Thinking about LASIK but not sure what actually happens during the consultation?
At West Texas Eye Associates, your initial vision correction consultation is FREE and designed to answer one important question: Which vision correction procedure is appropriate for your eyes?
During the visit, our vision correction team will take detailed measurements of your eyes, evaluate factors that affect LASIK candidacy, discuss the procedures you may qualify for, and review pricing and next steps. The entire consultation typically takes about an hour.
What Is a LASIK Consultation?
A LASIK consultation is an evaluation used to determine whether your eyes are suitable for LASIK and what type of vision correction may be appropriate.
LASIK reshapes the cornea to correct refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. But your prescription is only one part of determining whether LASIK is right for you. Your eye care team also needs detailed information about the shape and thickness of your cornea, as well as other characteristics of your eyes. That’s why the consultation involves more than simply reading letters from an eye chart.
What Should I Do Before My LASIK Consultation?
There are no special preparations required for this first visit to West Texas Eye. If applicable, you can wear your contact lenses to your initial consultation at West Texas Eye Associates.
You’ll provide information about your health and current prescription as part of your intake paperwork when you arrive. If you decide to move forward with vision correction, your care team will give you separate instructions for your later dilated examination.
Contact lenses can temporarily affect the shape of the cornea, so patients are asked to stop wearing them for a period before the more detailed preoperative exam. Your team will tell you exactly when to discontinue your contacts based on the type you wear.
LASIK Candidacy Testing
One of the most important parts of a LASIK consultation is gathering detailed measurements of your eyes.
At West Texas Eye Associates, the initial vision correction consultation may include autorefraction, corneal topography, Pentacam imaging, and pachymetry. Together, these tests provide the team with information to help determine which vision correction procedures you may qualify for.
Measuring Your Current Prescription
An autorefractor provides an initial measurement of your refractive error and gives the team an idea of your current prescription.
Your prescription is an important part of LASIK candidacy, but it is only one piece of the evaluation.
Mapping the Shape of Your Cornea
Corneal topography creates a detailed map of your cornea’s curvature.
Because LASIK works by reshaping the cornea, understanding its existing shape is especially important. Topography can also help identify features such as astigmatism or irregularities in corneal curvature.
Getting a Detailed View With Pentacam Imaging
The Pentacam provides detailed information about the front and back portions of the eye.
According to the WTEA vision correction team, this imaging provides information such as estimated corneal thickness and corneal shape, and helps identify other eye characteristics that could affect candidacy.
Measuring Corneal Thickness
Pachymetry provides a precise measurement of corneal thickness using ultrasound.
Since laser vision correction reshapes corneal tissue, knowing the corneal thickness is an important part of evaluating whether LASIK may be appropriate.
Together, these measurements create a much more complete picture than your prescription alone.
LASIK May Not Be Your Only Vision Correction Option
Many patients start their research with LASIK simply because it is the procedure they know.
LASIK is only one approach to vision correction, but West Texas Eye Associates also offers PRK, EVO ICL, and Refractive Lens Exchange. Each procedure corrects vision differently. That means finding out you are not an ideal candidate for LASIK does not necessarily end the conversation.
PRK
Like LASIK, PRK uses laser technology to reshape the cornea. The major difference is that PRK does not involve creating the corneal flap associated with LASIK.
EVO ICL
EVO ICL is an implantable lens placed inside the eye to correct vision rather than permanently removing corneal tissue.
For some patients, particularly those whose eyes are not ideally suited for corneal laser vision correction, EVO ICL may be another option worth evaluating.
Refractive Lens Exchange
Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) is a lens-based vision correction procedure that replaces the natural lens of the eye with an artificial intraocular lens.
It may be considered for certain patients whose vision needs are better addressed with a lens-based procedure.
Reviewing Your Results, Options, and Vision Correction Cost
Our vision correction team will review the procedures for which you may be a candidate and provide information you can take home. Pricing is reviewed toward the end of the appointment, and you will receive a printed breakdown as part of your consultation materials. The pricing breakdown will help you understand both the clinical and financial aspects of your options before deciding whether to move forward.
The Dilated Surgeon Exam Comes Later
One detail that can sometimes cause confusion is the difference between your initial consultation and your preoperative examination.
You will not meet your surgeon during the initial vision correction consultation.
If you decide to move forward, the team will help you choose a procedure date and schedule a dilated examination with your surgeon, typically during the week before your planned procedure. That additional examination allows the surgeon to more thoroughly evaluate your eye health before confirming surgery.
Occasionally, the dilated examination may uncover an eye condition that changes the treatment plan. WTEA notes that findings involving cataracts or the retina, for example, could delay or prompt reconsideration of vision correction surgery. Our goal is always to ensure the recommended procedure aligns with both your vision goals and your eyes for your safety.
From LASIK Consultation to Vision Correction
If you decide to move forward after your consultation, the process becomes more personalized.
Your team will help you select a procedure date and arrange your dilated surgeon examination before surgery. You’ll also receive the instructions you need to prepare, including when to discontinue contact lens wear.
But scheduling surgery isn’t the purpose of the first appointment.
The value of a LASIK consultation is finding out what your options actually are.
You may discover LASIK is right for you. Another vision correction procedure may be more appropriate. Or your eye care team may recommend waiting or addressing another eye health issue first.
Either way, you leave knowing more about your eyes than you did when you walked in.
Start With a Free Vision Correction Consultation in Lubbock
You don’t have to decide whether you want LASIK before you schedule a consultation.
You only need to be curious about what clear vision could look like for you. Schedule your FREE Vision Correction Consultation in Lubbock today.