Providing ongoing care for post-LASIK patients keeps them in your practice and ensures that they receive the services and products they need.

LASIK has become a common procedure improving the lives of many of those who undergo it, but many of those same patients don’t realize that they still need to visit their eye doctor annually. In addition to co-managing pre- and post-operative care for LASIK patients, ODs need to educate these patients about why they still need to visit for a comprehensive exam each year. Education also is needed about which products, such as sunwear, are still beneficial, and why a successful LASIK procedure doesn’t mean a patient won’t need to address presbyopia.

Vision and Eye Health Could Change

Although patients can now see well, they need to be examined on an annual basis. For those getting close to presbyopia, they may need reading glasses in the near future and need to continue monitoring their eye health for such issues as glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration. Other LASIK patients are very non-compliant and literally disappear after their surgeries, either showing up rarely or never again.

Monitor and Treat LASIK-Related Dry Eye

Many LASIK patients are people who have had dryness issues that affected their ability to wear contact lenses and require treatment methods for anyone who has dryness including lubricants, Omega 3 supplements and punctal plugs when necessary.

Educate On Added Need for Sunwear and Driving Eyewear

LASIK patients are more prone to glare problems after Surgery, especially at night. Many patients have LASIK with a monovision modality, so their eyes are unbalanced for distance vision and these patients can often benefit from night driving eyeglasses, as well, that balance both eyes to distance.

Monitor Eye Health Long-Term

Continue to monitor post-LASIK patients for the same medical eyecare problems that can affect anyone such as glaucoma and cataracts. Also monitor the cornea for any signs of a condition called ectasia, which is an abnormal thinning and bulging of the cornea. Since the surgery leaves the cornea thinner, this can happen, although it is uncommon.

Anticipate the Rare Poor LASIK Outcome

In most of these cases, the problems were not medical, but a result of a patient with unrealistic expectations. Some patients who had the oldest refractive surgery, radial keratotomy (RK) have had massive shifts in their refraction over the years, ending up extremely hyperopic. In addition, their best corrected visual acuity is often not correctable easily to 20/20 vision.

Generate Post-LASIK Patient Referral

Ask for referrals of the patient’s friends, family and co-workers who may be interested in LASIK surgery. Often, the patient’s happiness and enthusiasm is highest right after the surgery, so this is a good time to ask for referrals. The referred patients will not necessarily be excellent candidates for surgery, but will then continue coming to our office for their eyeglasses and contact lens needs.

Filed under: Professionals & Students Tagged: contact lens, Health, LASIK, Medicine, Ophthalmology, Refractive surgery, Surgery, Visual acuity