First, the ophthalmologist completely numbs your eye with an “eye drop” anesthesia. Then an eyelid holder is placed between your eyelids to keep you from blinking. After this, the doctor uses a miniature instrument, called a microkeratome, to form a protective flap in your cornea. While this is being done, you may feel a little pressure, but you should not feel any discomfort. You will then be asked to look directly at a target while the ophthalmologist reshapes your cornea with the Excimer laser.
After the laser process, which usually takes less than a minute, the protective flap of the cornea is folded back into place where it bonds securely, without the need for stitches.
After surgery, you may experience pain, but some patients only report a slight discomfort, which usually disappears within twenty-four hours or less. The reshaping of the cornea varies depending upon the vision correction needed.
- With nearsightedness, the cornea is made flatter by removing tissue at the center.
- With farsightedness, the center of the cornea is made steeper by removing tissue surrounding the center.
- With astigmatism, the cornea is made more spherical by removing tissue more in one direction than another.