LASIK is a surgical procedure that can reduce a person’s dependence on corrective lenses, glasses, or contact lenses for clear vision. While the procedure is safe and effective for most patients, not everyone is a good candidate for LASIK.
What Is LASIK?
The procedure changes the shape of your cornea, which is the clear covering of the front of your eye, with the use of an excimer laser. The cornea helps focus light on the retina at the back of the eye; the retina absorbs the light and sends information about that light to the brain. An abnormally shaped cornea focuses the light on the wrong part of the retina and produces blurred images. Changing the shape of the cornea can restore that clear vision.
To perform LASIK, the eye surgeon creates a flap in the cornea then uses a laser to reshape corneal tissue. The ophthalmologist then lays and affixes the flap back in its original position.
LASIK helps patients enjoy better vision. Some achieve perfect 20/20 vision. Others achieve somewhere between 20/20 and 20/40 vision.
Who is a Good Candidate for LASIK?
LASIK helps a wide variety of patients see better, but certain factors make some people better candidates for the procedure than others.
- A candidate for LASIK should be over the age of 18 – some eye surgeons recommend candidates wait until the age of 21 to undergo LASIK. The human eye continues to develop as you age, and is not fully developed until the individual is an adult.
- Although this can differ from case to case, most LASIK candidates are younger than the age of 40. Your eyes begin to change again as you grow older; conditions like age-related blurred reading vision, known as presbyopia, and cataracts can develop. But during a LASIK consultation, your physician can review your medical history to determine the best course of action.
- Candidates should not have untreated dry eye syndrome, as the condition can affect the outcome of LASIK.
- Potential patients should not have keratoconus, a condition characterized by corneas that bulge into a cone shape.
- Candidates should have healthy corneas that are of adequate thickness.
- Women who are pregnant or nursing women should postpone LASIK, as hormones associated with pregnancy and nursing can cause vision instability.
For more information on what makes someone a good candidate for LASIK – or to find out if you are a good candidate for the procedure – schedule an appointment with Maida CustomVision at Florida Eye Specialists. Our eye doctors are the most experienced team of LASIK surgeons in the region, and have performed more than 24,000 LASIK procedures and have been pioneering this technology for decades. Make your appointment for LASIK consultation with Florida Eye Specialists today by calling us today.