The times before finally taking your LASIK eye surgery are usually filled with many uncertainties about different things. At times, it involves questions on the unclear stages of the procedure. Often, you may even wonder that in this age of so much information, is there anything you cannot find on the internet? I mean, if you endeavor to search on Google, you can get much information.
However, I discovered that what you are searching for is not just information available on Google. Instead, you need to get the correct information that answers all your specific questions to your satisfaction. Starting with what your doctor does in the evaluation stage to your expectations, there are simple steps to follow arriving at a perfect vision without the aid of glasses or a contact lens.
What the doctors check during evaluation
A professional eye doctor evaluates your eye’s entire medical record over the years, especially if you are already on prescription glasses. Also, he looks for risk factors that may pose a possible threat to the LASIK surgery process. Without a thorough and careful evaluation, you may not be the ideal candidate for the LASIK procedure in the first place.
Meanwhile, if the doctor finds them abnormal, he uses the time to discuss them with you at length. To simplify the methods, we have listed below some of the most common risk factors that eye doctors consider for refractive surgeries to correct eye defects.
- High prescriptions
As we mentioned earlier, patients with extreme eyeglass prescriptions may not be the perfect choice for the LASIK eye surgery procedure. Some of the harsh conditions may be due to high myopia or high hyperopia, as the case may be. Why are these conditions unsafe for using LASIK? The conditions show too much corneal tissue that may not be safe for the LASIK procedure when removing a part of it as the flap.
- Thin corneas
Another vital thing that an eye doctor is looking out for during evaluation is how thin the patient’s cornea is. Why is this step necessary? The excimer laser applied during the LASIK and surface ablation procedures requires the first removal of a small part of the corneal tissue as a flap. In other words, the eye doctor does not just jump right in to correct the refractive error. But they must first cut and raise a tissue flap off the cornea.
However, it can be challenging to cut a layer of the cornea if it is too thin for this purpose. Therefore, patients with too delicate cornea tissues risk excessive cornea weakening after the surgery if the doctor manages to cut a flap. Of course, the flap cut is only temporary and is returned after the surgical process. Moreover, when the patient has a thin cornea tissue surface, it is better to use other surface ablation procedures. This choice is preferable to LASIK eye surgery to correct the refractive errors.
- Abnormal corneal curvature
As the modern LASIK procedure evolved, the technological processes also produced special devices to help with better results. Therefore, there are devices today that can measure the curvature and the overall shape of the cornea. And that information is also very crucial to the eye doctor during the preliminary stages of evaluation before surgery.
One of such new devices is the topographer, an important instrument that produces a mapping of your entire cornea. This mapping process shows if there is any abnormality in the shape or curvature fo the cornea. In addition, it can also show the doctor if your cornea is weaker or more substantial than that of an average person.
In the case of a weaker cornea, the doctor may recommend another ablation method other than LASIK eye surgery. However, if your cornea is standard in all the qualities, it is time to move on to the next grade.
- Dry Eyes
Patients whose eyes are dry may experience some burning sensation if they undergo LASIK eye surgery. In addition, they may experience redness of eyes or even tearing. The surgeon tampers with this flow in the first place due to the corneal nerves cut during the procedure.
Meanwhile, these are the nerves that are partly in charge of stimulating the tear secretion in the eyes. And after the surgery, patients may find it slightly challenging to return to the initial state of producing tears organically instantly. By implication, it also shows that patients who initially experience dry eyes may not even be appropriate for the LASIK eye surgery in the first place.
- Large Pupils
During the initial screening or evaluation stage, the doctor also checks for the size of your pupils. The reason is that patients who have large pupils may not be precisely suitable for LASIK, except specific help is by the side.
For instance, if the surgery proceeds, such patients may experience some glare, halos, and other night vision issues after the surgery. Therefore, the evaluation process includes the measurement of your pupil to ascertain how suitable it will be for the LASIK process.
- Previous Refractive Surgery
Undergoing a previous refractive surgery before this new LASIK procedure is another reason for concern to your eye surgeon. More importantly, if you have had any prior corneal surgery or another type of refractive surgery such as refractive keratotomy (RK), the new procedure may pose additional stress to your chances of having a perfect vision afterward.
In other words, the path of the previous surgery may complicate the new procedure. Therefore, you should disclose to your eye doctor if you had had previous refractive surgery on your eyes. This information will also help your doctor make the best decision for your good. Remember, the goal is to achieve perfect vision without needing any pair of glasses or contact lens.
Conclusion
On a final note, the LASIK eye procedure begins with evaluating your suitability for the process. Therefore, you will find the preparatory process for your session. And the best thing to do on the part of the patient is to ensure that the doctor can make a professional judgment on if you even need a LASIK procedure or not. You can read about What to expect after cataract surgery and how to deal with it by clicking here.
