Are you thinking about getting LASIK? Are you worried about what happens during the procedure?
First, congratulations on taking the first step towards achieving visual freedom! Keep reading to learn more about LASIK and to find out what happens during the procedure.
What Happens During LASIK?
Before the procedure, your surgeon gives you numbing eye drops. These drops completely numb your eyes, so you do not feel anything during the procedure.
The drops take about thirty minutes to take effect. After that, you are ready to enter the procedure room.
First, your surgeon makes a small flap in the outermost layer of your cornea called the epithelium. Once your cornea is uncovered, they use a laser to reshape it.
LASIK corrects your vision by reshaping your cornea. After it gets reshaped, images will be clear, and you will likely have the best eyesight of your life.
The flap is what makes LASIK a unique procedure. There are other corneal reshaping procedures, but LASIK is the only one that does it like this.
What is the LASIK Recovery Process Like?
First 24 Hours
During the procedure, you will not feel anything because of the numbing eye drops. After the procedure, they will wear off within a few hours.
Your eyes may feel uncomfortable or sensitive. Once you’re home, you should take ibuprofen and rest for a few hours.
When you wake up, your eyes should feel better. However, you will need to avoid activities that strain your eyes, like reading or using a computer.
You may notice improvements in your vision when you wake up from this post-procedure nap. Although, results can take longer to appear for some people.
Within a day or so, you will need to go in for your follow-up appointment. Your doctor will check to see how your eyes are healing.
First Month
During the first month, your eye doctor will instruct you to use specific eye drops every hour. It is essential to follow these instructions. They help prevent infection and inflammation.
It’s also essential to use the artificial tears they give you to keep your eyes moist. Most patient’s eyes are dry after LASIK. The drops and tears help them heal faster and feel normal more quickly.
Also, within the first week, you need to avoid touching your eyes. They will be sensitive while they are healing.
This includes keeping particles out of your eyes like soap or face wash in the shower. If you are near contaminated water like rivers, pools, or hot tubs, you need to keep that away from your eyes too.
Other things to keep away from your eyes include mascara, eyeliner, brushes, and creams. Protecting your eyes like this helps prevent infections.
When Can You Go Back to Regular Activities?
You can start exercising within a week, but it’s best to use machines and be sure to keep the sweat out of your eyes.
About two weeks after LASIK, you no longer need eye drops, but you may still need artificial tears. As with all medical procedures, be sure to follow all the instructions your eye doctor gives you.
By the end of the first month, you can play contact sports without wearing eye protection. Until then, make sure you wear goggles to protect your eyes.
Schedule a LASIK consultation at Metro Eye Care in Paramus, NJ, and get ready to have visual freedom!
