• To determine if you are a candidate
• To answer your questions
• To help you learn as much as you can about laser vision correction

As part of your consultation, we perform a thorough eye exam.

To help you make an informed decision, we review all aspects of laser vision correction and what you can reasonably expect from the procedure. We will carefully evaluate your eyes and answer any questions.

If you choose to have laser surgery, we'll tell you what you need to do to be ready. Mainly, you'll need to stop wearing contact lenses before the procedure - one week for soft lenses and four weeks for hard or gas-permeable lenses.

Dr. Jenkins discusses the initial consultation on Olelo's Health TV:

Day of the Procedure

Arrive at the Laser Eye Center of Hawaii as rested and relaxed as possible. Allow for two hours at the center. Wear comfortable clothing. Do not wear makeup, earrings, hair spray, perfume or cologne on the day of your laser procedure.

Arrange for someone to drive you home.

You will be asked to sign an informed form of consent and arrange for payment. (We can help you arrange financing; please ask our staff for the information in advance.)

Pre-ops

Meet with your surgeon to discuss any last-minute questions.

We'll use anesthetic drops to numb your eye. If you are having LASIK, your surgeon may prescribe a mild oral sedative.

Sterile surgical conditions are well maintained.

• Your face is cleaned with a disinfectant
• You wear a surgical cap
• Your eyelashes are taped out of the way
• An eyelid holder is used to prevent blinking

After the Procedure

The 1st Day

Following the surgery, go home and rest.

You may experience slight feelings of discomfort. With the LASIK procedure, this may last a few hours; with PRK, a few days. Asophthalmic (steroid) drops will help promote healing.

You can expect your vision to be fairly blurry. In the case of PRK, your vision may worsen over the first three days. With LASIK there is usually a dramatic improvement in vision in the first 24 hours.

Do not plan on driving until you feel vision has improved. This may be a week with PRK and a few days with LASIK. Sensitivity to light is normal and will improve.

• Wear good sunglasses
• Avoid rubbing your eyes
• Avoid swimming, surfing and hot tubs for a week
• Showers are fine, just avoid splashing your eyes with water
• Avoid dusty or smoky environments.

The 1st Week

Before leaving The Laser Eye Center, we’ll give you complete instructions including a post-operative appointment schedule. This includes examinations the day after, a week after and one, three, six and twelve months after the procedure, with annual checkups after that.

The earlier stages of PRK recovery are also longer. Your vision may get worse for the first three days. This is normal. You will notice an improvement about Day 5 and it will continue for several weeks. We recommend using eye drops for at least three months. The frequency will be modified after the one-month visit.

With LASIK your vision improves more rapidly and you may feel comfortable enough to drive in two days. You will be using eye drops for about ten days.

The 1st Year

It may take as long as three months for your vision to stabilize following PRK or LASIK surgery. Recovery is generally faster with LASIK and stability may be achieved as soon as two weeks.

With LASIK, although the flap is relatively secure in one week, we advise you not to rub your eyes hard for a month.

With PRK the post-operative steroid drops must be continued as your doctor recommends. Deviations from this regimen may lead to haze or regression.

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