Do They Dilate Your Eyes for LASIK Consultation?

All laser vision correction consultations require a comprehensive eye exam, during which your eye health and vision will be evaluated. A series of diagnostic tests will be conducted to assess all aspects of your eyes. The pupils will be dilated so that the doctor can examine the inside of the eyes. While it may be a bit uncomfortable, it is essential and is the standard practice when it comes to properly evaluating it for any laser vision correction surgery.

It is without a doubt that your eyes should be dilated during your LASIK consultation, which should always be done on a different day than your LASIK eye surgery procedure. I remember my eyes widening when I experienced the strong stretch that lasted 24 hours, so I had to make arrangements for someone to take me home. They dilated while I watched some educational videos, and then they gave me some anesthetic drops. This was the part that interested me the most.

I knew that people were comfortably awake during the procedure with the help of anesthetic drops, but I still felt uneasy about it. It is also possible that the LASIK surgeon or an eye doctor hired by the surgeon or laser center will perform both the exam and the consultation on the day of surgery. From there, I would finish the prescribed eye drops and continue to use them until my 1-month follow-up appointment, gradually decreasing from once an hour to four times a day. If during the eye exam or preoperative consultation it is determined that you are not a good candidate for LASIK, your eye doctor may recommend an alternative vision correction procedure, such as PRK, the exchange of refractive lenses, or the implantation of a facial intraocular lens.

Even if it's not that practical, it's best to put up with the slight discomfort of having your eyes dilated to ensure that you really are an ideal candidate for LASIK surgery and will get a lasting result, rather than rushing to have surgery on the same day of the consultation without dilation and running the risk of getting a less than ideal result. After cleaning and preparing my eyes with several drops, they took me to a cool room where the laser was for my surgery. In particular, since LASIK remodels the transparent front surface of the eye (cornea), detailed measurements of the corneal topography of the shape and thickness of the corneas will be performed to confirm that it is safe to undergo LASIK surgery. During the complete eye exam, the doctor will determine your eyeglass prescription and evaluate your eye health to make sure you are a good candidate for LASIK surgery. If the surgeon believes that an eye exam with dilated pupils is necessary, it will be performed on a different day from the day of surgery.

Guibord performed the vision correction surgery while the technician counted down each eye's remaining time. A tear film analysis will be conducted to detect any possible dry eye problems and treat them before LASIK surgery to avoid complications related to dryness. The eye doctor will also measure your visual acuity and how light is scattered when it enters your eye. The primary eye doctor can perform the eye exam separately and then have it repeated by the LASIK surgeon for measurements important for surgical decision-making. Many LASIK surgeons and laser surgery centers offer special financing options to make all types of LASIK more affordable.

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