Good Candidates for LASIK

If you want to enjoy a high quality of life and experience all that this life has to offer, one of the key ways of achieving this is having great vision. While corrective lenses have made this a possibility for many people, there is a laser eye surgery option out there that has proven quite helpful to many: LASIK. We’d like to take a brief moment right now to go over some of the basics of LASIK surgery so you understand how it can help you.

About LASIK Surgery

LASIK stands for “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis.” Using a safe surgical laser, a laser eye surgeon is able to reshape the cornea, improving the way that light passes through the eye and focuses on the retina, the light-sensitive tissue located in the back of the eye. By doing this, vision is made crisp and clear.

Vision Issues That LASIK Surgery Can Treat

LASIK is ideal for addressing refractive errors, which you may know better as the following:

• Myopia (Nearsightedness) – Myopia refers to situations in which nearby objects appear clear while objects that are further away appear blurry.
• Hyperopia (Farsightedness) – Hyperopia refers to situations in which objects at a distance appear clear while objects that are nearby appear blurry.
• Corneal Astigmatism – Astigmatism is a general blurring of vision that occurs when light does not focus on a single point on the retina. Astigmatism often accompanies myopia and hyperopia.

Basic Candidacy for LASIK Surgery

There is some basic criteria that has to be met when it comes to LASIK surgery. Your laser eye surgeon will note the following during the consultation process:

• Patients must be at least 18 years old
• Patients need to have a stable prescription for at least a year
• Patients should have healthy corneas
• Patients should have realistic expectations about surgery

Poor Candidates for LASIK Surgery

While LASIK surgery is helpful for many people, the following are people who are not good candidates for LASIK:

• Minors
• Women who are pregnant or nursing
• People with thin or irregular corneas
• People with dry eye syndrome
• People who have experienced an eye injury or infection within the last year
• People suffering from autoimmune diseases

Can you become a good candidate for LASIK surgery at a later time?

In some circumstances, yes, you can become a candidate for LASIK at a later date. Women who are pregnant or nursing can undergo LASIK two or three months after they have given birth or have finished nursing. Young patients or patients with unstable prescriptions can similarly become candidates later on.

In other cases, however, LASIK will never be a viable option. Such is that case with people who suffer from dry eye syndrome. Dry eye is a common side effect of LASIK surgery, so we would not want to exacerbate an existing condition.

LASIK Alternatives for Non-candidates/Poor Candidates

If you are not a good candidate for LASIK surgery, there are eye surgery alternatives to consider such as PRK or CK. In any case, corrective lenses are always a safe and viable option as well.

Learn More About LASIK Surgery

If you would like to learn more about LASIK surgery and your many other options for advanced eye care treatment, be sure to contact our Jacksonville laser vision correction center today. The entire team looks forward to meeting you in person and helping you achieve the best possible vision.