Nowadays, LASIK eye surgeons in Orange County are in high demand to treat myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism, using one of the most popular procedures to date, LASIK.
What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
LASIK is an acronym for “laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses”. Lasik eye surgery is a refractive surgery that reshapes the cornea to help light enter the eye correctly onto the retina, usually resulting in clearer vision.
LASIK surgery is typically painless and takes about 15 minutes for each eye, depending on the level of correction that needs to be done. The end result you should expect at Excel Laser Vision Institute, a LASIK clinic in Orange County is typically better vision without eyeglasses or contact lenses. Your vision also should continue to improve and stabilize over the following days after LASIK.
It is possible for you not to qualify as a good candidate by a LASIK surgeon in Orange County, however, there are other vision correction surgeries available such as PRK, LASEK, and PIOL surgery.
It is a good idea to set up an appointment with an ophthalmologist to ascertain which vision correction surgery is best for you.
What Happens During LASIK Surgery?
For the most part, there are three steps in a LASIK procedure, which are:
- A flap in the cornea is created.
- The underlying corneal tissue is reshaped with a laser.
- The flap is then relocated back over the treated area.
LASIK eye surgery ultimately corrects your vision by reshaping the cornea, which is the clear front surface of the eye.
In detail, a LASIK surgeon in Orange County will numb your eye with anesthetic drops. When the drops take effect, the eye surgeon will directly mark your eye for the realignment of the corneal flap after the laser treatment.
The surgeon will then place a suction ring to hold your eye steady while they create a thin flap in the cornea. This flap can also be created with a laser for a blade-free LASIK procedure.
The flap is folded back but is still attached to the eye by a small uncut hinge on one side. A computer-controlled laser beam is then used to reshape the cornea in less than one minute. Then, the corneal flap is repositioned and fixes to the underlying cornea without any stitches!
After LASIK surgery, the reshaped cornea should provide clear vision without the need for glasses or contact lenses. LASIK eye surgery only uses topical anesthetic drops, and bandages or stitches are not required after the procedure.
What Happens Before LASIK Surgery?
An optometrist will perform a thorough eye exam to make sure your eyes are healthy enough for the LASIK procedure. To do this the eye doctor will evaluate the shape and thickness of your cornea, pupil size, refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism) and other eye conditions.
The eye doctor will also have a look at the tear film on the surface of the eyes, and a precautionary treatment might be recommended to lower your risk of developing dry eyes after LASIK surgery.
Generally, an automated instrument called a corneal topographer is used to measure the curvature of the cornea and to create an outline of it.
Since wavefront technology is linked with custom LASIK, you will most likely undergo a wavefront analysis that transfers light waves through the eye to support a precise outline of aberrations affecting your vision.
When being examined by your eye doctor to see whether LASIK is the right laser eye surgery for you, he or she will ask you about your general health history and any medications you are currently taking.
The doctor will also advise you to stop wearing contact lenses for an amount of time (usually two weeks) before your eye exam and before LASIK surgery because contact lenses can temporarily stop the natural shape of your cornea.
What to Anticipate During LASIK Surgery?
Before your eye surgeon starts the LASIK surgery procedure, you will receive numbing eye drops to ward off any discomfort during the procedure. If you are feeling anxious, your doctor might give you some medication to help you relax.
The surgeon will place your eye under the laser, and an instrument called a lid speculum is used to keep your eyelids wide open. Then, the eye surgeon moves on to marking your cornea before creating the flap. A suction ring is placed on the front of the eye to prevent eye movements or loss of contact that could affect flap quality. You shouldn’t feel any discomfort during these steps.
After the eye surgeon creates the corneal flap, he or she uses a computer to modify the excimer laser for your specific prescription.
Your surgeon will ask you to look at a target light for a short time while he or she watches your eye through a microscope and a laser sends pulses of light towards your cornea.
These laser light pulses painlessly reshape the cornea, even though you might feel some pressure on the eye. You will constantly hear a clicking sound while the laser is operating. The LASIK surgeon performs the LASIK procedure on each eye separately, and each procedure takes about 5 to 10 minutes depending on your condition.
What Happens Right After LASIK Surgery?
When the LASIK procedure is completed, your eye surgeon will let you rest for a while. You might feel a temporary burning or itching sensation right after the procedure.
After you get a brief post-operative exam, your designated driver can take you home. It is important to note that you cannot drive yourself home after LASIK surgery until your optometrist sees you the next day and confirms that your corrected vision is in line with the legal standard for driving.
If you experience blurry vision and haziness right after your surgery, do not be alarmed because that is normal. Nevertheless, you should start to have some clarity the next morning.
Throughout the following days after your laser eye surgery, your eyesight should stabilize. There are some rare instances where a person’s vision takes several weeks or longer, but for the majority of people, their vision improves straight away.
If you would like to know more about LASIK eye surgery and find out if you are a potential candidate, contact Excel Laser Vision Institute at + (818) 907-8606 today. Our trained eye surgeons can accurately assess you for LASIK surgery and provide you with outstanding results!
