If your eyesight is less than stellar and you are tired of wearing spectacles and contact lenses, you may have thought about LASIK eye surgery and wondered if this would be the right choice for you. You will have to consult with your eye doctor first to be sure, but we can tell you a bit of the process and what to expect.
Did You Know?
There are very little pain and discomfort associated with the procedure due to the numbing drops used?
LASIK is very good at correcting vision? About 96 percent of patients achieve their desired vision after LASIK, with enhancements boosting this number, says WebMD.
Can vision be corrected immediately or at least by the day after?
After LASIK, most patients experience a dramatic reduction in the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses, if they even need them at all?
You can adjust years after LASIK to further correct vision if you experience additional vision changes as you get older?
After LASIK, most patients experience a dramatic reduction in the need for eyeglasses or contact lens, if they even need them at all?
No stitches or bandages are required after surgery?
Does LASIK Mean No More Contacts?
In many cases, yes. LASIK surgery dramatically reduces the need for all kinds of eyewear, including contacts. Its purpose is not to restore 20/20 vision in all patients, but many do, or even 20/15. This surgery is not always perfect, though. Two-thirds of patients still must wear glasses or contacts occasionally and in some capacity. About 80 percent of patients say they are delighted with their experience.
What to Expect
The surgeon will make a small incision with a laser across your cornea, which leaves a flap over its surface. Once that flap is lifted, they will use a second laser to reshape the cornea as desired to better retract light along the retina, situated at the back of the eye.
While you may have been scared off from the procedure after hearing that lasers are used in the process, it is not as scary as all that. It is not painful, either. This is the very reason LASIK is so popular these days, as it is associated with little pain and discomfort if anything.
Your surgeon will give you numbing drops before surgery, just like prescription or over-the-counter eye drops you may be used to. They contain a local anesthetic that helps to numb the eye. Once you blink after the drops are put in, they start to infiltrate your whole eye. But ONLY, your eyeball will feel numb, not your face or even your eyelids.
You may feel during the procedure when the surgeon uses a speculum to open your eye.
A quick and painless procedure: this is what you can expect. It takes just less than a minute. After he or she is done, the surgeon lowers the flap, and you can go home. No stitches, bandages, or pain meds, and no restrictions on regular activity.