There is no doubt that LASIK has revolutionized many people’s life in getting back to their clear eyesight. Patients who have refractive eye problems are no longer restricted to merely the option of prescription lenses in the form of glasses or contacts.
Rather, LASIK and other types of laser eye surgery make it possible for people who would normally need corrective lenses in their glasses or contacts to see clearly without the assistance of any aids at all.
However, going for the laser might be scary for many individuals seeking eye surgery. Understanding what to expect might make patients feel calmer and more comfortable about the process. The greatest concern is on the time it will take for the laser eye surgery to be accomplished.
How Long will the Lasik Eye Surgery Process Take?
The length of your consultation and the time required to execute the LASIK treatment on each eye are extremely different. The LASIK procedure generally takes less than ten minutes for each eye, with the real laser treatment taking only 20-120 seconds of that total
time.
However, because every patient is different, the exact duration of your LASIK surgery can vary a little bit from person to person. Patients who are worried or anxious about the possibility of having their vision corrected with a laser will find this information to be very reassuring.
What Happens During the Lasik Appointment Time?
The answer lies in proper planning and recovery. An old proverb says, “failure to plan is planning to fail,” which is true for any medical operation, including LASIK eye surgery. This is because these kinds of operations require precision. Every LASIK patient has a subtly different aberrant curve to their cornea. Therefore, how the cornea will have to be altered will also differ. Your LASIK practitioner will do corneal topography to guarantee that your cornea is reshaped with attention to detail. This is a non-invasive imaging method that is employed for tracing the surface curvature of the cornea.
Your LASIK laser eye surgeon will use this topography to design precisely where your eyes require to be laser-treated to lessen and eventually eradicate the refractive issues that keep you dependent on prescriptive glasses or contact lenses.
You will be given eye drops before surgery that will numb your eyes. This process will take approximately ten minutes; after it is complete, you will not be able to feel anything throughout the laser treatment. The next step in the process will include placing a device over your eyes and holding them in that position during the therapy.
After that comes the actual treatment itself. A thin flap is generated in the cornea’s outermost layer, known as the epithelium. Through this flap, a second laser will do the necessary reshaping per the plan created using your corneal topography.
During this time, you will be instructed to focus your gaze on a target contained within the laser. The time required for this procedure stage is less than two minutes. After the corneal flap has been placed back over the eye and the laser treatment has been completed, the eye is allowed to recuperate.
Immediately following the surgery, your eyes will be examined, and you will be provided with detailed post-operative care recommendations to ensure proper recovery of your vision. After that, you will be given some medicinal eye drops to take with you, and you should use them exactly as the directions say.
The majority of surgical procedures need that you set up between two and three hours for the process. This gives you sufficient time for check-in, surgical preparation, surgery, and time in the office immediately following surgery to ensure that you are comfortable and well on your way to recovering from the procedure.
How Long Will You Take to Recover from Laser Eye Surgery?
In most cases, you will notice a significant difference the day after your surgery, and you will have fully recovered within about two weeks. At that point, you will be able to resume physical activity. Your vision should become more stable during the first six weeks after surgery.
Is Laser Surgery Permanent?
One of the most widespread misconceptions about LASIK surgery is that the impact will wear off over time or that people are concerned about how long the laser eye surgery results will stay. According to research, the outcomes of laser eye surgery should be permanent for most patients.
Looking to delve deeper into LASIK surgery or find top-rated surgeons? Search our directory to discover the perfect expert for your requirements.
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About the Author Written by Dr. Michael Shumski, M.D., M.S.E.
Dr. Shumski is a board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in cataract & refractive surgery at Magruder Laser Vision in central Florida.
