Many fear the pain of surgery. LASIK in particular deals with a notoriously sensitive part of your body— the eyes—so it is no wonder why people may feel this way. However, LASIK is a virtually painless experience thanks to special eye drops that are used. These eye drops contain a local anesthetic that blocks the nerve endings in your cornea and the white of your eye, which blocks the ability to feel pain. These numbing drops are only available through a doctor as repeated use of them can be damaging to your eye. Learn what to expect during LASIK, and why you’ll be comfortable, even during your recovery process!
What Happens During LASIK
After the anesthetic has been applied, the surgeon at our clinic in Prospect, CT will proceed with the operation. The entire procedure should only take about 15 minutes depending on the patient.
First, a flap of tissue is created in the cornea by making a small incision in the shape of a circle. It is left attached to the rest of the cornea so that it can be placed back down at the end of the surgery, significantly speeding up the healing process. This flap is gently lifted up (this is generally the only part of the surgery that you will feel a sensation of any kind— usually a slightly uncomfortable pressure for a few seconds) and the surgeon will use a powerful excimer laser to reshape the underlying tissue.
This laser is guided by wavefront technology, which creates a specific and unique map of your eye. When LASIK was first created, it was based on the patients’ prescriptions, and while even this was fairly effective, wavefront technology has allowed us to customize LASIK to every individual, improving results and satisfaction across the board. Everyone’s eyes are different and completely unique to them, which is what makes Custom LASIK so popular.
LASIK Recovery Tips
All good things must come to an end, as they say, and the numbing agent in the anesthesia is no exception. Eventually, you will regain feeling in your eyes. While recovery is not usually described as painful, you may experience increased levels of discomfort and general irritation. This will get better over time, though much like people’s eyesight, everyone heals differently. To help ensure a smooth recovery, here are a few tips and things to avoid.
- Rubbing your eyes can easily lead to flap complications so make sure to avoid this at all costs.
- Water, makeup, lotions, and other things you put on your face can lead to infection. Wait until you get the “okay” from your doctor.
- Heavy lifting and strenuous exercise can damage your eyes early on in recovery. Wait until you have healed sufficiently before returning to the gym or a job like construction.
LASIK is not right for everybody. If you’re interested in finding out what makes for a good LASIK candidate, simply set up a LASIK consultation at Danbury Eye today!
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