LASIK is one of the most popular and successful eye surgery procedures available. But before you sign on the dotted line, it’s important to understand how it works.
The process involves creating a flap in the cornea with a laser. This flap is then carefully peeled back and the laser reshapes the tissue beneath it, allowing light to more accurately enter your eye.
The Surgeon’s Role
During your initial consultation, the surgeon will determine whether you are a good candidate for LASIK and perform an accurate measurement of your corneal thickness. This is necessary so that an optimal amount of tissue can be left untouched during the procedure.
Typically, patients who are nearsighted and have had a consistent prescription for several years are considered candidates for LASIK. However, if your eye is hyperopic (farsighted) or you have thin corneas, you may not be a good candidate for LASIK.
You will want to make sure that you choose a board-certified surgeon with plenty of experience performing laser eye surgery, including LASIK. Having the right skill set will help ensure that your vision is as clear as possible, so you can enjoy a lifetime of comfortable and productive sight without glasses or contacts.
LASIK Austin Texas
To find a reputable LASIK Austin Texas surgeon, ask around and do some research. You can also consult with friends and family members who have had LASIK to see if they were satisfied with their results.
Your surgeon will take into account your health, lifestyle and personal preferences before recommending a procedure like LASIK. They will also discuss the potential risks of LASIK and other refractive surgeries.
The LASIK procedure is safe and effective for nearly all patients. Although LASIK can result in some side effects, most people are very happy with their vision following the procedure.
A few weeks after your LASIK surgery, you will have a follow-up appointment with the doctor to monitor the progress of your eyesight. It is important to attend these appointments so your surgeon can assess your healing and adjust your treatment if necessary.
LASIK is an excellent option for many people who are tired of wearing glasses and contact lenses. This procedure is particularly beneficial for those who are close-sighted, as it can help them see objects up-close. LASIK is also a great choice for people who are tired of having to wear reading glasses or for those who are over 40 and experience presbyopia, which makes it difficult to read printed materials.
Preparation
There’s a lot of preparation that goes into getting ready for your LASIK eye surgery. This can help make the process go more smoothly and can also reduce any pre-surgery anxiety that you may have.
1. Avoid Contact Lenses
Before LASIK, it is very important to stop wearing contact lenses. This is because they can change the shape of your cornea, which can lead to inaccurate measurements during your initial evaluation. Your doctor will want to be sure that your eyes are in their natural shape so they can get the best results possible from LASIK.
2. Gather All Your Medical Information
The most important part of preparing for LASIK is to gather all of your medical history and make sure your doctor has it all in one place. This includes any current or past ocular or medical issues you have, as well as any medications and allergies that you currently have.
You should also bring a list of your past and current eyeglass or contact lens prescriptions, along with any questions you may have about the procedure. This will be very helpful for your doctor to see when they’re assessing your eligibility for LASIK.
3. Clean Your Face Before LASIK
The night before your procedure, thoroughly cleanse your face with a good face wash. This will keep the area your surgeon is working on free from any bacteria and other particles that can cause infection.
4. Avoid Any Eye Makeup and Perfumes
It is very important to skip any eye makeup, perfumes or lotions on the day of your LASIK surgery. This is because they can affect the quality of your vision and can also be a distraction for your surgeon during the operation.
During the procedure, your doctor will use a laser to cut a flap in your cornea. This is done either with a mechanical microkeratome or by using a laser keratome.
Your vision may dim during the procedure, but it will return to normal once the flap has been removed. You may notice some stinging or a burning sensation in the eye during the procedure.
The Procedure
LASIK is a surgical procedure that can permanently correct vision problems like nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. During the surgery, we use two lasers to reshape your cornea. The first laser, called a femtosecond laser, creates a flap on the surface of your eye to expose a thin layer of the middle section of your cornea, which we then lift and reposition with an excimer laser that sculpts the underlying tissue to change the shape of your eye to improve your vision.
You may experience a slight itching or burning sensation in your eyes as we prepare to start the surgery, but this should pass quickly. Your doctor will then place numbing drops in your eyes and give you a sedative to help you relax.
Your surgeon will then cut a flap in the front of your eye using either a laser keratome or a mechanical microkeratome. You may experience some pressure or a sensation of dimming of your vision as we do this, and you’ll have a slight itching sensation for a few hours after the surgery.
Once the flap is folded back, a laser vaporizes a small area of your cornea, or outer layer of your eye. This process reshapes your cornea so that light can be focused more clearly on your retina.
The laser reshapes the outer corneal layers, making them more transparent to light. These changes improve your vision so that you don’t need glasses or contact lenses after your surgery.
Appointment with your doctor
After the surgery, you will have a follow-up appointment with your doctor. He or she will check to make sure that your eye is healing properly and that your vision is stable.
Your eye will be irritated for a few days to a few weeks as it heals. During this time, your vision will be blurry and you may notice increased light sensitivity, glare, halos around bright lights or double vision. This is common and should go away over time, but some people experience it for a longer period of time.
In general, LASIK is safe and effective for most patients. However, certain health conditions or a history of eye infections may raise the risk of complications. For this reason, it is important to talk with your doctor about all the risks and benefits of LASIK before you decide to have the surgery.
Recovery
You’ll want to follow all of the instructions that you are given after your surgery, so your recovery will go as smoothly as possible. These include avoiding contact sports and other activities that can put pressure on your eye, wearing sunglasses, taking medication as prescribed by your doctor, avoiding alcohol, and using special lubricating drops to help keep your eyes moist during the recovery period.
Immediately after the surgery, your vision may be blurry or hazy. This is normal and should get better over the next few hours. In addition, your eyes may be irritated and itchy. Your eye may also be very sensitive to light. This is also normal, but it should subside within a few days.
Ophthalmologist
Your ophthalmologist will provide you with a variety of eye drops to use after the procedure, and it’s best not to rub your eyes, which can dislodge the flap that your surgeon created during the LASIK procedure. Your ophthalmologist will recommend that you wear goggles or an eye shield at night to protect your eyes.
In the first four hours after your LASIK procedure, you may feel discomfort or have a burning sensation. It is normal to have some itching, and you will need to take pain relievers as your doctor prescribes.
After the surgery, your ophthalmologist will provide you with some lubricating eye drops to use for the rest of the day and the following few days. It is also a good idea to stay well hydrated, especially during the first week after surgery.
As the healing process begins, your vision will become clearer and you will be able to see without glasses or contacts. Your ophthalmologist will schedule regular follow-up visits to check on your healing progress.
Some people experience blurred or hazy vision for a few weeks after LASIK, and this is generally normal. However, your ophthalmologist will monitor your vision closely and may need to change your prescription if your vision is worse than it was before the procedure.
Your vision will be much clearer in the early stages of your LASIK recovery, but it may take three to six months before your vision is stable and you no longer need glasses or contacts. This is usually the case if you do not have another eye condition, such as a cataract.
