If you want to be able to see without pesky glasses or contacts, you’ve probably considered having LASIK. LASIK is definitely one of the best options for vision correction.
It’s an effective procedure with few risks that millions of people have already had. Who wouldn’t want visual freedom?
But how do you know if LASIK is right for you? There are criteria that every patient needs to meet to get LASIK.
Before you have LASIK, you will have a LASIK consultation to make sure you’re a good candidate. Keep reading for 5 ways to know if you could be a LASIK candidate!
1. You’re 18 Or Over
You need to be at least 18 years old to get LASIK. This is because your eyesight usually is still changing as your body grows.
Most LASIK surgeons recommend waiting until the mid to late twenties to undergo LASIK. Getting LASIK before 18 means your eyes could continue to change.
You need to have a stable prescription for at least a year and a half before LASIK as well.
2. You’re In Good Health
To have any surgery, it’s important to be in good health. To get LASIK and be safe, you need to be able to recover from the procedure.
If you have any autoimmune conditions that make it harder to heal, LASIK is probably not right for you. You also can’t have LASIK if you’re pregnant or nursing.
But as long as you’re healthy, you may be a good candidate for LASIK.
3. Your Vision Has Been Stable For Over 2 years
As stated before, you need to have stable vision in order for LASIK to be effective. Being 21 or older helps ensure your vision is stable, but your prescription needs to be the same too.
This means that your vision has been stable for at least a year or more. Ideally, your vision will have remained the same for two years or more.
This is usually a good sign that your vision will remain stable. If you’ve had visual changes in the past two years, your vision isn’t stable enough yet for LASIK.
If that is the only thing standing in your way of qualifying for LASIK, you will be able to qualify after.
4. Your Prescription Is Within The Limits
LASIK can correct your vision to an incredible degree, but there are limits to how much it can correct. You only have so much corneal tissue.
LASIK involves reshaping the cornea and correcting refractive errors. If your prescription is too strong, removing too much tissue could hurt instead of help you.
If this is the case, talk to your eye doctor about other vision correction procedures like PRK!
5. You Have Average Pupil Size and Corneal Thickness
People don’t tend to know their pupil size or how thick their cornea is. Lucky for you, this is something measured during your LASIK consultation!
Corneal thickness is important because you need to have thick enough corneas. If your corneas are too thin, it becomes too dangerous to remove any corneal tissue.
It’s also important to not have pupils that are too big. If your pupils are very large, LASIK can cause a lot of side effects including glare, halos, and poor night vision.
Want to know if you’re a good candidate for LASIK? Contact Ellis Eye in San Francisco, CA and schedule your LASIK consultation now!
