Before undergoing LASIK, you will usually meet with a member of your provider's team to discuss what you should expect during and after the procedure. During this session your medical history will be evaluated and your eyes will be tested. In most cases, these tests will include measuring your corneal thickness, refraction, and pupil dilation. Once you have gone through your evaluation and been approved for LASIK, you can schedule an appointment for the procedure.

Although it varies from one provider to another, in most cases if you wear rigid gas permeable contact lenses, you will be advised to not wear them starting three weeks before the date of your LASIK. Other types of contact lenses shouldn’t be worn for at least three days before your surgery. Your provider will give you specific instructions based on your condition.

On the day of your LASIK, you will usually be advised to eat a light meal before going to your provider's facility. You should take all of your prescribed medications as you normally would, and avoid wearing any eye makeup that day. Be sure to arrange transportation home from the procedure, as you will not be able to drive.

LASIK is performed while the patient is under local anesthesia and usually takes about 10 minutes to complete. Before the procedure begins, numbing drops are placed in the patient's eyes. During the procedure, an instrument, called a microkeratome, is used to cut a thin flap in the cornea.

Another way of creating the corneal flap replaces the microkeratome with the femtosecond laser.  This bladeless approach to creating the flap provides a high level of accuracy using an infrared beam of light to precisely separate tissue.

The flap is then laid back and the underlying corneal tissue, or stroma, is reshaped using an excimer laser. After the cornea is reshaped so that it can properly focus light into the eye and onto the retina, the corneal flap is put back in place and the surgery is complete.

One of the benefits of LASIK is that healing usually occurs very rapidly and most patients notice improved vision within a few days after surgery.

Your eyes will be dry even though they may not feel that way. In most cases, you'll be given several medications, including antibiotic drops, artificial tears, and medication to reduce inflammation after your procedure. It's not unusual for these eye drops to cause a slight burning sensation or momentary blurring of your vision, so don't be alarmed. Never use any drops not approved by your provider, and be sure that you understand the proper use of each medication before you leave the clinic.

You will visit your provider for an evaluation the day after your surgery. In most cases, you will be evaluated again at one week and again at three months after your LASIK surgery.