The Down And Dirty Details

Lasik Surgery Details

Lasik eye surgery, a relatively simple procedure, causes very little stress to the body. In fact, surgery patients are not only capable of walking into the surgery without assistance, but also walk out without any assistance. The procedure itself usually takes less than 1 minute to complete and the patient is awake during the entire procedure!

Following are some more details about Lasik eye surgery:

Getting Prepped For Surgery

Before beginning the procedure, a doctor will sometimes provide the Lasik eye surgery patient with a mild oral sedative. A sedative is used only if a patient is particularly nervous or worried about the procedure. The doctor will also place a few drops of anesthetic in the patient's eyes to help reduce the pain, although most patients don't feel any pain at all during the procedure.

Getting Started

After the doctor sufficiently prepares the patient for surgery, the patient is asked to lie down, as this places the eye directly beneath the laser. Only 1 eye is operated on at a time. For the selected eye, a special type of retainer is put over the eye in order to keep the eyelids open. This retainer has a suction ring to keep the eye pressurized and helps with the surgeon's ability to cut the corneal flap. This pressure is not uncomfortable for most patients.

X Marks The Spot

After the surgeon gets the retainer in place, he uses a special ink marker to mark the position of the flap that is to be created. He then creates the flap with either a microkeratome blade or with a laser, depending on his preference. Because it is very thin, the patient doesn't actually see this flap.

The Procedure

After the flap is created, the doctor uses a computer that helps adjust the laser to meet the specific needs of the patient. The patient will be asked to look at a target light for a period of time. During this time, the doctor watches the patient's eye through a microscope as the laser sends pulses of light to the cornea.

With some lasers, it is critical that the patient's eye remain fixated on the target light. Otherwise, the results might not be as good. However, other lasers have a special tracking device that follows the eye even when it moves to help ensure the best results.

As the laser sends pulses of light to the cornea, it removes tissue in order to reshape the cornea. As this occurs, the patient will be able to hear a steady clicking sound that means the laser is at work and doing its job. The patient will also detect a mildly acrid scent, which is the result of the tissue being removed. The poorer the patient's eyesight, the longer this surgery will take.

Although the Lasik eye surgery is actually performed by the laser and computer, it is important to remember that the surgeon is in complete control of the laser at all times and can turn it on and off as necessary.

Now That You're Done

It is necessary for the patient to rest for a little while after the completion of the procedure. If both eyes are being done on the same day, the surgeon generally waits for a short period of time before proceeding to the other eye. However, in some cases, patients prefer to wait for a week to get the second eye operated on.

The doctor may prescribe medication to assist with the post-operation pain, however, many people feel little more than mild discomfort after the completion of the procedure.

Down The Road

After being released by the doctor, it is important for the patient to strictly follow the doctor's instructions. Prescriptions should be filled and used and the patient should be sure to get proper rest. Events after the surgery can affect the outcome of the surgery just as much as the surgery itself, so it is important that the patient contact the doctor immediately if there is a problem.

After the surgery, the Lasik patient will need to have someone available to drive him home. Once home, the patient needs to rest, at least for a few hours, to give the eye time to heal. It is best for a patient to take a couple days off work in order to rest, although some return to work the day following the procedure. Because strenuous exercise can cause trauma to the eye and impede the healing process, it should be avoided. Patients should also avoid rubbing the eye, as that can cause the corneal flap to become dislodged.

That's all there is to it. The hardest part comes when the bill arrives.