The LASIK Procedure Step-By-Step: What to Expect on Surgery Day
February 1, 2024
There's something about waking up with crisp, clear vision without frames or contact lenses. If you're ready to achieve the dream of visual freedom, it's time to consider a procedure like LASIK.
Choosing a procedure like LASIK is a big decision, but LASIK is a tremendous vision-correcting option with high patient satisfaction rates and impressive results. Keep reading for a step-by-step explanation of what to expect from the LASIK procedure and why this procedure has changed so many lives!
Why LASIK?
LASIK is the most widely known and popular vision-correcting procedure eye surgeons perform today. Most patients end up with 20/20 vision or better.
The best part? When you have LASIK, you can see better than ever without visual aids. LASIK not only means no longer depending on visual aids but also corrects your vision beyond your original prescription.
LASIK corrects refractive errors, meaning it can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Although LASIK is unsuitable for everyone, it can correct a broad spectrum of refractive errors.
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Preparing for LASIK
A comprehensive consultation and evaluation are critical to a successful LASIK procedure at Eyes of York. Having a LASIK consultation ensures that your surgeon can determine if you're a good candidate for LASIK.
If you qualify for the procedure, you must feel informed and prepared ahead of LASIK. Having realistic expectations about your results is integral to a successful LASIK procedure.
What to Expect on the Day of Your LASIK Procedure
Once you've scheduled a date, you may wonder what will happen on the day of your LASIK procedure. To help you get a clearer picture, here is a step-by-step description of what to expect on the day of your LASIK surgery:
1. Preoperative Examination
When you arrive at Eyes of York to have your LASIK procedure, the first thing that will happen is you'll have forms to fill out. Next, we'll perform a comprehensive eye examination.
This examination aims to assess how healthy your eyes are while also gathering precise measurements about their shape.
Your LASIK surgeon will also use corneal topography, wavefront analysis, or other diagnostic tools to create a detailed map of your eye. This map ensures precision and accuracy during the LASIK procedure.
2. Preoperative Preparation
After the preoperative examination, our surgical team will prepare you for the LASIK procedure. Once you're comfortably seated in the treatment chair, you'll have numbing eye drops placed in your eyes.
These numbing drops ensure that the LASIK procedure is completely painless. Your eyes will stay numbed throughout the procedure.
Your LASIK surgeon then places a suction ring and eyelid speculum on your eyes. These painless devices keep your eyes still and prevent you from blinking during the procedure.
3. Creation of the Corneal Flap
The LASIK procedure begins with your LASIK surgeon creating a flap on the surface of your cornea. They will create the corneal flap using a femtosecond laser. A femtosecond laser is a high-intensity laser used to make precise incisions.
After creating the corneal flap, your LASIK surgeon will carefully fold it back. The purpose of the corneal flap is to allow your LASIK surgeon access to the tissue inside your cornea.
4. Reshaping the Cornea
Once your LASIK surgeon has access to the tissue within the cornea, they will use an excimer laser (which uses ultraviolet light) to reshape your cornea. By reshaping your cornea, your LASIK surgeon will be able to correct your refractive errors and help you see more clearly than before.
5. Flap Repositioning
After your Eyes of York LASIK surgeon completes reshaping your cornea, the final step in LASIK surgery is repositioning the corneal flap. They will carefully set the flap back into place.
Doing this will allow it to naturally re-adhere to your cornea without stitches or corneal bandaging. The flap acts as a natural bandage and helps recovery go more smoothly as you heal after LASIK.
6. Post-Operative Care
After the LASIK procedure is complete, our surgical team will monitor your eyes and ensure there are no post-operative issues. Once you have been cleared to go, you will need a friend or family member to drive you home.
You'll need to rest and relax for the rest of the day. We will send you home with eye drops to prevent infection and reduce inflammation, along with post-operative instructions to ensure a timely recovery. You may start noticing immediate visual improvements right after LASIK, though this can vary depending on the patient.
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After LASIK
In the days immediately after LASIK, you may experience some post-procedure discomfort, like itchiness, tearing, and redness. You can usually manage these symptoms with over-the-counter eye drops.
They typically clear up on their own within a few days. Most LASIK patients find that they are ready to return to work and resume their normal activities the day after their procedure.
While individual results vary, many LASIK patients report improved vision within 24 hours of surgery, though full results are usually seen in about three months.
Although LASIK may seem complicated after you know the procedure steps, it's not. It only takes less than ten minutes per eye to complete and about an hour and a half total to undergo, including preparation time and getting cleared after the procedure to go home.
Knowing what to expect on the day of your LASIK procedure can help you feel confident about your vision-correction choice. The procedure is quick and painless; the recovery time is short, and the results will give you clear vision that you can enjoy for years to come!
Do you think LASIK might be the right vision correction procedure for you? Schedule your LASIK consultation at Eyes of York in York, PA, today! If you want better vision, why not take the next step on your journey towards attaining it?