| Lasik is an outpatient surgical procedure. The only anesthetic is an eye drop that numbs the surface of the eye. The surgery takes 10 to15 minutes for each eye.
The procedure starts with administration of a topical antibiotic drop and a topical anesthetic to numb the eye. The surgeon then places a wire-lid speculum to stretch back the eyelids to expose the full surface of the eye. The surgeon then uses a special marker on the corneal surface to permit proper realignment of the corneal flap at the end of the procedure.
In order to stabilize the eye for flap creation, a pneumatic suction ring is placed on the eye and the intraocular pressure is raised to about 65 mm of mercury. With the eyeball now stabilized, the surgeon uses a microkeratome to create the corneal flap on the outermost layer of the eye. The corneal flap is hinged along the superior border of the cornea. The flap is then peeled back to expose the cornea, which is then subjected to the excimer laser. The laser reshapes the underlying corneal tissue, and the surgeon replaces the flap, which quickly adheres to the eyeball. There are no stitches. A shield either clear plastic or perforated metal is placed over the eye to protect the flap. |
