Learn about the essential diagnostic tests for Intralase surgery at Liv Hospital. From corneal mapping to thickness checks, see how we plan your procedure.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
Diagnosis and Tests
A successful Intralase procedure begins long before you enter the surgical suite. The diagnostic phase is the most critical part of the process, as it provides the data that programs the laser. At Liv Hospital, we perform a deep-dive analysis of your ocular health to ensure that your eyes are perfect candidates for a blade-free flap. This exam is much more detailed than a standard vision test, focusing on the microscopic layers and the physical strength of your corneal tissue.
Since Intralase will be creating a flap in the cornea, we must have a perfect “map” of its surface.
This digital mapping ensures that the laser knows exactly where to focus its energy to create a uniform and stable flap.
One of the most important tests is pachymetry, which measures the thickness of your cornea in microns. Safety is our priority, and we must ensure that after the flap is created and the vision is corrected, your cornea remains thick enough to be structurally sound.
Because Intralase can create much thinner and more consistent flaps than a mechanical blade, we can often qualify patients who were previously told their corneas were “borderline” thin.
The surgeon uses a specialized microscope called a slit lamp to inspect the health of your eye under high magnification. This test looks for any signs of active inflammation, previous infections, or scars that might interfere with the laser light. We also check the health of your eyelids and the quality of your tear film. Ensuring the eye is in a healthy, “quiet” state before surgery is essential for the rapid healing that the Intralase method is known for.
While Intralase creates the flap, a secondary part of the diagnosis involves wavefront technology. This test sends light into the eye and measures how it reflects back, capturing over 200 data points. It identifies “higher-order aberrations”—microscopic flaws that cause glare and poor night vision. This data is often used in conjunction with the Intralase flap to provide a truly customized vision correction that goes beyond what glasses can provide.
We measure the size of your pupils in various lighting conditions, specifically in total darkness. If a patient has naturally very large pupils, the surgeon needs to know this when planning the flap and the treatment area.
By accounting for pupil size during the diagnostic phase, we ensure that your vision is clear not just in the clinic, but in all real-world environments.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
A healthy tear film is the foundation of good healing. We perform specific tests to measure the quantity and quality of the moisture on your eye surface. If your eyes are naturally dry, we may recommend a pre-treatment plan to improve your ocular health before the procedure. Proper lubrication ensures that the corneal surface remains smooth after the Intralase laser has performed its work, leading to better visual clarity during the recovery period.
To ensure that your Intralase results are permanent, your vision must be stable. We compare your current prescription with your records from at least one year ago. We also perform a “cycloplegic refraction,” where drops are used to temporarily relax the eye’s focusing muscles. This allows us to see the true, underlying refractive error without the eye “cheating” by straining during the test. This step is vital for preventing over-correction and ensuring the best possible visual outcome.
Even though Intralase only treats the front of the eye, the health of the back of the eye—the retina is equally important. A dilated retinal exam is performed to ensure there are no signs of thinning, tears, or other issues. If the retina is healthy, we know that the high-quality image created by the reshaped cornea will be accurately processed by the brain. This “whole-eye” approach is what defines the clinical excellence at Liv Hospital.
Once all the tests are complete, your surgeon will sit down with you to review the results. This is your opportunity to ask questions and understand how the Intralase technology will be used for your specific eye shape. We will discuss the expected outcomes and the recovery process in detail. By the end of this appointment, we will have a customized digital blueprint ready to be loaded into our laser systems, ensuring your procedure is as individual as your vision.
Contact lenses can temporarily change the shape of your cornea; we need to measure your eye in its natural state for the laser to be accurate.
Expect to spend about two hours at Liv Hospital, as many of the tests require time for your eyes to dilate and for multiple scans to be performed.
No, the diagnostic process is entirely non-invasive and generally involves just looking at lights or into specialized cameras.
Our specialists will review your pachymetry results; if Intralase isn’t the safest choice, we offer alternative surface-based procedures that don’t require a flap.
No, the digital map created during diagnosis is unique to your eye’s specific curvature and thickness, serving as a personalized “GPS” for the laser.
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