The Screening Exam

A careful screening exam is mandatory prior to having refractive surgery. Contact lens wear should be discontinued prior to your visit. (3 days for soft and 2 weeks for hard or gas permeable lenses).

Our screening exam consists of checking your old glasses against your current refraction (to assess stability), screening the eye with corneal topography to rule out irregular corneal surface, and a complete eye exam including glaucoma screen and dilated exam of the retina.

Examination of the retina is especially important for patients with high myopia, since this condition is more likely to be associated with holes, tears, or retinal degeneration leading to retinal detachment. Corneal thickness measurements are also taken using a special ultrasound instrument.

The medical part of the initial exam is performed by a physician (Dr. Taravella). A discussion with you of the procedure, likely outcome and risks is then undertaken.
Consultations are free and can be scheduled by calling 303-372-5900.