LASIK is a popular procedure that’s great for people looking to ditch their glasses and contacts. While LASIK isn’t for everyone, a simple LASIK consultation can help you find out if you qualify!
There are a few requirements that you need to meet, but you may be able to figure out a few before your consultation. Keep reading for a few of the factors that go into LASIK candidacy!
Age
To have LASIK, the FDA requires that you’re at least 18 years old. But a good LASIK candidate is ideally in their mid to late twenties.
This ensures that your eyes have stopped growing and developing. In other words, it means they are stable.
While your body is still changing, your prescription is likely to change as well. LASIK reshapes your cornea depending on your exact prescription.
If your eyesight changes after you have LASIK, the procedure won’t be as effective. There isn’t technically an upper age limit for LASIK.
That means you could get LASIK when you’re in your eighties. But at that age, you may be a better candidate for a procedure like RLE or cataract surgery instead.
Health
For any elective surgery, you should be in good general health. Patients with autoimmune conditions or diabetes may have issues healing after a minor procedure like LASIK.
Your eyes should also be in good health, with no conditions besides refractive errors. While being screened for LASIK, your eyes and tear production are assessed.
During this process, you may find out you have dry eye syndrome. This won’t make you a bad candidate for LASIK but you will need to have it under control before you can have the procedure.
Prescription
Your prescription should be stable before you have LASIK. Even if you’re the right age, if your prescription has changed within the past year, you should wait to have LASIK.
Some surgeons even prefer their patients to have a stable prescription for two years before having LASIK.
Besides being stable, your prescription also needs to be within certain limits. LASIK can only correct up to about -11.00 diopters of nearsightedness, +5.00 diopters of farsightedness, and 5.00 diopters of astigmatism. If your prescription falls outside these limits, LASIK may not be right for you and isn’t as effective.
Cornea and Pupil Size
Something that’s difficult to determine before a LASIK consultation is your cornea thickness and pupil size. Most people don’t know how thick their corneas are or how big their pupils are.
These are both measured during a LASIK consultation. Your cornea needs to be a certain thickness because the surgeon needs to create a flap during LASIK.
If after creating the flap, not enough tissue is left in the corneal bed, it can lead to severe vision problems. If your pupils are too big, it can affect your night vision after surgery, making it harder to see in low light.
If your cornea isn’t thick enough or your pupils are too big, that doesn’t necessarily mean your eyes aren’t healthy, it just means LASIK isn’t right for you. But there are other vision correction procedures your ophthalmologist can recommend even if you aren’t a good LASIK candidate.
Ready to find out if LASIK could be right for you? Schedule your LASIK consultation at Ellis Eye in San Francisco, CA, right now!
