The LASIK Procedure
Free AssessmentsLaservision offers free assessments to anyone interested in laser refractive surgery. Assessments are performed by one of our trained staff and take approximately 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the depth of information you'd like us to cover.
The free assessment is an informative session to ascertain your suitability and your expectation of laser surgery. Measurements of your eyes are taken to allow the discussion to be individually tailored to you. This informed discussion will give you details of the treatment and overall care, and help you decide if laser surgery is right for you.
Scheduling SurgeryOnce you decide that you want to proceed with laser refractive eye surgery, contact Laservision to schedule your surgery and your pre and post operative appointments. We'll provide you with a consent booklet containing further in-depth information outlining the procedure, risks and complications.
Contact lenses can distort the shape of the cornea and therefore they need to be removed before surgery (two weeks for soft and at least six weeks for hard lenses). This allows time for the cornea to relax into its natural shape and ensures maximum accuracy with the laser procedure.
Pre-operative EvaluationAccurate refraction and measurements need to be taken before your surgery. Laservision works in consultation with optometrists and we may advise you to see your optometrist prior to surgery. Contact lens wearers may require more than one visit in order to obtain stable measurements.
The ophthalmologist (surgeon) will see you prior to surgery to conduct a thorough examination of your eyes and recheck the measurements, further discuss the surgery with you and help you make your final decision.
SurgeryOn the day of your surgery you should expect to be at Laservision for up to two hours and you'll need someone to drive you home afterwards. When you arrive at the clinic, you'll be required to sign the consent form and pay for surgery. Next, our nurse will go over the procedure again and the after-care involved. You'll receive a medication pack with instructions to take home, and then you'll be given a mild sedative which will relax you.
In the theatre, you'll lie down and local anaesthetic drops will be administered by nursing staff who will assist the surgeon throughout your treatment. Next, a speculum (which holds the eye open to avoid any blinking) is placed on the first eye to be treated. By this time, the local anaesthetic will be effective and surgery can proceed. A very fine flap is created in the cornea by our computer-controlled Amadeus microkeratome and the flap is gently folded back. Our exceptionally fast Allegretto Wavelight laser is then used to correct your particular refractive problem, a process which usually only takes between 3 to 20 seconds to perform. The corneal flap is then gently folded back into its normal position. Then, if you're having both eyes treated, the process is repeated on the other eye.
Immediately after surgery you'll rest in a lazyboy for twenty minutes with your eyes covered. This time allows the corneal flaps to begin the sealing process. Your surgeon will then check your eyes and fit clear protective shields. You can now go home, where we recommend you relax and take things easy for the rest of the day.
At this stage it is very important to observe the following:
Post-operative Care and Follow UpYour post-operative care is just as important for your results as the surgery itself. Your one day post-operative check is performed by your surgeon, and your one week appointment will either be with your surgeon or your regular eye care practitioner. Your one-month, three-month and finally, six-month checks can be undertaken by your optometrist. A typical post-operative consultation involves measuring your visual progress and checking the eye to make sure it is healing. | Click Image to Enlarge
| ||||||||||||||||
