Prior to deciding to undergo voluntary LASIK vision correction surgery, it’s important that you get an inclusive eye examination as well as a LASIK consultation.

The eye examination can be performed by your family eye physician, and then your LASIK surgeon will generally repeat certain measurements that are vital for the decision-making for the surgery. Alternatively, your surgeon may perform both—the exam and consultation. In some cases, you may even be able to have the eye examination and LASIK consultation performed on the day of your surgery by your LASIK surgeon or an eye physician that works for the laser center or the surgeon.

Now, during the complete eye examination, the eye doctor will determine your prescription for eyeglasses as well as evaluate your eye health to ensure that you are a qualified candidate for the LASIK surgery. During the exam, you will undergo a process where your pupils are dilated, which is done in order to carefully observe the inside of your eyes and so that the focusing mechanism of your eye will relax in order to get the proper measurement of the refractive error of your eye.

If you opt to have the LASIK consultation on the day of your LASIK surgery, then it is vital that you understand your eyes won’t be dilated due to the fact that this could impact the way that the laser beam is positioned over the center of your cornea. If your LASIK surgeon believes that the pupil dilation part of the exam is necessary, then it will be done on a day prior to your surgery day.

During the pre-operative consultation, there will be supplementary measurements of your eyes taken in order to confirm that you are indeed a good applicant for the LASIK procedure. Because the procedure reshapes the cornea of the eye, detailed corneal topography measurements of the thickness and shape of your corneas will be taken in order to confirm that it is safe for you to undergo the LASIK corrective surgery. In addition, wavefront measurements will be performed in order to determine the amount and type of higher-order aberrations in your eyes and if a custom procedure is recommended.

A full breakdown of your tear film will also be performed in order to detect potential dry eye issues and treat them before your surgery so that dryness-related complications can be avoided from the get-go. A close examination of your eyelids will be conducted in order to identify and treat any blepharitis that may increase your risk of complications from the procedure.

A basic test will be performed to determine which eye is your dominant eye. This is particularly important if you have been diagnosed with presbyopia and you are considering monovision LASIK so that you won’t require reading glasses as much following the LASIK procedure.

During the consultation, the cost of the LASIK procedure will be gone over in-depth, and the cost will depend on the exact type of LASIK technology that has been recommended and will be used. For instance, custom LASIK will cost more than the average procedure. Many surgeons as well as laser surgery centers have special financing options to ensure that all types of LASIK are affordable and more available to all individuals.

If it’s determined during your examination or consultation that you do not qualify as a candidate for the LASIK vision corrective surgery, you may be recommended for a different vision correction procedure like refractive lens exchange, PRK, or phakic IOL implantation.

For additional information, or to schedule an exam and see if you are a candidate for LASIK surgery, contact Performance Vision.