LASIK Consultation & Evaluation
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During a LASIK consultation, your doctor assesses your eye health and suitability for surgery. You’ll find out how the surgery works, and you can ask questions about the risks and benefits.
A consultation isn’t a sales-oriented visit. Instead, it’s an opportunity for you and your doctor to discuss your vision and whether LASIK is right for you.
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Key Information of This Page
- Experts consider a LASIK consultation to be very important. Your doctor must confirm your eye health, and you need information to make a decision about the procedure.
- After your free consultation, you’ll feel confident about your choice (even if you don’t move forward with LASIK).
- About 6,000 trained ophthalmic surgeons perform LASIK regularly. You have options. Some people schedule multiple free consultations before choosing a surgeon.
- Your LASIK consultation is just the first step. If you choose to move forward, you’ll schedule surgery on a date that works for you.
What Happens During a LASIK Consultation?
A typical LASIK consultation lasts between two and three hours. Your doctor will do a comprehensive eye exam, review your complete health history, and discuss the surgery’s risks and benefits.
LASIK laser eye surgery is a safe, effective treatment for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. During the procedure, doctors use lasers to reshape the cornea, so light focuses on the retina at the back of your eye.
Your LASIK consultation ensures you’re a good candidate for this life-changing surgery. It can be intimidating to set aside hours to discuss your eyes. But surgeons in convenient locations can help you determine if this procedure is right for you.
Review Medical History
Your doctor will ask about your history of heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions that might impede your recovery.
Some medications (like blood thinners) can slow tissue recovery and raise the risk of complications. Your doctor will ask about any medications you’re taking, including over-the-counter therapies, to ensure you’ll heal well.
This step ensures you’re eligible for vision correction surgery.
Eye Exam & Corneal Mapping
LASIK is a delicate procedure that permanently alters the shape of your eye. Your doctor will take several measurements during your consultation to ensure you’re a good candidate.
Your eye exam will include the following items:
- Vision test: Your doctor will ensure your vision is within treatable parameters for LASIK (+6 diopters of hyperopia, up to -12 diopters of myopia, up to 6 diopters of astigmatism).
- Dilated exam: Your doctor will use drops to widen your pupils, allowing for a close examination of the back of your eye.
- Dominant eye testing: Special tools help your doctor determine which eye you use most. This measurement is especially helpful if you’re planning to use one eye for close vision and another for distance vision after LASIK.
- Eye health: Your doctor will measure your tear production and eyelid health. Your doctor will also look for underlying eye conditions that could impede recovery, like glaucoma, pink eye, or macular degeneration.
- Corneal mapping: Topographic measurements evaluate your eye’s particular shape, and data will guide the laser during surgery. This tool can also measure the thickness of the cornea, ensuring you’re a good LASIK candidate.
LASIK Discussion
At this point in your consultation, your surgeon will discuss the risks and benefits of LASIK. You’ll consider your exam results and whether (or not) LASIK seems like a good solution for your vision issues. You’ll also talk about your recovery from LASIK and what to expect.
You’ll have time to ask questions and get detailed answers. By the end of your appointment, you’ll know if you’re a good fit for vision correction surgery.
The surgery’s costs and financing options are also part of the LASIK discussion. If you choose to move forward, you’ll schedule your surgery.
Why You Should Schedule a LASIK Consultation
If you’re considering LASIK, a free consultation with a good doctor can give you the personalized data you need to make a smart decision.
After a thorough exam, you’ll know more about your eyes than you ever did before. You’ll understand exactly how LASIK will permanently change your vision. You’ll have clear expectations about the recovery process, and you’ll know what your vision might be like when the procedure is complete.
If you’re concerned about the cost of LASIK, a consultation is wise. You’ll find out how much a specific doctor will charge to amend your eyes. And you’ll learn about financing and options to keep the cost within your budget.
Some people want the convenience of LASIK but are nervous about having surgery on their eyes. The best doctor for you can alleviate these concerns and help you feel comfortable with LASIK if it’s the right choice for your eyes.
Advanced LASIK surgeons, like those working at NVISION Eye Centers, have success rates of 99% in achieving 20/20 vision. NVISION surgeons have performed more than 2 million surgeries, and no patient has lost vision after the procedure. Working with a doctor like this could put your mind at ease.
How to Prepare for Your LASIK Consultation
The LASIK consultation is important, but preparing for it is relatively easy. With just a few simple steps, you’ll be ready to discuss the procedure with ease.
Take these steps to prepare:
- Stop wearing contacts. For two weeks before your appointment, don’t wear contact lenses. They can change the shape and thickness of your cornea. Wear your glasses to your consultation instead.
- Prepare for the drive. Driving home from your appointment can be difficult, as your eyes will be dilated. Sunglasses may help, but it might be easier to ask someone to drive you.
- Gather your vision records. Bring a copy of your current prescription and any past versions you might have. Your doctor can also send your records to the eye surgeon you’re considering.
- Gather your medical history. Some conditions can disqualify you from LASIK, such as diabetes and autoimmune disorders. Be prepared to discuss your physical health. Your doctor may also ask about your pregnancy status, allergies, and breastfeeding status.
- Consider your questions. Time during your appointment is set aside for your education and reassurance. Pull together a list of your questions to discuss with your surgeon.
Getting a LASIK Consultation at NVISION Eye Center
At NVISION, our goal is to ensure that you make an informed decision about your eye health, so we approach the consultation as an open dialogue rather than a sales pitch. You’ll receive personalized insights, risks, benefits, recovery expectations, and information about financing options related to the procedure.
The consultation serves as a pivotal step in determining whether LASIK eye surgery, a revolutionary treatment for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, is right for you. Expect a thorough evaluation, including a detailed eye exam and health history review, lasting between two to three hours.
We strive to make the process as comfortable as possible, with many patients reporting feeling at ease post-consultation.
Our consultations are designed to make you feel informed and confident about your decision, even if you choose not to proceed with the surgery. With no hidden costs and an easy-to-understand process, getting a LASIK consultation at NVISION is the first step to clearer, better vision.
LASIK Consultation & Evaluation Frequently Asked Questions
The cost of your LASIK consultation is typically included within the cost of the surgery. But most providers don’t charge patients who complete an appointment and don’t schedule surgery.
Yes. Your doctor needs to make a complete assessment of your eye health before surgery. Dilation makes that possible.
Maybe. Some people are comfortable with blurry vision due to dilated eyes during the exam. Others find it’s safer and more comfortable to ask someone else to drive them home after the exam.
Contact lenses put subtle pressure on the cornea, changing their shape and thickness. If you stop wearing them for two weeks before the appointment, they can return to their normal space and give your doctor the information needed to ensure LASIK is right for you.
Don’t wear contacts for two weeks (14 days) before your appointment.
References
- LASIK and PRK Patient Evaluation and Selection. (January 2022). Albert and Jakobiec’s Principles and Practice of Ophthalmology.
- The 25th Anniversary of Laser Vision Correction in the United States. (March 2021). Clinical Ophthalmology.
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