Questions to Ask During LASIK Consultation
Twenty questions for a LASIK consultation, covering your own measurements, candidacy, alternatives such as PRK and lens implants, recovery, enhancement policy, total cost, and who to contact afterwards.
The questions
Open any question for the note
Based on today's measurements, am I a candidate, and which of my numbers are the marginal ones?
Why ask it
Candidacy is rarely a plain yes or no. Asking which measurements sit close to a limit tells you where your particular risk lies, and whether you are being offered surgery that is straightforward or borderline.
What is my corneal thickness, and how much tissue would be removed for my prescription?
Why ask it
Both figures are measured during a workup and can be given to you. Thinner corneas and higher corrections leave less residual tissue, which affects both the risk profile and whether a future enhancement would be possible.
Do the scans show any irregularity in the shape of my cornea?
Why ask it
Corneal topography is the test that identifies conditions in which laser surgery is inadvisable. Ask to see the map and to have the finding explained, rather than being told the scans were fine.
Do I have dry eye now, and what would surgery do to it?
Why ask it
Dry eye is the most common ongoing complaint after LASIK, and pre-existing dryness raises the chance of it persisting. Ask whether they tested tear film today and what the plan would be if symptoms lasted beyond a few months.
Do my pupil size or astigmatism raise my chance of glare, starbursts, or halos at night?
Why ask it
Night vision changes are the symptom patients most often say they were not warned about. Ask specifically how likely it is in your case, how long it typically takes to settle, and what can be done if it does not.
Would PRK, SMILE, or an implantable lens suit my eyes better than LASIK, and why?
Why ask it
A clinic that performs one procedure tends to recommend it. A careful answer will compare recovery time, suitability for thin corneas, and cost, and will say plainly why the alternatives were ruled out for you.
How many of these procedures do you perform in a year, and how many on eyes like mine?
Why ask it
Ask about the surgeon rather than the clinic, and about your prescription range specifically. High volume in routine cases does not necessarily mean experience with a high correction or a thin cornea.
Who takes the measurements, and will you review them yourself before the day of surgery?
Why ask it
Workups are often done by technicians and the surgeon sometimes meets the patient only briefly beforehand. It is reasonable to want the person operating to have looked at your scans and to be able to discuss them.
What proportion of your patients need a second procedure, and how often does that happen with my prescription?
Why ask it
Enhancement rates vary with the size of the correction and rise with higher prescriptions. A clinic that quotes a single overall figure without reference to your case has not answered the question you asked.
If I need an enhancement, what does it cost and for how long is it included?
Why ask it
Policies range from included for life to included for one year to charged in full. Get the terms in writing, including whether a further workup is needed and whether your cornea would still be thick enough.
What are the specific risks in my case, and what is the plan if something goes wrong with the flap?
Why ask it
Flap complications, infection, and undercorrection all have established management. What you want is evidence they have a plan and have handled these before, rather than a general statement that complications are rare.
What will the first day feel like, and what should I expect the following morning?
Why ask it
Knowing that several hours of burning, watering, and light sensitivity are usual makes them much easier to sit through. Ask what would count as more pain than expected and warrant a call.
When can I drive, use a screen for work, exercise, swim, and wear eye makeup again?
Why ask it
These restrictions are often listed on a handout you receive on the day, by which point the time off has already been booked. Ask for the timeline now so you can plan work and travel realistically.
How long is my vision likely to fluctuate before it settles?
Why ask it
Fluctuation over weeks is normal and is a common source of alarm afterwards. Ask what range of change would be expected, and at what point a result would be considered final.
Will I still need reading glasses, now or in my forties?
Why ask it
LASIK corrects distance vision and does not prevent presbyopia, so most people need reading glasses eventually regardless. A clinic that leaves this vague is setting up a disappointment about ten years out.
If monovision is being suggested, can I trial it in contact lenses first?
Why ask it
Deliberately correcting one eye for distance and one for near suits some people and is unbearable for others. A trial in lenses is reversible, and a reluctance to offer one is worth questioning.
How long do I need to be out of contact lenses before the measurements are valid?
Why ask it
Lenses change the shape of the cornea, and soft and rigid lenses require different periods out. If today's measurements were taken too soon after wearing them, they may need repeating before surgery is planned.
What is the total price, and exactly what does it cover?
Why ask it
Ask whether the quoted figure includes the workup, both eyes, medicated drops, all follow-up visits, and any enhancement. Advertised per-eye prices frequently apply only to the lowest prescriptions.
Who will see me at the follow-up visits, and how many are there?
Why ask it
Some practices hand aftercare to an optometrist or refer it back to your own. That can be entirely reasonable, but you should know before the day who is responsible for reviewing your healing and for how long.
Who do I call if something feels wrong at night or over a weekend?
Why ask it
Ask for a specific route rather than a main switchboard number. Sudden pain or a drop in vision after surgery needs same-day assessment, and knowing in advance who answers removes a decision from a bad moment.
Preparing for a LASIK Consultation
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before the Appointment
Bring your prescription history
Bring records going back a few years if you have them. Surgery is normally deferred until a prescription has been stable for at least a year, and old records are the only way to establish that.
Leave your contact lenses out as instructed
Clinics give a specific period out of lenses before the workup, longer for rigid than for soft. Measurements taken too early may need to be repeated, which delays scheduling.
Arrange a lift home from the consultation
Your eyes are likely to be dilated for the scans, leaving your vision blurred for several hours. Plan not to drive or return to detailed work afterwards.
Write your questions down and take notes
A consultation covers a lot in a short time, and dilated pupils make reading difficult afterwards. Bring someone with you if you can, and ask for anything about cost or enhancement policy in writing.
Check the practitioner's registration
Verify the surgeon's license and any disciplinary record with your state medical board, which is a public record. This takes a few minutes and is worth doing before the consultation rather than after.
Question Sequences
Working out whether you are a suitable candidate
- 1Based on today's measurements, am I a candidate, and which numbers are marginal?
- 2What is my corneal thickness, and how much tissue would be removed?
- 3Do the scans show any irregularity in the shape of my cornea?
- 4Would PRK, SMILE, or an implantable lens suit my eyes better, and why?
Understanding what could go wrong
- 1Do I have dry eye now, and what would surgery do to it?
- 2Do my pupil size or astigmatism raise my chance of glare and halos at night?
- 3What are the specific risks in my case?
- 4What proportion of your patients need a second procedure?
Recovery, cost, and aftercare
- 1When can I drive, work at a screen, exercise, and swim again?
- 2What is the total price, and exactly what does it cover?
- 3Who will see me at the follow-up visits, and how many are there?
- 4Who do I call if something feels wrong at night or over a weekend?
What to Be Careful About
- Time-limited discounts, or a price that drops if you book today. Elective surgery does not need to be decided in the same appointment as the workup.
- An answer to the risk question that stays general. You asked about your eyes, and your measurements are on the screen in front of them.
- A promise of a specific outcome, such as guaranteed vision without glasses. Nobody can commit to that, and reputable clinics do not.
- Being told about restrictions and aftercare only on the day of surgery, when the time off is already booked.
- Consenting to surgery without having met the person who will perform it and discussed your scans with them.
- Choosing on advertised price alone. Compare what is included, particularly follow-up visits and enhancement terms, because the low headline figure often excludes both.
Before You Book
- 1Ask for your measurements in writing, including corneal thickness and prescription, so a second opinion is possible.
- 2Read the consent form at home rather than in the waiting room, and note any complication in it that was not discussed with you.
- 3Get the total cost and the enhancement policy in writing, including what happens if you need a second procedure in three years.
- 4If you were told you are borderline for any reason, consider a consultation at another practice before deciding.
- 5Book the time off you actually need rather than the minimum, and arrange a lift home for the day of surgery.