Arrival and final measurements
You typically arrive about an hour before treatment. Your corneal maps and prescription are typically rechecked to confirm nothing has changed since the consultation, the laser is programmed from those numbers, and you are talked through the day once more. If you are anxious, your surgeon can discuss options to help you relax. Numbing drops go in, and the eyelids and lashes are cleaned.
Removing the epithelium
While you lie under the laser, a small holder keeps your eyelids open. The surgeon loosens the central epithelium, often with a dilute alcohol solution applied briefly, then gently lifts it away with a soft instrument. You feel touch and pressure, not pain. Removing the epithelium exposes the smooth corneal tissue the laser will reshape; in LASIK this same tissue is reached by lifting a flap.
The excimer laser
You look at a fixation light while the excimer laser removes tissue in the pattern your measurements prescribed. The treatment lasts between 10 and 60 seconds per eye, with an eye tracker steering every pulse. A clicking sound and a faint odor are normal. For higher prescriptions a brief application of mitomycin, a medication that prevents haze, may follow the treatment.
The bandage lens and going home
A soft contact lens is placed on each eye. It has no prescription; its job is to protect the healing surface and reduce discomfort. Antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops are started, and you rest briefly before your driver takes you home. Vision is blurry, and the eyes water and feel gritty. The numbing wears off within an hour, and the plan for the first evening is drops, pain relief as prescribed, sunglasses or a dim room, and sleep.
The first five days
Days two and three are usually the most uncomfortable as the epithelium closes over; the eyes are sore, light sensitive and watery, and screens are hard work. Cold compresses, the prescribed drops and pain relief, and rest are the routine. Most patients take the week off. You are examined at day one and again at day four or five, when the bandage lens is removed once the surface has healed. Comfort improves quickly from there, and vision, though hazy at first, clears over the following weeks.
Is this right for your eyes?
Nothing on this page is a diagnosis. Whether this is the right choice for you is decided by a full examination at one of our 4 offices: Pasadena, Huntington Beach, Woodland Hills and Beverly Hills.
About this content: This page was written with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed for medical accuracy by Dr. Bavand Youssefzadeh, DO. It is general information, not medical advice, and does not replace an eye examination. Individual results vary. Read our medical disclaimer.
