Prior to having the actual Lasik done on the eyes, it's always necessary for the doctor to have a little chat and some tests with you.
More than likely, the doctor will give some advice on the alternatives to Lasik. This is to make sure that the patient is fully prepared and at the same time, the doctor will also talk more about the risks of Lasik.
At this point, perhaps the doctor will also reveal to the patient that there are no guarantee about the results of the Lasik. What the doctor is trying to say here is that, the procedure can improve existing vision but by exactly how much is something that varies. It is also important to note that Lasik will "NOT" give back the perfect eyesight of 20/20.
With the pre-lasik consultation, the doctor will assess the patient psychological state to make sure that the patient is mentally ready for the op. Once the peptalk is done, the doctor will usually give a preliminary eye exam.
The basic eyesight tests will be performed first. With the Snellen Chart, full of letters of decrementing sizes and the patient seated a couple of feet away, the doctor will point to the letters on the board and the patient will have to tell the doctor what letter is it. Next will be to test the patient if he or she can see and differentiate colours correctly by the Ishihara Color Test. Other tests might include Tonometry and Gonioscopy. These tests are to make sure the patient does not have any other eye related conditions such as red-green colour deficiencies, Glaucoma or other eye problems.
After that, it will be a tearing test. This will be the test to make sure that the tear ducts are working properly and is able to provide enough moisture to the eye. This test is conducted to make sure that the tear production is adequate for the post-op period whereby the eyes will be drier during that period. This is also known as a Shirmer's Test. Some anesthetic eyedrops will be used before conducting the Shirmer's test to prevent irritation to the eye because during the Shirmer's test, paper strips will be inserted into the eye for several minutes. The test is done simultaneous on both eyes for more consistent results.
This pre-op examination allows the doctor to know your psychological status and at the same time perform some basic eye tests to learn more about the eyes which will undergo the Lasik operation.
Today is 10th March 2009
Time is 10:37 hrs
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