What You Need to Know About Laser Eye Surgery

A lot of people that are looking to have laser eye surgery are scared or confused about the process. Here, I try to answer some of the most common questions through the eyes of someone who recently had it done.

What does the lead-up process entail?

First, you have to decide which company you would like to perform your surgery. In my experience, most doctors are about the same. But you may want to ask friends or family for referrals and judge based on number of surgeries performed, availability or priority of patient care. I ended up going with LASIK Plus because the office my friend referred me to took two weeks to return my call.

Once you decide on a center, call and make an appointment for an initial consultation. Most reputable places will offer you this visit free of charge. This is when they will test your vision and eye thickness to make sure you're a good candidate for the surgery. They'll ask you how long you've had your current prescription and will check your prescription on your glasses, so be sure to bring them with you.

At the end of this appointment, the doctor will let you know if you can have the surgery. She will give you paperwork describing the procedure in detail and you will also see a video of what to expect. You'll be asked to make a follow-up appointment, at which time you will need to commit to the surgery.

Before your follow-up appointment, you'll be asked not to wear your contact lenses for at least a few days. This is so that the shape of your eye will be in its natural state, not adjusted by the lens. You'll need to leave them out for two weeks before your actual surgery.

At the follow-up, the doctor will again examine and measure your eyes. If you get the go-ahead, you can schedule your surgery date. This is also the time when you discuss financing options. You will be given a prescription for anti-biotic eye drops that you'll need to fill before you come back.

What is the surgery like?

The type of surgery I had was LASIK. There are other types available depending on your needs, but here is what this one entails.

You arrive at the office and bring someone with you to drive you home. You are not to drive or go to work for the rest of the day, so it is best if you come in the morning. A technician will give you some last-minute information and then put numbing drops in your eyes. You'll also be given a pair of really cheesy-looking dark glasses that you'll have to wear for at least the next few days. You might also be told to take a painkiller.

Then you wait a few minutes for the doctor to see you, and possibly catch a sneak peek of others having their surgeries performed. They can tell you that it's really not so bad.

When it's your turn, you lie down on an operating table and are given a stress ball to squeeze. The doctor tells you exactly what he's going to do. Then it gets a little scary. When she cuts the flap in your eye, your vision in that eye will go black for a couple seconds. This might freak you out, but you'll be assured that it's normal. Then you'll be able to see again, but it may look like you're looking through a dirty window. This whole process takes maybe a minute. You'll be told to close that eye and not open it until the surgery is done. Then it is on to the other eye.

Once both eyes are finished, you'll be allowed to open them and will be astonished by what you can now see: words on posters on the wall, people's eyes, leaves on trees, though your vision will be somewhat scratchy, due to the, um, recent major surgery. You must put on the stylish dark glasses, or being anywhere but in a pitch black room will hurt like crazy, whether you're outside or inside. Everything has a glare for a while.

Your driver will be told to take you home and put you to bed. You'll be given a pair of goggles you have to wear when sleeping or showering so that you don't rub your eyes. I don't have to tell you that this is a pain.

You'll want to keep your eyes closed for at least 4 hours once you get home. If you find yourself unable to sleep, I recommend putting on some music or a book on CD. This time is very important to the healing process. You'll also have to use the antibacterial and steroid eye drops as many times a day as your doctor directs you to. And you'll want to use some preservative-free rewetting drops every couple hours.

The next day, you'll go back to the doctor for another appointment, just to make sure everything's going well. This is when you'll learn just how well you can see. At my first appointment I was 20/20 in one eye and 20/30 in the other. And you'll schedule several more over the next couple months.

The glasses and the drops regimen only last a couple weeks, and in that time you'll notice your vision improving and the fog, glare, and haziness subsiding. If not, there may be a problem and you should call your doctor. Your eyes should heal completely in 4 to 6 months. You'll be asked not to swim underwater or play contact sports where you may get poked in the eye during the first few weeks. After that, just don't get poked in the eye.

Who is eligible?

The only people I know of that aren't eligible are people whose retinas aren't thick enough to cut a flap. They also don't look favorably on people whose eyes are constantly changing, such as those who need new prescriptions more than once a year. For this reason, they don't like to perform the surgery on people under 21. And they also say that LASIK can't correct the need for reading glasses that comes with age.

How much does it cost?

All laser eye surgeries are pretty expensive. Mine was about $2,000, give or take. There are cheaper plans, and also ones that cost more than that. Ask your insurance company and you may find you're all or partially covered by your vision plan. You can also often use money from a flexible spending account. If all else fails, most centers have financing plans with no interest for a year.

Is it worth it?

Definitely, in my eyes. Spending the money and going through the hassle are nothing compared with the pain of dealing with contacts and glasses. You wake up in the morning and you can just-see.