How Long Does LASIK Take?
LASIK surgery has a long track record of success. This procedure offers excellent results and has a low rate of complications, making it one of the safest and effective surgeries available.
At Primary Eye Care Associates in Chicago, IL, LASIK is one of our most popular treatment options. However, Dr. Steven Chander and our team understand that some patients have apprehension about undergoing LASIK because they are afraid to undergo a surgical procedure.
To alleviate these concerns, we discuss how long the LASIK procedure takes, and provide a step-by-step overview of the procedure. Once patients realize that any contact with the eyes takes less than 10 minutes, they often feel more comfortable undergoing LASIK surgery.
LASIK Surgery Preparation
The majority of your time at our office will be spent preparing and recovering from the LASIK procedure. Prior to entering our surgical room, we will check you in, provide you with an oral sedative to keep you calm and relaxed, and clean the area around your eyes.
Anesthesia
Once you enter our surgical area and are comfortably seated, we will apply numbing eye drops to your eyes. These prevent you from feeling any pain during the procedure. This part of the process typically takes just a minute or so.
Speculum Placement
Next, we will place speculum between the eyelids to keep them open during surgery. This process takes just a few seconds per eye and does not result in pain.
Creating the Flap
At this point, the surgical part of the LASIK procedure begins. At our Chicago practice, Dr. Chander uses the IntraLase® iFS laser system to create the corneal flap that gains him access to the underlying tissue. The creation of the corneal flap typically takes less than a minute per eye.
Reshaping the Stroma
The next step is to reshape the stromal tissue with an excimer laser. This part of the process takes less than one minute per eye, sometimes as little as 20 seconds per eye.
In all, the actual surgical contact with each eye typically takes less than two minutes.
LASIK Post-op Recovery
After your LASIK surgery is complete, we will transfer you to our recovery area. We will place goggles over your eyes to protect them and allow you some time to rest before your driver takes you home. In all, you should expect to be at our practice for up to two hours; but remember, that the surgical portion of the procedure takes less than 10 minutes.
With the use of an oral sedative, numbing eye drops, and such a quick procedure, many patients find LASIK to be well worth it.
Patients typically experienced improved vision within a couple of days, and the results are permanent.
Contact Our Practice
If you are considering undergoing the LASIK procedure, contact our practice online or call us in Chicago at (773) 735-6090 to schedule a LASIK evaluation. We can determine if you are a good candidate for treatment and discuss the surgical process so you feel comfortable and confident when undergoing your procedure.
