Having the LASIK procedure after you have had cataract surgery will give patients who have a need for glasses after the placement of their intra ocular lens a chance to fine-tune their vision and possibly perfect their vision so that they do not need to rely on an extra prescription.
IOLs or a lens replacement allows many patients to get rid of their glasses and contact lenses for good after cataract surgery. However, there are some patients who may continue to use glasses when they need to “fine tune” or sharpen their vision to its most precise visual acuity, such as when they are driving, reading, or watching television. Many of these patients are so already accustomed to wearing their glasses that they do not mind having to continue wearing them after their removal of the cataracts. There are the other patients that find it very frustrating to come so close to having unaided excellent vision with their multifocal IOLs while still having to rely on their glasses for certain activities. They want to be visually independent. If you happen to be one of these patients then you may want to consider LASIK after your cataract surgery is complete. LASIK post cataract surgery offers a potentially ideal solution.
For patients who are considering LASIK post cataract surgery you need to be properly screened. LASIK can be considered as a possibility after your cataract surgery but it is important that the patient’s eyes have fully healed and their vision has stabilized. Typically, the patients must wait approximately three months after the removal of their cataracts to become checked as suitable candidates for laser vision correction. Sometimes that post healing can take a bit longer but we need your prescription to be stable before we can proceed with the LASIK procedure. This is why the diagnosis and the screening process is so important. Dr. Holzman will work with your eye surgeon who performed your cataract procedure to properly diagnose the cause of your post-surgical vision problems and access if LASIK is a good option for you. Patients with residual refractive errors will be screened thoroughly to determine their candidacy for LASIK. Alternative procedures can be discussed with those patients who are not a candidate for the LASIK procedure post cataract surgery.
