I’m Dave Allamby, the founder and medical director of Focus Clinics, a world-leading laser eye clinic in London, home to some of the finest eye doctors in the UK. I’ve performed over 30,000 laser eye surgery procedures in 25 years and have been asked a lot of questions over that time.
However, the overwhelming majority of people have the same 5 questions at the top of their list. Here are the answers to the top five questions I’m asked about LASIK surgery on a daily basis.
The 5 Most Commonly Asked LASIK Eye Surgery Questions
1. What if I move my eyes during surgery?
This is a question I get asked every single week.
Moving your eyes during a LASIK procedure seems really scary, but modern laser eye surgery is designed with this in mind. Even when staring at a single point, your eyes make tiny, involuntary movements to keep the image on the retina from fading. It’s a natural ability that all humans possess, so laser eye surgery has been developed to work in conjunction with this trait to ensure the best possible results.
During a laser vision correction procedure, advanced eye-tracking technology monitors eye movements 500 times per second, and that’s faster than your brain can think about moving your eye. If you shift your gaze, the laser adjusts in real-time to stay perfectly aligned. You cannot “outrun” the tracker. If your eye moves too much, the laser automatically pauses until you’re back in position.
So while it’s impossible to keep our eyes perfectly still, the eye-tracking technology ensures you are safe throughout your laser eye surgery procedure.
2. Does LASIK hurt?
LASIK is surprisingly painless. That doesn’t mean you won’t be anxious but the procedure itself doesn’t create pain.
Numbing eye drops are applied before the procedure to prevent discomfort. Once applied, you’ll barely feel anything at all. The only sensation is a slight pressure for about 20-30 seconds during the flap creation part of the procedure. The rest of the process is painless and very quick, usually taking only five to six minutes per eye.
After surgery, you may experience temporary dryness or mild irritation, which can be managed with prescribed eye drops. You can also take some time to close your eyes and relax in our patient lounge for 20-30 minutes following your surgery.
Most people are pleasantly surprised by how easy and comfortable the entire process is.
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3. What if I blink during Laser eye surgery?
Short answer. Blinking is not a problem at all.
A small device called a lid speculum is used to gently hold the eyelids apart, ensuring you won’t accidentally blink while the laser is working. While it looks scary if you see a picture (like the one above!), the speculum is actually completely painless.
The muscle twitch still happens, and so it feels as if you are blinking. So throughout the treatment, you can blink naturally and normally. However, because your eyes are numb, you won’t feel the urge to close them.
One word of warning: Squeezing on the speculum can cause pain. It’s essential to relax your face and allow the speculum to do its job!
4. When can I return to work or sport?
This depends on the type of work or sport you do.
Most people are surprised at how quickly they can resume normal activities. For desk jobs or light work, you can often return the very next day. If your job involves heavy lifting or dust, it’s recommended to wait about a week.
For sports, it’s a bit more nuanced:
- Non-contact sports (running, gym, yoga): You can resume in about a week.
- Contact sports (football, basketball, martial arts): Wait at least four to six weeks and possibly wear protective eyewear.
- Swimming: Wait two weeks before going in the water and four weeks before using goggles.
The key is to follow your surgeon’s specific instructions. Most patients are back to their routines in no time. However, it depends on your job, hobbies, and the natural healing process.
5. Can the flap move if I rub my eyes?
This is the most common worry.
The corneal flap is created so we can work on the surface of your eye. It’s a crucial step that your LASIK surgeon will explain prior to your surgery. It heals quickly and securely, but it’s delicate, especially on the day of surgery.
The surface skin heals and seals the edge of the flap in just four hours. After that, the flap is held in place pretty well. This means that on the day of surgery, you must avoid touching, squeezing, or rubbing your eyes during the first few hours. If the flap were to move, however, it’s a straightforward procedure to put it back and smooth it out.
Flap movement beyond the surgery day is rare, but you should still be careful during the first month. Aggressive rubbing during this time carries a small risk of dislodging the flap, which is why protective shields are provided for nighttime use. After one month, the flap is so well integrated with the cornea that it is very unlikely to move, even with rubbing.
Pro tip: It’s always a good idea to avoid rubbing your eyes in general, as this can irritate them, weaken the cornea and introduce microorganisms.
Considering Laser Eye Surgery?
If you want to see a significant improvement in your vision and never wear contact lenses or glasses again, laser eye surgery is the best option.
Focus is the only clinic in the UK with Ray-Tracing LASIK surgery. This new, advanced laser eye surgery procedure creates a 3D clone of your eyes to test and refine the laser treatment. This gives even more precise results than ever before. It’s revolutionising the way we perform LASIK surgery and giving the best results we’ve ever seen.Book a free consultation to see if you’re eligible for Ray-Tracing LASIK at Focus today.
