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LASIK in Goa: suitability check-up and referral

Many people in Goa who wear spectacles or contact lenses ask about LASIK. Before anyone has laser treatment, two questions need honest answers: are your eyes suitable for it, and is it the right choice for your life and work? The LASIK check-up at ReNew Vision is there to answer both. We say plainly at the start that the laser is not done at ReNew Vision, so that you can plan: the check-up and counselling are done here, and the laser treatment is done at a laser centre we refer you to.

What is LASIK?

LASIK is laser treatment that changes the shape of the cornea, the clear window at the front of the eye, so that light focuses better on the retina. A thin flap is made on the surface of the cornea and lifted, a laser reshapes the tissue underneath, and the flap is laid back in place. It is used for short sight (myopia), long sight (hyperopia) and astigmatism.

LASIK is one of several kinds of vision-correction treatment. Some eyes suit a different laser method, or a lens placed inside the eye, better than LASIK. The laser centre explains which method, if any, it would use for your eyes and why.

LASIK does not treat the change in near vision that comes with age (presbyopia). Most people need reading glasses from their 40s, whether or not they have had LASIK.

What happens at the LASIK check-up at ReNew Vision?

1. Your history. Your age, how long you have worn spectacles, how much your power has changed in recent years, contact lens use, your general health, the medicines you take and what you need from your eyes for work, driving and sport.
2. Vision and spectacle power. Each eye is tested, and the result is compared with your old prescriptions to see whether the power has been stable. In young adults, drops that relax the eye's focusing may be used to measure the power accurately.
3. Eye pressure. A quick pressure check, as in any complete eye check-up.
4. The front of the eye. The lids, the tear film and the cornea are examined under magnification, looking for dry eye, allergy, infection or signs that the cornea may not be suitable.
5. The retina. After dilating drops, the eye doctor examines the retina. This matters in short sight, because a short-sighted eye can have thin areas in the retina that need attention whether or not you have LASIK.
6. Counselling. The eye doctor explains what laser treatment could and could not do for your eyes, the possible side effects, and the other choices you have.

Dilating drops blur close vision for a few hours, so do not drive or ride home yourself. The general check-up is described on eye check-up in Vasco.

What is not done at ReNew Vision?

The laser treatment itself is not done here. Some of the tests that decide whether LASIK is safe for you are also done at the laser centre, not at ReNew Vision. These include a map of the shape of the cornea (corneal topography) and a measurement of its thickness. If those tests, or anything found at the check-up, suggest a problem with the cornea, the eye doctor explains what it means and what the next step is.

If you wear contact lenses, ask when you book how long to leave them out before the check-up. Lenses change the shape of the cornea for a while, and the laser centre will also give you its own instructions before its tests.

Who may be suitable for LASIK?

As a general guide, people who may be suitable for LASIK:

• are adults, usually at least 18, and many laser centres prefer the early 20s or later
• have had a stable spectacle power for at least a year
• have healthy corneas of a suitable shape and thickness
• have no active eye disease, and dry eye or allergy under control
• are not pregnant or breastfeeding
• have general health conditions, such as diabetes, well controlled
• understand what LASIK can and cannot do

The details, including high spectacle power, are explained in am I suitable for LASIK?

What can LASIK do, and what can it not do?

For many suitable people, LASIK reduces how much they depend on spectacles or contact lenses for distance vision. No one can promise a particular result, and the check-up covers the limits too:

• Reading glasses with age. LASIK does not stop the near-vision change that starts in the 40s.
• Some people still need spectacles for some tasks, such as night driving, or need a second treatment if some power remains.
• Dry eye is common for some months after LASIK and can last longer, especially in people who already have dry eyes or work long hours in air-conditioned rooms and on screens.
• Glare and haloes around lights at night can happen, usually settling over time.
• It cannot be undone. The cornea is permanently reshaped.
• The rest of the eye does not change. A short-sighted eye keeps its higher risk of retina problems and glaucoma, and cataract can still develop later in life, so regular eye check-ups are still needed.

Serious complications are uncommon, and the laser centre should explain them to you before you sign any consent.

Is LASIK right for my job or my sport?

Vasco is a Navy, port and airport town, and many young people here plan careers in the armed forces, shipping or aviation. These services have their own rules about spectacle power and about eye surgery, and the rules change from time to time. Before you decide on LASIK for a career, check the current rules of the service you plan to join, in writing if you can.

If you play a contact sport or do martial arts, tell the eye doctor and the laser centre: the type of treatment may matter for you.

LASIK, spectacles or contact lenses?

Spectacles are the simplest and safest choice for most people. Contact lenses give natural vision for sport and work but need strict hygiene. LASIK can reduce your need for both, but it is surgery on a healthy eye. The choice is personal, and there is no wrong answer if your eyes are healthy and you see well. Read the full comparison in LASIK, glasses or contact lenses: which suits me? Our Vision Correction Centre can help if you decide to stay with spectacles or contact lenses.

What does LASIK cost?

There are two separate parts. The fee for the check-up and counselling at ReNew Vision is explained when you book. The fee for the laser treatment, and for the laser centre's own tests, is set by the laser centre and depends on the method, the tests, whether both eyes are treated and the follow-up included. See what decides the cost of LASIK for the questions to ask before you compare quotes.

What happens after the referral?

If you are suitable and decide to go ahead, you are given a referral with the findings of your check-up. The laser centre does its own tests and decides with you whether, and how, to treat your eyes. The treatment, and the follow-up visits soon after it, are with the laser centre.

After that, your routine eye check-ups, and reading glasses when the time comes, can continue at ReNew Vision. If you have a problem soon after laser treatment, contact the centre that treated you first. For a sudden painful red eye or a sudden drop in vision at any hour, emergency eye care at ReNew Vision is available 24 hours; see eye emergency.

How do I book a LASIK check-up?

• Where: ReNew Vision Eye Hospital, 2nd floor, Pai Hospital building, Vaddem Merces Road, Vaddem, Vasco da Gama, Goa 403802. See timings and directions.
• When: Eye OPD Monday to Saturday, 4 pm to 7 pm. Sunday OPD closed.
• Call or WhatsApp: 072489 88039.
• Bring: your spectacles, any old prescriptions (they show whether your power has been stable), your contact lenses and their details, and a list of your medicines. Bring someone to take you home, because dilating drops blur vision.

LASIK guides

Questions patients ask

Is LASIK done at ReNew Vision?

No. ReNew Vision does the LASIK suitability check-up and counselling. The laser treatment, and some tests such as corneal mapping, are done at a laser centre we refer you to. Your routine eye check-ups can continue here afterwards.

How old do I need to be for LASIK?

LASIK is for adults, usually at least 18, and many laser centres prefer the early 20s or later, because the spectacle power should have been stable for at least a year. The laser centre has its own age limits.

Will I need glasses after LASIK?

Many suitable people need spectacles much less for distance vision, but no one can promise that. Some still need them for some tasks, and almost everyone needs reading glasses from their 40s, because LASIK does not stop the near-vision change that comes with age.

Do I need to stop wearing contact lenses before the LASIK check-up?

Ask when you book. Contact lenses change the shape of the cornea for a while, so you may be asked to leave them out for some days before the check-up, and the laser centre will give you its own instructions before its tests.

Can I have LASIK if I have diabetes?

Sometimes, if your diabetes is well controlled and your eyes are healthy. Poorly controlled diabetes, or diabetic changes in the retina, usually mean LASIK is not advised. The eye doctor checks your retina and explains what applies to you.

This page is general eye-health information, not personal medical advice. Your eye doctor advises you after examining your eyes.