Lions Eye Institute - Laser Vision Center

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Why have LASIK surgery?

Whether it be for practical, professional, or sporting reasons, or for leisure activities, LASIK can open up a whole new world for you.

You can realise your full potential with a clearer vision for the future ...

Eligibility for LASIK depends on the amount and type of refractive error, the curvature and thickness of the cornea and a number of other factors.

People who are most satisfied with the results of laser correction have realistic expectations of the results and clearly understand the potential risks and side effects.

Eligibility.

The requirements for LASIK are:

	Minimum age 20 years
	Stable vision (spectacle prescription) for at least 1 year
	Absence of other eye diseases, especially those affecting the cornea
	Good general health
	Not pregnant or breastfeeding

You will need to have a preoperative consultation with one of our surgeons to determine whether you are a suitable candidate to have LASIK. This involves a series of measurements and thorough examination of your eyes as well as a discussion about the LASIK procedure.

You will need to leave your contact lenses out before the evaluation for surgery as wearing the lenses can affect the measurements made. Hard or gas permeable lenses need to be left out for a minimum of 4 weeks. Soft lenses must be left out for a minimum of 1 week.

Even if you wear contact lenses, bring along your glasses and any old glasses prescriptions you may have as that helps to determine if there has been any recent change in your refraction.

It may be necessary to use dilating drops in order to view the retina at the back of your eye. For this reason it is advisable to have someone to drive you home from the initial consultation or to arrange a taxi. It will not be safe for you to drive until the effects of the drops have worn off (usually a few hours).

Your refraction will be checked and maps of the surface and thickness of your cornea (Orbscan) will be assessed. The size of your pupils will be measured. You may also have special measurements made of the optical aberrations of your eyes (Zywave) . Your pupils may be dilated for examination of your retina.

Your surgeon will assess all of these examination results and discuss the LASIK procedure with you in detail. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have about the procedure. If you are not suitable for LASIK then there may be other procedures that are appropriate and your surgeon will discuss these options with you.