LASIK SURGERY CHECKLIST

Know what makes you a poor candidate

> Career impact - does your job prohibit refractive surgery?
> Cost - can you really afford this procedure?
> Medical conditions - eg. 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?

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?

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 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 pre-op and post-op 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?

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?

LASIK Laser Eye Surgery Guide:

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• Intro to LASIK laser eye surgery
• How is LASIK different to LASEK and PRK?
• Who should consider LASIK?
• What are the alternatives to LASIK
• What are the risks of LASIK?
• What are the benefits of LASIK?

• What Should I ask at LASIK Consultation?
• How much does LASIK cost?
• What is the LASIK procedure?
• How long does LASIK last for?
• What does recovery from LASIK involve?
• LASIK Complications
• LASIK Surgery Checklist

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