Laser Eye Surgery Consultation - Laser Eye Surgery Guide

What questions should I ask the surgeon?

It is a good idea to write down a series of questions before your consultation. It can be all too easy to forget something during the consultation and it may turn out to be the most important question of all.

Here is a list of questions to ask your lasek/lasik/lasix surgeon:

• How many operations have you performed?
• Do you perform other types of laser eye surgery?
• How long have you been in practice?
• What qualifications do you have? Are you a Member/Fellow of an organisation such as FRCS, GMC or FRCOphth?
• Are you a specialist in cornea surgery?
• What papers/articles have you produced and can I look at some of these?
• What are your success rates?
• What are the complications of laser eye surgery and what is the chance of that happening?
• What can I expect from this surgery?
• What happens if something goes wrong?
• Do you screen for ‘dry eye’ before surgery?
• If I am not suitable can you suggest an alternative?
• What type of laser do you use?
• Can I contact you if something does go wrong?
• How long does the recovery period take?
• Is there an aftercare service and is this included in the overall cost?

How long will the consultation last?

This can take from 1 to 2 hours. It is a thorough procedure which includes an eye test plus measurements of your eye will be taken. This also includes testing the thickness of your cornea which is vitally important.

The surgeon will ask you about your current state of health and your medical history in general. If you have an eye condition or have had eye surgery before then mention this to him/her. Remember to take along your current eye prescription.

He or she will also ask you about your lifestyle; this includes if you play sports and if so which ones, if you drive and the type of job that you do.

It is important that you have realistic expectations about this surgery. It can result in 20/20 vision but perfect eyesight is not an automatic outcome and you need to be aware of this.

Can I have both eyes treated at the same time?

You will find that the majority of surgeons prefer to operate on one eye only. They will want to see the outcome of the first eye before considering surgery on the second.

Surgery on both eyes – known as ‘bilateral treatment’ is possible but is considered to be controversial. If you opt for this and in the rare case that something goes wrong then the effects could be traumatic. This could mean poor vision in both eyes for the rest of your life.

Consider surgery on one eye only and see what the outcome of that is before deciding to get the other eye done.

I wear contact lenses, do I need to remove these on the day of the consultation?

Yes. The surgeon will not be able to measure your eye properly due to a change in the surface of the eye called ‘warpage’. If you stop wearing your lenses a few days before your appointment then this will be reversed.

You will be advised about this by the clinic.

You will also have to stop wearing your lenses for a set period of time leading up to the day of your surgery.