Refractive surgery: mastering the pre-op work-up

Refractive surgery: mastering the pre-op work-up

Date: 9/09/2026 ()

Venue: Online, AUSTRALIA

Provider: Blink Eye Clinic

Contact: Shane Brookman, [E] shane@blink.clinic, [P] 02 5104 0858

Activity Outline

Refractive surgery: mastering the pre-op work-up

Presented by Dr Richard Barry, Blink Vision Clinic

The success of refractive surgery is decided long before the patient reaches theatre. This session takes attendees inside the pre-operative work-up used at Blink Vision Clinic for refractive lens exchange, cataract surgery and laser vision correction — measurement by measurement, and the reasoning behind each one.

Dr Barry will walk through how a full refractive assessment is built: biometry and IOL calculation, corneal tomography and topography, ocular surface assessment and its impact on measurement reliability, pupillometry, angle and anterior chamber evaluation, macular and retinal screening, and the visual demands and lifestyle factors that shape lens selection. Throughout, the focus is on how each data point either supports a surgical plan or changes it.

The session also covers the findings that give us pause — subtle corneal irregularity, unstable measurements, and other features that shift a patient from straightforward to complex, or from suitable to unsuitable. Attendees will see real case examples showing how the same refractive error can lead to very different recommendations depending on what the work-up reveals.

Optometrists will leave with a clearer picture of what a comprehensive refractive assessment involves, which pre-referral findings are most useful to communicate, and how to set accurate expectations with patients considering surgery.

Relevant to optometrists at all stages who refer for cataract, lens-based or laser refractive procedures, or who co-manage these patients post-operatively.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the full suite of pre-operative measurements used to assess a patient for refractive lens exchange, cataract surgery and laser vision correction, and explain the clinical purpose of each.
• Identify the pre-operative findings that alter surgical planning or indicate a patient is unsuitable for a lens-based or laser procedure.
• Explain how ocular surface status, corneal tomography and biometry interact to affect the accuracy and reliability of IOL calculations and treatment planning.
• Apply this understanding to select and communicate the clinical findings most useful to include at the point of referral, and to set realistic patient expectations about surgical outcomes.

Max CPD hours awarded: 1

Session Information