Laser Eye Surgery step by step

What happens at my first doctor appointment?

The doctor will thoroughly examine the health of your eyes. This is similar to your regular, annual eye exam but this exam will be even more thorough. Your doctor will take several detailed measurements of your eyes to determine your degree of nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism or a combination of all three.

On the day of my Laser Eye Surgery, what can I expect?

You are brought into the room where your Laser Eye Surgery will take place and will lie down on the table. Your doctor will place a patch over the eye that is not having surgery.

Is there pain with Laser Eye Surgery?

No, there are no injections just anesthetic drops will be placed in your eye. Then you will be asked to look at a small blinking light.

How can I hold my eye open during surgery without blinking?

Your eyelid will be held open automatically for you by a small tool that fits under your eyelid but does not hurt you or your eye.

Using a laser sounds kind of scary, what really happens?

A special laser called an Excimer laser uses a very special kind of light energy to change the shape of your cornea ever so slightly and improve your vision.

Will I see or hear the laser when it is working?

You will hear a clicking sound as the laser applies pulses to your cornea.

What does a pulse do?

Each pulse of the laser removes a microscopically thin layer from the cornea.

How does the doctor control the laser?

The computer determines the exact pattern of pulses in order to remove exactly the right amount of corneal tissue based on your earlier eye exam. Your surgeon guides the laser and the computer tells him exactly where to apply the laser.

How much superficial corneal tissue is removed?

A very small quantity of tissue is removed. This is usually less than the width of a hair. Minor focusing imperfections require a smaller amount of cornea tissue to be removed. More severe focusing imperfections require more of cornea tissue to be removed.

Do I need to stare at the blinking light the whole time?

Yes, unless your surgeon asks you to focus your eyes elsewhere, you will continue to stare at the blinking light. The light will become somewhat hazy as your surgery proceeds.

How long is the laser actually being used to reshape by cornea?

The actual amount of laser time will most likely be less than 60 seconds in total.

What happens after my Laser Eye Surgery is over?

Eye drops will be placed in your eyes and you will be asked to sit up in bed in the recovery area for a few minutes. After 5 or 10 minutes, if you are not feeling dizzy or lightheaded, you are free to go home and take it easy for the rest of the day.