May 20, 2014

Are You a Candidate for LASIK Surgery?

LASIK surgery offers recipients the chance to improve their visual acuity and live free of the burden that glasses and contacts bring. However, as with any surgical procedure, LASIK is not for everyone. Your personal eligibility regarding LASIK surgery is a conversation you need to have with your primary care doctor, prior to consulting with a LASIK provider.

The Clinical Criteria

The ideal candidate for LASIK surgery should meet the following clinical criteria:

• Demographics: LASIK patients must be at least 18 years of age, and not be pregnant or nursing. The hormonal imbalances associated with the antepartum and postpartum periods may affect your body’s reaction to medication prescribed as part of your LASIK procedure. It’s recommended that you wait at least three menstrual cycles after discontinuing nursing to have your LASIK procedure.
• General health: Certain health problems may automatically exclude you from being a candidate for LASIK. These include:
  • Diabetes (uncontrolled)
  • Autoimmune disease
  • Collagen vascular disease

Mental health conditions that may affect the surgery such as claustrophobia should also be disclosed to your doctor.

• Optical health: While LASIK treatment is designed to correct aberrations of the eye, certain eye conditions or abnormalities can complicate a LASIK procedure. Issues such as amblyopia (lazy eye), or a strabismus (muscle imbalance) can affect healing. Patients who consistently suffer from dry eye may also be disqualified from LASIK. Additionally, patients that may have suffered any sort of eye injury that has affected their vision must demonstrate stable vision for at least one year before they can be considered candidates for a LASIK procedure.

Don’t Give Up Hope

The presence of any one of these risk factors or conditions doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re forever excluded from having laser eye surgery. You may simply require concurrent treatment to ensure the success of your LASIK procedure. Your LASIK provider may also simply ask you to wait six months to a year to be reevaluated.

The science and technology behind LASIK surgery has evolved to the point of making this procedure a possibility for almost anyone. However, you should always keep the big picture in mind, which is your overall vision and the general quality of your health. The convenience of no longer requiring glasses certainly doesn’t warrant an unnecessary risk. Remember, LASIK surgery is just one of the many options designed to treat vision problems. A thorough discussion with your doctor or with one of our optometrists at Cedar Park Vision Center may reveal other treatment options available for your situation.