Gone are the days when people preferred wearing eyeglasses and contact lenses to correct their impaired vision. Despite the complications, stress, and frustrations associated with those vision correction options, they still consider it some of the necessary pains to endure while waiting for a perfect vision.
However, as technology advances, people begin to know about LASIK eye surgery and the incredible comfort it brings. LASIK surgery is not an alternative to eyeglasses and contact lenses; it is better to correct impaired vision.
No matter the level of imperfection in the eyes, perfect LASIK surgery will solve the problems and restore the sight to its initial healthy state. LASIK provides a lasting result. That means you wouldn’t have to do any surgery on your eyes after undergoing the LASIK procedure.
More so, LASIK eye surgery is the best way for you to avoid the inconveniences that come with wearing eyeglasses and contact lenses. It doesn’t require you to put on any corrective eyewear while engaging in any activity. By implication, you are free to do your daily hobby with comfort after a LASIK procedure.
Having known what LASIK surgery has to offer, many eye patients – especially those wearing eyeglasses and contact lenses – are now longing to undergo LASIK eye surgery.
However, it might not sound good to hear that LASIK is not for everybody. I don’t mean to break your heart, but you might not be a qualified candidate for the procedure as good as it is. To help you make an informed decision, here are the top 8 criteria that suggest you fit LASIK eye surgery.
Top 7 criteria that qualify you for the LASIK procedure
1. Healthy eyes
Your apparent keen interest to undergo a LASIK procedure is not enough. Whether you would be qualified for the procedure or not, it all starts from the health state of your eyes.
Your eyes need to be healthy before you can meet a LASIK surgeon. I know you might be wondering why it has to be like that. After all, you can only think of going for LASIK eye surgery if your vision is impaired. Yes. that is true. You won’t need LASIK surgery if your eyes are perfectly okay.
But then, your surgeon cannot perform LASIK surgery in your eyes if you have some eye infection such as severe dry eyes, conjunctivitis, and the likes. Before a surgeon works on an eye with such disorders, the patient would need to first treat the eyes before talking about the LASIK procedure.
2. Normal prescription range
Of course, the LASIK procedure can correct your impaired vision, but the prescription level would have to be within the normal range. When your prescription is too high,
Generally, the excimer lasers are FDA-approved to heal complications up to +12.00 diopters of nearsightedness, +6.00 farsightedness, and 6.00 of astigmatism. Note that these prescriptions may vary from one patient to another.
3. You must be 18 years old
The LASIK procedure is not for anybody under the age of 18. No matter the patient’s vision complication, he cannot enroll for LASIK eye surgery. Based on statistics, most LASIK patients are about 20 years and above.
While 18 years is the minimum, there is no maximum age for LASIK patients. Though some older adults prefer to go for eyeglasses for fear of surgery, it is excellent for the elderly to undergo a LASIK procedure.
4. You must be healthy
It is easy to think that the LASIK procedure is only for the eyes. But, let me tell you that LASIK surgery requires you to be in good health generally to be fit for the procedure. As much as your eyes are needed to be healthy, you have to be sure every part of your body is in good condition before you lay on the LASIK surgical bed.
If you have any disorder in your body, it may prevent your eyes from healing on time or make the LASIK operation ineffective. For that reason, it is good for you first to do a general check of your body before you go for your LASIK surgery.
5. You must not be pregnant
This tip might not be good news for women. If you discover your vision is impaired while pregnant, you may have to stay with the impaired vision for the next year or more. I made it up to a year because you are still not eligible for LASIK when breastfeeding a baby. So, as a pregnant woman, you would have to try other vision correction alternatives available such as eyeglasses or contact lenses, to adjust your vision till you are fit for the LASIK procedure.
6. You must have a thick cornea
If your cornea is too thin or weak, you are eligible to undergo LASIK eye surgery. Not many people know that the thickness of their cornea matters when deciding whether they should do LASIK surgery or not. The LASIK procedure has to do with resharpening your cornea. If the cornea is not thick enough, it might lead to further complications during or after the procedure.
Meanwhile, if your cornea disqualifies you from getting LASIK surgery, you don’t have anything to worry about. There are several other vision correction options for patients with thin cornea. Based on your health profile, you can speak with your ophthalmologist to recommend further effective laser eye surgery for you.
7. You must be prepared
LASIK surgery requires you to be adequately ready for the journey ahead. Meanwhile, the preparation starts from the initial evaluation of your eye. Then, you learn what to wear, eat, and do before, during, and after the procedure. You can check some of our previously published articles on “the essential things you need to do before, during and after LASIK procedure”. That will help you have a better knowledge of what it takes.
Finally
It is good that you do adequate research about LASIK eye surgery and discuss extensively with your ophthalmologist to know if you are a qualified candidate or not. Suppose you are marking all the standards above congratulations. And if not, you can opt for other laser eye surgery options available in today’s medical world. Click here to read about Best Three Alternatives to LASIK Eye Surgery.