How Long Does LASIK Take and What is the Recovery Time? 

 Millions of people worldwide have enjoyed the benefits of LASIK allowing for visual freedom independent of glasses or contact lenses. Long gone are the days of bladed-LASIK using a microkeratome blade, now the popularity with all-laser-LASIK technology has dominated resulting in fast, precise results. In this post from the San Antonio Eye Specialists blog, we’ll discuss how long LASIK surgery takes, and the length of the recovery process. 

How Long Does LASIK Take? 

The length of the procedure, generally speaking, takes less than 5 minutes per eye from start to finish. The femtosecond laser technology application (fastest on the market) takes a matter of seconds. The precise amount of laser time depends on the prescription of the eye to be treated and the curvature of the cornea to be shaped to correct the refractive error. The actual usage of the laser contouring the eye and the correction of the refractive error is the fastest part of the entire LASIK process. On the day of the LASIK procedure, we ask patients to reserve a couple of hours to allow for check-in, surgical preparation, surgery and allow for comfortable healing before going home to sleep and keep eyes hydrated.  

The time allotted to examining a patient and recommending a treatment plan far outweighs the LASIK surgery time. Every LASIK evaluation begins with a thorough, dilated eye examination. We use various diagnostic tests to gather measurements and generate an accurate schematic landscape of the cornea to help determine the most effective treatment plan to allow our patients to obtain their best-corrected vision, unaided by glasses or contacts. The FDA-approved age for LASIK is 18 years or older. Overall good health without underlying vision concerns is paramount before any elective refractive surgery is performed. The LASIK treatment plan revolves around various factors such as the stability of a patient's vision. A fluctuating eye prescription must be monitored until it becomes stable and without significant changes. There is a range that is within prescription limits to be treated by the laser. If a patient is outside the range, we consider other refractive procedures, other than LASIK. The corneal thickness is another factor we consider. If the corneas are below the standard range, we recommend PRK.  

How Long Does It Take To Recover From LASIK Surgery? 

Following LASIK surgery, we see the patient the next day in the clinic. Patients are often seeing 20/20 or better in less than 24 hours. Often patients return to work or school the next day after surgery and are always amazed at the ease of the procedure and the fast recovery time.  

Trust San Antonio Eye Specialists As Your Local LASIK Experts

If you have myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism and can no longer tolerate glasses or contact lenses, consider LASIK. We will determine your candidacy for the refractive procedure and if LASIK is not an option, don't lose hope, advancements in technology have allowed for other procedures to gain visual freedom and ease of living. Contact San Antonio Eye Specialists at (210) 822-9800 or learn more on our website. For your eyes...Don't compromise!