Virtual Reality Tour
Once you enter the laser suite, you will notice that we keep the temperature in the laser suite slightly cool. If needed, we will cover you with a blanket to keep you warm and comfortable. Your chair will be reclined back so that we may begin preparing you for the procedure.
Your eye area will be gently cleansed with betadine and anesthetic drops will be instilled into the eye to numb it. If having both eyes done on the same day, the left eye will be patched while we prepare to operate on the right eye.
We will then rotate your bed so that you are directly under the laser. One of our technicians will then check to make sure you are aligned and in proper position and will then ask you to focus on a blinking light that is surrounded by a white circle. Your physician will then gently open your eyelids and insert a retainer that will hold your eyelids open during the procedure. The retainer will not hurt and it will make it impossible for you to blink during the laser surgery.
Our physicians use a sophisticated microkeratome to create a microscopically thin flap of tissue on the front surface of your eye. This portion of the procedure takes approximately 40 seconds to complete. Your vision will be very diminished during this time and is pain free. You may notice a pressure sensation while the flap is being created. Once your flap has been created the pressure sensation will diminish and your vision will come back into to focus.
At this point is where your surgeon will be instructing you to focus on the blinking light while he begins to remove microscopic amounts of tissue from the cornea. This entire laser procedure is completely painless and typically takes less than 60 seconds. The flap will then be repositioned on the eye and fixed into place.