things to know before, during, and after a lasik procedure
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12/17/2016 Things To Know Before, During, And After A LASIK Procedure | Lifestyle | Online Home Of Fun, Fearless Pinays | Cosmopolitan Magazine Philippines | Co...
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LIFESTYLE | MOTIVATION
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Cosmo Quickie: This story at a glance!
What is LASIK, and who can get it?A step-by-step description of the procedure (with GIFs!)How to prepare for eye surgeryPost-LASIK maintenance
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Have you ever just wanted to fall asleep right after a night out with the girls—only to realize you haven’t taken out your contacts? Or placed your glasses
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Things To Know Before, During, And AfterA LASIK ProcedureYour questions about laser eye surgery, answered!by Andie EstellaNov 15, 2016
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down for JUST ONE SECOND and panicked when you couldn't �nd them(because DUH, you’re blind as a bat without them)? Welcome to the world ofpeople who lack 20/20 "perfect" vision.
You've probably asked around for ways to permanently improve your eyesight,and we're pretty sure you've come across someone who's had LASIK done. Irecently went through the procedure myself, and I'm sharing my experiencehere, for all those who want to ditch their glasses forever.
What is LASIK?
LASIK is an acronym for Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis, and it's a typeof laser eye surgery. The laser treatment is applied on the bed of the cornea(the clear front surface of the eye) to reshape it and correct your vision. Theprocess takes �ve to seven minutes per eye, but the actual laser exposure lastsless than a minute.
Does getting LASIK hurt?
I'm not going to lie, it was pretty uncomfortable. Your opthalmologist (aka eyedoctor) will apply anesthetic drops to each eye, which works in seconds. Feelfree to ask for more drops if you think you'll need them!
The scariest part of the procedure is when they use the lid retractors andsuction ring. The lid retractors prevent you from blinking (so the procedure is�nished quickly), while the suction ring keeps the eyeball steady for the patientinterface (it's a contraption that looks like this) to �atten your cornea. This isrequired for the laser to cut your cornea with precision.
Watch the patient interface in action at the 00:20 mark:
WaveLight FS200 Femtosecond Laser
BEFORE THE PROCEDURE
1. Schedule a “prescreening” to test your eligibility.
Not just anyone can undergo LASIK. Your eye doctor will have to check if youreyes are healthy and in good shape–things like cornea thickness and drynesscan greatly a�ect your chances of being an ideal patient, so it’s great to knowbefore you spend all that money! The actual LASIK surgery will most likely costanywhere between P60,000 and P100,000 for both eyes; some clinics o�erpackages inclusive of checkups, so make sure you inquire about those.
For the screening, there will be a 30-minute regular eye checkup to determinewhether your eyes are healthy enough, then they use drops to dilate your eyes
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for the retinal screening to test if your corneas and the insides of your eyes areviable candidates for LASIK. The screening should be done on a separate dayfrom your LASIK surgery day, and could cost between P1,500 and P3,000.
2. Stop wearing contacts!
This is probably the most important step. Contacts reduce the amount ofoxygen that reaches your cornea. This a�ects the measurement accuracyduring your optical exams. If you want 20/20 vision, you need the mostaccurate results possible! Stop wearing soft contact lenses at least one weekbefore your LASIK procedure. Hard contact lenses should not be worn at leastsix weeks before.
3. Talk to your doctor.
Discuss the di�erent types of surgery available, and your payment methods.Don’t be afraid to ask if there are promos for paying in installments!
DURING THE PROCEDURE
Don't freak out when you feel heavy pressure on your eyeball—it's only youreye doctor using the suction ring! Just take a deep breath and try to relax—theleft eye tends to be more sensitive (although there is no medical explanationfor this). Because of the suction ring, the surface of your eyes will appearbruised and bloodshot, but this will fade away within one to three weeks.
Once the cornea has been cut, your eye doctor will move it aside to begin thelaser treatment:
After the laser has done its job, the cornea is gently put back in place:
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Your eye doctor will also use sterilized water to �ush out any stray lashes andto clean your cornea after the procedure:
REMEMBER:
1. Do not wear eye makeup, or use lotion/moisturizer, perfume, or any alcoholbased product on your surgery day.
The laser is sensitive to scents, so do not smoke cigarettes or tobacco either.
2. Dress warmly.
The LASIK surgery room can get very cold, so wear pants and bring a jacket orsweater. Wear �at shoes–you de�nitely don’t want to trip right after gettingyour eyes �xed!
3. Do not drive!
Arrange to be picked up by a relative or a friend. Your eyesight will be blurryimmediately after surgery so driving (especially in Manila tra�c) is a bad idea.
AFTER THE PROCEDURE
1. Take a nap.
Your eyes will be slightly uncomfortable after the anesthesia wears o�. You'lleither feel like your eyelids weigh a ton, or that sand or a stray eyelash is stuckin your eyes. Best advice? Sleep it o�. Painkillers are allowed, but if you’reexperiencing extreme pain then contact your doctor immediately.
2. Wear that eye shield!
Immediately after surgery, you will be given two items: an eye shield, and asmall bag containing three sets of eye drops (anti-in�ammatory, anti-
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bacterial, and lubricating drops). You have to wear the eye shield overnightwhile you sleep to prevent you from accidentally rubbing your eyes.
3. You can shower and wash your face, but avoid getting water in your eyes.
Eyes closed, at least for the �rst week, CGs!
4. Limit your use television and computer/phone usage during the first 48hours postsurgery.
That also means limited reading of books and magazines, so ask a friend tosave the most interesting Cosmo.ph articles for you. ;) Download a bunch ofpodcasts or listen to some new songs on Spotify instead. Milk your recovery forall its worth–get your siblings to do things for you, like bring you snacks!
5. No eye makeup for a week.
If you're not as con�dent as Alicia Keys, postpone all your events or host anight in with the girls! Order some junk food and catch up—to make it evenmore fun, hide your phones so everyone will be tech-free.
6. No swimming for a month.
So if you want to be glasses-free for the summer, time your surgery correctly!
7. Don’t forget your checkups!
Depending on your doctor, post-operation visits can be expected the day after,the week after, on the 1st/3rd/6th month, and the year after surgery.
Just remember: when you come out of surgery, you aren't Superwoman. Youdon't get laser vision or any cool superpowers. You DO get to wear sunglasseswhenever you want though. #Winning
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