Are You a Good Candidate for LASIK Surgery
Our team of Morristown and Hackettstown Eye Specialists have helped countless patients achieve great eyesight and preserve their vision. In addition to offering comprehensive eye exams, we offer some of the latest and most advanced diagnosis, treatment, and surgery to preserve and enhance your vision.With this in mind, let's take a moment to talk about the basics of LASIK. We will then look at who might benefit from LASIK and what makes you a good candidate for LASIK or refractive surgery for vision correction. 
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About LASIK
LASIK is a laser eye surgery that helps reshape the cornea and reduces or eliminates your need for glasses or contacts and has been FDA approved since 1996 in the United States. Thanks to LASIK, many millions of people no longer need glasses or contacts to see clearly.
LASIK is ideal for treating your prescription for glasses and contacts by reshaping the corneal surface to address:
- Nearsightedness (Myopia)
- Farsightedness (Hyperopia)
- Astigmatism ( people with astigmatism suffer from distorted vision because the corneal surface is warped)
General Candidacy for LASIK
Good candidates for LASIK are people in their twenties to fifties who need glasses or contacts to see clearly and would like the freedom to minimize or eliminate the need for glasses or contacts because of their active lifestyle. Over the next several sections, we will highlight some of criteria that would make you a good candidate as well as criteria that may exclude you from being a candidate for LASIK.
Stable Prescription for at Least One Year
In order for LASIK to be effective, it's important for patients to have a stable glasses or contacts prescription for at least one year. Fluctuations in prescription mean that the best results with LASIK may not last long.
Ideal Age for LASIK Surgery
LASIK should only be performed on adults. Children and teens are still growing, which means their corneas and vision quality can still change with time. Rather than tamper with maturing eyes, it's ideal to wait until a person is at least in their early twenties to perform LASIK. This common sense consideration helps ensure optimal LASIK results that will last for years to come.
Corneal Shape and Thickness Concerns
LASIK can only be performed on patients who have corneas that are of relatively normal shape and thickness. If you have thin or irregularly shaped corneas, which can be seen in diseases such as Keratoconus, it can increase your risk for complications and compromise the potential benefit of LASIK. Prior to LASIK, you will undergo extensive advanced testing of your cornea and corneal surface in 3D to ensure that you are a good candidate for the procedure and minimize the risk for potential complications.
Dry Eye Syndrome and LASIK Candidacy
Dry eye is often a common side effect of LASIK surgery but is generally temporary. However, people who suffer from severe dry eye syndrome prior to surgery may be poor candidate for LASIK. Since LASIK can exacerbate dry eye symptoms, some people with pre-existing may require intensive treatment for their dry eyes after LASIK to minimize their discomfort and maintain good vision.
Conditions That Prevent People from Undergoing LASIK
In addition to dry eye syndrome, if you suffer from the following conditions you may not be a good candidate for LASIK
- Currently pregnant or nursing
- Eye injury within the last year
- Eye infection within the last year
- Autoimmune diseases
- Ocular herpes
- Keratoconus
Realistic Expectations About LASIK Surgery
In addition to the above, it's important that patients have realistic expectations about the results that LASIK can achieve. 20/20 or better vision from LASIK is possible, but it does not happen in every case. Patients should keep that in mind heading into LASIK so they can have a solid perspective on how the surgery enhances vision.
Learn More About LASIK Surgery
For more information about LASIK and how it can help you see clearly, be sure to contact our team of eye care and retina specialists today. We look forward to your visit and discussing your many vision correction options in greater detail.
