If you’ve ever been annoyed with wearing glasses or contact lenses, chances are you’ve considered getting LASIK surgery. When I first started talking to Mann Eye Institute about getting LASIK, I was a little scared but mostly very excited, and it has turned out to be one of the best things I have ever done — especially since I travel so much! The thought of getting surgery on your eyes can be a little daunting, so I wanted to share my experience and tell you everything you need to know about getting LASIK surgery. After my surgery, I did a Q&A on Instagram, and these are some of my most-asked questions, plus my personal experience:
What is LASIK surgery? How does it work?
So LASIK surgery actually involves two different lasers. The first laser creates a corneal “flap” (don’t be alarmed — it’s very subtle). Then a second laser comes in under the flap to provide the vision correcting treatment by precisely reshaping the surface of your eye. The flap is then gently laid flat again, and that’s it!
It sounds a lot more intense than it is, I promise!
How do you know if you're a candidate for LASIK?
In order to figure out if you are a candidate for LASIK, you will need to schedule a consultation (Mann Eye offers free consultations). They will do many tests that measure and look at your eyes with the machines pictured below.
They look kinda funny, but none of them are painful or uncomfortable! The puff test you have to do at a regular eye exam is worse than any of these! It’s basically just looking at various lights.
How do you prepare for LASIK?
There really isn’t much you need to do to prepare for LASIK. The thing that was tough for me was being out of my contacts for 5-7 days before the surgery because I didn’t like being in my glasses.
Day of, they advise you to dress comfortably and no make-up, jewelry, or perfume/cologne is best. Really, you should treat your surgery day as you would any normal day!
Does LASIK hurt?
This was probably the #1 most asked question and the thing everyone wanted to know about getting LASIK surgery: NO, LASIK does not hurt! And that is saying a lot coming from me because I am an absolute wimp when it comes to pain.
My doctor numbed my eyes with drops (no needles, thank goodness) so it didn’t hurt at all. The “worst” part was when the first laser was working… it felt like someone was pushing on my eye slightly, it was like a dull headache feeling behind my eye, and only lasted 10 or so seconds. After that, I didn’t feel anything.
After the surgery my eyes burned a little, but after some drops and I went to sleep, no discomfort or pain at all!
Was it scary?
I’d be lying if I said no, BUT… I get anxious about medical procedures, so I was VERY nervous to begin with. Mann Eye gives you something to help calm your nerves.
The thought of the procedure is what scared me more than anything. I let myself get too worked up in my head. When it came time to do the surgery, I definitely was freaking out a little. Dr. Tremblay and his technicians were so great about making me feel more comfortable and assured me they wouldn’t proceed until I was ready. They even let my friend come in and hold my hand for the whole procedure!
I know myself well enough to realize that I needed to rip the bandaid off and just do it, me sitting there getting more and more nervous wasn’t going to help. So I took a deep breath and told them let’s go for it!
I am thankful I did, because getting LASIK has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!
I was naturally still pretty nervous during the procedure itself, but it lasted less than 10 minutes total, Dr. Tremblay talked me through the entire thing, and honestly you can brave through most anything for 10 minutes.
And again, it really doesn’t hurt at all!
Can you walk us through the entire LASIK procedure?
Before the Surgery
When I showed up for my surgery, they did all the initial tests again to make sure they had the most accurate measurements and reading. Dr. Tremblay inspected my eyes to make sure everything looked good, then they prepped me for surgery! They washed my eyes to make sure all make-up or anything else was off. Then they sterilized the area around my eyes and started numbing them with drops. I was also given the medication to help me relax.
I then moved to a little waiting area where they have music playing and silly games that you can play to help distract from the nervousness. After about 20 minutes (so the medicine had time to kick in), they came and got me for surgery!
When they took me into the room, that’s when my nerves really kicked in and I started to panic a little. The tech was so sweet and tried to keep me calm while prepping me. You lay down on the bed (best thing I can equate it to is a massage bed haha) that is positioned under the first laser. They have a giant pink stuffed dog, that everyone holds during surgery – squeezing on to it really did help!
During LASIK
Dr. Tremblay came in and could see I was pretty shaken up and was great about not making me feel pressured to go ahead with the surgery before I was ready. I know they had other patients after me, but never once did they make me feel like I was wasting time or holding everything up. He even let my friend come in and hold my hand for the entire thing!
As I mentioned earlier in this post, I had to just rip the bandaid off and go for it. They got everything all set up, and as the laser was starting to come down, my gut reaction was to pull away, but I told myself, “you got this, 10 seconds of bravery and you’re good,” and the procedure started!
The first laser came down on the eye they were going to do first, and they covered the other one. I couldn’t see anything, it was just black from the laser being on top. Then the pressure on my eye came and felt like a dull headache right behind my eye. It was uncomfortable, but it didn’t hurt. That lasted for about 10-15 seconds. This is when they make the flap.
Then they swiveled the bed under the second laser. The second laser provides the vision correcting treatment. It precisely reshapes the surface of your eye according to the measurements from all the eye tests. This part was a little weird because I could kinda see them working on the flap. There were bright flashing lights for a couple seconds, then the flap was positioned back into place, and eye #1 was done!
They then repeated the process on the other eye. The whole procedure took maybe 10 minutes! After, Dr. Tremblay checked my eyes up close to make sure everything looked good and I went home!
After the Procedure
I waited a little longer in the office than most would need to because I am prone to fainting (wasn’t joking about being anxious with medical procedures haha). Then unfortunately, because I had my eyes closed, my friend got a little lost driving me home. So I got back to my apartment and subsequently my nap, later than most, and I definitely started to feel the burning sensation in my eyes. Usually, if you get home and go straight to bed like they tell you to, you won’t get that burning sensation. I took a mild antihistamine like Dr. Tremblay recommended (don’t take anything without talking to your doc first!), put some eye drops in (which helped a lot), and went to bed.
I woke up about 6 hours later, lifted my ~very fashionable~ eye shields (see below with sunglasses over them) and was shocked that I could read the clock across the room! My eyes didn’t burn and there was no discomfort at all. I went back to bed, and slept for 8 more hours before going to my 24-hour post-op appointment!
Phew, that was a long story, but I wanted to be as thorough as possible! Please feel free to message me or leave a comment if you have any additional questions or want to know more about my experience.
What if you move during LASIK?
The lasers that they use at Mann Eye track your eye movements so precisely, that it moves with you. If you were to move too much, they would automatically shut off. If that happened, your doctor would be able to position you back in place and it would resume. Technology is amazing.
How long is the recovery time after LASIK?
After your surgery, you go straight home and sleep. This is super important in helping your eyes heal right away. If you aren’t able to sleep, then just be sure to keep your eyes closed and just rest.
I was able to drive the NEXT day — not even 24 hours later!
Of course for the next month or so you need to be extra careful with your eyes while they’re healing, but you can return to your normal day-to-day things the next day!
How long does it take to see results?
I had my surgery done around 4:30 pm, got home around 5:30, and went straight to sleep. I woke up around midnight and could not believe that I could read the clock across my room!
The next day I drove myself to my 24-hour post-op appointment! They measured my eye sight and I was seeing better than “perfect” at 20/10 not even 24 hours later (20/20 is considered “perfect” vision)!
What do you have to do post LASIK surgery?
Luckily, there really isn’t much down time after getting LASIK, and recovery is very easy! There are several protocols that you have to follow after:
- Prescription antibiotic eye drops 4 times a day for 5 days
- Wear eye shields at all times while sleeping for 5 days after surgery
- Instill 1 drop of preservative-free artificial tears every 1-2 hours for 2 weeks after surgery. And then a couple of times a day for at least 1 month
- Don’t shower for 24 hours after surgery (bath is okay)
- No make-up for 4 days
- No eye rubbing for 1 month after (gently is okay after 1 week)
Are you limited on activities after the surgery?
There are some limitations right after your surgery, these are the ones Mann Eye specifies:
- No strenuous exercise for 3 days (taking a walk is okay)
- Wear eye protection for all sports/activities where there may be contact with your eyes or where debris might get into your eyes
- No swimming or hot tubs for 10 days
- No skydiving, scuba diving, watersports, or strenuous sports for 1 month after
What are the side effects of LASIK?
I personally have not really had many side effects. At night, bright lights have a little bit of a halo, but nothing bad and it doesn’t affect my driving. These are some of the possible temporary side effects that they mention:
- light sensitivity
- mild irritation, like watery eyes or mild burning
- starburst/glare/halo at night
- fluctuation of vision
- decrease in reading vision for the first week post-op
- dry eyes
These will all typically relieve themselves after a few weeks at most, but everyone is unique so it’s important to have conversations with your doctor at your post-op appointments.
What are the risks of LASIK?
96% of patients end up with 20/20 vision or better after having LASIK at Mann Eye Institute. While the risks of getting LASIK are low, it is important to know beforehand. When you schedule a consultation, your doctor will discuss them so you can make an informed decision.
Will you ever need glasses again?
LASIK has been proven to very successfully reduce or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses. While, no one can guarantee perfect vision, most good candidates (myself included!) no longer need to wear glasses or contacts after!
If you wear reading glasses or bifocals before surgery, it is likely that you will need those still after since LASIK corrects your cornea shape (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism) and not your lens (presbyopia, which makes you have to wear reading glasses).
LASIK will not prevent you from eventually needing reading glasses in your early to mid 40’s. That is caused by the natural aging of the eye, and LASIK can’t prevent it, nor does it cause it to occur earlier.
What if your vision changes and you need to make more enhancements?
In the rare case that you need to have your vision corrected or enhanced within 2 years of having LASIK, Mann Eye covers it as long as you follow proper protocol.
How much does LASIK cost?
This was another one of the most common questions people wanted to know about getting LASIK surgery! Pricing varies a bit from person to person because Mann Eye personalizes your LASIK to you. The pricing ranges from $2,000 to $2,800 per eye, but the best way to figure out how much LASIK is going to cost YOU is to schedule a free consultation!
At the consultation, you will learn if you are a candidate, have all your questions answered, and they will walk you through what your final price would be. Mann Eye Institute’s team is great about not rushing you through and taking the time to really lay everything out for you including promotions, insurance discounts, and affordable financing that may apply to you. Plus, there are no hidden costs; everything is included in one price – no surprises!
Trust me when I say, it is worth every penny! Especially when I thought about how much I was spending on glasses, contacts, solution, renewing my prescription every year and so on… They’ve got this really handy calculator that shows just how quickly all that adds up and how much LASIK can actually SAVE you money!
PLUS: Mann Eye is offering $1,200 OFF LASIK for anyone that mentions I referred them! Schedule your free consultation to learn more about what it would cost you specifically.
Does insurance cover LASIK?
Unfortunately, most insurances do not cover LASIK (which I think is crazy because it ends up cheaper than glasses/contacts in the long run), but many vision plans do offer discounts on LASIK, so be sure to ask Mann Eye about that when you go in.
Mann Eye also offers financing! Qualified patients can choose from several options.
Plus, like I mentioned before, you can save $1,200 if you say I referred you! Just use this page to schedule your consultation.
So, do you recommend getting LASIK?
If you couldn’t tell already, I ABSOLUTELY recommend getting LASIK. It has been amazing for me, especially with all the traveling that I do. And I cannot recommend Dr. Tremblay and Mann Eye Institute enough — they are incredible!
I hope this post answered any questions you had about LASIK! If there is something else you want to know about getting LASIK surgery, feel free to leave a comment here or DM me on Instagram. It really has been life changing for me!
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xx Chels
The fact that Lasik supplies results as fast it does, within the hour, in fact, is something that is quite surprising to me. My son wears glasses as he struggles to read words that are far away in distance to him. In order to assist him, I think that I will conduct further research into Lasik to determine if it would be beneficial for him.
I am also very surprised by the result of lasik surgery. Last time I met with Lasik surgeons in Los Angeles for treatment of my daughter. They encouraged me and without any harm surgery was very successful.
That’s great to hear!
Hey, It really nice information share with us, it good to her about LASIK SURGERY.
It’s good to learn that you can drive 24 hours after getting Lasik eye surgery. My wife is wanting to stop wearing glasses and she was wondering how long recovery would take if she got Lasik eye surgery. I’ll be sure to tell her that she could drive a day after surgery.
Thanks for informing me that the best way to know much a LASIK surgery procedure would cost me is by scheduling a free consultation with a clinic so they can inform the final price in correcting my eyes. I’m getting married to the love of my life next year, and I don’t want to wear glasses during the ceremony. Moreover, my nearsightedness is becoming such a hassle that I just want to have my 20/20 vision back. I’ll take your suggestion and schedule a LASIK consultation with a reputable clinic in our area. Thanks for this!
Happy to help! Good luck and congrats on your wedding! 🙂
I really like that you touched on getting the measurements done in the first consultation so that you are ready for the surgery. My spouse has some issues with a vision right now and she needs some treatment soon. I think it’s a great idea to find a local medical professional so that she can get that personalized care.