LASIK St. Louis

Your Pre-Operative Exam

 

Once you decide you're ready for LASIK, we'll schedule your Comprehensive Exam.  During this exam, which takes 2-3 hours, we'll perform a thorough eye exam to ensure your eyes are healthy enough for the procedure.

 

We will evaluate the shape and thickness of your cornea, pupil size, refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism) as well as any other eye conditions including the moistness of your eyes.

 

We will precisely measure the curvature of the front surface of your eye and create a "map" of your cornea.

 

Using our Wavefront Technology, we will perform an analysis that sends light waves through the eye to provide an even more precise map of aberrations affecting your vision.

 

And finally we'll discuss your general health history and any medications you are taking.

 

 

 

You will meet with your surgeon and you can ask any questions or

discuss any concerns you might have.

 

 

 

As we'll explain when you schedule your surgery, you will need to have stopped wearing your contacts for a few weeks prior to this exam.

 

 

 

The Day of Your Surgery

We will start by giving you numbing eye drops.  Generally, we'll also provide medication to help you relax.

 

During the surgery, you will be seated in a reclined position in a comfortable chair.  Your eye will be positioned under the laser, and an instrument called a lid speculum will be used to keep your eyelids open.

 

Your surgeon will then mark the cornea before creating the flap and apply a suction ring to the front of your eye to prevent eye movements or loss of contact that could affect flap quality.

 

After the corneal flap is created, your surgeon then uses a computer to adjust the excimer laser for your particular prescription (remember our Wavefront Technology - this is where we use your precise measurements to create a precise, customized treatment).

 

You will be asked to look at a target light for a short time while your surgeon watches your eye through a microscope as the laser sends pulses of light to your cornea.

 

The laser light pulses painlessly reshape the cornea, although you may feel some pressure on your eye. You'll also hear a steady clicking sound while the laser is operating.

 

A shield will be placed over your eye at the end of the procedure as protection, since no stitches are used to hold the flap in place. It is important for you to wear this shield to prevent you from rubbing your eye and putting pressure on your eye while you sleep, and to protect your eye from accidentally being hit or poked until the flap has healed.

 

LASIK is performed on each eye separately, with each procedure taking only about five minutes. The entire surgery generally takes about 20 minutes.

 

We have a comfortable waiting area for your family/friends where they can actually watch your procedure.

 

 

After Your LASIK Surgery

 

Upon completion of your LASIK surgery, your surgeon will have you rest for a bit. You may feel a temporary burning or itching sensation immediately following the procedure. After a brief post-operative exam, someone can then drive you home. (You cannot drive yourself until your eye doctor confirms your uncorrected vision meets the legal standard for driving.)

 

You will very likely experience improved vision immediately after surgery.

 

That being said, you should expect some blurry vision and haziness after surgery, however clarity should improve by the very next morning.

 

Your eyesight should stabilize and continue to improve within a few days, although in rare cases it may take several weeks or longer. For most people, vision improves immediately.

 

You may be able to go to work the next day, but we often advise a couple of days of rest instead.

 

Also, we recommended that you refrain from any strenuous exercise for at least a week, since this can traumatize the eye and affect healing.

 

 

Your Post-Operative Exams

 

We will schedule a brief appointment for the day after your surgery where we will examine your eyes and make sure the healing process is proceeding properly.  We will also answer any questions you might have.

 

We will also schedule brief appointments for one week, one month, three months and six months after your surgery.

 

All of these appointments are included with your LASIK surgery. 

 

 

Your Long-Term Results

 

LASIK can dramatically improve your vision and quality of life. Most people achieve 20/20 vision or better after the surgery (but LASIK results do vary and it's irresponsible to guarantee it).

 

It's pretty uncommon but you may still need to wear glasses or contact lenses following laser vision correction, though your prescription level typically will be much lower than before.

 

While the procedure has an excellent safety profile, LASIK complications can occur and may include infection or night glare (starbursts or halos that are most noticeable when you're viewing lights at night, such as while you're driving).

 

A small percentage of people will need a LASIK enhancement, or "touch up" procedure, a few months after the primary LASIK surgery to achieve acceptable visual acuity.

 

You also may still need reading glasses once you reach your 40s, due to a normal age-related loss of near vision called presbyopia.

 

 

Best news? You will be free from glasses and/or contacts.  It's an incredible feeling!