| SolveYourProblem
eLearning Series:
Lasik Eye Surgery Questions & Answers
( 50 articles
in this series )
Lasik Eye Surgery:
Are You A Good Candidate?
Lasik
eye correction surgery is fast becoming a popular
choice for individuals that have to rely on glasses or contacts
everyday. Many people can have Lasik vision correction surgery,
but there are some people who should not. There are many
factors to consider when looking into Lasik vision correction.
Are you a good candidate for Lasik?
To
fall into the category of being a good candidate there
are a few widely accepted medical criteria for this surgery. The potential patient should be eighteen years of age or older,
have a current prescription for eyeglasses or contacts, should
be affected by one or more eye conditions and should not have
eye disease.
All
potential Lasik candidates should be over the age of eighteen
and should have a prescription for at least two years. Those
who are younger than eighteen can experience too many changes
in the eye, which would affect the outcome of the Lasik procedure.
Also, candidates should have a stable eyeglass or contact prescription
for at least two years prior to surgery. This assures that
the eye is not constantly changing, which could also negatively
affect the outcome.
Candidates
for this procedure should be affected by at least one eye
condition. These eye conditions can include vision
problems such as myopia-also called nearsightedness, astigmatism-which
is blurred vision caused by an irregular shaped cornea, hyperopia-
also known as farsightedness or a combination of any of these.
In addition, potential patients should have a sufficient corneal
thickness so that the Lasik surgeon can create a clean corneal
flap of appropriate depth. Pupils should also not dilate more
than seven millimeters in the dark. This could indicate night
vision problems such as halos or glare.
Another indicator of being a good candidate for Lasik eye
correction surgery is that any type of eye disease
should not affect the patient. This can include any surgery, whether it
relates to the eye or not that can negatively affect the outcome
or the healing process of the surgery. Potential patients should
have no herpes infection in the eye since Lasik can cause a
recurrence. Patients should not suffer from any autoimmune
disorders such as Lupus, Hepatitis, or Crohn’s disease.
In addition, the potential patient
should not have had any eye infections or eye injury for
one year prior to the surgery
and there should be no scarring on the cornea. Those who suffer
from dry eye syndrome are also not good Lasik surgery candidates.
Dry eye can become worse after the Lasik procedure. Lasik candidates
will also not be considered if they are pregnant or nursing
at the time of the surgery because changes in the hormone levels
can cause fluctuations of the tissue in the eye. There are
also certain conditions that automatically exclude patients
from qualifying for the Lasik procedure. Those suffering from
cataracts, advanced glaucoma, corneal disease, corneal thinning
disorders or other pre-existing eye diseases are not good candidates.
It is important to remember when considering Lasik surgery
that this surgery is performed to help the patient’s
vision. It can help cut down on the dependency of using eyeglass or
contacts. It may not completely eliminate the need of glasses
altogether. While most patients are satisfied with the outcome
of their Lasik procedure, there are some patients that may
not get the desired outcome. Lasik surgery does not provide
perfect vision every time. Most patients who have an adequate
outcome experience improved vision and most with low to moderate
nearsightedness have 20/40 vision or better after the procedure.
There
are risks associated with Lasik vision correction surgery. Potential patients should thoroughly understand the risks associated
with Lasik surgery and should have realistic expectations.
Those who are not willing to accept these risks should not
take part in Lasik surgery. It is recommended that patients
not give informed consent for the surgery. It is necessary
for the patient to completely understand the procedure and
the benefits with the surgeon prior to the procedure. The final
outcome and the healing time will vary from person to person.
Each patient should fully understand these risks before giving
consent.
Anyone who considered having Lasik vision correction surgery
should consult their ophthalmologist and understand both the
benefits and the risks associated with this surgery. This procedure
may be ideal for a healthy person with low to moderate vision
problems.
# # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
> Home > Lasik
Eye Surgery Articles: Main Page
|