If you have not seen your optometrist within the last year an updated health exam of the eyes is required. The testing completed by your optometrist will help the doctors at VICTORIA EYE determine if the procedure is safe for you. During your free consultation the technicians and doctors will perform a series of tests to determine your candidacy; the risks, benefits and technology will be explained in detail and any questions answered.

Once deemed a candidate the surgical counsellor will review the surgery details, prices, recovery and even help you schedule the procedure if you feel ready. A final set of re-measurements will be completed prior to your surgery to create a final treatment plan.  Contact lens wearers are required to remove their contact lenses minimum 1 week prior to the procedure, see below for more information. Although the surgery is very quick, patients should plan to be in the office for 2-3 hours on the day of their procedure. A driver is required for afterwards and patients should plan to rest for the remainder of the day to allow for proper healing.  See below for more information. The first post-operative appointment is seen the following day at VICTORIA EYE.  The doctor will check your vision, cornea and confirm the post-operative drop regimen.  Your second post-operative appointment will then be scheduled with the VICTORIA EYE staff. Once the initial post-operative appointments have been completed at VICTORIA EYE, you will return to your optometrist for your remaining follow-up appointments. These appointments may vary based on individual healing.

After your 1 year of post-operative appointments is complete, it is important to continue to see your optometrist or ophthalmologist for routine eye exams. Contact lenses temporarily change the natural shape of your cornea.  In order to obtain accurate measurements of your eye it is important to remove your contact lenses prior to the surgery appointment.

Soft contact lenses should be removed 7 days prior to your procedure at VICTORIA EYE.

Toric contact lenses should be removed 2 weeks prior to your procedure at VICTORIA EYE.

Hard contact lenses should be removed 4 weeks prior with an additional week for every decade worn.

Intralase LASIK and PRK are both very quick procedures and most patients find the experience to be extremely easy.  Patients may elect to take a mild sedative prior to the procedure and topical anesthetic eye drops are used during surgery for comfort.

Patients are typically in the operating room for only 15-30 minutes, with laser treatments lasting anywhere from a few seconds to ninety seconds per eye. Although the procedure is quick, patients should expect to be in the office from 2 to 3 hours.

Immediately following the procedure patients will probably notice their vision is better than it was without their glasses or contacts. For the rest of the day it is best to rest, avoiding any activities that may strain the eyes like watching TV or reading. LASIK patients may experience a burning, stinging or gritty sensation along with some discomfort for the first 6-8 hours. PRK patients tend to experience this for a longer period of time (often a few days). A pain reliever is prescribed to help manage this discomfort.

Routine follow up appointments are scheduled after the procedure with the first one starting the following day.  Patients will follow a drop regimen and restrictions on certain activities to help ensure proper healing. Patients may continue to notice visual changes and improvements to their vision over the next few months. Typically, a LASIK patient’s vision is considered stable at 3 months after surgery and PRK patients at 6 months after.

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