LASIK Candidacy
Am I a Candidate for LASIK Eye Surgery?
LASIK eye surgery may dramatically improve your life and the way you see it. Your candidacy depends on a comprehensive vision exam by an experienced eye doctor to determine your personal visual needs and if LASIK is a good fit for you.
Unlike many other providers, The LASIK Vision Institute offers a free, no-obligation consultation, so contact us today and speak with one of our Eye Care Counselors to get started.
Before going to your LASIK eye surgery consultation there are some general criteria that can guide you in deciding if this is the right procedure for you. To have laser eye surgery you should be in good eye health, good overall health, and have realistic expectations of the LASIK procedure.
LASIK laser eye surgery can correct such eye problems as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism. After your eye consultation you will have the chance to discuss the different laser eye surgery options and discover which would benefit your current condition and lifestyle.
Below are some eligibility requirements for LASIK surgery candidates.
LASIK Candidates Should Have Good Eye Health.
While most Americans are safe candidates for LASIK eye surgery and millions of people enjoying the miracle of the work we have been doing for decades since the procedure was first approved by the FDA, your safety is the #1 priority of your team of LASIK physicians and eye care professionals. Some of the conditions and criteria they look at to ensure they can achieve the safest, best outcomes possible from your LASIK eye surgery include:
- Your eye prescription should fall within certain prescription limits. Although with modern LASIK technology many prescriptions can now be safely treated (including some high degrees of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism), certain eye prescriptions are still outside of the range that LASIK physicians can safely treat.
- Certain eye diseases and conditions, including keratoconus, severe cataracts and severe cases of amblyopia, current infections, and certain retinal and optic nerve diseases, may render you a medical non-candidate for LASIK today.
LASIK Candidates Should Have Overall Good Health
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- If you have diabetes or certain autoimmune diseases, they must be controlled to be a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery.
- Certain health conditions may require medications that can slow or prevent healing. You should tell your surgeon about all the medications you are taking and have taken in the last year.
- Because certain medications can slow healing, you should tell your LASIK physicians about medications you are taking or have recently taken, so they can help ensure your healing is safe and fast, as recovery from LASIK eye surgery should be.
- While hormonal fluctuations caused by pregnancy can impact vision stability, please consult with your LASIK physicians and health care professionals about how soon after you welcome your new addition to the family you can enjoy your LASIK. We know fussing with your glasses or contact lenses in the middle of the night when you’re exhausted and want to crawl back into bed as quickly as possible is no fun!
Considerations & Expectations
In preparation for a LASIK procedure, you will not be able to wear contact lenses for an extended period of time before the surgery due to contacts temporarily altering the shape of your corneas. This amount of time will be determined by your eye doctor. For LASIK surgery this is very important. Discontinuing the wear of your contacts and allowing the shape of your cornea to go back to their natural state, your LASIK scan can accurately determine your specific eye dimensions. This will insure the laser is programmed to reflect your true visual state and allow the surgery to be its most effective.
It’s important you are committed to following the LASIK post-operative instructions from your physician, including:
- Resting your eyes immediately following surgery.
- Using prescribed and non-proscribed eye drops to continue to the lubrication of your eyes after surgery.
- Follow-up visits to check on progression of your eye healing and health.
- Restriction on some activities that could impair the healing processes (such as swimming).