Candidates considering LASIK or PRK eye surgery want to know how long the procedure lasts. The common assumption is that a task like permanently reshaping the cornea can take quite awhile. But you may be surprised to learn how brief the procedure actually is. Laser eye surgeons need only a few minutes to make the changes that allow you to see clearly for years to come!
Read on as Lakewood Ophthalmologist Dr. Edward Hedaya of InVision EyeCare explains how long LASIK/PRK surgery takes.
LASIK and PRK are outpatient procedures, so patients can have surgery and go home on the same day. From start to finish, the LASIK and PRK procedures take about 10 to 15 minutes. But the actual laser needs mere seconds to reshape the cornea to correct vision.
What to expect on the day of your surgery primarily depends on your choice in surgeon and surgery center. But generally, you can expect to arrive at the surgery center a half hour to hour prior to your surgery. You will fill out some paperwork and have a chance to ask any last-minute questions.
You will be escorted to the treatment room and seated in a reclining chair under the laser system. A numbing drop will be administered to your eye and a lid speculum will be placed to hold your eyelid open.
If you are having LASIK, a microkeratome or femtosecond laser will be used to create a flap on the cornea; if you are having PRK, the outer layer of your cornea will be removed (Dr. Hedaya prefers to perform PRK instead of LASIK).
Then, the laser system will be positioned over your eye and you will be asked to stare at a light. Meanwhile, the excimer laser will be used to reshape your cornea by vaporizing a specific amount of tissue based on your pre-operative measurements. While this is happening, your vision may blur but you will still be able to see. Part of the laser will track your eye’s movement and adjust treatment to follow the slight movements of your eyes.
After LASIK treatment, the corneal flap is restored to its original position over the eye. After PRK, the surface layer of the cornea regenerates on its own.
A shield will be placed over the eye and you will be taken to the recovery area to recuperate until being released to go home.
You may notice clearer vision as soon as the morning after your procedure!
For more information about LASIK or PRK, please call 732-607-8515 or email InVision EyeCare today and request an appointment with Dr. Hedaya.
