Laser Surgery - On the day of your Laser procedure

An explanation by Dr. Aleksic’s treatment centre optometrist, Rianda.
Dr. Zoran Aleksic FCS (SA) Ophth, is an eye surgeon and Ophthalmologist specialising in cataract and laser refractive surgery (Lasik / PRK laser refractive surgery for short sightedness, far sightedness and astigmatism). Dr. Aleksic’s treatment centre is located in Sea Point in Cape Town.
Dr. Zoran Aleksic and his team have long been recognised both in South Africa and the rest of the continent for providing high quality eye care with a full spectrum of treatments, from prescribing glasses and contact lenses to complex and delicate eye surgery using the latest technological equipment, all in a relaxed and professional environment.
Visit our website: www.eyesurgery.co.za
Transcript:
Dr. Aleksic does this type of procedure every second Monday at the Life Peninsula Eye Hospital in Claremont. That is where the actual machine is. Closer to the time, usually the Thursday before the Monday, you will receive an email from our rooms stating exactly what time you need to be there. For example, you need to be they at 9:00 for your surgery to take place at 9:30 and you'll be able to leave the clinic at 10:30.
On the morning of the surgery you are allowed to eat normally. If you are taking any medications you can continue to take them as per normal. We ask patients to dress comfortably in their own clothes. Dress slightly warmer than usual because we don't want you to feel cold in the theatre. When you get to the front of the hospital your name will be on Dr. Aleksic’s list. The receptionist at the hospital will offer you to take what we call a small “chill pill.” It's not going to knock you out completely; it's just going to literally take the edge of things because in general when anyone goes for eye surgery you feel a little bit stressed.
Dr. Aleksic checks the machine before each and every patient. He himself will punch in your numbers into the machine. Once they are ready, they'll ask you to come through. You lie on a flatbed with your head in a little ring-like structure. You will look into a set of lights and you will feel as if you are lying on the pitch in Greenpoint Stadium. You will see this ring of yellow lights with a black sky full of red and green stars.
Now, I'm just going to explain the actual LASIK procedure and then go over to explain the PRK procedure. Up until now they have been exactly the same. You don't have to worry about any needles or anything coming close to the eye. It’s a painless procedure. What you will feel at one point is as if someone putting a bit of pressure on the eye. So that's when Dr. Aleksic marks the eye. You don't also have to worry about keeping your eye open all the time. Doctor uses a speculum; a little clamp to keep the eye open so we'll start on the right side. He will cover the eye that's not being operated on. He will clean the whole eye area. No need to wear makeup today because we're going to take it off. He will then clean and disinfect the whole eye area. You'll get local anaesthetic drops. Doctor talks you through the whole procedure.
When it's done he'll clean that area, put the flap back exactly the way he found it and then put an antibiotic drop and anti inflammatory drop in. He will close your eye, place a clear shield over it and tape it to your face. What he will then do is go on over onto the left eye and do exactly the same procedure. Once he's done with both eyes you'll have two shields on like this but you'll be able to see through them.
You will use anti-inflammatory and lubricant. The lubricant you can use as much as you
like when you get home. You will put your drops in every two hours until you go to bed the following day. Then you'll come to your follow-up appointment.