One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap Toward Clearer Vision!
Congratulations; you’ve finally decided that you’ve had enough with the burden of using contact lenses and glasses and want to look into undergoing laser eye surgery! Good for you! So, now that you know that you are interested in obtaining clear, unaided vision, the first step to take is to have an initial consultation with an eye doctor in order to determine if you are eligible for Lasik or not, and if indeed you are a candidate for laser eye surgery, which surgery might be right for you. But, what actually takes place during this first, all-important step toward laser eye surgery?
Well, if you do wear glasses or contact lenses, you have no doubt undergone an eye examination before, so much that will be done during this consultation will no doubt be somewhat familiar to you. However, the purpose of this highly comprehensive eye exam is to map out the structure of your eyes in order to see what the laser eye surgeon will have to work with should you decide to go through with the surgery. Indeed, this is a special consultation that will assess the over-all structure of your eyes in a more directed way; the mapping of the shape of the eye serving to tell the Lasik physician what sort of reshaping should be done in order to achieve the best vision-improving results.
So, on to consultation!
First off, your eyes will be dilated so that the eye doctor can determine if there are any irregularities or problems within the eye itself. Then the mapping of the overall shape of the eye will be performed, which is of the utmost importance because it will determine the thickness of your cornea, which has everything to do with the physician deciding which sort of laser eye surgery, if any, you will be eligible for. For instance, those with thicker corneas are often more suited for PRK, as opposed to Lasik, due to the fact that with PRK no flap is cut in the epithelium (the thin, outermost layer of the cornea).
Then the eye doctor will determine what your “refractive error” is, and what is causing it. “Refractive error” essentially means what your eyes are doing wrong that is causing you to have to use glasses or contacts in the first place, the purpose of laser eye surgery, of course, being to treat this cause, instead of just treating the symptoms. Then the eye doctor will determine how your eyes perform while making tears, because healthy tearing is not only important to the overall health of your eyes, it is also imperative if you are to successfully heal after any laser eye surgery procedure.
Before or after this examination the eye doctor will also asking you a few questions about your medical history. This is due to the fact that there are certain chronic conditions that can complicate the undergoing of laser eye surgery, such as some types of autoimmune disorders. If you know of having any of these or other chronic conditions, or if you expect that you might be pregnant, it will be important to discuss these with the eye surgeon if you do indeed decide to undergo Lasik, or any other laser eye surgery. The eye doctor will also discuss with you what to expect as far as the results of the surgery.
And, that’s basically it; you will then be well on your way to laser vision correction! However, while most individuals who go in for a Lasik consultation pass the eligibility requirements with flying colors, be prepared that not everyone can receive Lasik. But, if the doctor you see doesn’t recommend Lasik, or any other type of laser eye surgery, don’t fret: they may have other solutions or paths that you can take in mind. However, if you pass the test, and decide to go for it, you will probably be referred to a laser eye clinic near you to make an appointment to have the treatment done, and then they will send you a list of what to do to prepare for the surgery.
So, if that is the case, we offer you an even bigger congratulations than before, and whole-heatedly wish you the best of luck! Here’s to finally obtaining that perfect vision you’ve always wanted!
Tags: ilasik, IMAGE PLUS, image plus laser eye centre, implantable lens, intralase, laser eye surgery, laser vision correction, prk, refractive surgery, visian, visian icl, visian ticl, visx, wavefront