We co-manage laser surgery patients by performing all the pre and post-surgical testing in our office.

The purpose of the pre-surgical visit is to verify you are a good candidate and provide important baseline measurements to the laser center. You then travel to the laser center for treatment. The entire treatment procedure lasts about 20 minutes, with the actual laser treatment lasting a couple of minutes. We then see you the next day in our office to make sure the eye is healing well.

Most patients return to work after one or two days. You will notice improved vision within three to five days after the treatment; the quality of the vision may vary over the next few weeks, and usually stabilizes within three months.

After the first day, we follow the healing process in our office at approximately one week, one month, three month, 6 month, 12 month post-surgery and annually thereafter.

As you can see, usually only one trip to the laser center is required. We can do the rest right here in Athens! Call us at 594-2271 or e-mail us at appointments@athenseyecare.com to schedule an evaluation.

Here are the most common forms of refractive laser surgery:

LASIK is an acronym for LASer In-situ Keratomileusis. A flap is created on the surface of the cornea. The formation of this flap is technically demanding. Therefore, the skill of the surgeon has a significant impact on decreasing the potential for complications. Once the flap is formed, it is gently folded back. A laser treatment is then applied to the remaining tissue, reshaping the cornea to the proper shape to focus light. The flap is then repositioned over the treatment area to protect the cornea and aid in comfort and healing.

Epi-LASEK is an acronym for EPIthelium Laser Assisted Sub Epithelial Keratomileusis. With this procedure only the outer most surface layer of the cornea, the epithelium, is gently folded back. This leaves more corneal tissue available for modification. Therefore, Epi-LASEK is often the procedure of choice for higher nearsighted prescriptions. Once laser treatment takes place, the epithelium is replaced to protect the corneal surface and aid in healing.

PRK is an acronym for Photo Refractive Keratectomy. In PRK, no flap is formed and the laser treatment is applied to the outer surface of the cornea. Following treatment a bandage soft contact lens is applied and worn for 3 to 5 days to aid comfort and healing.