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Hundreds of thousands of people undergo LASIK every year to minimize or even eliminate their need for glasses or contact lenses. Could you be one of them? Illinois Eye Center can help you find out if you are a good candidate for LASIK.
Who is a Good Candidate for LASIK?
Certain factors make some people better candidates than others when it comes to LASIK surgery. These factors include:
The need for vision correction
You may be a candidate for LASIK surgery if you currently wear glasses or contact lenses to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.
Age
Our eyes change as we grow and mature, and LASIK works best on eyes that are stable. Candidates for LASIK must be at least 18 years old.
General health
For optimal results, you should be in good overall health before having LASIK. A healthy body heals faster, and is less prone to complications. Certain conditions, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or diabetes can slow healing.
Autoimmune disorders increase the risk for corneal thinning, inflammation, and other eye problems. Inflammatory conditions can affect the lacrimal gland, which produces the tears that moisten and lubricate eyes; these conditions can lead to extremely dry corneas. Some medications, such as retinoic acid and steroids, may prevent proper healing after LASIK.
Eye health
The best candidates are free of eye diseases, eye infections, or eye injuries.
Stable vision
The best candidates for LASIK have stable vision. If you have had a change to your contact lens or eyeglass prescription in the past year, you may have refractive instability. This means the way your eyes focus changes frequently, and these frequent changes can affect the results of your LASIK procedure. You may have refractive instability if you:
- Are in your early 20s or younger
- Have diabetes or other conditions that cause fluctuations in hormones
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Are taking medications that may cause fluctuations in your vision
Nursing or pregnancy
Hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy can increase the thickness and curvature of your cornea to cause vision changes; your cornea returns to normal after pregnancy. Because of this, LASIK surgery during pregnancy or breastfeeding could lead to incorrect changes to your corneas.
The best way to know if you are a good candidate is to talk with your eye care professional. Our surgeons at the LASIK Institute at Illinois Eye Center can help you determine if you are a good candidate for LASIK.