For the right patients, LASIK is a transformative procedure that can free you from the daily hassles of glasses or contact lenses. However, clearer vision with LASIK begins with a consultation to determine your eligibility.
This can help ensure the safety and success of the procedure. Keep reading to learn more about what is covered during a LASIK consultation with your eye doctor.
What is LASIK?
LASIK is a vision correction surgery that treats refractive errors, including farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism, significantly decreasing or eliminating your reliance on visual aids. During the procedure, your LASIK surgeon will make a flap in the epithelium or outer layer of your cornea using a laser.
They’ll then fold back the flap and use a laser programmed with your eye measurements to reshape the underlying corneal tissue called the stroma. Finally, they’ll carefully lay the flap back down into position, where it will act as a natural bandage while you heal.
Why Do I Need a LASIK Consultation?
LASIK is more than a yes or no decision. Even if you’re sure about getting the procedure, you’ll first need to have a LASIK consultation.
A LASIK consultation is a thorough assessment to determine if you’re a suitable candidate for the procedure. It ensures that your LASIK surgery goes as smoothly as possible and has the best possible outcomes.
During your appointment, your LASIK surgeon will review your medical and eye health history. You’ll also undergo a series of tests to evaluate your corneal thickness, prescription stability, eye and vision health, and more.
Additionally, you’ll get to learn about what LASIK entails, discuss your vision goals and lifestyle needs, and ask your LASIK surgeon any questions about the procedure.
What’s Covered During My LASIK Consultation?
Generally, here’s what you can expect during the LASIK consultation process:
Eye Health and Medical History Review
Your eye doctor will need to know about any existing eye or health condition you have, medications you currently take, previous surgeries, and if you wear visual aids. Your eye health and medical history play a crucial role in the safety and success of your LASIK procedure, as certain conditions can increase the risk of complications and unsatisfactory outcomes.
You may not be a good candidate for LASIK if you have:
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
- Uveitis
- Keratoconus
- Severe dry eye
- Diabetes
- Sjogren’s syndrome
- Lupus
- Rheumatoid arthritis
If you are pregnant or nursing, you should wait to undergo LASIK until after, as hormonal changes during pregnancy can affect your prescription, potentially interfering with the results of your procedure.
Eye and Vision Tests
Several painless and non-invasive tests will also be done, including:
Refraction
Another essential part of your LASIK consultation is undergoing a comprehensive vision test. Your refractive error will be measured to determine the correction required during LASIK.
If your prescription is too high for LASIK, your eye doctor may recommend an alternative procedure, such as EVO ICL or refractive lens exchange (RLE). It’s also important that your prescription has remained stable for at least one year prior to LASIK.
Your eye doctor will compare the measurements from this refraction test to your previous results to ensure your prescription is stable. This LASIK candidacy factor is also why you need to be at least 18 years old to undergo the procedure.
Prescriptions often change during puberty and adolescence, which could render the results of LASIK ineffective if performed too soon. Typically, the sweet spot for LASIK patients is in your mid-to-late twenties, when your prescription has likely stabilized.
Dilated Eye Exam
For this test, your eye doctor will use special eye drops to widen or dilate your pupils to get a closer look at the natural lens of your eye and retina. They’ll measure your refractive error again when your eyes are dilated to verify the results from refraction testing.
Dilation will also allow them to detect conditions such as macular degeneration or glaucoma.
Corneal Mapping
Your eye doctor will use advanced diagnostic tools to map the surface of your cornea. Mapping allows them to check for thinning and irregularities.
If your corneas are too thin, it can be unsafe to continue with LASIK. This is due to the creation of the corneal flap.
Other procedures like PRK, EVO ICL, and RLE, which don’t involve a corneal flap, are often better choices for patients with thin corneas. Corneal mapping also enables your eye doctor to better understand the shape of your cornea, allowing them to tailor your LASIK procedure for more precise vision correction.
Discussion of Your Visual Goals and Lifestyle
LASIK is ideal for patients who want to achieve visual freedom from contacts and glasses. The procedure can eliminate the common frustrations associated with visual aids and, in some cases, offer patients crisper, sharper vision than they have ever had before.
However, like any procedure, LASIK carries risks. It’s important to understand these risks and have realistic expectations about the visual results LASIK can achieve before undergoing the procedure.
Your daily lifestyle is also an important factor in determining LASIK candidacy. If you play contact sports, such as wrestling, martial arts, boxing, lacrosse, and football, you may be better suited for PRK, EVO ICL, or RLE.
This is because the flap made during LASIK has the potential to become dislodged during a sports-related eye injury, which could affect your results and cause vision complications.
Patient Education
Your eye doctor will detail how LASIK surgery works during your consultation. They’ll also discuss the benefits and possible risks of the procedure.
Additionally, you’ll be able to ask any questions you have. By the end of your LASIK consultation, you’ll learn whether you’re a good candidate for the procedure and be able to make an informed decision about your vision correction journey.
Are you interested in LASIK? Schedule your LASIK consultation at Herschel LASIK and Cataract Institute in Orlando, FL, today to find out if it’s the best option for you!
