What to Expect Before, During & After LASIK Surgery

If you are considering LASIK surgery, it is important to have realistic expectations and understand what to expect before, during and after the procedure. The experienced eye care professionals at Elmquist Eye Group can help.

The Elmquist Team

What to Expect Before, During & After LASIK Surgery

Yasaira Rodriguez, MD, is a board certified eye surgeon whose areas of expertise include LASIK, refractive cataract surgery, upper eyelid surgery, and in-office procedures. She is a member of the American Board of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Kate Wagner, OD, managing partner, and Nina Burt, OD, are skilled board certified optometrists who provide pre-op and post-op exams, testing, and follow-up care to our LASIK patients.

What is LASIK eye surgery?

LASIK stands for “laser in-situ keratomileusis.” It is a very short procedure that is used to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism and may be able to reduce or eliminate your dependence on glasses or contacts.

Before LASIK Surgery

Not every individual is a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery. Every eye is unique, and corneas are just as distinctive as fingerprints or DNA. The only way to know for sure if you are a good candidate for LASIK surgery is to schedule an appointment with Elmquist Eye Group.

You can expect your eye doctor to do a comprehensive evaluation of your eyes to test for corneal thickness, pupil size, refractive error, astigmatism, etc., and the surgeon will make a final determination about your candidacy for LASIK surgery.

In general, if you are nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism, are at least 18 years old, have never had eye surgery, and have not been diagnosed with an eye disease like glaucoma or cataracts, you may be a good candidate for LASIK surgery.

During LASIK Surgery

In conventional LASIK surgery, the surgeon uses a handheld surgical blade, called a microkeratome, to cut a thin flap into the corneal surface. The flap is then folded over, and energy pulses from a computer-guided excimer laser are applied to reshape the corneal tissue and improve the way the eye focuses light rays onto the retina.

At Elmquist Eye Group, we prefer all-laser LASIK, also called “bladeless” LASIK. This state-of-the-art technique enables the surgeon to cut the corneal flap with the cool beams of a femtosecond laser rather than with a metal blade.

All-laser LASIK is the most technologically advanced and safest way of performing LASIK surgery. It’s also the only method that is approved for NASA astronauts and U.S. military pilots.

After LASIK Surgery

Plan to have someone drive you home after LASIK surgery. The surgeon may place a transparent shield over the eye(s) to protect against accidental bumps and to remind you not to rub your eye(s). You may need to wear the shield only when sleeping. The surgeon may also provide you with eye drops to help the cornea(s) heal. You can expect it to take three to six months after surgery for vision improvements to fully stabilize.

If you would like more information about what to expect before, during and after LASIK surgery, schedule an appointment with the best refractive surgeon in Cape Coral and Fort Myers at Elmquist Eye Group. Call us at (239) 936-2020 to find out everything you would like to know about the procedure.