Pre-Op
All 30 articles from Colombia Medical, newest first. Search, filter by topic, or sort to find the one you need.
Over 45 and booking vision correction: LASIK, monovision or a lens procedure?
After 45, reading vision complicates the booking. How monovision, lens procedures and plain distance LASIK differ, and what to test before you buy flights.
Over 45 and booking vision correction: LASIK, monovision or a lens procedure?
After 45, reading vision complicates the booking. How monovision, lens procedures and plain distance LASIK differ, and what to test before you buy flights.
US veterans booking LASIK abroad: what VA benefits do and don't cover
A veteran's guide to booking LASIK abroad: where the VA Foreign Medical Program fits, why elective refractive surgery is usually self-pay, and what to keep.
UK patients booking laser eye surgery abroad: what to sort before you pay
Laser eye surgery isn't usually offered on the NHS, so UK patients go private. What to check about aftercare, insurance and records before booking abroad.
PRK or LASIK: how the procedure changes the trip you book
PRK and LASIK heal differently, so they need different trip lengths, work leave and flight plans. How to book so either answer from the exam still fits.
Dry eyes and LASIK: what to sort out before you book a date
LASIK tends to worsen existing dry eye, so a gritty-eyed patient should book differently. How to raise it early, what to treat at home, and when to wait.
Booking LASIK abroad from Canada: receipts, tax credits and timing
A Canadian's booking guide to LASIK abroad: what the CRA medical expense list says about laser eye surgery, the receipts to collect, and how to time the claim.
Both eyes on the same day, or one at a time? Booking the choice abroad
Same-day treatment of both eyes is common in laser surgery, but the FDA notes it carries more risk. How each choice changes your stay, budget and flights.
Booking SMILE eye surgery: what to confirm before you choose it
SMILE is flapless laser vision correction with its own candidacy limits and enhancement route. Five things to confirm with a clinic before you book a date.
Booking ICL surgery abroad: the extra steps a lens implant adds
An implantable lens is not LASIK with a different name. The pre-op laser step, next-day check, longer healing and lifelong follow-up all shape how you book.
Booking a LASIK enhancement trip: timing, records and the return visit
If your vision hasn't settled after LASIK abroad, a touch-up may mean a return trip. When surgeons consider enhancements and how to book the visit well.
What to send with your LASIK inquiry so the clinic can quote right the first time
Five things a Colombian LASIK clinic needs before it can give you a real price and a real date. Send them up front and you skip a week of back-and-forth.
What not to buy before your LASIK trip (the clinic already has it)
Sleep shields, drops, sunglasses, a recovery kit: half of what LASIK packing lists tell you to buy is handed to you at the clinic. What to bring, what to skip, and the two things worth…
What happens if the exam says no
You flew to Colombia for LASIK and the pre-op exam ruled you out. What happens to your deposit, what alternatives the surgeon may offer, and how to make the trip still count.
Translating your prescription and records for a Colombian clinic
How to send your eyeglass prescription, contact-lens details, and eye records to a Colombian LASIK clinic so nothing is lost in units, formats, or Spanish terms.
When to stop wearing contact lenses before your LASIK exam
Soft, toric, rigid and ortho-k lenses each need a different break before the pre-op exam. The windows, why they exist, and how they set your travel dates.
Setting up your LASIK follow-up care at home before you fly
You will have LASIK in Colombia and heal at home. Here is how to arrange the follow-ups with your own optometrist before you leave, what to ask, and what to bring back from the clinic.
Exam on day one, surgery on day two: when it works and when surgeons say no
Single-trip LASIK depends on doing the diagnostic exam and the surgery a day apart. Here is when clinics agree to that, when they insist on a gap, and how each plan changes your trip.
How to read a Colombian LASIK quote
A Colombian LASIK quote is short, and that is where the trouble starts. Here is what each line should say and the questions to ask when it does not.
Questions to ask at the LASIK exam consult
The ten-minute surgeon conversation after your pre-op exam in Colombia: which questions to ask, what a good answer sounds like, and what to write down.
The pre-surgery day checklist: the night before and the morning of
A night-before and morning-of checklist for LASIK in Colombia — what to eat, wear, skip, and pack, so surgery day is the boring day it should be.
Medellín or Bogotá for a LASIK trip: picking by your dates, not the guidebook
A booking-desk comparison of Medellín and Bogotá for a LASIK trip — altitude, airport transfer, climate, and how each affects an 8-day surgery schedule.
The LASIK consent form: what you are actually signing
A section-by-section walk through the LASIK informed-consent document you
LASIK and dental work on one trip: how to sequence it
How to schedule LASIK and dental work (implants, crowns, veneers, cleaning) on the same Colombia trip — which goes first, the gaps to leave, and a 10–12 day sample plan.
How far ahead to book LASIK in Colombia
Lead times from first inquiry to surgery day, which slot fills first, the seasons to avoid, and the earliest and latest you can realistically lock a Colombian LASIK trip.
Getting an itemised invoice for HSA, FSA, and insurance
What to ask a Colombian LASIK clinic to put on your invoice so it works for a US HSA or FSA, a Canadian medical expense claim, or a UK insurer — and what each one actually asks for.
The eight-day LASIK trip, hour by hour
A realistic day-by-day plan for a single-trip LASIK booking in Colombia: exam, surgery, the follow-ups, and the buffer that keeps you from flying home too early.
Deposits and payment for LASIK abroad: cards, wires, transfers and what to ask for
How Colombian LASIK clinics take deposits and balances, what each payment method costs you in fees, and the refund terms to get in writing before sending money.
Bringing a companion to LASIK abroad: what they actually do
Whether you need a companion for LASIK in Colombia, which days they matter, what they do on surgery day, and how to plan the trip so they
Booking your stay around LASIK appointments
How to book lodging for a LASIK trip to Colombia: nights, distance, cancellation terms, and the check-out timing that keeps you from moving on a recovery day.
Booking flights around LASIK cut-offs
How to book flights for a LASIK trip to Colombia: the two cut-offs that fix your dates, the earliest safe fly-home day by procedure, fare flexibility, and the dry-cabin plan.