Home » Blog » How Your Eye Doctor Keeps You Safe During LASIK

Posted by: Missouri Eye Institute in Blog on February 8, 2022

As with any surgical procedure, LASIK requires a skilled and knowledgeable care provider who is adequately equipped to perform the procedure with precision. Even more important? A surgeon laser-focused on safety.

In fact, many of the questions our team at Missouri Eye Institute gets from LASIK surgery patients involve how we ensure safety during the procedure. It’s normal to wonder about what you may or may not feel, what to expect, or what happens if you blink or move your eyes during the LASIK procedure.

Don’t fret! Once you’ve made a choice to undergo a laser vision correction procedure, you’ll be glad to know we have plenty of ways to keep you safe and comfortable throughout.

Knowledge and realistic expectations

Before you ever step foot in the surgical suite, your surgeon will start safety measures by simply ensuring you’re armed with the information you need to make an informed choice about LASIK. Your eye doctor will thoroughly explain:

• The care you’ll receive before, during and after your procedure
• How LASIK treatment is administered
• The risks and benefits of LASIK surgery
• What visual outcome you can expect to achieve 

This information will aid you in making sure permanent vision correction – however low-risk – is as safe as you need it to be.

Cleanliness

At Missouri Eye, a safe, healthy, sterile environment for our patients is top priority. We take extraordinary measures to disinfect waiting and surgical areas, equipment, work surfaces and anything that may come into close proximity to these things – or our patients. 

We also perform our procedures in a climate-controlled room, using advanced laser technologies that are calibrated to ensure micron-level accuracy.

These measures are strictly enforced to prevent infections that could interfere with healing or damage the eye. Your surgeon will also send you home from surgery with antibiotic eye drops and topical analgesics to further reduce infection risk and discomfort.

Comfort and relaxation

Even though LASIK is quite safe, many patients experience what’s called “white-coat hypertension”: which is simply another way of describing the anxiety around doctors or in medical settings. If necessary, your eye doctor can provide a mild oral sedative to calm jangling nerves for a better surgical experience.

You’ll be given the opportunity to lie down in a comfortable position that allows you to relax and remain still. While you will be awake for the procedure, your surgeon will apply anesthetic eye drops to completely numb the eye. Most patients describe the sensation as a gentle pressure, as if you took your index finger and gently pressed the surface of your forearm.

Blink prevention

“What if I blink?” is another common question. There’s no need to worry about blinking during laser eye surgery because Missouri Eye Institute takes reliable measures to prevent that. Your surgeon will use a small tool under the eyelids to hold them open and make sure your eyes are properly centered for refractive surgery.

Tracking technology

“What if I move my eye?” Your surgeon will use a sophisticated, infrared pupil-tracking system to detect and offset any random, involuntary eye movements. Our advanced laser system adjusts faster than your eye can move. This technology makes it possible to adjust the laser for even the smallest shift – and deliver the most precise results possible.

All in all, we go to great lengths to ensure our patients are informed, comfortable and treated with advanced, proven technology in the hands of our highly experienced surgeons. The result is what many of our patients describe as “The best decision of my life” and something that is “So easy, I can’t believe I waited this long!”

Missouri Eye Institute has helped thousands of patients attain freedom from glasses and contact lenses. Contact us at (800) 383-3831 to schedule a vision correction consultation or visit MissouriEye.com to learn more about our services.