During the Femtosecond LASIK surgery


            1. Twenty minutes before the surgery, the patient's eyes are prepared with antibiotic and anesthetic eye drops.

            2. The patient lies down on the bed preparing to have corneal flaps created by the Carl Zeiss VisuMax femtosecond laser. The surgical team disinfects the area around the eyes. A speculum is applied to keep the eye open during the surgery. The surgeon starts the surgery by creating a thin corneal flap, a step that takes approximately 20 seconds per eye.

            3. Next, the surgeon uses the excimer laser to reshape the exposed middle layer of the cornea. This laser emits energy in the ultraviolet range (193 nm) which acts only on the surface it irradiates. The laser evaporates the selected tissue without generating any heat or transmitting the radiation to any other media. This process leaves no trace on adjacent tissue or elsewhere inside the eye.
          
            4. The flap is placed back to its original position, where it assumes the new shape created by the laser. The adhesion of the corneal flap to the rest of the cornea becomes very strong within 3-5 minutes without the need for any sutures. The eye is then covered with a plastic eye shield, which is held in place by adhesive tape and has perforations for the patient to see through. The patient can then return home and the shield is left on until the patient returns to TRSC on the following day to have it removed.
          
            5. On the next day, vision is measured and the surgeon examines the eye. Over 90% of patients at TRSC can see 20/20 on the first day, though vision can often fluctuate during the first few months. The surgeon gives instructions for follow-up care and the patient will return within 5-10 days for their 1 week follow-up examination.