ABSTRACT
All refractive surgical procedures demand appropriate preoperative patient selection and patient preparation to achieve optimal postoperative results. This principle is extremely important when performing laser subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK), because the characteristics of this technique are considerably different than the more popular procedure, laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Patient selection includes consideration of candidate age, personality characteristics, occupational and recreational activities, as well as a number of specific ocular considerations. Preoperative patient preparation focuses on patient education and optimizing the ocular status for surgery. Failure to address these issues may reduce one’s chances for the best and safest outcome.
