Once your LASIK date is set, a few practical steps can help procedure day run more smoothly. At Laser Eye Center of Carolina, Dr. Dean Dornic sees our patients again the day after LASIK and continues to monitor healing through scheduled follow-up visits. Use this checklist as a quick reference, then review the detailed instructions below for more information.
Preparing for LASIK at a Glance
- Contact lenses: Stop wearing soft contacts for one week before your procedure. Hard or RGP lenses generally need to be left out for four to six weeks so the cornea has time to stabilize.
- Makeup and fragrance: Avoid eyeliner and mascara the day before surgery. On procedure day, do not wear face makeup, perfume, cologne, or heavily scented body products.
- Food and clothing: You may eat a light breakfast or lunch before arriving. Wear comfortable clothing because the laser room is usually kept cool.
- Time and transportation: Plan to spend about two hours at our office and arrange for a friend or family member to drive you home.
- Drops and eye protection: We will review how to use your antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops and explain when to wear protective shields or goggles after treatment.
- Follow-up: Dr. Dornic sees you the next day. Our typical LASIK follow-up schedule also includes visits around one week, one month, three months, six months, and one year.
If you have not completed your candidacy evaluation yet, our LASIK consultation page explains what we measure before recommending treatment. You can also review what to expect after LASIK or visit our affordability page for information about fees and financing.
Contact Lens Wear
Contact lenses can change the shape of your cornea and it is important to allow time for the cornea to return to its natural shape prior to the day of your LASIK or PRK procedure. For this reason we ask that you refrain from wearing your soft contacts for one week before the procedure. If you wear hard (RGP) contacts it will usually take four to six weeks for your corneal shape to stabilize and there will be additional appointments included to ensure your corneas have stabilized before procedure.
We also ask that if normally wear eyeliner or mascara that you avoid wearing it the day prior to procedure.
Day of Procedure
LASIK is a surgical procedure, but the good news is you can eat a light breakfast or lunch before coming in!
Upon arrival our front desk will process your payment. If you decide to go with a longer term third party financing plan through Care Credit please apply at least a week in advance to allow processing time.
Our laser room is generally kept very cool so dress comfortably. We ask that you do not wear eyeliner, mascara or any face makeup on the day of the procedure. Also we ask that you don’t wear anything heavily fragranced like perfume, cologne or scented body lotion/spray.
The total length of time you will be at our office is normally about two hours.
Finally, don’t forget to bring a friend who can drive you home.
Post Op
After your procedure our staff will thoroughly go over your post operative instructions. We provide your antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops so there is no additional expense of having to fill a prescription for these at a pharmacy.
Most patients will be instructed to leave on their protective shields or wear goggles until the following morning to protect their eyes.
Dr. Dornic will also provide his pager and cell phone number in case you have any concerns overnight.
Follow up
Laser Eye Center of Carolina will be with you all the way.
Dr. Dornic will see you the following day to check your visual acuity and ensure your eyes are properly healing. There is an entire year of follow-up care included to monitor your visual improvement and we will cover any necessary enhancements for under or over correction free of charge for up to two years.
The typical follow-ups for LASIK procedures are at one day, one week, one month, three months, six months and one year.
If you were referred to us from your own optometrist or if you live out of town we will be happy to coordinate co-managed care at no additional charge.
Questions Before Your LASIK Procedure?
If anything in your preoperative instructions is unclear, contact us before your appointment or call 919-467-9955 to speak with our Laser Eye Center of Carolina team in Cary, North Carolina.
