During your consultation, you may be offered a newer diagnostic procedure, known as wavefront analysis. Wavefront technology was first developed for high-powered telescopes, to sharpen the image of distant stars that were distorted by the earth’s atmosphere. More recently, the technology has been applied to the correction of human vision. In 2002, the U.S. Food… Read the full article
Category: Refractive Surgery
Common Questions about LASIK (Pt. 4 Final)
Could the Surgery Cause Problems Years from Now? The chance of problems years down the road is very unlikely. LASIK is a form of lamellar refractive surgery, a type of surgery that has been performed since 1949. It’s important to know that patients who have undergone earlier types of lamellar refractive surgery-much less accurate and… Read the full article
Common Questions about LASIK (Pt. 3)
If I Have Dry Eyes, Will It Affect My LASIK Surgery? Many patients consider LASIK because they have dry eyes and cannot wear contact lenses. If you have significant dryness, your doctor may recommend treatment before surgery. Tear supplements and punctum plugs (tiny silicone plugs placed in the tear drainage opening of your eyelid) should keep your… Read the full article
Common Questions about LASIK (Pt. 2)
How Long Will the Correction Last? Once your eye has stabilized, usually in two to three months, your correction is permanent. If you eventually need eyeglasses for reading after that, it would be the result of the normal aging process. What about Risks and Complications? It is not unusual for people considering LASIK to experience… Read the full article
Common Questions about LASIK (Pt. 1)
LASIK surgeons are accustomed to having patients as questions. Part of the physician’s role is to educate you as thoroughly as possible. Many LASIK centers offer written material designed to address your questions. Other LASIK centers show short videos that explain the procedure in detail. However, if you still have questions, or just want to discuss… Read the full article
The Comprehensive Examination
The next part of the preoperative evaluation involves a series of eye tests and examinations that provide the necessary data before a LASIK procedure. These may be conducted at your surgeon’s office or by your regular eye doctor. In either case, the physician will measure your refractive error and determine which of your eyes is… Read the full article
Your Consultation (cont’d, pt.2)
Your Medical History When you meet with your surgeon for the first time, he or she will want to get a sense of your overall health and the health of your eyes. It is important for your surgeon to know everything about your medical history. Some systemic diseases- like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus- certain healing disorders,… Read the full article
The Initial Appointment
The preoperative consultation usually takes roughly two hours. When you call to make an appointment, you will be asked about the type of contact lenses you wear, if any. You’ll also be given instructions about your contacts in preparation for the consultation. If you wear soft spherical lenses, you should stop wearing them 48 hours to… Read the full article
Your Consultation
Your consultation is your opportunity to become fully informed about LASIK and decide whether or not the procedure is right for you. You will learn about the strengths and limitations of the procedure as it applies to your eyes. Often a comprehensive examination of your eyes will be done at the initial visit to ensure that… Read the full article
Contemplating Laser Eye Surgery- Questions to Ask Your Surgeon, Cont’d.
Has the Doctor Ever Been Sued for Malpractice? Even the best surgeon may have had a malpractice suit brought against him or her, so be careful about passing judgment based on what might have been a frivolous lawsuit. The typical vision correction surgeon is sued roughly once for every 3,000 surgeries performed. Statistics indicate that… Read the full article