Are you awake during LASIK?

What is LASIK eye surgery?

LASIK, developed 30 years ago, is a type of surgical procedure that uses lasers to correct vision problems caused by refractive errors. Refractive errors occur when the light entering the eye doesn’t bend properly, causing blurred vision.

LASIK is the acronym for Laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses; it is the most performed laser eye surgery in the United States with over 40 million LASIK surgeries performed worldwide.

Assil Eye Institute (AEI) uses advanced surgical techniques and leading-edge LASIK technologies to provide a unique approach to the procedure. AEI’s own Dr. Kerry Assil was a pioneer in the early development of LASIK technology and continues to contribute to revolutionizing the LASIK field today.

What causes a refractive error?

The cornea (outermost layer in the eye) and the lens of the eye refract (bend) light directly onto the retina in the back of the eye. The retina sends the information to the brain where it’s transformed into the images we see.

When the cornea is irregularly shaped, the light doesn’t focus precisely on the retina – this causes refractive errors.

LASIK surgery involves reshaping the cornea with lasers to create a sharp, clear image. LASIK treats the following refractive errors:

Nearsightedness (myopia)

There is clear close vision but blurry distance vision.

This occurs when the cornea is more curved than normal, resulting in light rays focused in front of the retina.

Farsightedness (hyperopia)

This occurs when the cornea is too flat, resulting in light rays focusing behind the retina. Distance vision is clear, but close vision is blurry.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism is an imperfection in the curvature of the eye. The front surface of the cornea or lens has mismatched curves and the light gets bent more in one direction than another, instead of evenly.

This results in only part of an object being in focus, and things at a distance being blurry.

Do I have to be awake during LASIK eye surgery?

Unlike surgery requiring general anesthesia, where patients are sedated and unconscious, patients remain awake during LASIK eye surgery. LASIK only requires local anesthesia. Having the patient remain awake allows the surgeon to better assess the moment-to-moment progression of the procedure, to achieve the best possible results.

The two biggest fears about remaining awake are

1. feeling pain
2. coughing or sneezing during the procedure

But there is no need to be concerned about pain or risky eye movements during treatment. A sophisticated tracking device is used to monitor involuntary eye movement and adjust the laser accordingly.

Numbing eye drops are placed in the eyes to eliminate any chance of pain. Surgeons also use a special blinking retainer called a lid speculum that gently holds the eyelid in place and helps prevent blinking.

The LASIK surgeon can also provide a mild sedative to help you relax while keeping you awake throughout the process.

What do you see during LASIK surgery?

The LASIK laser is not only painless, but it’s also invisible. Humans are unable to see the laser because it is outside the visible spectrum of light. The light energy in the LASIK laser that’s used to reshape the cornea has a far shorter wavelength than visible light. The human visual system simply cannot perceive light in this wavelength range. Therefore, the laser light is completely invisible as it approaches the eye during surgery.

There will be a light on the machine, but that isn’t actually the laser. Since the laser is invisible, you’ll look at the fixed point of light to keep your eyes in position.

Am I a candidate for the LASIK procedure?

An ophthalmologist determines whether a patient is a good candidate for the LASIK procedure. While optometry focuses on the health of the eye, ophthalmology handles the study and treatment of disorders and diseases of the eye.

Good LASIK candidates:

• are at least 18 years old
• had a stable eyeglass or contact lens prescription for at least two consecutive years
• in overall good health
• in overall good eye health
• don’t have a thin cornea?

Certain people may not be good candidates for this procedure including those who:

• have an eye infection or injury
• have very thin corneas
• have glaucoma
• have dense cataracts
• are pregnant or nursing
• have severe dry eyes
• have uncontrolled diabetes
• have uncontrolled systemic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn’s disease
• have a very high refractive error, i.e., severe nearsightedness

What are the benefits of the LASIK procedure?

Today, doctors perform about 600,000 LASIK surgeries annually in the United States. Most surgeries achieve 20/20 vision, which means they can see from 20 feet away without having to wear glasses or contact lenses. More than 95% of the people who have LASIK are pleased with the results.

Does LASIK eye surgery have any side effects or complications?

In a small number of cases, LASIK doesn’t completely correct vision. After surgery, these patients will still need to rely on glasses or contact lenses for clear vision. In certain circumstances, patients who don’t achieve full vision correction can return to their doctor for an additional procedure to address this issue.

LASIK surgery does have side effects, but they will be short-lived, lasting only about a month on average.

Possible side effects of LASIK surgery include:

• dry eyes
• blurry, hazy, or foggy vision
• changes in vision throughout the day
• eye discomfort or pain
• glare, halo, or starbursts in the visual field in the presence of lights
• sensitivity to light
• tiny red or pink patches of blood on the whites of your eyes

Possible RARE complications include:

• infection
• vision is worse than before the procedure
• blindness

How long is the LASIK procedure and what is the recovery time?

The entire LASIK procedure takes about 15 minutes for both eyes. Most patients recover quickly from surgery and can return to normal activity one day after surgery.

What is the difference between LASIK and PRK?

LASIK is the most common and well-known laser eye refractive surgery. But there is another kind of laser eye surgery called Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK). PRK was the predecessor to LASIK.

Sometimes structural characteristics disqualify a patient from LASIK. Since safety is a priority, certain patients may be better candidates for PRK. Your ophthalmologist will review your eye measurements and recommend the safest procedure for your eyes.

You can learn more about the differences between PRK and LASIK here.

Why choose Assil Eye Institute for LASIK eye surgery?

Kerry K. Assil, MD, is regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts in refractive surgery, having made significant advances in the field with his numerous inventions. Additionally, he has the unique distinction of having trained thousands of eye surgeons in the latest refractive surgical techniques.

We welcome you to request your LASIK consultation. We will closely examine your eyes and tell you if you and your lifestyle are good candidates for LASIK.

Please call 866-945-2745 or visit us here to make an appointment online.

At Assil Eye Institute we take our patients’ safety seriously. Our facility’s Covid-19 patient safety procedures exceed all the CDC’s coronavirus pandemic recommendations. Masks are always required in our institutes.

We are conveniently located for patients throughout Southern California and the Los Angeles area at locations in or near Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Culver City, Hollywood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, and Downtown Los Angeles.