What do I need to keep in mind when the day of my surgery has arrived?
9:30 – I am not wearing make-up or perfume this morning because I am going to have eye surgery. I have not been wearing contact lenses for two weeks to ensure that my cornea is in normal conditions at the time of the surgery.
10:00 – I leave home with a companion, because I will not be allowed to drive after the surgery.
11:00 – “Good morning!” I am greeted by the receptionist who checks the documents confirming my agreement with the surgery and shows me in.
11:10 – A brief eye exam by the doctor who is going to perform the surgery follows, in order to check my visual acuity once more and diagnose any signs of inflammation, which would be contraindications for performing the surgery.
11:20 – I enter the preparation room, where I will leave my coat and change my shoes.
11:40 – I enter the operating room and lie down on the operating table. Here, anaesthetic eye drops are administered into my eyes and my face is covered with a surgical sheet. The doctor places holders on my eyelids and asks me to track a red light. I hear the laser starting up and see a ray of light, but I cannot feel anything.
11:50 – The doctor asks “How are you feeling?” Our procedure is finished. I only need to lie still for 5 more minutes and wait for the corneal flap to fit back tightly.
11:55 – I exit the operating room to allow my eye to rest and wait for the follow-up exam.
12:55 – The doctor checks the condition of my eyes under a slit-lamp. “Everything is fine!” The doctor gives me a prescription for anti-inflammatory eye drops and makes an appointment for the follow-up exam for the next day.
13:20 – My companion arrives to pick me up and drive me home so I can rest.