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What To Expect From LASIK: During Your Procedure

What To Expect From LASIK: During Your Procedure

What To Expect From LASIK: During Your Procedure

The day of the procedure is important

Day-of tips & tricks!

We’re back with the second part of our three-blog series on what to expect from LASIK. Before continuing on, we recommend that you read Part 1, Before Your Procedure. However, today is all about the big event…the day of your LASIK procedure!

Are You Ready?

We highly recommend that you complete all of your paperwork prior to coming in. However, if you missed something, be sure to bring it so we can get everything finalized before your surgery. There are several things to keep in mind on the day of your appointment prior to the procedure:

  • Wear comfortable clothing
  • Do not wear any makeup or cosmetics, including lotion
  • Eat a light meal beforehand
  • Make certain a responsible adult comes with you to drive you home after we’re done and to help care for you for the first day or so

 

But First, A Little Preparation

Before the procedure starts, you’ll have another chance to ask your surgeon or one of the nurses any questions you may have. When you’re ready, we will have you lay down comfortably. At this time, your eyes will be cleaned and then prepped with numbing drops. They will cause your eyes to feel a little odd, but the sensation is similar to dilation or a glaucoma test.

Once the drops have properly numbed your eyes, one eye will be covered and the nurse or surgeon will place you under the laser. Your eye will be held open by a device so you won’t even need to worry about blinking during your procedure. At this point, the doctor will be ready to start on the first eye.

It’s Go Time!

Once you are properly placed under the laser, you will be asked to stare at a fixed light. Keep in mind this is NOT the actual laser. It is simply a tool used to help you focus on a fixed spot. When the laser starts, you will hear clicking or buzzing…but don’t worry. This is completely normal. It’s just the machine starting up. You may feel some pressure but this, too, is normal. The surgeon will keep you advised and instruct you during the procedure. Once the doctor has completed the first eye, he will move on to the next. The entire procedure only takes around half an hour!

Be sure to join us again for the third and final part of our blog series on what to expect from LASIK. We will be going over post-operation instructions and a timeline on when you can expect to get back to your daily routine.

What To Expect From LASIK: Before Your Procedure

What To Expect From LASIK: Before Your Procedure

A thorough exam is critical before LASIK.

A thorough exam is critical before LASIK.

LASIK has come a long way since its origination. The technology is becoming more and more precise and there have been consistent improvements to techniques and procedures. However, part of the process should be making sure that the patient to be prepared, too. Our blog today will focus on what to expect from LASIK before your procedure.

The Consultation

Meeting with your doctors and their team ahead of time is critical. This is used as an opportunity for your surgeon to complete a very thorough eye examination. Part of this exam is to measure the shape of your cornea and essentially “map” the exact landscape of your eye. Since each patient is unique, the machines must be calibrated to the exact shape of your cornea. The best part about a consultation from Eye LASIK is that it’s FREE!

An additional part of the consultation is the meeting with our office staff to determine payment arrangements. As we’ve previously discussed in other blogs, Eye LASIK offers affordable financing and the procedure is allowed under most HSA insurance plans. We want everyone to be able to see clearer than clear…it’s more affordable than you might think.

Plan Ahead

One of the most important things to do prior to your procedure (and preferably before your consultation) is to stop wearing your contacts. Contact lenses can manipulate the contours of your eye’s surface, so it’s important to get the exact “no bells or whistles” shape prior to your procedure. It’s a bit inconvenient but be sure to plan on wearing your eyeglasses for at least two weeks prior to your surgery date.

It’s Go Time!

On the day of your procedure, be sure to make arrangements to have someone available to drive you to and from your appointment. Your vision will be blurry for a while afterwards and some of the medications given to you can make you groggy, impairing your ability to drive. It’s just safer this way.

Also, be sure to avoid wearing makeup (especially eye makeup), lotions, creams, or other cosmetics. These particles of these products have been known to cause infections in some patients, though this is usually just a precautionary measure. We simply recommend going without it for the day.

Eye LASIK will have two more installments of the “what to expect” series, including the actual procedure and the post-operative care, which will be posted in the upcoming weeks.

The Dangers Of Contacts

The Dangers Of Contacts

There are hidden dangers in using your contacts!

Ditch your contacts to improve your eye health!

Contact lenses are more portable and convenient than eyeglasses but they aren’t without some risk. Eye LASIK is here to give you a list of the dangers of contacts…and why you should ditch them for LASIK!

Germs, Germs Everywhere

Even the most vigilant contact lens wearers will tell you they slack off on occasion. However, when you’re inserting a foreign object into your eye, you’re also increasing the risk of transferring bacteria in there as well. Microbial keratitis, an infection where viruses and bacteria (and sometime amoebas!) infiltrate the cornea, can cause serious eye infections. In the most serious cases, patients require cornea transplant surgery.

Just Get A Little Shut-Eye

Have you ever fallen asleep with your contacts in and feel like you have to peel them off of your eyeballs once you wake up? While some brands are safer to use overnight than others, most optometrists don’t recommend doing this. You increase your risk of bad eye infections.

The Solution Is More Solution

After not wearing your contacts for a few days, do you ever top off your lens case with fresh solution? This is a big no-no. It causes the solution to lose effectiveness, since it’s being diluted with the old, less useful solution. Another poor choice? Leaving your contacts sitting in the same solution for days at a time. A grimy film will build up at the bottom of the case that can, once again, cause serious eye infections.

So what does Eye LASIK have to do with this? We aren’t trying to scare you. We just wanted to take the opportunity to tell you that LASIK can eliminate the need for ALL of these issues! After the procedure, there’s never a need to: (1) constantly touch your eye since there are no contacts to put in (2) worry about gooey eyes after sleeping (3) fuss over contact lens cases and solution. LASIK is more affordable than you think and it would make an excellent Christmas present or “new year, new you” gift to yourself. We offer free, personalized consultations to help you evaluate your eyes. Eye LASIK can’t wait to help you see clearer than clear!

Common Vision Conditions

Common Vision Conditions

Common vision conditions

Do you know what’s causing your vision impairment?

Being able to see something is caused by a scientific term known as refraction. Refraction is where light is bent as it passes through one object to another. Light passes through the eye lens and cornea and is then focused to the retina. Those light rays are then focused into messages, which are transferred to the brain via the optic nerve. This is a LOT of information but how that light is refracted is the source of many common vision conditions. Read on to find out more!

Astigmatism

The best way to describe astigmatism is to think of the curves of a basketball and a football. A normal cornea is shaped similarly to the basketball, which means it’s more rounded. An eye with astigmatism is curved more towards the edges like a football. Light passes through the round cornea more evenly than the oblong football shaped. People with astigmatism suffer from blurry, distorted vision, headaches, and usually have to squint often. They also have issues driving at night.

Myopia (Nearsightedness)

Approximately 25% of the American population has been diagnosed with myopia. Nearsightedness occurs when the eye is too elongated or an abnormal cornea or lens. Light is refracted in front of the retina instead of onto the retina itself. Either way, blurry vision and difficulty with distance vision (such as street signs) is very common.

Hyperopia (Farsightedness)

Hyperopia is the opposite of myopia. Where nearsighted people have light focused before the retina, farsighted people have light focused past the retina. The eyeball being too short or the cornea or lens being shaped abnormally causes this condition. Most patients experience squinting and blurry vision, particularly when trying to see something close up.

So now that you know a little more about common vision conditions, we want to take the time to tell you that LASIK can help correct them ALL! Our team has extensive experience in dealing with all kinds of refractive vision issues. However, setting up your free consultation is the only way to determine if LASIK is right for you. Call us today or fill out our online form to make an appointment. Give yourself the gift of better vision and a life free of contacts and eyeglasses today!

Six Great Reasons To Get LASIK

Six Great Reasons To Get LASIK

Reasons to get LASIK

Change your life with LASIK today!

LASIK is a fantastic procedure that can change your life. There are so many different reasons to set up your consultation, but we have tried to give you our favorites! Here are six great reasons to get LASIK!

1. It’s More Affordable Than You Think

Eye LASIK has a great financing program available to help make your procedure more affordable. If you have an HSA insurance program, you can also use the funds from your savings account to pay for your procedure. Our staff is experienced in helping you navigate the money portion.

2. (Almost) Instant Gratification
Imagine waking up the day after LASIK being able to see without glasses or contacts for the first time in years! You’ll be sleepy and need to rest your eyes immediately following your procedure but the following day, you’ll start to see better and more clearly. There are very short recovery times for LASIK, so you’ll be back to your daily routine in no time!

3. Travel Lighter
After LASIK, there’s no need to worry about packing glasses, contacts, or contact solution or cases anymore. You’ll be able to lighten your toiletry case and avoid attempting to find TSA-acceptable travel sizes for contact solution. Just grab your sunglasses and go!

4. Think Of All The Money You’ll Save
Glasses can be really expensive, with some frames alone costing several hundred dollars. Most insurance companies only offer basic lens coverage so anti-glare, UV protection, and scratch resistant lenses are the patient’s responsibility. Contacts are also pricy with the added cost of solution, cases, and drops. Insurance doesn’t always cover everything, so we encourage you to add up everything you’ve spent on your contacts and glasses over the year.

5. Get Moving
Want to go running? No problem! Is weight lifting your thing? You can do that, too! Feel like taking a swim? Easy peasy! After LASIK, you can exercise with more flexibility than ever before. You don’t have to worry about specialty glasses or removing your contacts before your workouts.

6. Sweet Freedom
Though these are just a few reasons, life after LASIK means there’s no need to:

  • Swing by your optometrist’s office to pick up your contact prescription
  • Worry about where you misplaced your glasses
  • Coordinate your glasses with your outfits
  • Panic when you’ve run out of contact solution

 

These are just a few great reasons to consider having LASIK. At Eye LASIK, we have a great team available to help answer all of your questions. We offer free consultations and would love to help you have clearer vision today. Visit our website to contact us today!