Soft contact lenses must not be worn for at least one (1) week prior to this appointment (2 weeks for hard contact lenses). The operation is performed as an outpatient procedure by a fully qualified eye surgeon licensed to practice ophthalmology.
Eye drops given a few minutes before treatment provide suitable anesthesia. The eye not being treated is covered during the procedure. The patient is positioned under the operating microscope. The eyelids are opened with a speculum. The patient is then asked to look at a red fixation light in the microscope.
The LASIK procedure is performed on the front surface of the eye (cornea). A microkeratome first creates a disc or flap of corneal tissue.
This flap is then folded back and the excimer laser is used to remove microscopic layers of tissue from the underlying cornea. When the laser treatment is completed, the disc or flap is then returned to its original position on the front of the surface of the eye. The result is a change of the corneal curvature, thereby reducing or correcting the refractive error. The patient lies on his or her back during the procedure. There will be no pain during the actual procedure.
The laser beam will be computer-programmed to remove a certain amount of tissue from the surface of the eye, in order to decrease or eliminate the refractive error. There may be some mild postoperative pain.
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