| The Procedure |
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| Pre-Treatment |
The first step in your journey to a life free from Spectacles and Contact Lenses involves setting up a Pre-Procedure Consultation appointment. You can do so by calling up the center. Be sure to mention the time convenient to you, and the doctor who you wish to consult. Please arrive on time for the consultation, and budget up to two hours for the consultation. |
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| This consultation is important for several reasons. |
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To determine if you are a candidate |
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To answer your questions |
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To learn as much as you can about laser vision correction, about PRK and LASIK |
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To understand the likely result, especially for your eyes. |
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At your pre-procedure consultation, we perform a thorough eye exam. Your exact refractive error is determined. Any conditions in your eyes that rule out laser vision correction in your eyes are looked for. Any other eye problems are also looked for and explained to you. Three special tests, Wavefront Aberrometry, Corneal Topography and Pachymetry, are also carried out.
As part of the consultation we provide you information on all aspects of laser vision correction. This will help you to understand what you can reasonably expect from laser vision correction. We believe that if you learn everything you can about the procedure, you can make an informed decision.
During the pre-evaluation process we will carefully evaluate your eyes and answer any questions.
If you decide to have the laser procedure, we'll tell you what you need to do to be ready. Mainly, you'll need to stop wearing contact lenses before your procedure, one week for soft lenses and four weeks for hard or gas permeable lenses. You will also need to put some antibiotic eye drops for a day or two before the procedure.
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| During Treatment |
| You should arrive at the LaseRx center as rested and relaxed as possible. You can have some light food before the procedure, if you like. You should allow 2 hours at the Laser Center. Wear comfortable clothing. Do not wear makeup, earrings, hair spray, perfume or cologne on the day of your laser procedure.
You will need to have someone drive you home. You can also take an auto or taxi to go home.
You will be asked to sign the informed consent and arrange for payment for your procedure.
You can meet with your surgeon to discuss any further questions.
We'll use anesthetic drops to numb your eye.
After we administer the numbing drops, we'll take you into the laser suite. By the way, you can view the laser equipment before the numbing drops are used. Your relatives or friends can view the procedure on a Closed Circuit TV arrangement. |
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| If you are having LASIK (Laser Assisted in-Situ Keratomileusis) |
| As LASIK is slightly more surgical in nature, sterile surgical conditions are maintained. |
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Your face is cleaned with a disinfectant. |
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You wear a surgical cap. |
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Your eyelashes are taped out of the way and an eyelid holder is put in your eye to prevent blinking. |
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In the LASIK procedure, a small flap is made in the cornea. To hold your eye in position while the flap is being made, we use what's called a suction ring. You will not see anything or feel any pain, but you may feel some pressure, while the flap is made. When the flap is turned over, your vision will get a little blurry. You are asked to fixate on a red target light.
The laser part of the procedure is performed and takes only a few seconds. The flap is placed back into position and the surgeon will wait 3 to 5 minutes for the eye to create a natural vacuum to hold the flap down. The typical LASIK procedure takes about 10 minutes per eye.
Once your procedure is done, you will be able to go home within half an hour. First we place some additional drops into your eyes and we'll give you instructions on use of your medications. The surgeon will also give your eyes one final look before sending you on your way. |
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| Post-Treatment |
| The First Day |
Following the surgery you should go home and rest.
You may experience some discomfort. If you have had LASIK it may last for a few hours and with PRK it may last for a few days. We will provide you with pain medication to be used as needed as well as ophthalmic drops to promote healing.
You can expect your vision to be fairly blurry. In the case of PRK the vision may worsen over the first three days. With LASIK there is usually a dramatic improvement in vision in the first 24 hours.
It may be a good idea to not plan on driving until you feel vision has improved. This may be a week with PRK and a few days with LASIK. Sensitivity to light is normal and will improve. |
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| You should : |
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Wear good sunglasses. |
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Avoid rubbing your eyes. |
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Avoid swimming, water parks etc. for a couple of months |
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Showers are fine, just avoid splashing your eyes with water for a few weeks. |
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Avoid dusty or smoky environments. |
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| The First Week |
When you leave the LaseRx clinic you will be given complete instructions including an appointment for the next day. A typical post-operative follow-up schedule includes examinations the day after, a week after and one, three, six and twelve months after, with annual checkups after that. You can discuss with your LaseRx doctor the alternatives if you cannot keep up the follow-up schedule.
With LASIK your vision improves more quickly and you may feel comfortable enough to drive in two days. You will be using drops for about ten days |
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| The First Year |
After PRK and LASIK it can take as much as three months for your vision to stabilize.
Recovery is generally faster with LASIK than PRK and stability can be achieved as soon as two weeks.
With LASIK, although the flap is relatively secure in one week, we advise you not to rub your eyes hard for a month. |
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| Enhancements |
In a small percentage of patients, there may be a need for an enhancement procedure, to further reduce any refractive error that may have been left behind after the procedure. Generally, any enhancement necessary will be carried out after 2-3 months, after vision has stabilized. |
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