LASIK MD Laser Eye Surgery – Day of Laser Eye Surgery

Laser vision correction is one of the most important decisions you will make. And you are about to attain this dream. Congratulations! Please be sure to carefully read the instructions for the preparation for your laser eye surgery. Please anticipate that this visit will last about 4 hours and see below how your laser eye surgery day will take place:

Step 1 – Verification of Prescription

Before you undergo your laser eye surgery, we will verify your eye prescription and measure your pupils to ensure the accuracy of results. If you wear contact lenses, please refer to our Contact Lens Policy about how long before the vision correction surgery you should remove your contact lenses.

Step 2 – Surgical Counseling

At this point, we will explain to you the different steps you are about to go through, providing you with all of the necessary post-operative instructions, such as how to use the eye drops, etc. You will sign a consent form (please refer to our Informed Consent section for more information on the informed consent process).

To help you relax before your surgery, you will also be given the option of taking a mild sedative, such as Ativan. Here, we will also ensure that payment has been made and will schedule an appointment for your mandatory 24-hour post-operative assessment.

Step 3 – The Surgery

You will be brought to the operating room and prepped for the laser eye procedure. Your surgeon will again discuss with you the laser correction procedure you are about to undergo.

This safe and painless procedure typically requires 10 - 15 minutes of operating room time, during which the laser is used for less than a minute on each eye, but the actual duration of the procedure may vary according to the type and amount of correction needed.

The LASIK vision correction procedure involves two steps: creating the flap and reshaping the cornea.

Here’s how your laser eye surgery will take place:

Before the laser vision correction begins, eye drops are used to numb your eyes.
While you relax on the treatment bed, your eyelids are gently held open and the microkeratome is carefully positioned. You will be asked to focus on a special fixation light in a microscope.
The laser eye surgeon activates the microkeratome electronically and seconds later is able to gently lift away a corneal flap, revealing the middle layer of the cornea.
The cornea is reshaped by a precise excimer laser and the corneal flap is repositioned. Natural forces hold the flap in place until surface healing is complete.

The LASIK procedure offers extremely fast recovery. Within hours of the vision correction surgery, the flap has usually begun to heal. Most patients are able to resume day-to-day activities 24 hours after the laser eye surgery. You will receive a prescription for eye drops to use for one or two weeks after surgery. You must also wear eye shields at night to prevent rubbing your eyes for the first two nights after surgery.

The PRK technique is used for people whose cornea may be too thin to allow for the creation of the corneal flap required for the LASIK procedure. During PRK vision correction, a small area on the corneal outer surface is gently polished away. The laser reshapes the corneal surface in exactly the same way as the LASIK procedure.

After the laser eye surgery, your eye surgeon will place a soft contact lens on the cornea to protect the eye and reduce discomfort while healing. The contact lens will be removed after the initial surface healing is complete, usually within three days of the procedure. Your vision will gradually improve during the first two weeks, and in most patients stabilizes between four to eight weeks after laser eye surgery. The vision correction surgeon will prescribe eye drops to take during this period.

For the first few days after either the LASIK or PRK vision correction procedure, you are likely to experience some degree of discomfort. During this time, your vision may be blurry and/or may fluctuate between being clear and being blurry. In some cases, a patient’s vision improves immediately after the laser eye procedure, but later becomes blurry. These conditions affect each patient differently. The final outcomes of PRK and LASIK laser vision correction are very similar; the difference is the healing time.

You should not drive for at least twenty-four (24) hours after either laser eye procedure and in no event should you drive until your vision is clear.

Step 4 – After the Procedure

Forty-five minutes to an hour after your laser eye surgery, we will verify your cornea.
Make sure to wear the provided sunglasses (in your fanny pack). Regular sunglasses do not provide adequate protection. Please follow the eye drop regimen recommended.
Please refer to our Recommended Activity Schedule.
To allow adequate time for your eyes to recover, we recommend that you anticipate taking the following number of days off work following your laser eye surgery (please note that these are recommended guidelines and that it is possible to return to work earlier if your vision is good enough; some patients return as early as the next day!)

Low Risk (No dust or irritants, no risk of eye trauma, i.e. any type of office work)	Medium Risk (Mild dust or irritants, mild risk of eye trauma)	High Risk (Moderate dust or irritants, moderate risk of eye trauma)
0-2 days	4 days	1 week

Dryness of the eyes is a condition that some patients may experience after having undergone laser vision correction. While this condition is temporary – lasting from a few weeks to a few months depending on the patient – there is a new treatment that can help alleviate dry eye symptoms, called punctal plugs. Read more.