LASIK Eye Surgery: Everything You Need to Know

Everything You Need to Know About LASIK Surgery

What Is LASIK?

LASIK is a laser-assisted refractive eye procedure and the most common surgical option for correcting myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.

The acronym LASIK stands for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis. During the procedure, the cornea is reshaped using a laser. Like other refractive surgeries, LASIK reshapes the cornea so that incoming light focuses precisely on the retina, producing clearer vision.

LASIK for the Eyes

LASIK is a painless procedure that takes about 15 minutes for both eyes.

In some cases LASIK is not the ideal option, and other refractive procedures are recommended — surface laser ablation (PRK) or implantable collamer lenses (phakic ICL).

Dr. Shaarawy will discuss the most appropriate procedure for your case during your consultation.

How Soon Does Vision Return to Normal After LASIK?

Results are noticeable immediately after surgery; vision improves without glasses or contact lenses and continues to sharpen and stabilise over the next several days.

How LASIK Is Performed

LASIK procedure

Before the procedure begins, anaesthetic eye drops are placed to keep you comfortable, and your doctor may give you a mild medication to help you relax. You are then positioned under the laser, and a lid speculum is used to keep the eyelids open.

The surgeon places an ink mark on the cornea before lifting the flap. A very thin, superficial corneal flap is created using a small surgical instrument called a microkeratome — or, more commonly today, a femtosecond laser. During this step a suction ring is placed on the front of the eye to keep it stable.

The surgeon lifts the flap and uses an excimer laser to remove a precise amount of corneal tissue based on your prescription (myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism).

The excimer laser produces a cool ultraviolet beam that removes microscopic amounts of tissue to reshape the cornea, so that incoming light focuses more accurately on the retina.

The surgeon will ask you to look at a fixation light briefly while monitoring your eye through a microscope. The laser reshaping is painless, though you may feel some pressure on the eye and hear a steady clicking sound while the laser fires. LASIK is performed on each eye separately, with each procedure taking about five minutes.

For myopia, LASIK flattens the cornea; for hyperopia, it makes the cornea steeper.

Once reshaping is complete, the flap is repositioned. LASIK requires only topical anaesthetic drops — no patches or stitches.

The excimer laser also corrects astigmatism by smoothing an irregular cornea into a more uniform shape.

Before LASIK

Before the procedure, Dr. Shaarawy performs a comprehensive eye examination to confirm that your eyes are healthy enough for surgery. The evaluation includes:

• Corneal shape and thickness
• Pupil size
• Refractive error (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism)
• Tear film on the ocular surface

The surgeon may recommend a preventative tear-film treatment to lower the risk of post-LASIK dry eye.

An automated device called a corneal topographer or Pentacam is used to measure the curvature of the front of the eye and create a detailed map of your cornea.

In addition:

• You will likely undergo a wavefront analysis, which sends light waves through the eye to map subtle aberrations affecting your vision.
• Dr. Shaarawy will also review your general health and any medications you take to determine whether you are a suitable candidate for LASIK.

You should stop wearing contact lenses for a period of time (usually about two weeks) before the eye exam and the procedure, since contact lens wear can temporarily alter the shape of the cornea.

After LASIK

After surgery, the surgeon will ask you to rest for a while. You may notice some itching or burning afterwards. Vision is often blurry immediately after the procedure but typically clears by the following morning.

At your first post-op visit, visual acuity is measured to confirm that it is safe to drive without glasses or contact lenses.

In most cases this requires a visual acuity of 6/12 or better, as with any refractive procedure.

You should not drive after LASIK until your doctor has confirmed at the follow-up visit that your vision meets the legal and safety standards for driving.

Vision improves over a few days; in rare cases the process can take weeks or longer.

You can return to most normal activities right away, though some surgeons recommend at least one day of rest.

Strenuous exercise should be avoided for at least a week, as it can affect healing. Avoid rubbing the eye — there is a small chance of dislodging the corneal flap.

LASIK procedure

Long-Term Results of LASIK

LASIK can dramatically improve quality of life, with most patients achieving 6/6 vision or better — though results vary.

In some cases you may still need glasses or contact lenses after laser correction, though typically with a much weaker prescription than before.

If a small residual refractive error remains and you want sharper vision for tasks such as night driving, prescription lenses with anti-reflective coating can be helpful.

If you become more sensitive to sunlight after LASIK, photochromic lenses can reduce glare and make vision more comfortable.

Risks and Side Effects of LASIK

While LASIK has an excellent safety profile, there are some side effects and complications to be aware of:

• Night-time glare and halos around lights
• In a small minority of cases, an enhancement procedure may be needed

several months after the initial LASIK to fine-tune the result.

• You may still need reading glasses by your forties due to age-related near-vision loss (presbyopia).

While LASIK has a high success rate, it is important to discuss any concerns with Dr. Shaarawy before consenting to the procedure.