LASIK - Day of Surgery
The big day is here, and you have butterflies in your stomach.
You're dressed comfortably and you have had something to eat. You
arrive 1 hour before your scheduled surgery time and check in where
you will be asked to complete a patient information form. A Surgical
Counselor will then review your consent form with you and go over your
post-operative kit. You will complete some additional medical forms
and finalize your payment.
A detailed activity schedule is provided to you, and you are given a
mild sedative to calm your nerves.
A final refraction is done and then you don your hat and shoe booties
and are escorted into the surgical suite. You will spend about 20
minutes in the operating room.
Anethesetic drops will be administered to your eyes prior to
commencing surgery. The surgeon begins by using a lid speculum to
gently hold your eyelids open. The suction ring is then placed on the
eye, at which time you will feel slight pressure and your vision will
dim. You will hear the microkeratome pass over the eye, then the
pressure will be released and your vision will return. The eye tracker
is locked, and the flap is lifted.
Laser time will vary from 30 seconds to 1 minute, during which time
you will hear the laser as the cornea is re-shaped. The removed cells
are gently flushed from the area and the flap is repositioned and will
immediately begin to adhere to the cornea. Once the second eye is
treated, you will relax in our recovery room.
Here you will spend a few minutes resting and relaxing and our laser
tech will once again review your post op medication with you. The
surgeon will take one last look at your eyes and then you are released
from the clinic. Your day of surgery is a day of rest and we recommend
that you try to get as much sleep as you can. Your may experience a
burning, irritated feeling which lasts approximately 4 hours. The
morning after you will notice an amazing improvement in your vision.
You will come back to the clinic for your first postoperative visit so
we can ensure you are healing properly.
Congratulations on your new vision!