Corrective Eye Surgery

Corrective eye surgery typically takes less than 30 minutes. You will live on your back in a reclining chair in an exam room with the laser system. The system includes a large machine with a microscope attached to it and a computer screen. A numbing drop will be placed in your eye, the area around your eye will be cleaned, and an instrument called a lid speculum will be used to hold your eyelids open.

A ring will be placed on your eye and very high pressures will be applied to create suction to the cornea. Your vision may dim while the suction ring is on and you may feel the pressure and experience some discomfort during this part of the procedure. A cutting instrument attached to the suction ring will be used to cut a flap in your cornea.

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The blade and the suction ring are then removed, and you will be able to see but you will have different degrees of blurred vision during the rest of the procedure. The doctor will then lift the flap and fold it back on its hinge. He’ll then dry the exposed tissue.

Your doctor will then position the laser over your eye, and you will be asked to stare at the light. This is not the laser used to remove tissue from your cornea. Instead, this is the light used to help keep your eye fixed on one spot once the laser comes on. If you cannot stare at a fixed object for more than a minute, you may not be a good candidate for corrective eye surgery.

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Your doctor then will start the laser. You may become aware of new sounds and smells. The laser will make a ticking sound. As the laser removes corneal tissue, some patients said they experienced a scent similar to burning hair. A computer controls the amount of laser delivered to your eye. Before the start of surgery, your doctor will have programmed the computer to vaporize a particular amount of tissue based on the measurements taken at your initial evaluation. After the pulses of laser energy vaporize the tissue in your cornea, the flap is put back into place.

After the corrective eye surgery, you’ll likely have a burning and itching in your eyes. Or you might feel like there’s something in your eyes. Both your eyes may water up and your vision will probably be a bit hazy. These symptoms will improve within the first few days after surgery.