Am I a Good Candidate for LASIK Surgery?

When LASIK emerged as a surgical alternative to prescription lenses, many people were skeptical. While achieving great vision without glasses or contacts is a tall order, the LASIK procedure has improved over the years and often fills the bill. 

LASIK, short for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, still has its limits, however, and not everyone is a good candidate. 

At Ventura Eye Institute in Camarillo, California, our professional team of specialists can evaluate whether you’re a good candidate for LASIK corrective vision surgery.

What makes a good LASIK candidate?

There are risks and benefits to every surgery, including LASIK. While the procedure is safer and more effective than ever, you need to weigh the pros and cons before making any plans. If you’re looking into LASIK eye surgery, start by assessing yourself using the following factors: 

Age

Being too young or too old can make LASIK ineffective or dangerous. 

Young people should wait until their eyes are finished developing, which occurs around their mid-20s. Seniors might have health conditions that make surgery risky, and LASIK cannot correct presbyopia or age-related vision loss. 

Prescription 

If you’ve recently changed corrective lens prescriptions, it’s a sign that your vision has yet to stabilize. Getting LASIK corrects your prescription at the time, but it doesn’t account for changes afterward. This is why it’s important to wait until your eyes are no longer changing. 

The stronger your prescription, the more difficult your eyes will be to correct with LASIK. While this isn’t a problem for most people, your surgeon might recommend another procedure if your prescription is too strong. 

Overall health 

If you’re in poor health or have difficulty healing, you should avoid unnecessary surgery — including LASIK. Autoimmune conditions like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and HIV are just three examples of conditions that might make eye surgery unsafe. 

Family planning 

Hormone changes during pregnancy can cause your eyesight to weaken, so hold off on LASIK until you’re finished having children. Your vision should stabilize a few months after you finish breastfeeding. 

Dry eye syndrome 

Your eyes need to stay hydrated to heal properly, and the inflammation caused by dry eyes can make eye surgery difficult and dangerous. If you suffer from chronic dry eye or meibomian gland dysfunction, seek treatment for those problems before considering LASIK. 

Corneal thickness 

Even if you meet the general requirements, your evaluation might turn up unexpected problems. During LASIK eye surgery, a flap is created in the cornea to correct refractive errors. Your surgeon measures your corneas beforehand to determine if they’re thick enough to operate on. 

When to consider LASIK 

There’s more to a LASIK evaluation than your physical attributes. You shouldn’t commit to laser eye surgery if you aren’t prepared for downtime, and you should be ready to follow your surgeon’s instructions every step of the way. 

It’s also important to maintain realistic expectations. Even if your surgery is successful, your vision is still subject to change later on. Presbyopia, cataracts, and glaucoma tend to develop as people get older, so be aware that your corrected vision might not last forever. 

Are you interested in receiving LASIK? Learn more and find out if you’re a good candidate by consulting with the team at Ventura Eye Institute. You can schedule an appointment by calling our office at 805-388-1211 or by booking online.