Questions to ask before considering LASIK surgery

While there are many questions that you should ask your surgeon during a LASIK consultation, we’ve included some of the most important ones. Firstly, however, you’ll want to make sure you find a LASIK surgeon in Brisbane you can trust.

Take a look at our list of carefully selected questions that you should ask your LASIK surgeon before committing to laser eye surgery. We hope you find them useful…

1) What is LASIK?

Your eyesight will be permanently changed if this procedure isn’t done properly so it pays to know all about what exactly LASIK entails and its risks and side effects.

Here are some specific questions we recommend asking your consultant:

• What type of anaesthesia is used if any?
• Will I be awake during surgery?
• If awake, how will my eye stay open without blinking and hindering the procedure?
• Is it uncomfortable?

2) How much experience do you have in your field?

The surgeon who performs this procedure needs to have thousands of hours worth of training and experience in order to ensure great outcomes, but how do they get there?

Here are some specific questions we recommend asking them:

• When did you qualify?
• How many years of experience do you have?
• What is your professional training?
• How many LASIK procedures have you performed?
• Do you perform any other types of vision treatment?
• How do you handle complications?
• What percentage of patients have experienced complications with their surgery?
• How many of your patients achieve vision results of 20/20 or better?

3) Am I suitable for the LASIK procedure?

Here are a few questions to ask your eye doctor about your own compatibility with LASIK, so you know which procedure is right for you.

• Do you think I’m a good candidate for LASIK?
• If not, do you offer other laser vision procedures that I might be suited to?
• What are the possible side effects associated with LASIK?
• What are the complications associated with LASIK?
• How can I prepare for the procedure?
• Do you perform bladeless LASIK surgery?
• If so, what type of laser will you be using to perform my procedure?
• What results can I expect from LASIK?
• Will I need laser vision correction again?
• Do you have financing options available?

The key to a successful surgery is finding the right surgeon. If you’re not sure if your eye doctor offers LASIK or PRK, give them a call and find out what other corrective surgeries they perform too.

When you have had laser eye surgery, there are some risks to consider. Your surgeon will be able to give detailed information about these and what type of results patients like yourself can expect from their procedure.

If you want to minimise pain and discomfort, choose LASIK over PRK if you have the option. Ideally, look for a surgeon who offers bladeless LASIK. The higher degree of precision achievable by a laser will likely make you feel more at ease.

4) What does LASIK recovery look like?

You should also ask questions about recovery during your LASIK consultation. You’ll want to know if you need time off work to recover, or to arrange collection post-surgery for example.

• Will I need someone to drive me home after surgery?
• Will I be prescribed pain killers following surgery?
• How long is the recovery?
• Should I take time off from work?
• When can I exercise?
• When will I see my final vision results?
• What type of long-term follow-up care do you offer?

If you are not satisfied with the way your doctor answers your questions, or if there is any hesitancy on your part i.e. something doesn’t feel quite right, it may be wise to have another consultation or continue on your search to find the very best LASIK surgeon.

Doctor Russell at VSON has over 15 years of experience performing LASIK, PRK, and other eye surgeries in Brisbane. He’s happy to answer your questions about LASIK and his experience to make you feel more comfortable in your decision.

To find out if you’re a candidate, schedule a free consultation online or by phone today.