Pre & Post Surgery

See a real patients operation day diary on our blog> 

Book a Consultation

The Cape Eye Hospital will facilitate a suitability assessment with one of our surgeons in your area – go to ‘book a free consultation’ to consult one of our Cape Town surgeons free of charge.

Please note that the Cape Eye Hospital and its surgeons are located in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. Free suitability consultations might not be offered in other parts of South Africa – please confirm with your eye specialist before you book your consultation.

Our surgeons are happy to answer all your questions during your suitability assessment.

Suitability Assessment

It is important to establish your suitability for the Eye Laser operation to avoid disappointment as well as for your safety.

Not everyone is suitable for Laser Eye surgery however about:

85% of glass wearers
85% of hard lens wearers and
95% of soft lens wearers.

Your eyes need to be healthy and you need to be older than 20 years of age.

Presbyopia (normal aging of the eye and respective loss of sharp sight) cannot be corrected with Laser Eye Surgery. Please discuss alternative procedures with your eye surgeon.

Please don’t wear contact lenses at least a week prior to your consultation date. This can cause inaccurate measurements.

Your surgeon will advise regarding the appropriate procedure to best correct your vision.

If you are not suitable for laser surgery, other options will be discussed.
(Alternative procedures include: Refractive lens exchange, Implantable contact lenses & Phakic lens implants.)

If you are found suitable for Laser Surgery, a date will be determined for the procedure, as well as the full pre-treatment consultation.

Pre-Treatment Consultation

During this consultation your surgeon will do a full eye examination as well as the necessary tests to ensure a safe and successful procedure. An OPD Topography Scan (Wavefront) will be scheduled, typically a day or two prior to your surgery. For this procedure your eyes will be dilated with special eye drops. We advise to bring a partner as your vision will be still blurry after the scan.

Day of Surgery

After arriving at the Cape Eye Hospital you will be checked in and a sedative may be offered to help you relax. You will then be prepared for surgery.
The area around your eye will be cleaned and eye drops will be used to numb your eye.
The procedure is completely pain free!

When your eye is completely numb, an eyelid holder will be placed between your eyelids to keep you from blinking during the procedure.


Please click here to view an animation of a typical eye laser procedure.

The doctor will create a hinged flap of thin corneal tissue with the aid of a microkeratome, and will gently fold the flap out of the way. During this process, you may feel a little pressure, but no pain. You will be asked to look directly at a target light while the laser reshapes your cornea. The Excimer laser will be programmed with the information gathered in your pre-operative examination.
The laser treatment will be completed in less than two minutes, depending on the amount of correction needed. Finally the protective layer will be folded back into place where it will heal without the need for stitches. After your procedure, your eye(s) will be examined with a slit lamp microscope.

Post Operation

Your vision will be a little blurry at first, so someone will need to drive you home. Approximately 4 to 8 hours of discomfort are to be expected. Your eye(s) will be a little sensitive towards sunlight – therefore please have a good quality pair of sunglasses with you.
One day after surgery, you will go to your surgeon for a standard examination. Most patients are able to resume their normal activities already.

You will also be given additional eye drops (prevention of infections and swelling of cornea) and your eyes may be shielded for protection. Your surgeon will give you exact instructions on how to use the eye drops correctly.
You may feel slight discomfort during the first couple of days after surgery such as dryness, a mild scratchy feeling or tearing of the eyes. Please avoid any rubbing of the eye.
The recovery process of your eye will be extremely fast.

For any additional questions 'ask our surgeons' or go straight to our 'suitability calculator' to see if you are suitable. 

Guarantee

Although the Eye Laser Technology is extremely advanced and utmost care and preparation is taken to promote a successful outcome of any eye laser operation, guarantees for a desired refractive results cannot be given by any institution. The vast majority of eye laser surgeries leave patients extremely satisfied. Please ask your surgeon for more details.