What To Expect During Your LASIK Eye Surgery Exam

by Admin
July 02, 2021

If you are considering laser vision correction, the first step on your journey to clear sight will begin with a LASIK eye exam and consultation. The appointment will educate you about your treatment options and collect information to determine if you are a suitable candidate for the surgery. Once it is determined that you are a good candidate for LASIK, you will undergo a preoperative LASIK eye examination to measure your refractive error and determine which LASIK treatment you would benefit most from. If it is determined that you are not a good candidate for LASIK, your optometrist may suggest other treatment options such as refractive lens exchange or PRK (Photorefractive keratectomy).

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What To Expect During Your LASIK Eye Exam

During a LASIK exam, it is preferred that patients do not wear their contacts for one week leading up to the exam and only wear their glasses to ensure that the doctor gets the most accurate measurements prior to LASIK surgery.

Refractive Error Diagnosis

This portion of the initial preoperative LASIK eye exam will accurately measure the patient’s prescription. The surgeons must determine what level of the patient's refractive error is to determine how much they need to reshape the cornea. In order for a patient to be a good candidate for LASIK surgery, they must have a refractive error that has been stable for longer than one year.

Wavefront CustomVue

A wavefront analysis creates a “blueprint” of the eye that can be used to custom design the visual correction. It does more than just simply measure the overall shape of the eye, it also measures the individual bumps and divots on the surface of the eye. These irregularities, also known as higher-order aberrations, cause a reduction in visual clarity and are generally associated with double vision, halos, and poor night vision. The wavefront analysis will identify vision errors based on the way light travels through the eye to allow the doctor to accurately determine what your LASIK needs are.

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)

Optical coherence tomography is a non-invasive imaging test that uses light waves to take cross-section pictures of the retina. OCT is often used to evaluate disorders of the optic nerve as well as other eye conditions including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and macular edema. The results of the OCT will also help the surgeon predict and prepare for any possible complications that could occur during the LASIK surgery.

Calgary LASIK Eye Surgery Consultations

Prior to LASIK surgery, patients will be required to go through this extensive examination to accurately determine if they are a good candidate for the surgery. The consultation will educate patients about the LASIK surgery process and what to expect post-surgery. These tests are especially critical to allow surgeons to determine an appropriate surgical plan to ensure the surgery goes smoothly with no complications and that optimal results are achieved.

At our eye clinic in Sunridge Mall, our highly qualified Calgary eye doctors provide comprehensive laser eye surgery consultation. During this appointment, they will examine your eye health and determine whether you are a viable candidate for laser eye surgery. To learn more, contact our team by calling (403) 280-7518 or by filling out our online contact form.

FAQs

How long is a LASIK eye exam?
An in-clinic preoperative consultation will take, on average, two hours to complete.

How long does LASIK surgery take?
The whole procedure takes about 10 minutes for two eyes, including creating the flap and performing the laser procedure.

What eye conditions does LASIK surgery correct?
LASIK eye surgery can correct: