Am I a Candidate for Laser Vision Correction?

Here is what you can do to make an informed decision:

1. Complete your personal information gathering process:

Call us if you would like to attend one of our regular in-office educational programs on refractive surgery or to schedule a personal consultation with one of our technicians / counselors.

2. Undergo a comprehensive medical examination including:

• Removal of contact lenses prior to any examination.
• Minimum of 3 days for daily soft lenses.
• Minimum of 2 weeks for extended wear or soft toric lenses.
• Minimum of 3 weeks for hard and gas permeable lenses.
• Documentation of preoperative visual acuity and night vision.
• Comprehensive medical history.
• WaveScan analysis.
• Corneal topography (contour mapping).
• Corneal pachymetry (thickness measurement).
• Dry eye evaluation.
• Pupil analysis (size measurement in light and dark).
• Microscopic corneal and lens examination.
• Intraocular pressure reading.
• Manifest and cycloplegic refraction (the "Which is better 1 or 2 test").
• Internal examination of nerves, retina and vasculature.
• Videotaped educational presentation.

3. Review your exam results with your physician and determine the most appropriate course of action, with the aid of our Patient Education and Safety System (PASS).

At the end of your  medical eye evaluation, your physician will personally discuss your exam findings and treatment options with you in a comprehensive, one-on-one discussion that often lasts for a half an hour or more. Our goal is to provide you with all of the information you need to make the best possible decision as to your future course of action.

Any reputable practice will, of course, take the appropriate measurements and tell you if you are a candidate for surgery. However, Hale-Qamar Cataract and LASIK Center has developed a unique tool that is the only system we know of that actually shows you the reasoning behind our recommendations, while helping to answer such confidence building questions as:

· "Am I really a candidate?"
· "How good of a candidate?"
· "Do I have any unique risks?"
· "How will I know?"
· "Can I see the data myself?"

PASS is a powerful computer program, designed and developed by Dr. Hale, that analyzes your preoperative measurements and displays the relative safety level of each individual test in a familiar "red light, yellow light, green light" format.

Together with your surgeon, you'll discuss how the result of each different measurement falls within established safety parameters and the impact this may have upon your vision:

A green light indicates that the area tested fits comfortably within the safe treatment range. Green indicates little or no risk, and in that area of testing, you are a good candidate.

A yellow light signals an area of caution that is still within the treatment range. Yellow lights are designed to stimulate discussion between you and your surgeon. Often, the condition which warranted the yellow light is treatable prior to surgery, and once corrected, may improve your visual outcome.

Red lights signal measurements that are outside of the safe treatment range. With a red light, you are not a candidate for surgery. In some circumstances, we are able to suggest a safe alternative procedure, but most often it is best to wait for future technology to develop.

With PASS, the data is there for you to see for yourself. You won't have to worry that a critical part of your exam may have been accidentally overlooked or that any of your results are outside of FDA guidelines. PASS is just one more safeguard in place for your peace of mind and safety.

As an practical example of how PASS works, one of the measurements PASS analyzes is pupil size. Since large pupils are sometimes associated with night vision concerns, such as glare and halos, PASS will let you know if you are at increased risk for these concerns.

Another measurement PASS analyzes is corneal thickness. Some corneas are too thin for the popular LASIK procedure, but not too thin for PRK. Therefore, PASS can help facilitate the discussion between you and your surgeon as to the most appropriate procedure for you.