Patients undergoing corrective laser eye surgery often want to understand the details of what will be occurring, while many other people simply trust their doctors and don’t care to know the details. This is simply a personal decision that every person has to make for themselves. Those who do want to know and understand corrective laser eye surgery can find the procedure explained below to help grasp what will be occurring to their eye during the process.
The Intricate Details
LASIK eye surgeons are trained in a very intricate procedure that uses a very large and complicated piece of machinery that has a computer, microscope and laser attached to it and will be the main tool used during the procedure. On the day of the surgery, the patient is placed in a reclined position and given a medication to help them relax, if they would like it. The level of relaxation that is induced will vary from person to person and from doctor to doctor. If a person is extremely anxious and apprehensive, they may receive more sedation than someone who simply doesn’t want to be nervous. Other people forego the valium or other relaxant as there is no pain involved in the process and they don’t want to be drowsy or unaware of their surroundings during the procedure.
Anesthetic eye drops are placed in the eye that is going to be under the laser. These eye drops not only numb the eyes, they also act as a cleanser to help rid the eyes of dust that could lead to infection during the process. This is vital, as infection is one of the risks that must be avoided in order to ensure a successful procedure and a fast recovery. There is not much pain involved in corrective eye surgery using a laser; however, these eye drops help to ensure that even the slightest hint of pain is avoided.
After the eyes have been numbed and are thoroughly clean, the surgeon will prepare to begin the eye operation by placing a speculum over the eye to hold the eye open during the process. This helps the surgeon by preventing blinking during the procedure; this may sound uncomfortable; however, the eyes have been numbed and there is the option of a relaxant at the beginning of the procedure if this seems like a frightening thought.
The Laser Surgery
The cornea, or front part of the eye, will have a ring fitted over it to prepare it for the laser. Once in place, the cornea will be lifted from the surface of the eye using high pressure. The patient may feel this and think it is painful; however, the numbing agent should keep this from being too painful. Once the cornea is removed off the surface of the eye, it is time for the most important part of the surgery to begin.
Now that the cornea has been prepared, the laser can be allowed to do what it has been prepared to do prior to the visit. If the cornea were not removed, the laser could damage the eye. The computer that controls the laser has been programmed prior to the appointment using the measurements that were taken during the visits leading up to the surgery. These measurements are what make the surgery successful, as every person will have different measurements. These measurements are used to reshape the eye to the correct shape that will eliminate the blurring and astigmatism.
Once the eye has been reshaped to the exact measurents, the surgeon will place an eye patch over the eye and revisit the patient in a few days. Typically, the patient is allowed to go home after a short period of time. There should be someone to drive the patient, as driving is not allowed for the first forty-eight hours. Other than driving, the patient’s activities will be limited for just the first two days. The entire procedure will be completed in a very short period of time and the patient will be home in bed quickly. After the first forty-eight hours the patient is under no strict guidelines; however, the eye doctor will provide the patient with a list of activities that should be limited for at least one week, such as getting water directly in the eyes such as would occur in the shower. This is one of the main avoidances that the doctor will point out for the first week, keeping foreign material out of the eye.
While this is an intricate procedure, it is quick, painless and the recovery is short and uncomplicated if the instructions are followed. Understanding all of the steps is important for some people and not so much for others.
