LASIK surgery has become the most popular eye correction procedure in the country. Last year, over one million Americans improved their eyesight through LASIK, with most patients experiencing 20/20 vision or better following the procedure.
But not everyone is a good candidate for LASIK. A patient needs to go through a comprehensive eye exam by an ophthalmologist or eye surgeon to determine if their eyes will benefit from this procedure.
LASIK Requirements
For safe laser eye surgery, an ophthalmologist looks for certain criteria to reduce any risk factors associated with LASIK. The patient must meet the following guidelines:
· To be sure that the eye has developed properly and matured vision must be at least 18 years old.
· The patient has had no eye injury or infection within the past year.
· The candidate does not have any autoimmune disorder such as Lupus or Sjorgrenâs Syndrome.
· No history of herpes infections in the eyes.
· The cornea has no scars
· The patient cannot be pregnant or nursing
· Individuals with dry eye syndrome are not good LASIK candidates.
· Individuals with pupils that dilate beyond seven millimeters in the dark are not good candidates for LASIK.
Eye Characteristics
Other general requisites for LASIK include various characteristics of the eyes. LASIK is not a good option if patientâs eyes have the following attributes:
· Corneas are steep
· Corneas are flat or thin
· Corneas are irregular in shape
· Pupils are too large
LASIK Alternatives
There are other options for patients who arenât a good fit for LASIK. Wavefront-guided custom LASIK is a form of custom LASIK that measures, and maps an individualâs specific eye irregularities 25 times more precisely than standard methods.
Another promising alternative is Implantable Contact Lens surgery (ICLs). ICLs are surgically placed behind the iris and act just like contact lens. One of the greatest advantages of ICLs is that theyâre not permanent and can be reversed. If the results arenât perfect, the ICL can be removed or replaced. ICLs are perfect for people who canât undergo LASIK treatment because of thin corneas, dry eyes, or large pupils.
Patricia Woloch