Imagine waking up with sharp and clear vision every day and not needing to struggle with wearing glasses or contacts anymore.
That’s what a professional LASIK treatment in NYC will do for you and even more. LASIK is a procedure that corrects refractive errors such as shortsightedness, longsightedness, and astigmatism.
Undergoing a successful LASIK surgery means you can now perform most or all activities that were initially inconvenienced due to vision problems. The best aspect of this is that it’s quick and has a short recovery time.
Once done, you can go back to your usual life activities. However, one question that bugs patients about this procedure is whether it can be done on both eyes on the same day or if you have to come back for multiple procedures.
The answer is yes but keep reading to learn more about how LASIK is done on both eyes on the same day.
Article Contents
What Happens During LASIK?
Before the surgery begins, your surgeon will administer eye drops to numb your eyes and ensure you are comfortable. You may also be given some mild sedatives to calm down and feel at ease.
Once this is settled, the surgeon will place an eyelid holder and suction ring on the eye that is being treated currently. At this point, you will feel some slight pressure.
These devices are meant to prevent you from blinking and keep your eyes in an appropriate position.
Next, using a femtosecond laser, the surgeon will create a thick flap on the epithelium or the upper area of your cornea.
They will then fold back the flap to access the stroma or inner part of your cornea. After this, they will use a programmed excimer laser to reshape the cornea and remove microscopic tissue amounts.
Click here to learn more about the cornea.
The last part of the surgery is putting the corneal flap back in place which will immediately start reattaching without the need for suturing.
This whole procedure only takes around 10-15 minutes per eye. So now the main question:
Is LASIK Performed on Both Eyes on the Same Day?
LASIK is a bilateral procedure which means it can be performed on both eyes on the same day.
Moreover, there is advancement in technology that makes the process safer and more reliable than ever. Some of the benefits of the surgery include:
Convenience
All you need for this surgery is one procedure and one post-surgery recovery, which will eliminate the hassle of having to undergo two separate procedures and recovery time, like cataract surgery.
Undergoing surgery once rather than once will save you the stress and time you will spend away from your work and regular activities.
Cost-Effectiveness
Since the procedure is done on both eyes at the same time, it is also cost-effective. It will eliminate the additional expenses of paying and going for two separate procedures and follow-up visits.
Reduced Anxiety
It’s normal to feel anxious before going for surgery. LASIK, being a quick procedure, means you won’t have to feel that preoperative anxiety more than once, the best part is it will be over before you even know it.
What Is LASIK Recovery Like?
To ensure a successful recovery after surgery, here are some of the post-operative care follow-ups your surgeon will instruct you to follow:
- Prioritize rest and relaxation.
- Avoid rubbing your eyes.
- Use prescribed eye drops as instructed.
- Avoid getting water into your eyes.
- Attend follow-up appointments as scheduled.
- Avoid strenuous activities and driving until everything is clear that you can go back to your normal activities.
Your vision will get clearer within 24 hours after the surgery, and it will gradually improve as you heal.
Even though you will only reach the peak of vision clarity after several months of the surgery, you will still feel happy and enjoy the fantastic clear vision for a long time.
Most patients can resume their activities after a follow-up appointment the next day.
What Can Make You a Good Candidate for LASIK?
Despite the popularity of LASIK as the ideal surgery for correcting vision and it has helped millions of people, but not everybody is a good candidate for it.
You must meet certain criteria before undergoing LASIK such as:
Having Healthy Eyes
To qualify for LASIK, you must have healthy eyes that are free from conditions like severe dry eye, keratoconus, cataracts, or glaucoma.
During your consultation, the doctor will perform a thorough test to make sure you don’t have any existing eye conditions that will prevent you from undergoing the surgery.
Having a Stable Prescription
You must have a stable prescription that has not changed for at least a year to qualify for LASIK.
If you have an unstable prescription, you have to wait for it to be stable before having the surgery, and that’s why anyone going for a LASIK NYC treatment must be 18 or above.
Any age below this means your eyes are still developing. Hormonal changes can also cause a prescription to shift therefore pregnant or nursing moms cannot go for this surgery.
Having Thick Enough Corneas
The procedure as mentioned earlier requires creating a flap to reshape the corneal tissue underneath.
Someone with corneal tissue that is too thin cannot go for the surgery because it may worsen the eyesight or result in complications like ectasia.
During your consultation, the doctor will measure your corneas to know how thick they are.
If they are too thin you may not be eligible for LASIK, the doctor will recommend other procedures such as implantable contact lenses, PRK, or refractive lens change.
Visit Implantable_Collamer_Lens to learn more about implantable contact lenses.
- Being in Good Health
You must be in good health to go for this surgery. Any disorder or illness like diabetes, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis could disqualify you.
Conclusion
LASIK is an eye correction surgery that will save you the stress and struggle of having to wear glasses and contact lenses all the time.
It’s a quick procedure that you can start seeing results within 24 hours and get better as you heal.
However, not everybody is a good candidate for LASIK. People with thin corneas, unstable prescriptions, and not in good health may not qualify for the procedure.