Are You A Candidate For Lasik?
To ensure a safe and effective procedure, your eligibility is based on the current condition of your eyes, as well as a few other key factors. Although, you may be surprised how many people are LASIK eye surgery candidates in Houston, TX. In fact, due to innovative techniques and technology, over 95% of people who wear glasses and/or contacts are eligible for corrective eye surgery. Below are a few factors that might affect your eligibility, but you should set up an appointment with a professional ophthalmologist to ensure a proper evaluation. To find out if you’re a candidate, give us a call and schedule a free consultation.
LASIK Eye Surgery Candidate Requirements
You need to be the right age
To receive LASIK eye surgery, you must be at least 18 years old.
You should have good overall health
- Must be free of eye diseases including glaucoma, cataracts, keratoconus, and certain types of herpes
- The eye surgeon should be aware of any current or past eye problems including strabismus, amblyopia, or any other condition that might affect the healing process
- No previous eye injuries
- Cannot have a dry eye condition
- Must have had reliable vision for a year prior to the procedure
You must have the proper corneal thickness
The ideal candidate for LASIK eye surgery should have a corneal thickness of at least 0.5mm.
For a good LASIK candidate, the cornea thickness is typically 540-550 microns, while surgeons tend to avoid LASIK for corneas less than 470 microns and may consider PRK instead.
Your contact lenses can complicate the procedure
Since contact lenses can affect your corneal stability and prescription evaluation, Dr. Mattioli may advise you to refrain from wearing them for a certain period of time prior to the surgery. The amount of time varies from patient to patient and requires a proper evaluation.
The prescription limits for LASIK are generally:
- +6 diopters for farsightedness
- -12 diopters for nearsightedness
- +6 diopters for astigmatism
Pregnancy and nursing
To ensure the safety of you and your child, candidates should not be pregnant or nursing during the procedure. Due to certain hormones that might affect your eyesight, we recommend waiting until three menstrual cycles after nursing to have the surgery.
Schedule a free consultation
At Mattioli Vision Professionals, a Houston, TX-based eye center, we are committed to providing you with the most effective solutions for vision correction. With our state-of-the-art bladeless LASIK procedure, we’ve helped countless patients achieve clearer vision without the burden of prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. To find out if you’re a candidate, give us a call and schedule a free consultation.
