Be an Informed Patient: What to Know Before Coming in for Your LASIK Consult

Be an Informed Patient: What to Know Before Coming in for Your LASIK Consult

Published by Lance Kugler, MD on March 31, 2016

Your time is valuable and odds are you work pretty hard to make the most out of the time you have each day. Making the time for a consultation to find out what your options are in vision correction surgery is a commitment we appreciate here at Kugler Vision.

We treat these consultations as what they are; the beginning of a partnership that is focused on achieving your personal vision goal. We value these relationships tremendously and I personally want the very best for all of my patients. In our experience, patients who take some time to inform themselves about their vision and the procedure or procedures they are considering set themselves and our partnership up for success in achieving their vision goals.

We want to make sure you are getting all the information that matters to you to help make a decision about whether a vision correction procedure such as LASIK is right for you. So, in the spirit of partnership, we’ve put together some tips for you to consider before you come in – to help us make the most of our time together.

Learn About LASIK and Other Vision Correction Surgery Options

• Talk to friends/family who have had the procedure.
• Look into LASIK online (Tip: the most credible information on sites such as Mayo Clinic, WebMD, ARSC and AllAboutVision)
• Review the risks and benefits related to LASIK and other procedures
• Find out what to expect during the recovery period after LASIK

Think About Your Experience with Glasses and/or Contacts

• How comfortable are you with your glasses and contacts? How would you rate your vision with them?
• If you play sports or work out regularly, are your glasses and contacts getting in the way?
• Does your job require you to wear your glasses or contacts? Ever worry about breaking your glasses or losing a lens while working?
• Are you a parent of a young child? Are those demands getting in the way of the daily care of your contact lenses? Are sticky fingers constantly smudging your glasses and bending your frames?

Have A Sense of the Result You Want from A Vision Correction Procedure

• Are you looking to reduce your reliance on glasses or get rid of them entirely?
• Are contact lenses troublesome, but you don’t want to wear glasses?
• Do you have multiple pairs/prescriptions of glasses and just want to reduce that number? Maybe not have to have prescription sunglasses?

Be Prepared with Your Medical History

• Have a list of the medications you are taking
• Put together a timeline of any major medical events – particularly if they are eye related – but any surgery, injury, health condition, etc. should be included

Not everyone who wants LASIK is a good candidate for the procedure – in my practice that is about 20 percent of patients. There are several reasons for this including medical issues or the specific condition and anatomy of a patient’s eyes. And the fact is some patients don’t have a realistic expectation about what a procedure can do. Understanding what you want and becoming an informed patient will help make the work we do together productive as we find which vision correction option is best for your health and vision.

Lance Kugler, MD

Lance Kugler, MD, is a specialist in LASIK and vision correction surgery and CEO of Kugler Vision. A proud Omaha native, he is passionate about improving lives through clear vision. Dr. Kugler serves on several national boards, and his practice is recognized internationally as a center of excellence. Dr. Kugler is one of the original founders of the Refractive Surgery Alliance, an international organization comprised of over 350 of the world’s leading vision correction surgeons; he also served as its first president. In 2019, Dr. Kugler was selected as a TEDx speaker, and delivered a talk in Omaha about the worldwide epidemic of nearsightedness and refractive solutions. Dr. Kugler is an Associate Professor of Refractive Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Truhlsen Eye Institute, has been published in many medical journals, and participates in numerous clinical studies to advance the field of vision correction surgery. Additionally, Dr. Kugler is proud to be a Board Certified Fellow of the World College of Refractive Surgery & Visual Sciences. Dr. Kugler and his wife are proud parents to five active kids. When he has a spare moment, he enjoys skiing, tennis, travel, and fine coffee.