People are wondering what will happen if a flap comes loose after LASIK. LASIK is a known refractive surgery that corrects myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism. It has been 20 decades since the approval for LASIK was given by the FDA.
Despite the high degree of success of more than 30 million LASIK procedures, some questions are still left unanswered which includes the key aspect of LASIK surgery which is the corneal flap. The question that is being asked is “What will happen if the flap moves after the LASIK procedure?”. Before answering that question, the chance of a LASIK flap moving after surgery is close to zero.
You need to be aware of the process of LASIK surgery. The first thing that your eye surgeon will do is to create a flap on the surface layer of the cornea using a femtosecond laser. The corneal tissue will be reshaped and then the corneal flap will be gently returned to its original position. The flap does not need stitches because the natural adhesion will help in stabilizing the flap.
Does the Flap From Lasik Heal?
After the surgery, the healing process of the corneal flap starts. It usually takes one to three days after the procedure for the epithelium or the outer surface of the cornea to seal the edge with the new corneal flap. The flap that never heals refers to the undersurface of the flap. By the time that the cornea heals, the interface would turn opaque.
Be reminded that the recovery time of LASIK is on a case to case basis. Make sure that you follow the precautions and advice given to minimize complications. Make sure that you have regular check-ups with an eye doctor to monitor the progress of healing of your corneal flap.
What Are Laser Retreatments?
The healing process after the LASIK procedure makes it almost impossible to move a flap after LASIK. The chances of dislodging a flap are less than 1% of cases because it is very rare. You will know that there is a flap dislocation if you experience pain, discomfort, watery eyes, and blurred vision.
If the LASIK flap is dislocated for any reason, make sure that you seek emergency treatment immediately. Your eye surgeon will reposition the flap into its original position without causing harm to your vision.
