Description
A laser eye surgery procedure will take about 10 minutes and will require just a few hours of rest for LASIK patients, or a few days of rest for PRK patients. Dr. Holzman will provide you with detailed instructions for recovery. The need for follow-up procedures is rare, but they are covered with a lifetime commitment by Dr. Holzman for qualifying patients.
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The procedure takes me less than 10 minutes, typically, to perform. On the day of surgery, the patient comes in. I will meet with them, examine their eyes, and will give a Xanax to help the patient relax. We then put the patient in what we call the Zen Den, which is a relaxation area. I give them some tips and some pointers as to what they're going to experience during the procedure so when they come into the OR they're fully prepared. I talk to the patient throughout the course of the procedure, and I play a lot of music also. Basically, we're just doing a lot of things in the OR to take the stress out of the procedure.
LASIK patients then go straight home and nap for three hours, and then they are fine. PRK patients need a few days of healing, during which there may be a little discomfort and blurring. Patients need to follow directions and use medicated eye drops for a week or two following the surgery to help their healing. Compliance with this is, of course, important.
I have very few restrictions post-operatively, but, of course, we do not want patients to rub or bang their eyes, so basically, I tell patients no swimming for two weeks and no contact sports in the early post-operative period. We provide eye shields to sleep in the first week so you can't damage the eyes while you're sleeping at night. All of the patient instructions will be explained in detail in advance and are written down for you. In fact, we even provide an eye drop chart which is easy to follow.
The results? Well, 99% of my patients need just a single treatment and are happy. One percent end up very close to goal but may need an additional procedure to help make things even clearer. These are typically the higher prescription patients. As long as the patient qualifies, any second treatment that a patient might rarely need is covered with a lifetime commitment.
