Day of Your LASIK

When you come in for your custom LASIK procedure, we hope you are excited and ready for this experience that will enhance your active lifestyle by reducing or eliminating your dependence on eyeglasses or contact lenses. There are no dietary restrictions on the day of the procedure. We do ask that you remove any make-up that day and not wear any perfume or cologne. Fragrances can interfere with the laser. You are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing.

You will need a companion to drive you home after your LASIK procedure. Be sure to bring all of your paperwork, completed and ready to submit.

Once you are ready for the procedure, the Blade Free Intralase™ system uses tiny, rapid pulses of laser light to create the corneal flap during the first step of LASIK. Each pulse of light passes through the top layers of the cornea and forms a microscopic bubble at a specific depth and position within your eye that is determined by your surgeon.

The procedure itself uses the VISX STAR S4™ Excimer Laser System. This state-of-the art technology is designed to bring Advanced CustomVue™ laser vision correction to reality.

The blade-free LASIK allows some patients who were previously ineligible to have the procedure. A thin cornea may disqualify some persons interested in LASIK, however with blade-free technology, a thinner flap is possible, thus allowing many persons with thin corneas to have laser vision correction. Also, a flap that is individualized to each patient can result in better postoperative outcomes. More patients in clinical trials achieved 20/20 or better vision when their procedure was performed using Intralase. Patients also report better quality vision overall, particularly in terms of their ability to see well in low light, such as at dusk or at night.

Our surgeon will ask you to look at a flashing red light as he begins your procedure. He will monitor your eye through the microscope at all times. You will hear a clicking sound the laser makes during the surgery. This is perfectly normal.

In all, the procedure should take no more than about 15 minutes on average.

After your procedure, Drs. Philip D. Campbell and Leslie B. Cunningham will examine your eyes in the post-op exam room. The technician will review your post-operative instructions and give you a time the next day to come back for your post-operative follow-up exam.

Afterwards, you will be allowed to leave with your driver to go home to rest. You will take home post-operative instructions and a post-operative kit to help you care for your eye.

Following your surgery, you will typically come back for follow-up examinations one day after your procedure and then at the following intervals: two weeks, one month, three months, six months and 12 months. At any time, if you have any reason for additional post-operative care on other occasions, you may be seen at no additional cost.