Characteristics of a good candidate for lasik vision correction

A fairly new procedure Lasik vision correction is aimed at helping patients eliminate their dependency on eyeglasses and contact lenses. The process of getting lasik surgery actually involves several steps. The first step is getting an evaluation to see if you are a good candidate for the surgery. Some people may not benefit from lasik surgery and it could possibly do more harm than good. Lasik is not a miracle solution is surgery, so determining if you are a good candidate is a priority.

To determine if you are a good candidate for lasik vision correction there are several thing a doctor will look at. The first visit includes a full eye exam by your doctor, this will include taking measurements of your cornea. The cornea is the clear lenses of the eye that is altered during lasik surgery. You may be disqualified as a good candidate for lasik surgery if it is found you have any type of eye disease such as glaucoma, uveitis, keratinous. Your doctor may also disqualify you for other eye problems or injuries found by your doctor. The reason is that lasik surgery can only reshape your cornea so the images are not blurred or distorted. Another major concern would be thin corneas. This is because lasik cuts the cornea and if it is already thin you are at a greater risk of complications. Lasik will also aggravate a condition such as dry eyes. Your doctor may advise you to treat that difficulty prior to surgery.

Other issues the doctor will discuss with you are medications you may be taking or any other health problems. Any medication that affects your healing ability or hormones because if your hormones are fluctuating it can affect your vision could affect your ability to have lasik surgery. This includes pregnant or nursing mothers. It is also preferred that there have been no major vision changes in the last two years. There are other issues that need to be taken into consideration such as lifestyle, personal details and your financial situation. Cost is a very big factor, most insurance companies will not cover this procedure so you will need to pay for this yourself. Plus your job is a factor as you will be out of work for a period of time during recuperation.

During this visit the doctor may speak to you about things that don’t make sense, such as if you play contact sports or are a risk taker. Actually, these are very pertinent questions. If you are not a risk taker, the surgery may not be for you. If you are a person that needs to know positively what the results will be this is not the answer for you. Lasik holds no guarantees and since it has only been practiced since 1998 there is no long term results data as of yet. If you play contact sports you will need to give them up for a period to time for your eyes to heal.

You should have a good idea if you make a good lasik candidate after speaking with your doctor. If you are not a good candidate for surgery some of the problems that could arise are worsened vision, halos, starbursts and infections. It also in a rare cases cause blindness. Then you could possibly not get any change which would just be a waste of money. So you can see the first step in considering lasik vision correction surgery is make sure you are a good candidate.

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