What patients should expect before LASIK surgery, during, and after the procedure will vary from patient to patient and doctor to doctor. LASIK surgery is an eye surgical treatment that fixes certain vision issues.The procedure eliminates or reduces the need for corrective lenses or eyeglasses. The main aim of refractive surgery is to change the shape of the cornea, which is the rounded clear tissue at the front of the eye. LASIK eye surgery refracts or bends rays of light to focus more accurately on the eye’s retina instead of some other point of the retina.
How to Prepare for Surgery
Patients who decide to go ahead with the procedure need a baseline or initial evaluation by an eye doctor to determine whether they are good candidates. Before surgery, patients should expect the following:
- Stop wearing contact lenses before the baseline evaluation and switch to regular eyeglasses full time. Contact lenses alter the shape of the cornea for several weeks after one stops using them. However, this depends on the type of lenses one is using. It is important to stop wearing lenses before the procedure to prevent negative consequences, which may include inaccurate measurements.
- One should also skip any eye makeup, lotions, perfumes, or creams on the day before surgery. Most eye doctors also instruct their patients to clean their eyelashes daily to remove debris and reduce the risk of infection.
- Before the surgery, one may need to arrange for a ride home. In fact, one should arrange for a ride to and from the place of surgery because the effects of the medication given before the procedure and the surgery itself may blur one’s vision.
What to Expect During Surgery
The surgical procedure should take less than 30 minutes. During the procedure, patients lie on their back in a reclining chair. They may be medicated to help them relax. After the doctor places numbing drops in one’s eye, he/she uses a surgical instrument to hold the eyelid open. After this, the doctor places a suction ring on the eyelid before cutting the corneal flap. This may cause a feeling of pressure, and the patient’s vision may dim a little.
The surgeon then uses a small cutting laser or blade to cut a hinged flap away from the front part of the eye. Folding back this hinged flap allows the doctor to access the part of the cornea that needs reshaping. The doctor then reshapes the cornea and folds back the flap into place. Usually, it heals without the need for stitches.
During the procedure, patients are asked to focus on a point of light, which allows them to keep their eyes steady while the laser reshapes specific parts of their cornea.
Things to Consider
People who opt to get LASIK surgery must understand that they may experience itching, a burning sensation, and watery eyes immediately after surgery. They may also have blurred vision for a while. However, they will experience little pain and will usually recover their vision fully.
As with any other type of surgical procedure, patients need to follow their doctor’s recommendations to the letter. Should any complication arise, they should contact their eye doctor immediately.
If you are interested in LASIK, contact Dr. Marvelli today, one of the Fort Worth areas most trusted and reliable LASIK surgeons!
