LASIK Surgery

If you are qualified as an ideal LASIK candidate and wish to continue to take LASIK surgery for your eyes, you will have to sign an informed consent form, a document that states that you are fully aware of the risks involved with the laser eye surgery and agree that you willingly assume those risks and you do not feel pressured by your doctor or anyone else to make the decision of having surgery. Then, you must schedule an appointment for the surgery.

You should stop using face creams, lotions, makeup and perfumes a day before surgery because the debris of such products along the eyelashes may increase the risk of infection during and after surgery. Before surgery, it is suggested to scrub your eyelashes for a period of time to get rid of residues and debris along the lashes.

On your surgery day, make sure you have arranged the transportation to where you are going to undergo LASIK surgery because you will be unable to drive a car after the surgery.

The LASIK Eye Surgery

The LASIK eye surgery itself is an outpatient procedure that takes less than a minute to perform the actual surgery, while the whole procedure takes about 15 to 30 minutes. It is a painless surgery because your eyes will be anesthetized locally with a kind of eye drop, while you stay awake. Occasionally, the doctor will offer a mild oral sedative like Valium to lessen the anxiety and nervousness.

You will be taken to the operating room and laid down on a cushion platform. The doctor will position your eye right under the laser.

Because you cannot close your eyes during the procedure, an instrument called eyelid speculum will be used to hold your eyelids open. It is a kind of ring retainer made of metal that pushes apart your eye above and below. It has a suction ring that gives your eye pressure that is important to attach the microkeratome.

The LASIK surgeon marks the cornea with water-soluble ink to guide the replacement of the flap. The microkertome is attached to the suction ring and then a hinged flap is created using the microkeratome blade (laser will be used instead of microkeratome blade in bladeless LASIK or IntraLase). After that, the suction ring as well as microkeratome is removed. During the rest procedure, you will experience fluctuating degrees blurry vision.

The corneal flap is fold back on its hinge and the exposed tissue is dried to prepare for laser procedure. The surgeon uses a computer system to adjust the laser based on your prescription. You need to stare at a light for a while to keep your eye fixed on one spot for the best result. Then the surgeon sends out the laser beams to reshape the cornea by removing the tissue. You will smell a mildly acrid odor - similar to burning hair - due to the corneal tissue removal. The laser procedure takes more time if you have higher prescription.

Once the laser is done, the corneal flap is replaced and a small amount of antibiotic is applied onto the edge of flap. Because the cornea bonds quickly and healing is rapid, it does not require stitches on eye.

Some surgeons allow to have both eye operated on the same day, but some suggest having the second eye operated a week later. So, if you are scheduled to have both eyes done the same day, you will take a short rest and then the surgeon continues to your second eye, repeats the procedure and the whole surgery is done.

The entire process is pain-free except a little discomfort on eyes. This is an advantage of LASIK surgery compare to PRK, which can be quite painful afterward.