Lasik Surgery Day
Getting Ready For Your Laser Eye Surgery
Dr. Mneimneh will ask you to follow a few simple directions prior to your laser eye surgery including:
- Making sure you have not worn your contact lenses prior to the surgery, as instructed by your doctor.
- Keeping your eyes free of debris, avoid using creams, makeup or perfumes at least a day in advance of the procedure. Do not use deodorant or scents of any kind before the surgery, as the vapor and odor may affect accuracy of the laser
- Abstaining from using eye drops. Do not use any eye drops unless instructed by the doctor.
- Do not drive yourself. Bring someone who can drive you home after the procedure.
- Eating a light meal.
- Wearing comfortable clothing.
LASIK surgery
Immediately before your surgery
On the day of your surgery, you will arrive to Beirut Lasik Center (BLC) approximately an hour before your scheduled procedure. During that time, Dr. Mneimneh will give you pre-surgery directions and address any questions or concerns you may have, and will explain the procedure step by step so you are comfortable throughout the entire process.
Dr. Mneimneh with BLC team
During the Surgery
You will then be prepared for surgery and accompanied to the Lasik room
- Anesthetic eye-drops will be placed in your eye to ensure you experience no pain during LASIK.
- You will lie down on a table, which has the laser equipment mounted above it. You will be asked to look up at a small blinking light (try to keep looking directly at this light)
- A sterile dressing will be placed over your face, exposing only the eye to be treated.
- A speculum will be placed between your eyelids to open your eye and prevent blinking.
- A suction ring and the microkeratome will be positioned on your eye.
- Dr. Mneimneh will ask you to fix your focus on a blinking green light.
- As soon as Dr. Mneimneh is satisfied with your eye’s fixation, he will begin creating the flap. You will hear a low "whirring” sound and observe a shadow momentarily blocking your view of the fixation light. Relax and keep your eye fixed.
- Once Dr. Mneimneh is satisfied with your eye’s fixation, he will lift the flap and begin reshaping your cornea. You will hear a rapid "clicking” sound and see a bluish white light rapidly flashing. At some moments, you may not see the fixation light, but you should keep your eye fixated.
- When the cornea reshaping is done, Dr. Mneimneh will irrigate your eye, replace the flap and gently press down the edges of the flap with a sponge. Meanwhile, your gaze should remain fixed on the fixation light.
- Following your procedure, your eye(s) will be examined with a slit lamp microscope. Then you will be given additional eye drops, and your eyes may be shielded for protection.
Typically, the LASIK procedure will be completed in 10-15 minutes
After Lasik Surgery
In the recovery area you will relax in a comfortable reclining chair for about 20 minutes. Immediately after the procedure, your vision will be blurry and your eyes may be watery. Your eyes will be sensitive to light and you may feel some irritation (this usually dissipates within 6 to 24 hours). Before leaving the clinic, Dr. Mneimneh will confirm everything is in order and will help you put on light-reducing protective glasses, apply lubricating and medicated drops as needed, and confirm your 24 hour post-operative appointment.
When you are ready to go home, remember that you will not be able to drive immediately following the laser vision correction procedure, so you will need to have someone drive you home. After resting for three to four hours, you will start to see more clearly, however, everyone responds differently. You may be sensitive to bright lights, see halos or have difficulty seeing in low light. All of these conditions should dissipate within weeks, if not days, of the procedure.
Usually your post-operative visit will be scheduled the day after your procedure. On this and later laser vision recovery visits, Dr. Mneimneh will test your vision to assess the results of the surgery. He will also check to see if your eyes are healing properly and look for any post-procedure side effects.