Posted by: Eye Health Northwest in Uncategorized on January 15, 2024
LASIK surgery is one of the most popular elective procedures performed today. Beyond the fantastic vision results, one of the reasons so many people can choose LASIK is because it’s relatively quick and easy procedure.
Keep reading to learn more about LASIK, including how long it will take to have the procedure and experience the vision results!
What Happens During a LASIK Consultation?
Before your LASIK procedure, you will need to see your eye doctor for a LASIK evaluation. Your eye doctor may ask you to stop wearing contacts for a period of time before the evaluation.
Contacts can affect the shape of your cornea, and your eye doctor will need to be able to measure the corneas without distortion from contacts. During the evaluation, your eye doctor will discuss your medical history and your goals for surgery with you.
Then, they will examine your eyes and determine what changes they will need to make to your cornea during surgery. The process may involve taking scans and measurements of your eyes.
The whole appointment will take one or two hours to complete. After the full evaluation, your eye doctor will inform you whether or not you are a good candidate for LASIK.
If you are, you will be able to schedule your procedure!
What Happens During the LASIK Procedure?
On the day of your procedure, you should plan to spend several hours at the eye doctor’s office. You will not be able to drive yourself home, so you need to arrange a ride home in advance.
You will need to arrive before your procedure time to finish any paperwork and get checked in for your appointment. When it’s time to begin the LASIK process, you will be taken to a procedure room.
Medical staff will place numbing drops in your eyes, and your eye doctor will place a special instrument to hold your eyelids open. After this preparation, your LASIK surgeon will begin the LASIK procedure.
First, they will make a flap on the surface of your cornea, the clear dome-like structure at the front of the eye, in order to reach the inner layers. Next, They’ll use a laser to reshape the cornea to correct your refractive error and improve your vision.
That process is very quick, taking about five to ten minutes per eye or less. However, expect to be at the surgery center for a couple of hours on the day of your procedure to account for pre- and post-operation.
What Happens After the LASIK Procedure?
Once the procedure is finished, your eye doctor will tell you how to care for your eyes over the next several days. You may need to wear an eye shield to protect your eyes while you sleep.
In addition, your eye doctor may give you medication for pain and to reduce the risk of infection. Once you have everything you need to care for your eyes, you can go home.
You will need to come for a follow-up visit a day or two after the procedure. Your eye doctor will check to see how your eyes are healing and give you any additional instructions for your recovery.
Plan to return for additional appointments where your eye doctor can check your eyes and see how your vision is improving. Full recovery from LASIK can vary from person to person.
However, you can expect to notice improvements in your vision within the first week or two after the procedure. Most people are healed from LASIK within three to six months.
Are you interested in learning more about LASIK and whether it is right for you? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Hillsboro, OR, today!
