What’s It Like to Have LASIK Surgery?

If you guys have been following Light Passing Through, you know that recently I did a post called I Consulted at 4 Popular LASIK Places and Here’s What I Thought in which I ended up selecting Kugler Vision to perform my LASIK procedure.

So yesterday was the big day!

Obviously, I can only outline my LASIK experience, but here’s what you can expect should you also choose Kugler:

Check-In

I arrived at 12:30 for my procedure where they checked me in, ensured I had a ride arranged for post surgery, gave me a lanyard with a patient card inside, and asked me what type of music I wanted them to play during the procedure. I went with classical, of course.

Exams

I was taken through two of the machines I previously visited for my consultation to ensure my vision hadn’t changed and led back to an exam room to do the regular eye check with a phoropter. Once that also confirmed my eyesight, I was led by to a patient room where I got to sit in a massage chair and offered valium to help me relax (and eventually sleep).

Jolene, their patient coordinator, went over the instruction of post-op care with the eye drops to ensure I understood it. The instructions and drops were tucked inside a bag along with sunglasses, sleeping goggles so I wouldn’t rub my eyes, and a stress ball. I was given my first dose of numbing drops for my eyes.

I was led to one more machine that would quadruple check my vision right before the procedure while Dr. Kugler and his surgical team of 4 people prepped the machines. I went back to my patient room to relax and let the Valium kick in a bit more. I was given some more numbing drops and then I headed into surgery.

Surgery

I went back to the surgery room where I laid down on a bed and they covered my left eye while they worked on my right eye, and then vice versa. I remember the machine coming close to my eye and I held my breath as I waited to feel something and I can honestly say I never knew when the incision was made. I do remember Dr. Kugler saying, “The worst part is over.” which is reassuring when it felt like absolutely nothing.

They did the same thing to my other eye and then my bed was pivoted to another machine. The procedure was similar where he held on the side of my head to keep my eyes stable and the machine closed in on my eye and made a drilling sound followed by the smell of smoke. This part sounds way worse than it actually is because, again, I heard and smelled things but didn’t feel things. Then the same steps were repeated for my other eye. The entire time I kept thinking to myself, “I don’t feel anything, not even pressure.”

When it was done, I stood up and again tried (almost forcefully) to try to feel something to report back, but it never hurt. Not at any point.

All in all, the surgery took between 10-15 minutes but it felt more like 5 and I left around 1:30 so it was 1 hour total time.

If you want to watch my procedure and see for yourself, check out my Facebook Live Video Here. (see if you can hear my classical music selection going on in the background)

Post Op

At this point, I could feel more of the buzz of the valium but was still able to get up and walk back to my patient room. I sat down and Dr. Kugler came in to make sure I was feeling fine before they dismissed me.

One of my friends came and picked me up and I went home to take a three-hour nap. It was glorious.

So many people had told me, including people from the other places I consulted, that the worst pain would occur when I awoke. It would be itchy, burning, and feel like I had a “dirty contact” in my eye. Kugler Vision said my vision would be blurry throughout the night and feel like seeing underwater.

It was a bit blurry, but less than I imagined and I experienced zero burning or itchy pain. I was prepared for some irritation in my eyes and there was none.

Even in this moment, I’m about 24 hours post-op and I don’t feel any burning/itching and the blurriness is virtually gone.

Did It Hurt At Any Point?

So many people asked me, “Did it hurt?”. And the honest answer…not one bit. I was awake the whole time and saw the light, but I felt absolutely nothing. Not even the pressure.

If you’re worried, scared, or unsure what it would feel like I compiled a nice list called:

Things That Have More Feeling Sensation Than LASIK Surgery

• A Pap Smear
• A Flu Shot
• A one-day juice cleanse
• Three simultaneous sneezes in a row
• A finger prick
• Trying to slip on jeans that are too tight
• Childbirth (even with an epidural)
• 10 Burpees
• Eating too many spicy wings in one sitting
• When a toddler body slams you
• Trying to use a horrible food spiralizer and cutting your finger
• Sensitivity from using whitening strips
• A barre workout

If fear of pain is keeping you from considering LASIK, then I hope this was reassuring that there was NO PAIN involved for me.

If you have more questions, please comment below (as others are probably thinking the same thing) and I’ll do my best to answer them!