Laser vision correction
Is laser vision correction safe for my eyes?
LASIK, SMILE and ICL work well for the right eye. The whole job of a good check-up is to find out whether yours is the right eye.
55 sec“The scan numbers a laser clinic hopes you skip.”
NetraSure doctor panel
What the doctor says
“The scan numbers a laser clinic hopes you skip.”
NetraSure doctor panel · Patient guide
- Corneal thickness, and how much is left after treatment.
- The shape map, checked for any bulge.
- Two years of a stable prescription, and a healthy tear film.
The filmed clip is being recorded. The words above are the same points the doctor makes on camera.
Ask a doctor about my own scansWhat the laser actually does
The cornea is the clear front window of your eye. Laser shaves a very thin amount of it so light focuses correctly and you stop needing glasses. Because it removes tissue, the cornea must be thick enough and evenly shaped to begin with.
The four things that decide
- Thickness. A thin cornea leaves too little behind. Pushing ahead can make the cornea bulge years later.
- Shape. The topography or Pentacam map shows uneven steepening. An abnormal map is the single biggest reason to say no.
- A stable number. Your spectacle power should not have changed much for a year or two.
- Tear quality. Very dry eyes get drier after laser. Treat the dryness first, then re-check.
When the honest answer is no, or not this method
- A topography map suggesting keratoconus, even mildly.
- Cornea too thin for the power to be corrected.
- Power still changing each year, often under about twenty-one years of age.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding — wait, the number moves.
- Untreated eye surface disease or a lot of scarring.
Being turned down for LASIK is not bad news. Sometimes an implantable lens is a better and safer route for the same eye. Sometimes glasses are.
Before you book
- Ask for your own copy of the topography or Pentacam printout. It is your report.
- Ask how much cornea will be left after treatment.
- Ask what happens if you need a top-up later.
- Ask about night glare and dry eyes honestly, and for how long they usually last.
If the clinic gives you a price before it gives you a scan, that is your signal to get a second opinion.
Not sure if you need surgery?
Send us your scans. A senior eye doctor who will never operate on you reads them and tells you the truth in two days.