The success of LASIK is heavily influenced by whether you are a suitable candidate. Modern LASIK eye surgery produces excellent visual results, but it is only for some.

“According to the most recent research, 99 percent of patients achieve better than 20/40 vision and more than 90 percent achieve 20/20 vision or better. Furthermore, LASIK has the highest patient satisfaction rate of any elective procedure, at 96 percent.”

The American Refractive Surgery Council

Here’s a list of criteria to help you decide if you’re a good candidate for LASIK. The only way to know if LASIK is right for you is to meet with an eye surgeon.

However, before discovering the requirements for LASIK Eye Surgery, let’s discuss them in brief LASIK.

LASIK Surgery -Laser Assisted in Situ keratomileusis

Laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses (LASIK), an eye surgery, is one of the best-suited laser refractive surgeries to cure vision problems like myopia.

Primarily, LASIK Operation is an alternative to contact lenses or glasses.

After surgery, you might achieve 20/25 vision, irrespective of 20/20 vision being the average eyesight requirement.

Now, let’s discuss the requirements for a Qualified LASIK Candidate!

7 Requirements for a Qualified LASIK Candidate

1. Eyes should be healthy.

Your eye health generally determines how well your eyes heal after surgery. Before LASIK, any active eye infections, inflammation, or abrasions must be resolved.

If you have been a victim of any of the following eye conditions, tell your doctor:

Severe dryness of the eyes

Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

An eye injury

Corneal dystrophy with keratoconus

Eye infections caused by herpes

Glaucoma or glaucoma risk factors (high eye pressure)

Cataracts

Previous vision surgery.

After that, your eye doctor will examine your eyes and review your medical history to determine if LASIK surgery is safe for you.

2. The prescription should be within range.

You can use LASIK procedures to treat a variety of prescriptions, including:

Myopia (nearsightedness) (nearsightedness)

Hyperopia (farsightedness) (farsightedness)

Astigmatism

The treatment range varies depending on the type of LASIK procedure used. Your eye surgeon can advise you on the best type of LASIK.

In the United States, FDA-approved excimer lasers for LASIK can correct approximately:

-11.00 diopters for nearsightedness and +5.00 diopters for farsightedness

Astigmatism of 5.00 D.

On the other hand, LASIK surgeons will have limits on how bad your vision can be. Most surgeons will provide you with a free LASIK consultation to determine if you are a good candidate.

The surgeon may suggest an alternative vision correction procedure if your prescription is too strong. Two procedures that can correct higher prescriptions are refractive lens exchange and phakic intraocular lens implant.

3. Corneas should be thick enough.

The more corneal tissue the laser must remove to correct your vision, the higher your prescription. LASIK involves the surgeon cutting a flap in your cornea and then using a laser to remove tissue beneath the flap.

LASIK may increase your chances of developing corneal ectasia if you have thin corneas. This dangerous condition causes abnormal corneal thinning.

Bladeless LASIK, for example, may necessitate less corneal tissue. Other options for people with inadequate corneal thickness include:

Keratectomy with photorefractive keratectomy (PRK)

Phakic intraocular lens exchange Refractive lens exchange (IOL)

4. A proper age range is a necessity.

A candidate should be at least 18 years old. However, wait until your vision stabilises in your mid-20s.

There is no maximum age for receiving LASIK. Presbyopia, on the other hand, begins after the age of 40. This process, which affects your ability to focus up close, lasts until around 60.

Unless you choose monovision LASIK, LASIK does not correct your near vision. Otherwise, most LASIK patients over the age of 40 require reading glasses.

Older age also increases your chances of developing dry eyes and other eye conditions that may preclude you from being a candidate for LASIK.

5. Stable vision.

Your contact lens or glasses prescription should have stayed the same in the last 12 months. The term refractive instability refers to changes in your eye prescription.

You are more likely to require a second corrective eye surgery if you have refractive instability.

In most cases, a diopter change of 0.25 or 0.5 is acceptable. The units used to measure your prescription are diopters.

The following factors can cause your vision to shift:

Being under the age of 25
Hormone fluctuations caused by diabetes or another disease
Several medications
Breastfeeding or pregnancy

If you are considering LASIK, a yearly comprehensive eye exam is recommended. It allows your eye doctor to track vision changes yearly.

6. Pupils should not be too large.

When your doctor evaluates your candidacy for LASIK, they will measure your pupils. People with larger pupils may be more susceptible to post-surgery complications, such as:

Dual vision
Starbursts
Halos
Glare

Due to these symptoms, some people cannot drive at night or in certain conditions, such as fog.

7. Have realistic expectations.

Before having LASIK from Visual Aids Centre (https://www.visualaidscentre.com/lasik-eye-surgery-in-delhi/), you should consider the side effects and complications risks. If your job requires sharp vision, you may want to reconsider laser eye surgery if you experience any side effects.

Although LASIK has a high success rate, expecting a perfect vision may be unrealistic. The refractive surgeon cannot predict how your eyes will heal following surgery. You may also need to wear glasses after surgery, such as for reading or driving at night.

Why are some candidates not qualified for LASIK?

Some medical conditions may preclude you from having LASIK:

1. Pregnancy

Many pregnant women experience fluctuations in their vision due to hormonal changes. Furthermore, the medications used for the LASIK procedure are unsafe for the baby. It’s best to wait until you’ve finished nursing your baby.

2. Problems with general health

Certain autoimmune disorders and immunodeficiency diseases raise the possibility of complications during the healing process. These are some examples:

The syndrome of Sjörgen
Lupus
AIDS
Rheumatoid arthritis
Type 1 diabetes

People with these conditions are prone to severe dry eyes and are at risk of a complication known as corneal melting.

After LASIK, diabetic patients may experience delayed wound healing. They may also experience visual fluctuations as a result of blood sugar fluctuations. However, LASIK is an option if your diabetes is well-controlled and you have no eye problems.

3. Cataracts

Age-related cataracts, which cause the lens inside your eye to become cloudy, usually appear around the age of 60. If you already have cataracts, LASIK is generally not recommended. LASIK cannot entirely correct your vision, and your vision will change as the cataracts progress.

Most eye surgeons advise waiting until you require cataract surgery. This procedure not only removes the cataract but also corrects your vision. The surgeon inserts an artificial implant into your eye, which restores your vision.

4. Activities with a high impact

You should carefully consider your options if participating in high-impact sports such as basketball or martial arts. Although this is a rare complication, eye trauma can dislodge the corneal flap long after surgery.

Discuss any activities that may endanger your eyes with your eye surgeon. Because PRK does not require the creation of a corneal flap, your eye surgeon may recommend it instead of LASIK.

5. Medicine

You should use drugs if you are having LASIK surgery. You should not take the following medications before LASIK:

Amiodarone (Accutane) Isotretinoin (Accutane)

Your eye surgeon can tell you how long to wait before stopping the medications.

6. A history of eye injury or surgery

You may be ineligible for LASIK if you have a significant corneal scar from an eye injury.

A history of eye injury or surgery may increase your risk of LASIK complications. Give the eye surgeon your entire medical history. If you have previously had laser eye surgery, you may be able to have a second enhancement procedure.

LASIK Alternatives

PRK

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is best suited for people with thin corneas. This procedure does not require the creation of a corneal flap.

Instead, the surgeon removes your cornea’s outer surface (epithelium). The cornea is, after that, reshaped using an excimer laser.

LASEK

LASEK (laser epithelial keratomileusis) is similar to PRK. It employs a specialised microkeratome device to expose the cornea to an alcohol solution.

LASEK requires less corneal tissue removal than LASIK. As a result, LASEK is yet another excellent option for people with thin corneas.

SMILE

A newer approach to laser vision correction is small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). A disc-shaped corneal tissue is removed during the SMILE surgical procedure (lenticule). It causes your cornea to reshape.

IOLs

The intraocular lens is an artificial lens that replaces your eye’s natural lens. IOLs are frequently used in cataract surgery.

IOLs are also used in the following surgical procedures:

Phakic Intraocular lenses-

These IOLs are placed behind the iris, in front of the lens, or between the iris and the cornea.

Exchange of refractive lenses-

This vision correction procedure is similar to cataract surgery, but it is performed on people who do not have cataracts.

Contact lenses and glasses

If you have a refractive error and discover that laser vision correction isn’t working, your best bet is to wear glasses or contact lenses.

Takeaway

LASIK is a highly successful procedure, but only some are qualified candidates.

A qualified candidate for LASIK should mainly have healthy eyes and overall good health.

Other vital factors for LASIK include having a stable vision, thick enough corneas, and average-sized pupils.

If you think LASIK is not best suited for you, consult your doctor about PRK, LASEK, or SMILE surgery.

Who is the Qualified Lasik Eye Surgery Candidate?