Scheduling your LASIK consultation is an exciting first step toward vision freedom, but it’s natural to feel uncertain about what to expect or how to prepare. Many patients arrive at their appointment wondering what questions to ask, what information to bring, or whether they’re truly a good candidate for the procedure. The truth is, a little preparation goes a long way in making your consultation productive and helping you make an informed decision about your vision correction options.
This comprehensive guide walks you through everything you need to know before your LASIK consultation—from practical preparation steps to the key questions you should ask your surgeon. Whether you’re a first-time LASIK candidate or exploring your options after years of glasses or contacts, this article will help you feel confident and ready.
Understanding What a LASIK Consultation Involves
Before diving into preparation, it’s helpful to understand what actually happens during your consultation. A LASIK consultation is not the surgery itself—it’s a thorough evaluation to determine whether you’re a suitable candidate for the procedure.
During this appointment, your eye surgeon will:
- Perform comprehensive eye exams and measurements
- Review your complete medical and eye health history
- Discuss your vision goals and lifestyle needs
- Explain the LASIK procedure and what to expect
- Address your concerns and answer your questions
- Determine your candidacy and discuss alternative options if needed
Think of your consultation as a collaborative conversation between you and your surgeon. Your job is to provide honest information and ask questions; their job is to assess your suitability and help you understand the procedure thoroughly.
Gather Your Medical History Before Your Appointment
One of the most important things you can do before your consultation is compile a complete medical history. Your eye surgeon needs accurate information to assess your candidacy and identify any potential risks or complications.
What Medical Information to Bring
Prepare documentation or notes about:
- Current medications: List all prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements you’re taking. Some medications can affect healing or increase dry eye risk post-surgery.
- Past eye surgeries or injuries: Include any previous eye procedures, injuries, or conditions like corneal scarring or keratoconus.
- Systemic health conditions: Diabetes, autoimmune diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus), and immunocompromised conditions can affect LASIK candidacy and healing.
- Dry eye history: If you’ve experienced dry eyes, mention this—it’s a key consideration for LASIK suitability.
- Family eye health history: Glaucoma, macular degeneration, or other hereditary eye conditions are relevant to your evaluation.
- Allergies: Both medication allergies and environmental allergies should be documented.
- Previous vision correction: Bring records of your current prescription, contact lens prescription, and any past glasses prescriptions if available.
Why Honesty Matters
Your surgeon relies on accurate information to make safe recommendations. Withholding or minimizing information about medical conditions, medications, or lifestyle factors can compromise your safety and surgical outcomes. If you’re unsure whether something is relevant, mention it anyway—let your surgeon decide.
Stop Wearing Contact Lenses Before Your Consultation
This is one of the most critical preparation steps, and many patients don’t realize how important it is.
Why You Must Discontinue Contact Lens Wear
Contact lenses sit directly on your cornea and reshape it temporarily. This distortion can skew the measurements your surgeon needs to determine your candidacy and plan your procedure. If you wear contacts during your consultation, your eye measurements will be inaccurate, leading to incorrect surgical planning.
Additionally, contact lenses can harbor bacteria and reduce oxygen flow to your cornea, which can complicate the evaluation of your eye health.
How Long to Stop Wearing Contacts
The timeline depends on your lens type:
- Soft contact lenses: Stop wearing 5-7 days before your consultation
- Toric lenses (for astigmatism): Stop wearing 10-14 days before your consultation
- Rigid gas-permeable (RGP) lenses: Stop wearing 3-4 weeks before your consultation
If you’re unsure which type you wear, check your contact lens prescription or call your eye care provider.
What to Wear Instead
Switch to glasses during this contact lens-free period. If you don’t have a current glasses prescription, ask your eye doctor for one before discontinuing contacts. Wearing the correct glasses prescription ensures you see clearly during your consultation and helps your surgeon assess your vision accurately.
Prepare Questions for Your Surgeon
A good consultation is a two-way conversation. Come prepared with questions that matter to you. Here are some key questions to consider:
About Your Candidacy
- “Am I a good candidate for LASIK based on my prescription and eye health?”
- “What are my alternatives if I’m not a LASIK candidate?” (PRK, ICL, RLE, etc.)
- “How stable does my prescription need to be, and is mine stable enough?”
- “Are there any eye conditions that would disqualify me?”
About the Procedure
- “How does LASIK work, and what happens during surgery?”
- “How long does the actual procedure take?”
- “Will I be awake during surgery? Will it hurt?”
- “What technology or laser system do you use?”
About Results and Recovery
- “What results can I realistically expect?”
- “How long until I can return to normal activities?”
- “When can I return to work, exercise, and sports?”
- “What are the potential side effects or complications?”
- “How long do LASIK results last?”
About Your Specific Situation
- “I have [specific condition]. How does this affect my candidacy?”
- “I work in [specific environment]. Is LASIK right for me?”
- “I have dry eyes. Can I still have LASIK?”
- “What’s your complication rate, and how do you handle them?”
Understand Your Current Prescription and Vision Goals
Before your consultation, take time to reflect on your vision goals and current vision challenges.
Know Your Current Prescription
If possible, obtain a copy of your current glasses or contact lens prescription. Understanding your prescription (sphere, cylinder, and axis) helps you follow your surgeon’s explanation of how LASIK will correct your vision.
Clarify Your Vision Goals
Think about what you want to achieve with LASIK:
- Do you want to eliminate glasses and contacts entirely?
- Are you willing to accept minor residual refractive error if it means faster healing?
- Do you have specific lifestyle or professional needs (sports, military service, etc.)?
- Are you interested in monovision (one eye corrected for distance, one for near vision)?
Your surgeon can discuss which goals are realistic based on your prescription and eye anatomy.
Arrange Transportation for Your Consultation
While your consultation itself doesn’t involve surgery, you’ll receive dilating eye drops during the examination. These drops temporarily blur your vision and make your eyes sensitive to light for several hours.
Plan to have someone drive you to and from your appointment, or arrange for a rideshare service. Driving with dilated pupils is unsafe and potentially illegal in some areas. Even if you feel your vision has returned to normal, your eyes may still be sensitive to light.
Avoid These Things Before Your Consultation
Don’t Wear Eye Makeup
On the day of your consultation, skip eye makeup, eyeliner, and mascara. These products can interfere with your eye measurements and contaminate the equipment. If you wear makeup regularly, plan to remove it before arriving.
Avoid Perfume and Fragrances
Strong fragrances can irritate your eyes during the examination. Skip perfume, cologne, and heavily scented lotions on consultation day.
Don’t Wear Contact Lenses (Already Covered)
This bears repeating: do not wear contact lenses to your consultation. Wear your glasses instead.
What to Bring to Your Consultation
Make your consultation as smooth as possible by bringing:
- Insurance card and photo ID: Required for check-in and billing
- List of current medications and supplements: Or bring the bottles themselves
- Medical history documentation: Any relevant medical records or summaries
- Current glasses prescription: If you have it
- List of questions: Write down your questions so you don’t forget them
- Notepad or phone: To take notes during your consultation
- Sunglasses: Your eyes will be dilated and sensitive to light afterward
Mental Preparation: What to Expect During Your Consultation
Understanding what happens during your consultation can ease anxiety and help you feel more prepared.
The Eye Examination
Your surgeon will perform several tests:
- Visual acuity testing: Reading letters on a chart to measure your current vision
- Refraction: Determining your exact prescription
- Corneal topography: Mapping the shape and curvature of your cornea
- Pachymetry: Measuring corneal thickness (important for LASIK safety)
- Pupil dilation: Using drops to dilate your pupils for a thorough retinal examination
- Intraocular pressure measurement: Screening for glaucoma
These tests are painless but may feel slightly uncomfortable (especially the tonometry, which measures eye pressure).
The Consultation Discussion
After your examination, your surgeon will review the results with you, discuss your candidacy, explain the procedure, and answer your questions. This is your opportunity to voice any concerns or hesitations.
Timeline Expectations
Plan for your consultation to take 1-2 hours. Don’t rush; this is an important decision, and thorough evaluation takes time.
Consider Your Lifestyle and Professional Needs
LASIK is an elective procedure, and your decision should align with your lifestyle and professional requirements.
Ideal Candidates Often Include
- People with active lifestyles who find glasses or contacts inconvenient
- Athletes and outdoor enthusiasts
- Military personnel or first responders (many professions prefer LASIK-corrected vision)
- People with high prescriptions who struggle with thick glasses
- Those with contact lens intolerance or allergies
Factors That May Complicate LASIK
- Certain occupations with high dust or chemical exposure
- Severe dry eye syndrome
- Unstable prescriptions (still changing significantly year to year)
- Certain eye conditions (keratoconus, thin corneas, etc.)
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding (hormonal changes can affect vision stability)
Discuss your specific situation with your surgeon during your consultation.
Don’t Skip the Financial Discussion
LASIK is typically an elective procedure not covered by insurance. Before your consultation ends, learn more about the cost of LASIK by asking these questions:
- Total cost: What’s included in the quoted price?
- Payment options: Do they offer financing or payment plans?
- Warranty or retreatment policy: What happens if you need an enhancement?
- What’s not included: Are pre-op exams, post-op visits, or medications included?
Understanding the financial commitment upfront prevents surprises later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I wear contacts to my LASIK consultation?
No. Contact lenses distort your cornea and will skew your eye measurements. Stop wearing contacts 5-7 days before your consultation (longer for rigid lenses) and wear glasses instead.
Will my consultation hurt?
Your consultation is painless. You may feel slight pressure during tonometry (eye pressure measurement), but it’s not painful. Dilating drops may cause mild stinging for a few seconds.
How long after my consultation can I have LASIK surgery?
This varies by practice. Some surgeons schedule surgery within days or weeks; others prefer to wait. Your surgeon will discuss timing during your consultation.
What if I’m not a LASIK candidate?
There are several alternatives, including PRK, ICL (implantable contact lens), and RLE (refractive lens exchange). Your surgeon will discuss which options might work for you.
Should I bring someone to my consultation?
While not required, bringing a trusted friend or family member can be helpful. They can take notes, ask questions, and drive you home after your dilated exam.
Can I have a LASIK consultation if I’m pregnant?
It’s generally recommended to wait until after pregnancy and breastfeeding, as hormonal changes can affect vision stability. Discuss your specific situation with your surgeon.
The Bottom Line
Your LASIK consultation is a crucial step in determining whether this vision correction procedure is right for you. By preparing thoroughly—gathering your medical history, discontinuing contact lenses, arranging transportation, and preparing thoughtful questions—you’ll make the most of your appointment and feel confident in your decision.
Remember, a good surgeon wants you to be informed and comfortable. Don’t hesitate to ask questions, voice concerns, or request clarification on anything you don’t understand. Your vision is too important to leave anything to chance.
Ready to take the next step? Schedule your LASIK consultation with Skyline LASIK today and discover whether you’re a candidate for the vision freedom you’ve been dreaming about.
