LASIK Consultation
A thorough screening prior to laser eye surgery is essential to a proper diagnosis, treatment plan, and successful outcome.
Consultations help us evaluate general vision health.
They include specialized tests to determine whether you are a candidate for LASIK, or if other vision correction options would better suit your needs.
Are You a LASIK Surgery Candidate?
If you’re considering LASIK vision correction, a thorough consultation will help us evaluate your general vision health.
It can also include specialized tests to determine if you are a candidate for LASIK vision correction, what your visual potential is, and if there are other procedures to consider. If this initial consultation determines that LASIK is right for you, and you would like to proceed, we can move forward to plan and schedule surgery.
For Contact Lens Wearers
Contacts minutely affect the corneal shape, so spending some time without your contacts in is necessary before final measurements are taken. This allows the cornea to return to its natural shape and ensures accuracy.
Under certain conditions, if a patient has recently worn contact lenses, Dr. Besser will ask them to return for a second pre-surgery exam to obtain the most precise measurements.
To expedite, patients can also attend their initial LASIK consultation after not wearing contact lenses for two weeks, or four weeks for hard contacts.
Here's what we'll look at during your LASIK consultation
Medical History
During each LASIK consultation, we begin by reviewing your family’s medical history, your overall health, if you wear corrective lenses, and what medications you currently take. This information helps us to better craft a treatment plan, unique to you.
Visual Acuity
Visual acuity is a standard vision test wherein you’ll read the standardized eye chart so we can determine how well you see at various distances. We will also take precise measurements as to the degree of myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism unique to each patient.
Pupils
The doctor will shine a bright beam of light through your eyes, to evaluate how your pupils respond to light.
Side Vision / Peripheral Vision Screening
Loss of side/peripheral vision can be a symptom of glaucoma, but you may not easily realize that some of your sight is lost. This test is critical to detecting side vision loss you may not yet be aware of, and why it’s an integrated part of the LASIK eye surgery consultation we perform.
Eye Movement
The ocular motility test evaluates the movement of your eye. We will measure your eyes, and their ability to move quickly and track slow objects in all directions.
Eye Pressure
This test measures intraocular eye pressure, or IOP. Elevated IOP is associated with glaucoma, and patients are often asymptomatic until the late stages of the disease when loss of vision occurs. It’s therefore important to make sure you monitor IOP during wellness exams. During your LASIK consultation, we will put numbing drops in the eye and use a special instrument to gently check the pressure.
Front Section of the Eye
Cataracts can be found via this test that evaluates the front section of the eye. A microscope called a slit lamp is used to illuminate the eyelids, iris, lens, and cornea to determine if you’re developing cataracts or have scars or scratches on your cornea.
Retina and Optic Nerve
The doctor will dilate your eye with drops to check if you have any preexisting eye medical condition, or you need to monitor for signs of disease. This allows Dr. Besser to properly examine your retina and optic nerve for signs of damage, or any indicators of disease.
If you’re ready to take the next step in eye care, find out if you’re a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery by calling Dr. Besser’s office in Culver City, Los Angeles, or book an eye examination online.