Your LASIK Eye Surgery Experience

Before / During / After Surgery

Tylock-George Eye Care is focused on two things – performing their job to the best of their abilities and making you comfortable before, during, and after your LASIK procedure. By this time the anesthetic drops have done their job of numbing your eye(s) and the sedative you were given earlier has taken effect. Our staff will guide you step by step through the procedure.

The IntraLASIK flap is made on the WaveLight® FS200 Femtosecond Laser, the most advanced femtosecond available in the world. A small retaining device is placed around the edges of your eyelid to keep them open and prevent blinking. During the creation of the flap it is normal for your vision to gray out or go dark, and you may also feel some pressure. We ask that you lie still and not talk during this amazing 6 second procedure while the flap is being made.

Reshaping the Cornea

After your IntraLASIK flap is made with the Femtosecond laser the surgical bed will automatically transport you to the WaveLight® EX500 Excimer Laser, while you lie comfortably reclined. You will be given additional numbing drops and further instructions for the second part or your treatment that reshapes your cornea with the excimer laser.

At this time a small retaining device is used to hold the eyes open as you are told to watch a blinking green light within the laser. This green light is a point of reference that centers the eye perfectly for the correction. With the push of a button, your provider sends your unique preprogrammed information from the laser’s computer to the device, and the cool pulses (500 pulses per second) gently reshape the corneal curvature. The tracking device automatically follows even the slightest eye movements monitoring the pupil at a rate of 1050 times per second, during the treatment portion of the procedure. This assures that every pulse is delivered exactly where it is intended. Typically the amount of tissue removed is thinner than a human hair.

The laser’s work is usually complete in less than 10 seconds on the WaveLight® EX500 Excimer Laser. If you are having both eyes done, the procedure is repeated on the other eye. Throughout the entire process, you are conscious of what is going on and are able to follow all events of the procedure. Our friendly and attentive staff will talk you through every step of the procedure.

One more step is required before you are ready to leave the surgical suite. Your surgeon must make certain that both corneal flaps are perfectly sealed. Once your eyes have been examined, you are led to the recovery area. There you are given instructions for the next 24 hours.

After LASIK Surgery – Post-Surgical Evaluation and Release

Recovery Instructions

You are given artificial tears, a couple of sleeping pills, some extra strength Tylenol, and are released to go home with your designated driver. You should keep your eyes from drying out in this immediate post-op period. We strongly recommend that you keep your eyes closed or sleep for the first (four-six) hours after surgery. The natural position of your eyelids remaining closed helps the corneal flap to smoothly and permanently affix itself to your eye. You will also take artificial tears if your eyes feel the least bit dry or irritated, and should use them anyway during this time even if your eyes do not feel dry.

After you wake up, you can take part in any activity that is not strenuous. Most of our patients usually take it easy and prefer to spend the remaining part of the day and night sleeping and relaxing. So take it easy for the rest of the day and enjoy the opportunity to simply rest and relax.

Post-Operative Care

The first hours immediately following your LASIK procedure are the most critical for healing. You should keep your eyes well lubricated with tears and follow your post-operative instructions. The next day patients are able to return to almost all of their normal activities.

Post-operative care is an important part of any surgery. You want to make sure that you have a good, quality follow-up after your refractive surgery. At a minimum, your refractive surgery should be checked at 1 day, 1-2 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year. This will vary based on your procedure, individual healing response, and other factors. Close monitoring of the way you heal can make a difference in the way you ultimately see. Ask your doctor about his/her policy regarding follow up care. What parameters are used to determine whether or not you need a second “enhancement” surgery, and what are the timing restrictions and limits? Should you and your doctor decide a second surgery is best for you, what will be involved and how does it affect your post-operative care period.

Tylock-George Eye Care is committed to providing you with all the information you need to feel comfortable about making the choice to have vision correction surgery. After viewing our website if you would like to have more information, please contact us for our free Information Packet. We invite you to come in for a free consultation. Click here to schedule!