LASIK eye surgery procedure Looking through a microscope, your LASIK surgeon will use an instrument, called a microkeratome, to create a flap of tissue in the cornea. This flap is then lifted up like the cover of a book to expose the tissue just below the cornea's surface. Next, looking through the microscope, your surgeon uses a device called an excimer laser to reshape the cornea by removing an ultra-thin amount of the exposed tissue of the cornea. A computer inside the excimer laser is used to control how much corneal tissue is removed. Your surgeon then replaces the flap over the cornea. No stitches (sutures) are generally required to keep the corneal flap in place. A scar gradually develops around the edge of the flap increasing the flap adhesion further (note that the scar is located well away from the center of your vision.) You must wear protective eye shields for the first several nights to prevent rubbing your eyes, and you will be required to use eye drops on a regular basis for a few weeks after LASIK eye surgery. You may need to use lubrication eye drops for several months after your LASIK eye surgery. In very rare circumstances you may need to wear a special contact lens on a temporary basis after LASIK eye surgery. Generally your vision will be stable in a matter of weeks. LASIK eye surgery is performed on an outpatient basis at Bellevue LASIK. You will be able to go home after your LASIK eye surgery, but you will need to arrange for someone to drive you home and bring you back the next day for a follow-up visit. LASIK eye surgery generally requires twenty (20) minutes of operating room time, but the actual duration may vary according to the type and amount of correction needed. A mild sedative, such as Valium or Ativan, may be taken to help you relax. You will be given eye drops to numb your eyes. During LASIK eye surgery, you will be lying on the laser bed or reclining chair and your eyelids will be held open with a device called a lid speculum. You will be asked to focus on a special fixation light in a microscope.