LASIK Surgery Checklist
Know what makes you a poor candidate
Career Impact - does your job prohibit refractive surgery?
Cost - can you really afford this procedure?
Medical Conditions - e.g., do you have an autoimmune disease or other major illness? Do you have a chronic illness that might slow or alter healing?
Eye Conditions - do you have or have you ever had any problems with your eyes other than needing glasses or contacts?
Medications - do you take steroids or other drugs that might prevent healing?
Stable Refraction - has your prescription changed in the last year?
High or Low Refractive Error - do you use glasses/contacts only some of the time? Do you need an unusually strong prescription?
Pupil Size - are your pupils extra large in dim conditions?
Corneal Thickness - do you have thin corneas?
Tear Production - do you have dry eyes?
Know all the risks and procedure limitations
Overtreatment or Undertreatment - are you willing and able to have more than one surgery to get the desired result?
May Still Need Reading Glasses - do you have presbyopia?
Results May Not Be Lasting - do you think this is the last correction you will ever need? Do you realize that long-term results are not known?
May Permanently Lose Vision - do you know some patients may lose some vision or experience blindness?
Dry Eyes – do you know that if you have dry eyes they could become worse, or if you don’t have dry eyes before you could develop chronic dry eyes as a result of surgery?
Development of Visual Symptoms - do you know about glare, halos, starbursts, etc. and that night driving might be difficult?
Contrast Sensitivity - do you know your vision could be significantly reduced in dim light conditions?
Bilateral Treatment - do you know the additional risks of having both eyes treated at the same time?
Patient Information - have you read the patient information booklet about the laser being used for your procedure?
Know how to find the right doctor
Experienced - how many eyes has your doctor performed LASIK surgery on with the same laser?
Equipment - does your doctor use an FDA-approved laser for the procedure you need? Does your doctor use each microkeratome blade only once?
Informative - is your doctor willing to spend the time to answer all your questions?
Long-term Care - does your doctor encourage follow-up and management of you as a patient? Your preop and postop care may be provided by a doctor other than the surgeon.
Be Comfortable - do you feel you know your doctor and are comfortable with an equal exchange of information?
Know preoperative, operative, and postoperative expectations
No Contact Lenses Prior to Evaluation and Surgery - can you go for an extended period of time without wearing contact lenses?
Have a Thorough Exam - have you arranged not to drive or work after the exam?
Read and Understand the Informed Consent - has your doctor given you an informed consent form to take home and answered all your questions?
No Makeup Before Surgery - can you go 24-36 hours without makeup prior to surgery?
Arrange for Fransportation - can someone drive you home after surgery?
Plan to Take a Few Days to Recover - can you take time off to take it easy for a couple of days if necessary?
Expect Not to See Clearly for a Few Days - do you know you will not see clearly immediately?
Know Sights, Smells, Sounds of Surgery - has your doctor made you feel comfortable with the actual steps of the procedure?
Be Prepared to Take Drops/Medications - are you willing and able to put drops in your eyes at regular intervals?
Be Prepared to Wear an Eye Shield - do you know you need to protect the eye for a period of time after surgery to avoid injury?
Expect Some Pain/Discomfort - do you know how much pain to expect?
Know When to Seek Help - do you understand what problems could occur and when to seek medical intervention?
Know When to Expect Your Vision to Stop Changing - are you aware that final results could take months?
Make Sure Your Refraction is Stable Before any Further Surgery - if you don't get the desired result, do you know not to have an enhancement until the prescription stops changing?