal protective equipment, and rigorous hand hygiene practices.
They are not the same even though they are both frequently referred to as eye doctors. Routine eye exams and the prescription of corrective lenses (such as glasses) are the main areas of focus in optometry. The comprehensive medical and surgical treatment of the eyes and visual system is the emphasis of the medical speciality of ophthalmology. Dr. Tersigni is a fellowship trained ophthalmologist and vision correction surgeon. This requires much more training than for an optometrist. An ophthalmologist has a medical degree and is an M.D. An optometrist does not have a full medical degree and is an O.D.
Our lead physician, Dr. Tersigni, is a fellowship trained ophthalmologist holding an M.D. degree. He is an expert in LASIK and other forms of refractive surgery and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of ophthalmology.
Patient satisfaction is at the heart of what we do at Tersigni Vision. To guarantee the best outcomes and a relaxing patient experience, we maintain open communication, offer individualized care, and use cutting-edge technology.
See the first article in our LASIK FAQ series: How Long Do The Results of LASIK Last?
You won’t get LASIK from a surgeon flown in from another part of the country like at some of the big-box, discount LASIK providers. Dr. Tersigni lives here with his family. When it’s time for a follow-up, he is available. We see our practice as a long-term investment into the Portland, Oregon community.