I Got Laser Eye Surgery After Years of Holding Back—Here’s Everything You Need To Know

TBH, best decision of my life.

If you’re like me and were dealt a bad hand of eyesight genetics (years of reading in the dark probably didn’t help either), glasses and/or contacts are just another part of everyday life. So when I first heard about laser eye surgery, it sounded too good to be true. A few minutes in surgery—where you’re completely awake at that—and you can get perfect vision for life? Must be a hoax. Not to mention the idea of my eyeballs going under the knife (or technically laser) gave me much pause.

But after years of squinting at screens, whipping out glasses at shows, and unintentionally ignoring people in public because I couldn’t see them, I thought it was time to take the plunge—and my only regret is not having done it sooner. Here’s everything you need to know about the life-changing procedure.

What is laser eye surgery?

Laser eye surgery is a procedure that uses laser energy to reshape the eye. “It changes the curvature of the cornea in such a way as to treat conditions known as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism,” says James Kelly, MD, ophthalmologist and refractive surgeon specialist at Kelly Vision Center. “This may permanently eliminate or reduce dependence on glasses and contact lenses.”

The magic all lies in the cornea, which accounts for the eye's bending and refracting power. By reshaping the cornea with laser technology, the surgery corrects the refraction problems in the eye (read: improved vision).

As you may have heard, the most common laser eye surgeries are LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) and SMILE (small incision lenticule extraction), both of which take about 10 minutes to perform. “The results from laser eye surgery are often permanent; however, about 10% of people may require a LASIK enhancement at some point after their initial procedure,” says Dr. Kelly.

What is the difference between LASIK vs SMILE?

“The main difference with SMILE is that the laser incision is even smaller than with LASIK,” says Dr. Kelly. “A small disc of tissue is removed from the cornea to affect the vision correction rather than removing the tissue by laser ablation as in LASIK. The main benefit with SMILE is a more immediate return to physical activities and a decreased risk of temporary post-laser dryness.”

How much is laser eye surgery?

“LASIK costs around $4,500 for both eyes with prices usually in the $4,000-$5,000 range,” says Dr. Kelly, although this can vary on your doctor and location. Because risks are lower and downtime is shorter, SMILE tends to be a bit more expensive.

Another thing to note: Although some insurance companies may cover a portion of the cost, laser eye surgery is usually considered elective surgery, so a lot of cases will require you to pay out-of-pocket for your expenses.

What are some common side effects of laser eye surgery?

According to Dr. Kelly, the most common side effects of laser eye surgery include dryness, light sensitivity, and nighttime glare. Laser eye surgery causes a temporary decrease in tear production, so for the first few weeks after your surgery, your eyes may need hydrating eye drops as they heal (that being said, I didn’t need any after SMILE).

What can you expect during laser eye surgery?

First comes an extensive consultation—long-term results from LASIK tend to be best in people who are good candidates for the procedure, which is another way of saying your cornea needs to be thick enough to cut into. During the evaluation, your eye doctor will ask about your medical history and give you an eye exam to decide whether you can undergo the procedure safely. They will also check which areas of your cornea need reshaping and determine the exact amount of tissue to remove.

If you are approved for laser eye surgery (I chose to get SMILE), the next step is stopping the use of contact lenses for at least a few weeks before your procedure—this is because contact lenses can change the shape of your cornea. You’ll also be told to pick up a few prescriptions from the pharmacy for afterwards (don’t be like me and not pick them up because stumbling to CVS with sunglasses straight from the surgery room wasn’t fun).

On the actual day of the surgery, you may be given medicine to help you relax (trust me, the Xanax helps). After numbing drops are placed in your eye, your doctor uses an instrument to hold your eyelids open. A suction ring is placed on your eye just before cutting the corneal flap—this is the weirdest part. Although it doesn’t hurt, you may feel a bit of pressure.

Then it comes time for the actual cutting. You’ll be asked to focus on a point of light, which helps keep your eyeball fixed while the laser does its work. A small blade or cutting laser cuts a small hinged flap away from the front of your eye, and then a tiny amount of corneal tissue is removed using a programmed laser. After reshaping the cornea, the surgeon lays the flap back into place, which will heal up without any stitches needed.

Does laser eye surgery hurt?

I was told to expect “mild discomfort” throughout the procedure, but honestly the thought of it was the only uncomfortable part—the surgery itself was painless. There is a 10-second period when your vision goes completely black, which is pretty nerve-racking but rest assured is completely normal. I was grateful for the nurse who gave me her hand to hold (she noted I had “impressive grip”).

What is the downtime after laser eye surgery?

“Following LASIK there is usually about 5 hours of moderate to significant discomfort, which may include tearing and eye pain,” says Dr. Kelly. “However, many people can resume their normal activities after 24 hours which includes driving, working, using a computer and smartphone, and watching TV.” You will have to hold off on wearing makeup for a week after LASIK, but I was told I could wear makeup right away with SMILE (I was good and waited a few days just in case).

I found the apparently simple recovery process hard to believe, but my experience was in line with the doctor’s predictions. I was pretty much out of commission for the day of the surgery—my eyeballs felt sore as if they just did an intensive workout, and I couldn’t rub them which was extremely frustrating. But after taking the deepest sleep I’d had in weeks, I was feeling normal the next morning.

That being said, I did have slightly blurry vision for a week—nothing debilitating though and it got better every day. And compared to the extremely blurry vision I had before the surgery, it was still a significant improvement. I was told to use antibiotic eye drops several times a day and lubricating eye drops as needed, but to be honest I rarely needed to use the latter because my eyes felt fine. At my post-op one week later, I was told my fancy new eyeballs had 20/20 vision (flex).

Is laser eye surgery worth it?

While this is obviously a personal question due to the cost and hassle involved, I have to say my quality of life has never been better. After years of walking around blind because I hated glasses and refused to wear contacts, I can affirm that life is much better when you can actually see it. As with any medical procedure, make sure to do your research and choose the right doctor, but I do recommend going for it if you’re on the fence—you’ll be surprised you waited so long in the first place.

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