Tests Before Lasik Surgery - Ojaseyehospital

Posted by Dr Niteen Dedhia on December 2nd, 2021

Introduction

Like any other surgery, LASIK also has risks and a healing and recovery process. Some patients have a high risk of complications and a slow healing process than a healthy person. Thus, the doctor needs to comprehensively evaluate the eyes and whole body to determine your eligibility.

Tests Before Lasik Surgery

To optimize the outcome and reduce the risks and complications associated with the LASIK surgery, the doctor may perform the following tests before the procedure:

  1. Comprehensive ocular evaluation: The doctor may evaluate your eye health in great detail. During the analysis, the doctor obtains information about the eye. It may include measuring the current prescription and the correction required. The doctor may also determine any infection or ocular redness that makes you ineligible for surgery.
  2. Corneal Composition, Shape, and Thickness: LASIK surgery requires corneal flap formation. Thus the cornea should be healthy to withstand the trauma and healing. The ophthalmologist evaluated the thickness, shape, and composition of the cornea. The doctor will perform a corneal topography to map the cornea and measure its curvature. Patients with thick cornea may have complications after the LASIK surgery and are, thus, ineligible for LASIK surgery.
  3. Intraocular pressure: The doctor will also examine the intraocular pressure of the eye before performing LASER. The pressure building inside the eye may damage the optic nerve and affects the vision. It is due to an abnormal drainage system of the eye.
  4. Refractive error: The doctor also analyzes the type of refractive error, whether nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. You should have a stable prescription for at least one year to make you eligible for the LASIK procedure.
  5. Tear film tests: The doctor determines the level of the tear film over your eyes. You may also undergo the evaluation of the functioning of the tear duct. An adequate amount of tears and good tear film reduces the complications after LASIK surgery and accelerates corneal healing.
  6. Pupil measurement: Pupil size measurement is crucial to predict the outcome of the side effects after surgery. If you have a large pupil size, you are at increased risk of developing glare and halos after the surgery. However, the advanced technology that doctors are using today has fewer side effects in patients with large pupil sizes.
  7. Binocular Vision Assessment: Some patients have binocular vision problems that may affect the overall outcome of the LASIK surgery. Such patients have a muscle alignment problem and may suffer from lazy eyes in their childhood.
  8. Wavefront analysis: Wavefront analysis is the advanced method to determine the site-specific errors on the cornea. Through this method, there is less dependency on the patients when it comes to defining vision errors.
  9. Retinal evaluation: You may also undergo a complete retinal evaluation before the LASIK surgery. If there is any retinal hole, as seen in the patients with severe myopia, the doctor seals the hole. After the retinal healing, the patient undergoes LASIK surgery.
  10. Other underlying diseases: You should have otherwise healthy eyes and a healthy body for undergoing LASIK surgery. Patients with glaucoma, retinal detachment, corneal trauma, and conditions such as systemic lupus erythematous are generally ineligible for the LASIK procedure.

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Dr Niteen Dedhia

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Dr Niteen Dedhia
Joined: March 7th, 2019
Articles Posted: 93

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