LASIK Eye Surgery
LASIK (Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis) involves lasering just underneath the surface of the eye to reshape the cornea. A small layer is created, lifted, lasered and then gently repositioned.
What is LASIK eye surgery?
LASIK treatment is the most popular type of laser eye surgery due to its quick recovery time, in comparison to LASEK, and its often instant results. The LASIK healing process is minimised due to the small flap which is created, lifted, and then replaced. This removes the need for the epithelial cells to regrow in the same way required after LASEK surgery.
LASIK surgery can treat myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism, and your suitability for treatment will be determined at your initial consultation. For short-sighted patients, we can treat a prescription of up to -10 with LASIK laser treatment. For long-sighted patients, LASIK laser eye surgery is suitable for prescriptions up to +6.
How much is LASIK eye surgery?
We have a fixed price of £1,995 per eye for all laser eye surgery procedures at Ultralase, regardless of your prescription. This is because it doesn’t cost us anything extra to treat higher prescriptions so, to be fully transparent, we keep the price the same to reflect this.
The cost of laser eye surgery includes your initial consultation, surgeon assessment, surgery day, aftercare appointments, and a Lifetime Aftercare Guarantee.
What happens in the LASIK procedure?
Anaesthetic
Before surgery, numbing eye drops are administered to ensure that you do not feel anything during treatment. Once the anaesthetic has taken effect, the eyelid holder is placed onto your eye to gently hold it open while the surgeon applies the laser. You may feel a slight pressure on your eye during LASIK treatment but some patients say they feel nothing at all.
Corneal flap is created
A corneal flap is created using the Intralase™ method - this is a state of the art LASIK laser treatment that prepares the corneal flap using a femtosecond laser. The flap is then carefully lifted to expose the part of the cornea which requires reshaping in order to achieve good vision.
Reshaping the cornea
Reshaping the cornea comes once a small flap has been created. The surgeon uses a second laser which is programmed specifically to your prescription. It is this laser which reshapes the cornea and the laser is applied to your eye for a matter of seconds.
The flap is replaced
The flap is carefully replaced into its original position after the surgeon reshapes the cornea. Unlike some other vision correction methods, LASIK treatment does not involve any stitches as the corneal flap naturally seals itself back down and heals on its own.
Once complete
Once the whole process is completed, make sure that you are regularly using the eye drops and protective shields provided. A smooth recovery provides better visual results. Everyone’s healing process varies, but LASIK recovery is amongst the quickest of all eye surgery recoveries. Some patients even find themselves back to work the next day!
You will need to come in for a one day check-up on the day after your treatment, just to ensure that the corneal flap is healing well and that your new vision is as sharp as it should be.
Following your LASIK treatment, you should continue to use hydrating eye drops multiple times a day for 2 weeks to aid your recovery and minimise any pain or discomfort. You will also attend 1 week and 1 month check-up appointments after your LASIK surgery to monitor your new vision and assess your overall eye health, as well as being cleared by your optometrist to drive again safely. Most LASIK patients are back to driving within a few days of their laser eye surgery.
Life after LASIK eye surgery
Following your LASIK treatment you will be required to attend further aftercare appointments to ensure that your eyes are healing as expected. Almost all Ultralase patients are discharged after 3 months but, should your vision take longer to reach the desired outcome, we will continue to provide any medically necessary care until we are satisfied with your visual result.
Book in for your free* consultation or call us on 0800 988 6390 to speak to one of our customer advisers.
* We do require a £10 holding fee for a weekday consultation or a £30 holding fee for a Saturday, which will be refunded straight back to you after you have attended. There is no obligation to go ahead with treatment once you have had your consultation.