As you feel your contact lens become displaced or wipe your glasses for the hundredth time, you may find yourself wondering if there’s a better solution. Fortunately, laser surgery offers an effective way to correct refractive vision issues. One of its greatest advantages is the impressive results it delivers—98% of LASIK patients report positive outcomes.

However, not everyone is an ideal candidate for LASIK. If you’re considering this transformative procedure in Manhattan, it’s essential to understand the factors that determine candidacy. Let’s explore what makes someone a good candidate for LASIK surgery.

Healthy eyes

Your eyes need to be healthy for you to undergo Lasik surgery. So, if you have any condition that can impact how you heal or respond to the surgery, it’s best to wait until the issue is resolved. Some of these conditions include dry eyes, eye infection, conjunctivitis, eye syndrome, and any other type of eye injury. 

If you have dry eyes, LASIK surgery can enhance the symptoms of the condition. So, make sure you talk to your eye doctor before you go for the surgery. Your doctor can recommend some treatments like medicated eye drops, punctual plugs, artificial tears, or a combination of these procedures.

Going for treatment can help prepare your eyes for LASIK surgery. In addition to those conditions, glaucoma and cataracts can prevent you from being a good candidate for LASIK surgery.

Your prescription must be within a certain limit

LASIK is an incredible procedure that can be used to correct many vision issues, such as astigmatism, farsightedness, and nearsightedness. However, your vision prescription should not be too high in order for you to be a good candidate.

The excimer lasers that your doctor will use during LASIK can correct prescriptions of 6 diopters for astigmatism, +6 diopters for farsightedness, and -12 diopters for nearsightedness. You can consult your doctor before you go for LASIK in Manhattan. Your doctor can help you understand whether your prescription parameters qualify you for the LASIK surgery.

Age

If you are younger than 18, you are not a good candidate for LASIK surgery. It is mainly because the younger you are, the higher the chances that your eyes still need to evolve and change. So, you need to be of age to go for LASIK surgery.

Generally, the best age is 18 years and above. Another point to note is that there is no upper age limit for you to be eligible for the surgery. So, you can go for the surgery even when you are in your 40s or beyond.

Stable prescription

Even if you are 18 and above and your prescription is within the required range, it still needs to be stable for you to be a good candidate. Most LASIK surgeons will require that your prescription be stable for at least one or two years before you get the surgery,

A stable prescription can help make the LASIK procedure more effective. So, if your prescription is not yet stable, wait until it stabilizes before you go for the procedure.

Pregnancy

Your body will highly likely undergo a lot of hormonal changes when you are pregnant. The hormonal changes can affect your vision to the extent that you’ll need to change your prescription.

Therefore, you should wait until you are no longer pregnant for you to be evaluated whether you are a good candidate for LASIK surgery.

Cornea thickness

You may be surprised to know that how thick your cornea is can determine whether you are a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery. The surgery enhances your vision by reshaping your cornea. So, if you have a thin cornea, you may not get the results you desire if you go for the procedure.

Your cornea should be at least 540 to 550 microns thick for you to be a good candidate.

Cornea shape

Your cornea needs to be in the right shape to ensure better LASIK outcomes. It should not be irregularly shaped. A great cornea shape can help to reduce risks such as post-op ectasia. The post-op ectasia is a condition where the corneal structure weakens.

So, before you go for the procedure, inquire whether your cornea is in great shape.

Final Thoughts

LASIK eye surgery is one of the best solutions for refractive eye issues. Sadly, not everyone can be a good candidate for the procedure. You need to be within the acceptable range of the above factors before you go for the surgery. But the most essential thing you can do is to go for a consultation with your eye doctor to determine whether you are a great candidate for the procedure.