LASIK eye surgery corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. If you have one of these issues, there is a good chance that you are considering LASIK surgery. Before you can move forward, you need to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure. Having a vision problem is not the only qualifying factor!
Your surgeon will look at several different factors before approving you for surgery. Let’s discuss these factors to see if you are a good candidate for LASIK!
Physical and Eye Health
You need to be healthy for any procedure (even LASIK.) Autoimmune disorders, collagen vascular disease, and uncontrolled diabetes are all disqualifiers. In addition, you will likely not be approved for LASIK surgery if you have glaucoma, corneal disease, cataracts, or some other eye disease.
Additional Eye Issues
Your eye surgeon will also examine your eyes to make sure that you do not have any serious eye issues, such as a muscle imbalance or amblyopia (lazy eye.) Your Nashville LASIK surgeon will also check for signs of infection or injury, which may or may not prevent you from being a candidate.
In certain scenarios, a candidate will simply have to put the surgery off to a later date. Your eye surgeon will also make sure that you do not have chronic dry eye issues. Because these issues can worsen after surgery, you would likely not be approved if you have dry eye.
Eye Stability
Your eye doctor will want to know about your eye prescription. If it has changed in the last year, you will not be able to get the surgery. However, if your prescription has remained the same over the last year, you can move forward with the surgery, as long as you meet all of the other criteria.
Hormones
Most people do not realize this, but hormones can impact the stability of your eyes. Because of that, eye surgeons will not perform LASIK on women who are nursing or pregnant. Keep in mind that you can come back after your baby is born or you stop nursing.
Corneal Thickness
Eye surgeons can only perform LASIK on patients who have a corneal thickness of at least 0.5 mm. Therefore, your cornea will be measured to ensure that you are a good candidate for the procedure. If your corneas are too thin, your surgeon might recommend a different procedure.
Age
Age also plays an important role in being approved for LASIK eye surgery. Most surgeons will not perform this procedure on people who are under the age of 18. The reason is that their eyes are not stable yet, which means their prescriptions could change. In addition, people who are close to the age of 40 should know that LASIK might speed up their need for reading glasses. While this does not disqualify these individuals, it is worth thinking about before moving forward with the procedure.
If you believe that you are a good candidate for LASIK, contact our Nashville, Tennessee LASIK surgeon. Your eye surgeon will examine you to make sure that you are ready to move forward with the surgery. If approved, you will be scheduled for surgery and on your way to better vision!
