Laser Surgery

Laser Vision Correction

Conditions Treated
Preparation
Treatment

Preparation

It is very important that you have all the available information to help you decide whether refractive laser surgery is right for you. We offer a variety of free educational offerings to help patients learn more about refractive surgery, including evening seminars, patient education materials and personalized consultations. Your decision to have surgery should be made carefully and without pressure.

Before having laser refractive surgery, you will have an in-depth consultation and thorough evaluation with an eye doctor to determine if you are a candidate for laser surgery. Generally, we prefer patients to be between 21 and 70 years of age, with no other serious eye problems. In addition, your prescription should have been stable for at least two years. Other factors considered include the health of your eyes, degree of your vision problem, your age, occupational and lifestyle needs, goals and expectations.

During your initial visit, your doctor will conduct a thorough eye exam and record your full medical history, including information about your present and past eye conditions. Before your initial visit, if you wear contact lenses, it is important that you stop wearing them and switch to wearing your glasses full-time. Contact lenses change the natural shape of your cornea and can affect the measurements taken to determine how much corneal tissue must be removed during surgery. We will provide you with information on when to stop wearing your contact lenses before your initial visit.

If you qualify for laser surgery, your doctor will discuss the various procedures available and their advantages and disadvantages, to determine which option best meets your needs. If you do not qualify for laser surgery, your doctor will discuss other non-surgical options.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007