LASIK Surgery Checklist

LASIK Surgery Checklist

Know what makes you a poor candidate

Career impact - does your job prohibit refractive surgery?
Cost - can you really afford this procedure?
Medical conditions - e.g., do you have an autoimmune disease or other major illness? Do you have a chronic illness that might slow or alter healing?
Eye conditions - do you have or have you ever had any problems with your eyes other than needing glasses or contacts?
Medications - do you take steroids or other drugs that might prevent healing?
Stable refraction - has your prescription changed in the last year?
High or Low refractive error - do you use glasses/contacts only some of the time? Do you need an unusually strong prescription?
Pupil size - are your pupils extra large in dim conditions?
Corneal thickness - do you have thin corneas?
Tear production - do you have dry eyes?

Know all the risks and procedure limitations

Overtreatment or undertreatment - are you willing and able to have more than one surgery to get the desired result?
May still need reading glasses - do you have presbyopia?
Results may not be lasting - do you think this is the last correction you will ever need? Do you realize that long-term results are not known?
May permanently lose vision - do you know some patients may lose some vision or experience blindness?
Dry eyes – do you know that if you have dry eyes they could become worse, or if you don’t have dry eyes before you could develop chronic dry eyes as a result of surgery?
Development of visual symptoms - do you know about glare, halos, starbursts, etc. and that night driving might be difficult?
Contrast sensitivity - do you know your vision could be significantly reduced in dim light conditions?
Bilateral treatment - do you know the additional risks of having both eyes treated at the same time?
Patient information - have you read the patient information booklet about the laser being used for your procedure?

Know how to find the right doctor

Experienced - how many eyes has your doctor performed LASIK surgery on with the same laser?
Equipment - does your doctor use an FDA-approved laser for the procedure you need? Does your doctor use each microkeratome blade only once?
Informative - is your doctor willing to spend the time to answer all your questions?
Long-term Care - does your doctor encourage follow-up and management of you as a patient? Your preop and postop care may be provided by a doctor other than the surgeon.
Be Comfortable - do you feel you know your doctor and are comfortable with an equal exchange of information?

Know preoperative, operative, and postoperative expectations

No contact lenses prior to evaluation and surgery - can you go for an extended period of time without wearing contact lenses?
Have a thorough exam - have you arranged not to drive or work after the exam?
Read and understand the informed consent - has your doctor given you an informed consent form to take home and answered all your questions?
No makeup before surgery - can you go 24-36 hours without makeup prior to surgery?
Arrange for transportation - can someone drive you home after surgery?
Plan to take a few days to recover - can you take time off to take it easy for a couple of days if necessary?
Expect not to see clearly for a few days - do you know you will not see clearly immediately?
Know sights, smells, sounds of surgery - has your doctor made you feel comfortable with the actual steps of the procedure?
Be prepared to take drops/medications- are you willing and able to put drops in your eyes at regular intervals?
Be prepared to wear an eye shield - do you know you need to protect the eye for a period of time after surgery to avoid injury?
Expect some pain/discomfort - do you know how much pain to expect?
Know when to seek help - do you understand what problems could occur and when to seek medical intervention?
Know when to expect your vision to stop changing - are you aware that final results could take months?
Make sure your refraction is stable before any further surgery - if you don't get the desired result, do you know not to have an enhancement until the prescription stops changing?

How does Custom LASIK work?

How does Custom LASIK work?

* Using wavefront technology, an analyzer projects waves of light into the eye.
* A customized map is created for each individual eye.
* Digital technology identifies and measures imperfections 25 times more precise than Conventional LASIK to offer higher levels of precision and treatment accuracy.

Clinical Studies Support Custom LASIK Benefits

* Custom LASIK provides a greater chance of achieving 20/20 vision.
* Potential for better vision exceeds that of contact lenses or glasses.
* Many patients report clearer, sharper vision after having Custom LASIK.
* Incidence of glare and halos is reduced with Custom LASIK laser vision procedures.
* With Custom LASIK laser vision correction there is a better potential for improved overall vision, day and night.

Higher Order Aberrations Are Treated With Custom LASIK

* Aberrations are visual imperfections that may affect your vision, vary from one person to the next, and are "lower" or "higher" in nature.
* Nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism are lower-order aberrations previously treated with Conventional LASIK.
* Higher-order aberrations that link to glare and halos and could not be adequately corrected with glasses, contacts, or conventional LASIK, can be treated with Custom LASIK.
* Your doctor will recommend the procedure best suited for your eyes.

The Technology Behind Custom LASIK

* Unlike conventional LASIK, Custom LASIK uses a tool called a wavefront analyzer to measure the way light travels through your eye.
* A customized 3-D map of your eye is created from these measurements and shows your entire optical system, providing information about the unique visual characteristics of your eye.
* Each and every eye has its own unique characteristics and your TLC surgeon uses this data to further customize your vision correction.
* Unlike conventional LASIK surgery, Custom LASIK eye surgery treats lower and higher-order aberrations from nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, to glare and halos.
* With Custom LASIK, a 3-D map of your eye is created that supplies critical information to your TLC surgeon, so that your vision correction can be customized to your specific needs.
* Most people who have had the Custom LASIK procedure notice they are seeing more clearly than before.
* Not everyone is a good candidate for Custom LASIK; for specific details about this laser vision correction procedure, click here .
* Contact your local TLC Laser Eye Center to schedule a comprehensive consultation to determine the best treatment for you.