Pre-Operative Consultation

At BoydVision a great deal of time is spent in discussion with the patient during the pre-operative consultation. This is to make sure the patient fully understands their surgery, and has the opportunity to answer all their questions before proceeding to the next stage. The first step is an initial consultation to determine if you are a laser eye surgery candidate. It entails multiple steps, but can usually be done in 45 – 60 minutes.

The basic steps include reviewing your ocular and medical history, a full eye exam usually with eye drops (for pupil dilation), reviewing types of vision correction, potential benefits and risks, and corneal mapping using Pentacam and Atlas topographers, and a Wavefront Aberrometer. Reviewing both your clinical data and mapping will allow the surgeon to decide if you are a candidate for custom laser eye surgery including LASIK or PRK.

Expectations

Surveys indicate a high satisfaction rate after refractive laser eye surgery. Dissatisfaction, though infrequent, is usually associated with either unrealized expectations or with known risks. It is mandatory to not oversell the technology and fully apprise the patient of their realistic individual success parameters and potential complications with surgery. At BoydVision we believe honest, accurate information is one of the hallmarks of our clinic and will do everything we can to ensure you make the right decision for your individual circumstances.

Free Consultation Includes:

  • Wavefront analysis with the Zeiss WASCA Aberrometer
  • Corneal surface analysis with the Humphrey Zeiss ATLAS Topographer
  • 3-D Imaging of the cornea with the Oculus Pentacam
  • Complete refractive testing
  • Examination of ocular health with dilation of the pupils

Are you a candidate?

Most people are suitable candidates for laser eye surgery. However, there are reasons why laser eye surgery may not be appropriate. It can be something as simple as medications you are currently taking, the reasons for taking medications, or an eye-related pathology that makes you an unsuitable candidate. The only way to know for sure is to have a one-on-one pre-operative consultation. All the necessary tests are performed to identify any potential issues and then we can discuss if laser eye surgery is the right choice for you.

Candidacy

These are guidelines only and should not take the place of a discussion with your eye care provider and/or BoydVision Centre. Everybody has individual goals, questions and expectations and these should be discussed before deciding if laser eye surgery is right for you. Previous history of eye surgery does not necessarily disqualify you as a candidate for laser eye surgery, but must be considered on an individual basis. Dr. Boyd will discuss your unique situation with respect to eye surgery treatment with you.

Eligibility

We will consider people over age of 19 with no significant change in their glasses or contact lens prescriptions in the past year. A consultation (eye exam) must be completed before eligibility can be confirmed. There are various conditions that may interfere with the healing or cause complications from the surgery. These include, but are not limited to: Uncontrolled diabetes; certain drugs/medications (especially those used for autoimmune diseases); degenerative conditions of the eye; severe dry eye; active eye infection or inflammation; previous viral infections of the eye; rheumatoid conditions; pacemakers. Pregnant or nursing mothers need to be aware of potential problems with medications used before, during and after the surgery.

Age

Individuals should be over the age of 19 for laser vision correction.  While there is no upper age restriction, a thorough eye examination will be conducted to ensure there are no contraindications to surgery.

Stability

Ideally, one’s refractive error will be stable for two years before considering laser eye surgery. Small changes in prescription are acceptable. For those having laser eye surgery for vocational purposes (planning to begin a career in law enforcement, firefighting. etc.), surgery may be done before stability is attained.

Health

Many auto-immune diseases can affect the outcome of any surgery, including laser eye surgery. If you have an active auto-immune disorder, you may be advised to avoid any elective surgery. Any other health conditions that affect healing may also exclude you from having laser eye surgery. If you are seeing a doctor for any disease or illness, contact our office to determine your candidacy.

Surgical Information

Eye Surgery: Surgical Information

We understand that vision correction is a very personal and important decision to you and your family. In a small number of patients, there is the potential for side effects. That’s why we provide a no-cost full consultation, to determine if eye surgery is a suitable procedure for you. We have multiple surgical solutions and together, you and Dr. Boyd will determine which procedure is the right vision correction for you.  However, you may have questions you’d like answered before you book a free, no-obligation consultation so please feel free to give us a call.

Our Surgical Information Booklet addresses the most common questions about the types of vision problems eye surgery can address, the procedures, possible side effects, and post-operative assessment. You can also download the booklet if you wish to print it out for your convenience.

Refractive Errors

When the eye does not focus images properly on the retina, a refractive error is present. The most common refractive errors are myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism.

Myopia (nearsightedness)

An eye that is able to see nearby objects clearly (e.g., reading) is myopic, or nearsighted. The eye’s focusing power is too strong for its size. Minus-powered glasses or contact lenses can be used to defocus light entering the eye to adjust for the eye’s extra power. Laser eye surgery will alter the shape of the cornea to decrease the eye’s focusing power.

Hyperopia (farsightedness)

Hyperopia results from an eye that does not have enough focusing power for its size. Farsighted eyes may see clearly in a person’s younger years, but will eventually require glasses for both distance AND near. This is not to be confused with presbyopia that results in blurred near vision when the distance vision is clear. Plus powered glasses or contact lenses are used to augment the eye’s focusing power. Laser eye surgery can be done to increase the eye’s own focusing power to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses.

Astigmatism

When light coming into the eye forms more than one focus point, astigmatism is present.  Most eyes have some element of astigmatism, with or without nearsightedness or farsightedness. It is only when it reaches a visually significant amount that people become aware of it. Glasses with cylindrical lenses, or toric contact lenses, can be used to bring the focus points to a single point. Laser eye surgery can be used to reshape the cornea to a spherical shape, possibly in addition to treatment for myopia or hyperopia.

Presbyopia

Around the age of 45, most eyes begin to have difficulties in adjusting their focus from distance to up close. Those that have never worn glasses before will begin to wear reading glasses. People who already wear glasses will typically wear bifocals or ‘progressive’ lenses (no-line bifocals). Individuals who are mild or moderately nearsighted may choose to remove their glasses to see up close. It is important to understand that as long as the distance vision is clear (whether this is achieved with glasses / contact lenses, or by having laser eye surgery), near vision will eventually become blurry around the age of 45 years. People who have been able to remove their glasses to see detail up close will no longer have glasses to remove if the distance vision in both eyes is clear, and thus will need to wear reading glasses.

See If You Qualify

We look forward to booking a consultation for you.