What To Expect During The LASIK Procedure?

Chances are that if you look around your office or think about your circle of friends, you'll know at least one person that has undergone the LASIK procedure. And chances are excellent that those people will have been very happy with their vision correction results. Studies show that 98% of people that undergo traditional LASIK are happy with the outcome of their procedure.

If you're curious about what to expect during the LASIK procedure this article will give you a brief overview. Also, be sure to schedule a consultation with a qualified eye care professional and discuss your potential outcomes of a LASIK procedure as well as the best type of procedure for you to get. Traditional LASIK isn't the best option for every single person that needs their vision corrected. There are additional technologies such as Wavefront and Interlace to name two that offer a more specialized type of vision correction and are ideal methods for people to use that are not candidates for traditional LASIK due to issues such as corneas that are too thin to use the traditional LASIK procedure on.

When you decide to go through with the LASIK procedure, you will be asked to come in for a one-on-one consultation with your doctor. A full health history will be taken to ascertain if you have any outstanding issues (such as pregnancy or diabetes) that could halt or affect the outcome of your LASIK procedure.

Once you have been cleared through an initial consultation, your date for your LASIK surgery will be scheduled. The procedure itself takes mere minutes in total and you'll honestly probably wait longer in the waiting room than the procedure will actually take.

When you're ready to have your LASIK surgery, the surgeon or an assistant will administer a few anesthetic drops into each eye. This will enable you to remain comfortable during the procedure, which you will remain awake for.

The doctor will turn on a LASIK laser and you will experience a bright light shining in your eye while the surgeon is working. The doctor will cut a small flap in your cornea (the white part of your eye) and will gently fold it back. As a patient, you won't feel the cut nor the folding however some people do report feeling a slight pressure when this done. With the flap opened, the surgeon will quickly excise excess tissue and make the curvature of the eye rounder and smoother. This will in turn improve your vision.

The flap will then be flipped back closed and no stitches are necessary. The flap is self leveling and will adhere completely on its own. Some patients experience problems such as irritation, blurred vision and light sensitivity. However a majority of people that undergo the LASIK procedure have none of those issues. You can return to your normal routine in a matter of days and many patients report a marked improvement in vision within 24 hours of their LASIK procedure.