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Vision
Care Center | What
is LASIK? | When is
LASIK not for me?
LASIK
Surgery Checklist | Glossary
LASIK Surgery
Checklist
1) Know what makes you a poor candidate
 Career
impact - does your job prohibit refractive surgery?
Cost
- can you really afford this procedure?
Medical
conditions - e.g., do you have an autoimmune disease or other major
illness? Do you have a chronic illness that might slow or alter healing?
Eye
conditions - do you have or have you ever had any problems with your
eyes other than needing glasses or contacts?
Medications
- do you take steroids or other drugs that might prevent healing?
Stable
refraction - has your prescription changed in the last year?
High
or Low refractive error - do you use glasses/contacts only some of
the time? Do you need an unusually strong prescription?
Pupil
size - are your pupils extra large in dim conditions?
Corneal
thickness - do you have thin corneas?
Tear
production - do you have dry eyes?
2) Know all the risks and procedure limitations
Overtreatment
or undertreatment - are you willing and able to have more than one
surgery to get the desired result?
May
still need reading glasses - do you have presbyopia?
Results
may not be lasting - do you think this is the last correction you
will ever need? Do you realize that long-term results are not known?
May
permanently lose vision - do you know some patients may lose some
vision or experience blindness?
Dry
eyes – do you know that if you have dry eyes they could become
worse, or if you don’t have dry eyes before you could develop chronic
dry eyes as a result of surgery?
Development
of visual symptoms - do you know about glare, halos, starbursts,
etc. and that night driving might be difficult?
Contrast
sensitivity - do you know your vision could be significantly reduced
in dim light conditions?
Bilateral
treatment - do you know the additional risks of having both eyes
treated at the same time?
Patient
information - have you read the patient information booklet about
the laser being used for your procedure?
3) Know how to find the right doctor
Experienced
- how many eyes has your doctor performed LASIK surgery on with the same
laser?
Equipment
- does your doctor use an FDA or EU approved laser for the procedure you
need?
Informative
- is your doctor willing to spend the time to answer all your questions?
Long-term
Care - does your doctor encourage follow-up and management of you as
a patient? Your preop and postop care may be provided by a doctor other
than the surgeon.
Be
Comfortable - do you feel you know your doctor and are comfortable
with an equal exchange of information?
4) Know preoperative, operative, and postoperative
expectations
No
contact lenses prior to evaluation and surgery - can you go for an
extended period of time without wearing contact lenses?
Have
a thorough exam - have you arranged not to drive or work after the
exam?
Read
and understand the informed consent - has your doctor given you an
informed consent form to take home and answered all your questions?
No
makeup before surgery - can you go 24-36 hours without makeup prior
to surgery?
Arrange
for transportation - can someone drive you home after surgery?
Plan
to take a few days to recover - can you take time off to take it
easy for a couple of days if necessary?
Expect
not to see clearly for a few days - do you know you will not see
clearly immediately?
Know
sights, smells, sounds of surgery - has your doctor made you feel
comfortable with the actual steps of the procedure?
Be
prepared to take drops/medications - are you willing and able to put
drops in your eyes at regular intervals?
Be
prepared to wear an eye shield - do you know you need to protect the
eye for a period of time after surgery to avoid injury?
Expect
some pain/discomfort - do you know how much pain to expect?
Know
when to seek help - do you understand what problems could occur and
when to seek medical intervention?
Know
when to expect your vision to stop changing - are you aware that
final results could take months?
Make
sure your refraction is stable before any further surgery - if you
don't get the desired result, do you know not to have an enhancement
until the prescription stops changing?
Source: U.S. FDA Center for
Devices and Radiological Health
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Note: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute
for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other
healthcare professional. It is not intended to diagnose a health
condition, but it can be used as a guide to help you decide if you
should seek professional treatment or to help you learn more about your
condition once it has been diagnosed.
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