In this outpatient surgery, doctors use a laser to reshape the cornea and correct vision. The excimer laser uses pulses of ultraviolet light to vaporize cells on the surface of the eye. The laser is applied to that under surface and then doctors re-lay the flap.
Doctors say the cells around the flap go to work immediately and the eye heals very quickly.
Patients say the surgery itself is painless. The doctor puts numbing drops in your eye so that you don't feel the procedure. After the surgery, patients report minor irritation, which lasts throughout that day. Some people also experience watery eyes, a runny nose, sensitivity to light and eye redness during the first day. This can occur the day of surgery and may last for two to six weeks.