The laser procedure
is performed at the local laser center. You wear normal street
clothes. Drops are the only anesthesia. Sedation is not necessary,
but you may take an oral tranquilizer. Your eyelids and lashes
are cleansed for sterility and a sticky drape keeps your lashes
out of the way. Your lids are gently opened. You look at a blinking
red light which keeps your eye properly positioned.
During the
flap creation phase you have a sensation of pressure and a grayness
of vision. Then the laser is used and you will hear a rapid clicking
sound. The flap is replaced and it takes about 3 minutes for
it to stick down. Drops are placed in your eyes to aid healing
and clear protective eye shields are placed over your eyes. The
procedure takes under 10 minutes per eye.