When you first get your eyeglasses as a kid, you feel incredible seeing clearly. It is hard to imagine you have missed so much. Then, as you get older, you may shift to contact lenses. The freedom that comes with these amazes you, especially if you play sports or live an active life. However, these two have their shortcomings. It is often at this point that many patients who need to have prescriptive eyewear consider LASIK.

LASIK is an eye surgery treatment that corrects your vision. Many people who have LASIK usually do not need eyewear. However, you may need contacts or glasses even after LASIK. The only difference is that you will not be as reliant as before. 

How Do You Prepare?

Schedule Time Off Work

While the surgery only takes a short time to complete and to heal, you will need to set aside time. You must ensure that you have no plans on the day of the surgery and at least a day after. It is essential to give your eyes time to heal by ensuring you get enough rest after.

Get Someone to Accompany You

For LASIK, you will not need to go under for the procedure. It will not take too long, so you can leave as soon as the surgery is done. However, you will not be able to drive yourself home. Have someone come with you for the procedure so they can take you home. 

During the Procedure

Setting Up

When you enter the surgery room, you will sit in a reclining chair that the surgeon will adjust to fit. They will use numbing drops on your eyes and clean the area around your eyes. They will then attach a lid speculum device to your eyes to hold your eyelids open. 

The Surgery

The eye doctor will use a fine blade to make a flap on your cornea. In other offices, they may use a laser to create the corneal flap. The eye doctor will lift the flap and ask you to stare into a light. It is necessary that you can stare at a fixed point for at least a minute at a time to be a good candidate.

The eye doctor will turn on the laser and remove layers from the underlying corneal tissues. You may hear some clicking sounds and smell something burning. After they have drawn enough tissues, the eye doctor will put back the flap. They will also cover your eye with a shield to protect it as it heals.

After the Procedure

You may experience some discomfort, mild pain, sensitivity to light, and glare or halos around lights. These will continue for a few days and then fade away. The eye doctor may recommend pain medication to help with the pain and discomfort. 

You will have to see the doctor again within 24 to 48 hours of the surgery. You will then need regular checkups for at least the next six months.

For more on LASIK eye surgery from prep to recovery, visit Sacramento Eye Consultants at our office in Sacramento or Lincoln, California. Call (916) 915-0300 to book an appointment today.