Arrange for someone to bring you in for your appointment as you won’t be able to drive yourself home afterwards.

Before your operation we put in some anaesthetic eye drops. We might also give you a mild sedative to help you relax.

You lie down on a bed in the treatment room with your head underneath a microscope. We clean and sterilise the area around your eyes. Your eyelids are held open and a suction ring is put on to hold the eye steady. This is slightly uncomfortable but not painful. We talk to you throughout the procedure to let you know what’s happening.

A thin flap is cut from the surface of the eye and held back while a laser reshapes the cornea. The flap is then repositioned and it sticks back into place without any stitches.
After the procedure we put some more drops in and tape some clear plastic shields over your eyes for protection. Your eyes might feel gritty and irritated for a few hours after the operation and we ask you to go home and rest with your eyes shut to give them a good chance to heal.

You’ll come in to see us the next morning – with the eye shields still in place – and we’ll give you an eye test, tell you how to care for your eyes in the few weeks after surgery and make a follow up appointment.

In most cases patients have excellent vision the day after laser vision correction surgery.