Before Your LASIK Eye Surgery
You’re taking the first steps in the LASIK eye surgery process, and it’s perfectly normal to feel excited and anxious. First, you’ll have an initial consultation to discuss the details of your procedure and follow-up care. This is the time to get to know us and get firsthand answers to your questions. You will also find out whether you’re a candidate for laser vision correction, and if so, which type. [TOP]
Getting Ready for Your LASIK Eye Surgery
Dr. Concool will probably ask you to follow a few simple directions leading up to your laser eye surgery, including:
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If you currently wear contact lenses, you will be asked not to wear them for a period of time prior to your procedure. Contact lenses can change the shape of your corneas, so you’ll want to keep them out long enough for your corneas to assume their natural shape.
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Keep your eyes free of debris. Dr. Concool may ask you to avoid using creams, makeup, or perfumes at least a day in advance of the procedure.
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You might be asked to use artificial tears for up to a few weeks prior to your laser.[TOP]
The LASIK Procedure
On the day of your procedure, you should arrive at the Center as rested and relaxed as possible, and should allot approximately two to three hours for the entire process. You will first go through a complete preparation process including counseling, possible repeat testing and the administration of anesthetic eye drops. After this, you will enter the laser suite for treatment, which will last only a few minutes.
On entering the room, you lie down on a comfortable chair. The eyes are again numbed with anesthetic drops. No injections or sutures are used. The procedure is essentially painless, although you may feel a slight pressure sensation at times.
Throughout the entire procedure Dr. Concool and the technician will be talking to you and providing you with instruction and support. After more drops are placed in the eyes, the eye to be done second is gently taped closed. You will be asked to look at a blinking light.
Next, a circular disk is placed gently on the eye. You’ll feel slight pressure and for a few seconds the vision will darken. This is the creation of the flap. Once concluded, you will see a white light. The process is then repeated for the second eye.
The flap is then folded back and laser beam is applied. You will not see of feel the laser. The time of the laser treatment lasts from 10-60 seconds. The flap is then returned in position and after a wait of 1-2 minutes the cornea self adheres and acts, as it’s own natural bandage. The cornea quickly heals by itself with no need for surgical glue or stitches. The second eye treatment is then performed in the exact same manner.
The most natural response prior to your procedure is a mixture of both eager anticipation and nervousness. Most laser patients describe similar feelings before their procedure, so be reassured that this is extremely normal. Dr. Concool will talk you through the entire procedure. This will help you to lower your anxiety significantly. [TOP]
After Your LASIK Procedure
Immediately after the laser, vision is somewhat improved from previous levels, but will be blurry for the reminder of the day. A significant improvement will be noticed on waking the following day. The speed of final recovery varies with personal healing qualities, as well as the orginal refractive error.
Once your procedure is complete, you will be able to go home almost immediately to rest.
You’re home from surgery and recovering from your LASIK procedure. When the numbing drops wear off, you may feel some dryness for several hours, and a scratchy feeling for a few hours, but no worse than a “bad contact lens day”. Like others who have had LASIK eye surgery (testimonials), you’re looking forward to life after LASIK. For now, though, let’s focus on your recovery. You will:
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Use antibiotic/anti-inflammatory eye drops to keep your eyes free of infection, and reduce any swelling or irritation.
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Use artificial teardrops as recommended to keep your eyes moist.
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Use eye shields, while sleeping, to protect your eyes.
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Wear sunglasses to prevent sensitivity to bright lights and to protect from the wind and dust.
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Avoid touching your eyes for the first week and then touch them only gently for the following 2 months. [TOP]
LASIK post-operative Side Effects
Patients experience some LASIK surgery side effects. These can include intermittent blurry vision, sensitivity to light, or a feeling of dryness in the eyes. In most cases, these conditions last only for a short period of time, until your eyes heal. You will be asked to schedule a follow-up visit the day after your procedure to make sure everything is healing nicely. However, be alert to anything that concerns you and call Dr. Concool. Each of our patient’s are given Dr. Concool’s cell phone number. Before you have laser vision correction, you also should be familiar with its possible risks and complications.
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Reading glasses: If you currently wear reading glasses, you will need to continue wearing then after surgery. Also, as you age, you may develop the need for reading glasses. The need for reading glasses is most often due to presbyopia, a condition that LASIK surgery cannot treat. [TOP]
Recovery
Immediately after surgery your vision may seem blurry and your eyes may be watery until the cornea begins the healing process. Most people see clearly the day after their laser procedure; however, everyone responds differently. You may have slight sensitivity to bright lights, see 'halos,' or have difficulty seeing in low light. All of these conditions should dissipate within a week, if not days, of the procedure.
Dr. Concool will ask you to schedule a post-operative visit the day after your procedure. On this and later visits, we will test your vision. We will also check to see if your eyes are healing properly. [TOP]
Back to Normal
Following your LASIK recovery, you should be able to return to normal activities very quickly. However, you should:
• Wait 1 week before participating in any non contact sports
• Avoid more strenuous contact or water sports for at least one month.
• Wait 1 full week before touching your eyelids.
• You should avoid pool swimming, hot tubs, or whirlpools for 1 week.
• Avoid ocean and lake water for 3-4 weeks.
• After 24 hours, showers and baths are fine, but keep your eyes closed in the shower and keep your back to the shower head. Avoid getting water and shampoo in your eyes for the first few days.
• You must avoid makeup for 1 week.
• We recommend that you avoid gardening and dusty, dirty environments for 1 week.
• Watching TV and reading will strain and irritate your eyes for a few days. These activities should be done in moderation.
If you follow these guidelines, your post-procedure healing should be smooth and trouble-free, and you should expect to enjoy improved vision shortly following your procedure.
Of course, all this depends on how you feel and your doctor's instructions. In most cases, patients have excellent results and they're likely to see as well or in some cases, even better than they did with their eyeglasses or contact lenses. The only major difference is … they're free if eyeglasses or contacts.
It is important for you to understand that follow-up care is as important to your results as the actual procedure. A day after your procedure, you will return to the center to assure that your eyes are healing correctly and to answer any questions you may have. Because we believe that this is an extremely important step of any laser vision correction procedure, we include this in the overall cost of your procedure as well as the remaining post-operative visits with your own eye doctor or with us.
While laser vision correction has proven to be overwhelmingly successful in reducing dependence on glasses and contact lenses, the degree of improvement may vary from individual to individual. Weston’s Las Olas Laser Eye Center wants to help each patient maintain their best possible vision with our Patient Commitment Program (TruVision patients not eligible).
An overwhelming majority of our patients tell us about the dramatic impact that laser vision correction has had on their lives, enabling them to enjoy everyday activities in a way they could not before laser vision correction.
Meeting your expectations is our most important measure of success.
Note: We strongly recommend that all people, regardless of whether or not they choose to have laser vision correction, have a dilated eye examination performed byt their eye doctor, on an annual basis. This is a proactive measure to ensure tat your eye is healthy and functioning properly. The retinal portion of the eye examination is especially important if you are nearsighted, as nearsighted eyes are associated with a higher incidence of retinal disease that are normally sighted eyes.[TOP]
