How long does a LASIK surgery take?

LASIK surgery is usually completed in 30 minutes or less. During the procedure, you lie on your back in a reclining chair. You may be given medicine to help you relax. After numbing drops are placed in your eye, your doctor uses an instrument to hold your eyelids open.

Is LASIK surgery very painful?

Fortunately, LASIK eye surgery is not painful. Right before your procedure, your surgeon will place numbing eye drops into both of your eyes. While you may still feel a little bit of pressure during the procedure, you should not feel any pain.

How long after LASIK Can I see 20 20?

During a LASIK procedure, a laser is used to change the shape of one or both corneas to improve vision. According to the American Refractive Surgery Council, more than 90% of LASIK patients achieve 20/20 vision or better after 2 to 3 months of post-surgery recovery.

How long is recovery after LASIK?

While most people who get laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) eye surgery notice an immediate improvement in their vision, or at least do by the next day or so, it takes the eye about three to six months to fully recover and heal.

Is LASIK surgery easy?

The process of LASIK surgery is simple and quick, taking an average of only 15 minutes to treat both eyes. Understanding it can provide some insight into why LASIK is typically so painless.

Real-time uncut unedited LASIK procedure live with real sound

What happens if you blink during LASIK?

Yes—patients are awake during LASIK. However, there is no need to worry if you accidentally blink or move your eyes during the surgery. Thanks to advanced LASIK technologies in Billings, your eyes will remain comfortably steady as our doctors provide the vision correction results you need to see as clearly as possible.

How long is vision blurry after LASIK?

While you will see better the day after surgery, your vision may be a bit blurry or hazy immediately afterward. These temporary vision difficulties usually clear up after the first few weeks. However, it can take about 2 – 3 months before your vision fully stabilizes and your eyes completely heal.

Can I use phone after LASIK?

Since your eyes are still healing, they will be especially sensitive in the first 24 hours after the LASIK procedure. Because of this, it's recommended to wait at least 24 hours before using your phone, computer, tablet or watching TV.

Are you awake during LASIK?

LASIK surgery is so quick—it only takes a few minutes—that patients only need local anesthesia in the form of eye drops. These completely numb the eyes but you will be completely awake for the entire surgery. To make you feel comfortable and relaxed, the eye surgeons explain every step of the surgery.

How do they keep your eyes open during LASIK?

As our friends over at Providence Eye & Laser Specialists put it, “After instilling numbing eye drops you actually do not feel the urge to blink, and a device is used to gently keep it open when necessary.” By getting rid of the urge to blink, you will not feel the need to close your eyes during the procedure.

How long after LASIK can I shower?

LASIK Aftercare for Showering & Bathing

Dr. Mozayeni and Dr. Nunnery advise patients that it is okay to bathe or shower normally the day after your LASIK eye surgery. For the first week after your LASIK surgery, it's important to keep water, soap, hair care products and/or washing liquids away from the eye.

Will I ever need glasses after LASIK?

Patients typically undergo laser eye surgery to reduce or completely eliminate their need for visual aids such as contact lenses and glasses. The truth is that most patients will eventually require reading glasses at some point in their future.

Is vision perfect after LASIK?

Studies show that vision continues to improve following LASIK vision correction for up to a year after the procedure. LASIK does not always achieve perfect vision immediately and in fact perfect vision is not guaranteed nor should it be expected.

How will I feel after LASIK?

You'll probably want to take a few days off from work as well. Most people don't experience much pain after LASIK surgery, but it's completely normal to experience a burning or scratchy feeling in your eyes for the first few hours following your surgery. You may also notice that your vision changes throughout the day.

Do you feel the urge to blink during LASIK?

During the procedure, the eyelids are held open with a small medical device to prevent blinking. It is therefore impossible for you to close your eye or blink during the procedure. We keep the surface of your eye lubricated with drops, so your eye does not get dry, and you will not feel the need to blink.

Can you be knocked out for laser eye surgery?

A sedative can be taken if you're really nervous

If you're still really nervous at the thought of laser eye surgery, a sedative in the form of a tablet can be given to help you stay relaxed. This takes about 20 minutes to take effect and you can decide on the day if you wish to have this.

Do they do both eyes during LASIK?

You may choose to have LASIK surgery on both eyes at the same time or to have surgery on one eye at a time. Although the convenience of having surgery on both eyes on the same day is attractive, this practice is riskier than having two separate surgeries.

Why is vision blurry after LASIK?

LASIK's Most Common After-Effects

In the two to three hours immediately after surgery, your vision will be blurry. Although your eyesight will greatly improve within 24 hours, you may still experience intermittent blurriness and fluctuations in your vision for some time as your eyes adjust to the reshaped cornea.

What can I not do after LASIK?

What are the do's and don'ts after LASIK?

Avoid pools, whirlpools, saunas, and lakes for at least 3 weeks. No eye makeup for at least a week. Toss out partly used products to avoid an infection. Don't get your hair colored or permed for at least 10 days.

Does cornea grow back after LASIK?

Instead of making the corneal flap, the surgeon removes the epithelium, the outermost layer of the cornea. After surgery, the epithelial layer will grow back.

Should you wear blue light glasses after LASIK?

After Lasik, be sure to wear sunglasses or blue light blocking lenses every time you go outside. Right after Lasik, you may experience light sensitivity. This typically decreases with time.

What is ghosting after LASIK?

Most of the time it has to do with the edema (swelling) created in the eye due to the surgery. As the eye heals, the ghosting disappears. If the ghosting happens with both eyes, then the eyes may be out of alignment and need additional adjustment. Ophthalmologists prescribe eyedrops for the condition.

Can you talk during LASIK?

Any movement outside the safe tracking range will cause the laser to stop automatically. That's handy if you feel the need to cough, sneeze, or move your head. You can also talk during the procedure and request a break whenever you need it.

What if you move your head during LASIK?

So, no need to worry about keeping your eye open or moving your eye during the procedure. If you head or body moves, from a cough or sneeze, then the laser moves with you or stops altogether. You will be lying down on a comfortable flat, cushioned bed during the procedure, which only takes about 6 minutes!