Refractive surgery is a brief, outpatient procedure. Although you are awake and alert, anesthetic eye drops are applied so there is typically no discomfort. A lid speculum is used to gently hold open your eyelids so you cannot blink during the procedure. During LASIK, a thin flap of corneal tissue is made with a very precise instrument. It takes less than a minute for the actual application of the laser light. The surgeon will demonstrate the laser beam to you before it is actually applied to your eye. Once you are finished, you will be given your eye drops and final instructions before going home. LASIK patients generally experience no significant discomfort after surgery! Although most patients resume normal activity immediately without restrictions, some prefer to relax for the remainder of the surgery day. You will usually be seen in the office the next day.