What to expect the day of your procedure

After your check in at the front desk, you will be escorted into a pre-op room where a staff member will explain what to expect during and after your procedure.

You will be offered a mild sedative to help you relax. Please let the staff and the surgeon know if you have allergies to any medications. >Be certain to have all questions answered before accepting any pre-operative sedation.

You will not be asked to change or remove your clothing, however, you may be asked to remove large earrings, ponytails, or hooded sweatshirts.

A scrub will be performed to cleanse your lids and eye area. Please do not wear any eye make-up to the surgery center.

Several eye drops will be used to prepare your eye for the procedure. It is very rare to react adversely to any of these drops, but please tell us if you have ever had a reaction to any eye medications in the past.

Your cooperation during the procedure is essential. If you are excessively sedated, it will be more difficult for you to focus on the target light. You must be alert and respond to instructions.

An assistant will help you in to a chair and help you get positioned properly for your procedure.

Anesthetic eye drops will be administered and the eye not being treated will be covered.

After you are positioned under the laser, you will see a blinking red target light in the center of a white ring. You will need to fixate on this red light throughout the procedure. The surgeon will keep your eye centered if you move slightly, but it is important to remain as still as possible.

The surgeon will place a small ring around the cornea.

You will be positioned under the IntraLase laser for the creation of your LASIK flap. Once centered, the flap creation takes 20 seconds per eye. It is important that you remain still during this step.

These steps will be repeated for your second eye.

The surgeon will gently fold back the corneal flap. You will hear the sound of the laser as it prepares to treat the eye and you will be instructed to stare at the blinking red light or in the center of the white ring.

The laser will make a clicking or snapping sound as it painlessly reshapes the cornea. The excimer laser can be stopped and started precisely within a fraction of a second. If your eye moves, the laser will be stopped. Fixation will then be re-established and the procedure completed.

You may become aware of an unpleasant odor during your treatment, this is the smell of a vapor created by the laser. A vacuum tube will be placed near your eye to minimize the scent.

After the laser treatment is complete, the surgeon will carefully reposition the flap.

After the corneal flap has settled into position, the surgeon will remove the instrument retaining your eyelids and post-operative drops will be administered.

You will be helped out of the chair and escorted into a post-op room where the surgeon will check your eyes before you leave the center.

Before you leave, your post-operative instructions will be reviewed and protective eye shields will be placed over your eyes.