What Do I Need To Do Before A LASIK Evaluation And What Does The Examination Entail?

Dr. Pepose answers the question: 'What Must I Do Before LASIK Evaluation?'

ByABC News
December 23, 2008, 5:52 PM

Aug. 24, 2009— -- Question: What do I need to do before a LASIK evaluation and what does the examination entail?

Answer: Prior to undergoing your LASIK evaluation, you should remain out of contact lenses. The amount of time will vary depending on whether you wear soft contact lenses, toric contact lenses, or whether you currently or in the past have used a hard contact lenses. And you should ask your ophthalmologist how long you should remain out of these lenses prior to the evaluation. That is important because it is possible that these contact lenses can change the shape of your cornea and affect the measurements. So we want to allow enough time for your cornea to regain its natural shape prior to the evaluation.

The evaluation is generally longer and more thorough than the normal eye examinations. And your ophthalmologist will be assessing the corneal thickness, corneal shape -- they may take wavefront measurements, measure dry eye status, or perform other tests that may not be part of the normal comprehensive examination. These are all important, and it allows your ophthalmologist to make a recommendation to you regarding laser vision correction.