My husband just got LASIK on Wednesday, actually. It was about $3,000 USD for both eyes. We wouldn't have been able to afford it if his ailing grandmother hadn't paid for it as a gift.
For us, it was a loooong day. I think the worst part about this whole thing would be the waiting and anticipation. Here's what happened:
11:20 am
Arrive at the LASIK center. Check in. Sit in the waiting room and watch a movie.
11:50 am
We get called up to the front desk. They go over the procedure with us and make sure we purchased the right kind of eyedrops (we didn't, oops). We are told that the procedure will take 10 minutes per eye, and that after the surgery he must go home and take a 4-6 hour nap. Then, he must put in antibiotic eyedrops, followed by regular eyedrops, every 2 hours for 5 days. Then, he must use regular eyedrops 5 times a day for the next 8 months. He cannot shower for 1 day; cannot wash his face for 2 days, cannot touch his face for 5 days. He then signs a couple of forms and we go back to the waiting room.
1 p.m.
We are called into an exam room. The tech does some tests to measure corneal thickness, and goes over the procedure again. She puts a blue cap over his hair. We then go into another waiting room to sit and watch another movie.
2 pm
We see the doctor in a second exam room. She does some tests (standard eye chart, etc) and makes sure all the paperwork matches up. She goes over the specifics of the procedure again. She explains that during the surgery, they will cut a flap in the cornea, lift it up, shine the laser in the inside of the eye, imprint the prescription, then do the other eye. We go back into the waiting room.
3 pm
We see a second doctor. She does a quick check of his eyes, goes over the paperwork, and explains the risk of the procedure. We go back to the waiting room.
3:45 pm
We are called back into an exam room. A tech goes over the procedure one more time. She gives my husband 2 Valium and a Benadryl (this is standard procedure). At this point I am asked to leave and go back to the waiting room. I decide to go to the pharmacy and get those drops (we got the wrong ones, remember?) and wait. And wait. Apperantly, my husband gets a massage from a massage therapist while waiting to go in for surgery, which is also standard procedure. He then sits in a lounge chair and waits. And waits.
5 pm
FINALLY, he goes in for surgery. He is told not to move. The whole thing takes about 15 minutes.
5:15 pm
I am called back to the exam room. My husband emerges with plastic shields over his eyes. He is coherent and OK. The tech asks me to pull the car around to the front so she can guide him out.
5:30 pm
ITS OVER! And he sees clearly already.
The next day, at the post-op appointment, he was already seeing 20/20 and healing much faster than average. The same day, he can drive and go back to work.
Hopefully my little spiel will give you some insight into what the whole thing is actually like.
For us, it was a loooong day. I think the worst part about this whole thing would be the waiting and anticipation. Here's what happened:
11:20 am
Arrive at the LASIK center. Check in. Sit in the waiting room and watch a movie.
11:50 am
We get called up to the front desk. They go over the procedure with us and make sure we purchased the right kind of eyedrops (we didn't, oops). We are told that the procedure will take 10 minutes per eye, and that after the surgery he must go home and take a 4-6 hour nap. Then, he must put in antibiotic eyedrops, followed by regular eyedrops, every 2 hours for 5 days. Then, he must use regular eyedrops 5 times a day for the next 8 months. He cannot shower for 1 day; cannot wash his face for 2 days, cannot touch his face for 5 days. He then signs a couple of forms and we go back to the waiting room.
1 p.m.
We are called into an exam room. The tech does some tests to measure corneal thickness, and goes over the procedure again. She puts a blue cap over his hair. We then go into another waiting room to sit and watch another movie.
2 pm
We see the doctor in a second exam room. She does some tests (standard eye chart, etc) and makes sure all the paperwork matches up. She goes over the specifics of the procedure again. She explains that during the surgery, they will cut a flap in the cornea, lift it up, shine the laser in the inside of the eye, imprint the prescription, then do the other eye. We go back into the waiting room.
3 pm
We see a second doctor. She does a quick check of his eyes, goes over the paperwork, and explains the risk of the procedure. We go back to the waiting room.
3:45 pm
We are called back into an exam room. A tech goes over the procedure one more time. She gives my husband 2 Valium and a Benadryl (this is standard procedure). At this point I am asked to leave and go back to the waiting room. I decide to go to the pharmacy and get those drops (we got the wrong ones, remember?) and wait. And wait. Apperantly, my husband gets a massage from a massage therapist while waiting to go in for surgery, which is also standard procedure. He then sits in a lounge chair and waits. And waits.
5 pm
FINALLY, he goes in for surgery. He is told not to move. The whole thing takes about 15 minutes.
5:15 pm
I am called back to the exam room. My husband emerges with plastic shields over his eyes. He is coherent and OK. The tech asks me to pull the car around to the front so she can guide him out.
5:30 pm
ITS OVER! And he sees clearly already.
The next day, at the post-op appointment, he was already seeing 20/20 and healing much faster than average. The same day, he can drive and go back to work.
Hopefully my little spiel will give you some insight into what the whole thing is actually like.