You should arrive approximately 30 minutes prior to the procedure. You will be placed on a comfortable bed and given numbing eye drops. The area around your eye will be cleansed by an anti-infective wash. The eyelid lashes will be taped back with sterile tape and a lid speculum will be used to retract the lids for maximal exposure of the eye.

A special instrument called a microkeratome then creates a corneal flap, which is folded back to allow precise laser reshaping of the cornea. The flap is then reseated and securely seals within two minutes. Proper flap alignment is verified and the patient is sent home to rest for a few hours. Most regain functional vision later that same day and can return to normal activities the following day. The entire procedure averages ten to fifteen minutes total time for both eyes.