Preparing for your procedure
A comprehensive assessment is the only way to determine if you
are suitable for LASIK. To give you a better idea of what’s
involved, here are the steps leading up to the treatment and beyond.
THE CONSULTATION
This will take about one to one and a half hours. You will view
a video on LASIK which will provide you with in-depth information.
Following this your detailed eye assessment will commence. One of
our technical staff will conduct a very thorough examination. Your
prescription will be measured and retested. The thickness of your
cornea in microns will be measured and computerised topographical
mapping of the front and back surfaces of your cornea will be assessed.
Over 9000 reference points will be located and measured and this
will help to measure the thickness, curvature and elevation of your
cornea. This comprehensive analysis allows your surgeon to diagnose
corneal abnormalities individually. It also assists in planning
and simulating the proposed surgical treatment and monitoring the
outcome.
Following this technical assessment you will meet the surgeon who
will examine your eyes and discuss LASIK or its alternatives with
you. He will answer any questions you have and will provide you
with a realistic assessment of the results you can expect. You will
then be able to decide whether LASIK is right for you.
We are committed to providing you with the information necessary
for you to make an informed decision about laser vision correction.
It’s important to note that to be considered for LASIK you
must
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have stable vision for 1 year prior to the procedure
• Not be pregnant or breast feeding
• Be free of complicating eye diseases.
The Treatment
THE PREPARATION
Once you have decided to proceed with the surgery, your treatment
day is booked. Usually we treat both eyes on the same day, unless
you choose otherwise. Wearing contact lenses can temporarily change
the shape of the cornea. Therefore, if you wear soft contact lenses
you will need to leave these out for 5 days prior to treatment and
if you wear hard contact lenses, these will need to be removed 6
weeks prior to treatment.
If you have been wearing hard contact lenses for over 20 years you
may need to remove them up to 12 weeks prior to treatment.
BEFORE THE TREATMENT
On the day of your procedure you will be with us for about 2 hours.
You will need to read and sign an informed consent prior to your
procedure.
Please avoid eye makeup, perfume and hairspray. Someone should drive
you home or you should make other arrangements for transportation.
Prior to surgery you will have the option to take a mild sedative
tablet.
THE TREATMENT
Anaesthetic eye drops will be placed in your eyes prior to and during
your treatment. Once in the laser room, you will lie down on a bed
and a lid speculum will be gently used to prevent blinking. The
surgeon then prepares your eye for the laser treatment. Your surgeon
will explain each step of the surgery to you, before it occurs,
so that you are aware and comfortable during the procedure. The
information from your assessment is used to programme the advanced
computer software. The computer calculates the required change to
your cornea and directs the laser to make this change. You will
be asked to look at a fixation light as the laser gently reshapes
your cornea. The laser procedure takes approximately 20 minutes
to treat both eyes, with the actual laser corneal reshaping process
taking up to 1 minute per eye depending on your refractive error.
Most patients experience little or no discomfort during the procedure. |
