Going through surgery is quite a difficult decision to make. It is natural to have many questions before agreeing to get them, no matter how trivial. But you don’t need to worry since we are here to answer some of your questions regarding one of the most extensively used eye surgeries, i.e. LASIK.
In this article, we will first understand what LASIK means, its procedure, and finally, the answer to whether you need stitches for LASIK or not.
You will typically encounter 9 out of 10 people who have some eye vision problems, such as myopia (nearsightedness), hypermetropia (farsightedness), or astigmatism (misshapen cornea). Many people only experience these issues with one eye, but most experience poor vision. Most people choose power glasses or lenses to correct their vision and see clearly. However, many people today choose to have eye surgery to correct their eye power permanently.
Laser in-situ keratomileusis, also known as LASIK, is one such refractive surgery for correcting myopia, hypermetropia, and astigmatism in one or both eyes of the patient.
Light is precisely bent (refracted) onto the retina at the back of the eye in eyes with normal vision by the cornea. However, nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism cause the light to be bent incorrectly, causing blurred vision.
In this surgery, the clear dome-shaped tissue at the front of your eye (cornea) is precisely altered to change its shape to enhance vision and bend the light correctly again. The whole procedure takes about 30 minutes for both eyes.
It is one of the safest, latest, and most widely performed eye surgeries since it does not involve a blade and only uses a laser to do the entire procedure. It is one of the surgeries where there is not much risk involved and fewer complications.
How does LASIK eye surgery take place?
Before getting on to the actual question, we need to know the whole procedure of LASIK to understand it in more depth.
The entire LASIK eye surgery has three steps – preoperative checkup, the actual surgery, and the postoperative care. If all three steps are followed carefully and correctly, you will be able to see the best result within a few hours, and then you will have the best eyes for years.
Preoperative Tests
The preoperative procedure for LASIK includes tests that check your eligibility for surgery. If you pass all the tests, your surgeon will schedule your surgery soon, and then you can proceed with the surgery. If you fail any tests, you can get other eye surgeries like SMILE and Contoura eye surgery.
During Surgery
Before the surgery begins, a medical professional will first numb your eyes. A femtosecond laser is then used to adjust the cornea to restore your vision to its initial condition. The surgery only takes 30 minutes for both eyes and 15 minutes for one. You can immediately observe the results once the surgery is complete.
The appropriate actions you must take after surgery include those necessary to ensure that the procedure results last as long as possible while your eyes heal completely and don’t contract an infection.
Postoperative Procedure
After the surgery is finished, take a quick nap to let your eyes adjust. Continue wearing the safety eye shield after that. The following are additional safety precautions you should take right away that day:
- Don’t drive back to your house alone; get someone to drive you.
- To avoid damaging your eyes, keep airborne irritants like pollen, dust, and other irritants out of your eyes.
- Avoid staring at screens for as long as possible, including those on your computer, laptop, mobile device, etc.
- Don’t rub your eyes, especially if you have dirty hands.
- As tap water is not sterile, it should not be used to clean your eyes.
- You can wear zero-power glasses.
- Whenever your surgeon advises it, take the prescribed medications as directed.
- Visit your surgeon regularly for follow-up exams.
Do you need stitches for LASIK Eye Surgery?
No. You do not need any stitches during the whole LASIK procedure. Let’s understand why so!
There are two methods for performing LASIK eye surgery: the traditional method, which uses a blade, and the more recent method, which uses a laser instead of a blade. The modern method is the only one used, and the older method is only occasionally used because there is less risk involved in the later version.
The laser is safe because it doesn’t touch the eyes. Without physically touching the cornea, it reshapes it. The flap will be replaced following its removal. The healing process starts as soon as this takes place.
Within a few minutes, the circular corneal flap’s superficial layer will naturally self-adhere. The corneal surface epithelium cells migrate inside the flap within 24 hours, sealing the flap’s edges. Therefore, the cornea functions like a bandage, meaning you can heal without stitches or a physical bandage.
Conclusion
LASIK eye surgery is the most prevalent eye surgery right now because it is low-risk and requires little aftercare medical attention. If you are afraid of stitches, you can also proceed with this surgery, as we just saw that this eye surgery does not require any stitches.
