LASIK is a fantastic opportunity to reduce your dependency on glasses and contacts, but unfortunately, not every person is an ideal candidate for LASIK vision correction. There are some minimum requirements that must be met in order to safely qualify for this procedure.
You must have stable vision for at least one year:
Your vision prescription can change in your teenage years and early 20’s, but will often stabilize as you approach your late 20’s. Teenagers do not make the best LASIK candidates, and LASIK is not performed on people less than 18 years of age (required by law, and even sometimes 21). It is important to the results of your laser vision correction procedure to wait until you have maintained the same approximate prescription for a minimum of one year. Your optometrist can help to advise you whether you have remained stable for the appropriate time period.
Your vision prescription must be within so many diopter (limits):
If, for example, you have a severe amount of myopia (nearsightedness), you may not be considered an ideal candidate for traditional LASIK. At this point other refractive procedural options may be a better choice for you. There are several different types of refractive procedures, and during a LASIK consultation, your surgeon would be able to advise you on other courses of vision correction treatment depending on your LASIK screening results.
You must be in good health (including your eyes):
Certain auto-immune disease (which means an inability to heal properly) can disqualify you from having any refractive procedures. These include HIV, AIDS and diabetes (Type 1 specifically). If you feel you may be suffering from an auto-immune disease, it is best to consult your physician for confirmation.
Healthy eyes are also a key to qualifying for laser vision correction. Certain eye diseases such as uncontrolled glaucoma, chronic dry eyes and Keratoconus (when the cornea begins to thin and bulge like a cone) may be a no-go for LASIK. If you are currently suffering from any eye infections such as conjunctivitis (pink eye) or any other eye injuries, you would need to wait until they have healed completely before seeing laser vision correction.
The best way to determine whether LASIK is the right procedure for you is to have a FREE LASIK consultation at one of our TLC Laser Eye Centers. Upon completing a comprehensive eye exam, your surgeon will be able to advise you as to the best course of refractive treatment for your eyes. If you do suffer from an auto-immune disease, it is also recommended to speak with your family physician and advise of your plans to pursue vision correction surgery.
