The Procedure

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You will be placed in the laser chair on your back.

A scrub will be performed to cleanse your lids and eye area.

Several eye drops will be used to prepare your eye for the procedure. These are used for both anesthesia and antibiotics. It is very rare to react adversely to any of these drops, but please tell us if you have ever had a reaction to any eye medications in the past.

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The eye will be draped, and a lid speculum is inserted to prevent you from blinking.

The surgeon will center your eye in the operating field and make temporary alignment marks on the surface of the eye that are used when repositioning the flap.

Next, a ring will be placed on the eye to stabilize it. You will hear the sound of the vacuum as the ring is secured and your vision will temporarily fade away. Do not be alarmed. The surgeon has complete control of your eye and your vision will return in just a few moments.

If required, you will hear the sound of the microkeratome as the surgeon creates the corneal flap. After just a few seconds, the microkeratome will be removed and the suction on the eye reduced. Some may elect to have the IntraLASIK performed instead, which is the "All-Laser LASIK." This would be performed at this time. Instead of the microkeratome, a laser is used to create the corneal flap.

The surgeon will gently fold back the corneal flap. The underneath stroma is swabbed. You will hear the sound of the laser as it prepares to treat the eye.

After you are positioned under the laser, you will notice a blinking red light in the center of a white ring. This is the light you will need to fixate on throughout the procedure. The surgeon will keep your eye centered if you move slightly, but try to remain as still as possible.

The laser will make a clicking or snapping sound as it painlessly reshapes the cornea. The excimer laser can be stopped and started precisely within a fraction of a second. If your eye moves, the laser will be stopped. Fixation will then be reestablished and the procedure completed.

You may become aware of an unpleasant odor during your treatment. This is the smell of a vapor created by the laser. A vacuum tube will be placed near your eye to minimize the scent. The eye is swabbed again and rehydrated.

After the laser treatment is complete, the ring will be removed from your eye and the surgeon will carefully reposition the flap.

After the corneal flap has settled into position, it is then irrigated to remove debris. The alignment is checked, and the flap is smoothed with a microsurgical sponge.

The surgeon will remove the instrument retaining your eyelids and post-op drops will be administered. These include lubricants, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatories. The flap is checked.

You will be helped out of the chair, and the surgeon will recheck your eyes before you leave the center.

When you check out at the front desk, your post-op instructions will be briefly reviewed and you will be asked to put 
on eye protection for your trip home.