Is LASIK Right for Me?
March 3rd, 2014
In the nearly two decades since the FDA first approved the use of an excimer laser for use in the procedure, LASIK has proven to be one of the safest and most consistently effective surgeries in all of medicine. Of the close to 20 million people who have undergone LASIK in the United States, the vast majority have achieved at least 20/40 vision, or the minimum quality of vision necessary to operate a motor vehicle without glasses or contact lenses. More than half have achieved 20/20 or better vision, allowing them to discard their glasses and contact lenses altogether.
One of the reasons LASIK has such a high success rate is that most eye surgeons use a thorough, comprehensive screening process to determine candidacy for the procedure, allowing only qualified candidates to pass through. At the eye care practice of Danny Lee, M.D. in Huntsville, LASIK patients are evaluated using the latest diagnostic technology to ensure their good candidates for the procedure. Those patients who are not suitable candidates forLASIK are informed of alternative procedures that produce similarly excellent results while posing less of a risk to the health of their eyes.
What Are the Qualities of a Good LASIK Candidate?
During your initial LASIK evaluation, Dr. Lee will examine your eyes and evaluate your ocular and overall health histories. While there are risks associated with any surgical procedure, and LASIK is no exception to this, they can be held to an absolute minimum when the most advanced technologies and techniques are used to perform the procedure on the most suitable candidates. In the case of LASIK, good candidates should:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have had a stable eyeglass prescription for at least the previous year
- Be nearsighted or farsighted, with or without astigmatism, and within a range that would allow LASIK to make a perceptible difference in vision
- Have average-sized pupils
- Have sufficiently thick corneas to withstand surgery
- Have realistic expectations of the results they can achieve and the risks associated with the procedure, including impaired night vision and dry eye (these risks are rare, but still possible, even with excellent candidates)
Which Traits Might Preclude Someone from Having LASIK?
On the other hand, Dr. Lee might recommend an alternative to LASIK to potential candidates who:
- Have thin corneas, which could lead to complications with the corneal flap
- Have chronic dry eye syndrome, which could worsen after LASIK
- Have abnormally shaped corneas
- Have extremely high prescriptions
- Have abnormally large pupils, which increases the risk of glares, halos, and impaired night vision
At the eye care practice of Dr. Lee, we offer a comprehensive range of vision correction procedures. If LASIK is not the right treatment for you, you can rest assured that we will find the treatment that is. Many patients who are not suitable candidates for LASIK turn out to be excellent candidates for PRK or LASEK, for example.
Contact Dr. Danny Lee
To schedule your LASIK screening and find out whether you are a good candidate for the procedure, please contact Dr. Danny Lee today.
