Everything you should know about LASIK screening

LASIK Surgery: Screening Procedure

For any surgical or non-surgical treatment, your plan will depend on the results of the screening. Here we are talking about the patients who are going to undergo Lasik Surgery in Punjab. So, when you visit the best Eye Hospital Punjab you need to carefully understand the steps which are involved in the screening, and accordingly, your treatment plan is made. However, the LASIK surgery will take around 15 minutes for both eyes. Now, coming back to the topic, let's understand the screening procedure steps in detail.

Various screening procedures for LASIK Surgery

Procedure 1: Refraction

Correct refraction is essential for laser correction. With the use of the best laser equipment, the doctor will determine whether the eye power is right or not. Talking about the good refraction, here are the few steps which are involved in it:

• Auto-refractometer testing

Also known as computerized eye testing. Through this machine, the refractive error is better understood and everything is seen on the screen. For this 3 readings are needed and though this reference spectacle is checked. If you talk about complete reliability then this will not offer the precise measurement.

• Post Mydriatic test (PMT)

Following the dilated refraction, it is carried out. The procedure allows us to determine the best vision correction needed with glasses.

• Dilated refraction

Dilated refraction is an important consideration for determining the spectacle power assessment. The doctor will instill eye drops with a gap of 5 minutes 2 to 3 times. Following that you need to close your eyes and wait till the pupil dilates. It takes around 20 to 30 minutes.

*Important Note

All the above-mentioned ways will tell about the accurate refraction. Patients with simple myopia or myopia with small astigmatism will be benefited.

Procedure 2: IOP (Intraocular Pressure) Management

IOP is the fluid pressure present inside the eye and its normal range is 12 to 19 mm of Hg. Through this fluid, the eyeball is prevented from getting collapsed. The IOP is determined through the following ways:

• Non-Contact Tonometer

NCT is referred to as the air puff method which is used for the cornea. Through this cornea is flattened with pressure. It is categorized as a rapid screening method but its reliability index is low.

• Applanation Tonometer (AT)

AT is the best choice for measuring eye pressure and this method is preferred when the IOP reading comes out to be high. Even the NCT measurements are checked through this.

Procedure 3: Thickness and corneal scanning by ultrasound

Corneal Normal thickness = 530 microns or 0.53mm

Through corneal scanning, the cornea is evaluated properly and it checks the anterior to the posterior cornea curvature. Through this, the corneal deformities are determined correctly. If the pattern is not right, then LASIK should not be done.

Procedure 4: Screening needed for eye pathology

LASIK surgery is suggested for patients whose eye health is okay. So, if there is any disease like retinal pathology, glaucoma, corneal pathology, or any eye problem which reduces vision, then LASIK is not suggested.

 Procedure 5: Retina evaluation

The approach of retinal examination is performed by doing various diagnostic treatments which check the retina for any sort of issue. For the retinal evaluation, the doctor will perform visual field tests, fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, and much more.

Procedure 6: Testing for the dry eyes

LASIK surgery requires cutting and surgical removal of the corneal nerves tip which leads to dryness. This problem will be solved after 3 to 6 months, so in this period your eyes need lubrication. On the other side, if the problem of eye dryness gets worse then you need a treatment plan. This is why dry eye testing is done:

• Shimer's test - Checks the tear secretion and dryness grade

• Tear film breakup - During the test, if the value is less than 10 seconds then it indicates you have dry eyes.