A Comprehensive Eye Health Examination will require an additional 60 minutes to 2 hours and includes the following testing:
• History of wearing glasses: The ideal candidate is at least 18 years of age with a stable glasses or contact lens prescription for at least 2 years.
• History of contact lens wear: Contact lenses may change the shape of the cornea and affect its prescription. Turner Eye Institute requires that soft contact lenses be discontinued at least 3 days and rigid contact lenses at least 3 weeks prior to the evaluation.
• History of ocular or systemic diseases and medications: Some eye diseases and medications can affect the suitability of a candidate for LASIK.
• History of previous ocular problems such as lazy eyes, strabismus (eye misalignment caused by muscle imbalance), or the need for special glasses to prevent double vision.
• History of previous eye injury.
• Assessing vocational and lifestyle needs: The LASIK candidate’s work or recreational activities and needs can influence vision correction strategies. For example, different strategies can affect depth perception and the ability to see near or far.
• Determination of uncorrected vision and vision as corrected by glasses or contacts.
• Determination of the prescription of visual error in each eye to establish the amount of surgical correction that is needed and develop the appropriate surgical strategy.
• Assessment of the surface of the cornea by “mapping†its topography (corneal curvature or shape).
• Measurement of pupil size in dim and room light. Pupil size is an important factor in counseling a candidate about night vision and planning the appropriate laser vision correction strategy.
• Measurement of corneal thickness (pachymetry). The amount of LASIK correction may be determined in part by corneal thickness.
• Examination of the outer eye (external adnexa), including the eyelids, eyelashes, etc. to detect any abnormalities that could affect the outcome of the surgery.
• Examination of the conjunctiva, the transparent membrane that covers the outer surface of the eye and lines the inner surface of the eyelids, to see whether there are irritations, redness, irregular blood vessels or other abnormalities.
• Examination of the cornea to determine if there are any abnormalities that could affect the outcome of surgery.
• Examination of the crystalline lens to determine if clouding of the lens (cataract) or other abnormalities are present.
• Measurement of intraocular pressure to detect glaucoma or pre-glaucomatous conditions. Glaucoma is visual loss caused by damage to the optic nerve and is a common cause of preventable vision loss.
• Assessment of the back (posterior segment) of the eye: The dilated fundus exam is used to assess the health of the inside back surface of the eye (retina), with the pupil fully dilated. Examination of the retina, optic nerve, and blood vessels screens for a number of eye and systemic disorders.
• Additional testing as necessary and adoption of a plan for managing the candidate’s eye-care needs.
Every patient undergoing LASIK or refractive surgery is required to undergo a comprehensive eye health examination. There is a standard fee associated with this service.
For more information please contact Turner Eye Institute at 1-800-339-2733 or email us at info@turnereye.com.