LASIK eye surgery, while one of the most frequently performed voluntary surgical procedures today, is still not for everybody. There are a few indications for individuals that may preclude them from being a good candidate for laser eye surgery. Only after a thorough eye examination and consultation can you be absolutely sure your are a good candidate for laser eye surgery. Your surgeon will be the final word in you as a candidate. A few things that will be considered when determining if laser eye surgery is for you are:
- Your age. You must be at least 18 years old (21 for some lasers), The reason behind this is that the vision of people under the age of 18 is still changing.
- If you are pregnant or nursing. This may temporarily change the measured refraction of the eye.
- Good general health. Laser eye surgery may not be recommended for patients with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, glaucoma, herpes infections of the eye, or cataracts. Likewise, patients being treated with medications such as steroids or immuno-suppressants, which can prevent healing, or are suffering from auto-immune diseases that can slow healing.
- You should not be taking certain prescription drugs. (your surgeon will advise which during your consultation)
- Your eyes must be healthy and your prescription stable. Ideally there should not have been need for a prescription change within the past 2 years.
Another aspect to carefully consider is your overall expectation of laser eye surgery. Laser eye surgery, while having a relatively high degree of patient satisfaction, may not always result in perfect vision every time for every patient. Retreatment, or enhancement surgery is not unusual and may be necessary for months following the initial procedure. The possibility of complications is yet another factor that must be carefully considered. All of these factor should be thoroughly discussed with your physician during your consultation. This is known as the "informed consent" process.
Quite simply, you should not go into this without a full and realistic knowledge of what the outcome may be, and be comfortable with this knowledge. Carefully judge the risk versus the rewards. If you find that you are content with wearing glasses or contacts, you may want to forego laser eye surgery.