How LASIK Works

The LASIK procedure is comprised of several different steps. Before the procedure, the eye is numbed with anesthetic eye drops and a lid holder is placed to keep the eye open.

The surgery involves creating a flap of tissue in the middle section of the cornea called the stroma. This can be done with a surgical blade called a microkeratome, but newer technologies that we utilize here incorporate the safety and precision of a femtosecond laser for flap creation. After the flap is made, you are asked to look at a target light while a different laser, an excimer laser, is used to painlessly reshape the stroma and correct your prescription.

The procedure lasts from 10-50 seconds depending on the severity of the correction. The cornea is observed 20 minutes later to ensure proper flap adherence and corneal shape. Post-surgical treatment involves follow-up appointments to monitor the eye and its vision progress as well as the use of eye drops.

In most cases, vision is improved to the point where glasses or contacts are no longer needed; however, this varies with each patient depending on the degree of their vision impairment. Most individuals are able to return to normal activities such as work and driving the day after.