Is Laser Surgery Treatment Right for Me?

There are many factors to consider before deciding to have laser eye surgery treatment. By discussing your options with your Image Plus surgeon, you can determine whether or not you are a good candidate.

Evaluating Your Eyes

For your Image Plus surgeon to evaluate your vision accurately, your eyes should be in their natural state. Before your consultation and surgery, stop wearing soft contact lenses at least two weeks before your consultation and surgery. Stop using hard contact lenses at least four weeks in advance.

Treatment Coverage

In Manitoba, laser vision correction is considered cosmetic surgery. Therefore, Manitoba Health does not cover these procedures. You are encouraged to check with your private insurance company for their coverage policies. Remember that you may often claim your treatment fee as a medical expense on your income tax.

One Eye or Both?

If you go forward with laser eye surgery you will need to decide whether you will have one or both eyes treated at the same time. It is always safer to do one eye at a time, however, the majority of Image Plus patients choose to have both eyes treated at once for the sake of convenience, and also to limit time off work.

Pregnancy

If you are pregnant or nursing, we recommend that you wait until you have stopped nursing to have laser eye surgery. Hormones produced during pregnancy and nursing can cause instability of the eye’s refraction, changing your vision. This is usually temporary and vision returns to normal after birth and breast-feeding are over.

If you are pregnant and have already had laser vision correction, you may see a change in your vision. (Similar changes may occur even if laser vision correction has not been done.) Most women can expect their eyes to return to their pre-pregnancy state after they stop nursing.

Reading Glasses

As we age, many of us experience “presbyopia,” which means the eye has a decreased ability to focus. This is usually first noticed in the mid-forties.

Laser vision correction does not presently correct or prevent presbyopia. Even after laser eye surgery, you may still need reading glasses.

One option to delay the need for reading glasses is to have Mini-monovision. Mini-monovision means treating one eye for close vision and the other for distance. Your surgeon will discuss this option with you, if you wish.