What If I’m Not A LASIK Candidate?

Being a good LASIK candidate means matching all the criteria that are set out. This helps ensure that the surgery will be as safe and effective as it can be.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of candidacy requirements, which means not everyone qualifies. The good news is, that’s not the end of the story!

Keep reading to learn what happens if you’re not a LASIK candidate!

Patience

The simplest candidacy issues are the ones that need a little patience. These include requirements like vision stability, age, and pregnancy.

To be considered for LASIK, your vision must be stable. This means there can be no prescription changes to your vision for at least a year.

This is to prevent going through surgery just to have your eyesight change within the span of months. That would mean a lot of wasted time, effort, money, and risk.

LASIK is only for patients above the age of 18. Many doctors will wait until you are in your mid-twenties before approving you for LASIK.

This is because your eyes are still growing and changing until you are well into adulthood. Fortunately, there is no upper age limit to LASIK.

Plenty of senior citizens have gotten LASIK! Why wouldn’t you want to spend your golden years with crystal clear vision?

Pregnancy also affects your vision. The hormones created by it can cause your eyesight to fluctuate wildly.

You will have to wait several months after nursing has finished before it is safe to perform LASIK. To be on the safe side, you should wait to have LASIK until you know you are done having children.

Solvable Issues

Your eye health and health play a big role in whether you can get LASIK.

Eye problems like dry eye disease need addressing before you can get LASIK. Getting LASIK with dry eye can worsen it and put you at risk for complications.

Dry eye can be solved with a combined effort of lifestyle changes and medications. Conditions that affect your body’s ability to recover will also make you unable to get LASIK.

This could include a condition like diabetes if it’s not under control. If you get your blood sugar levels stable, you’ll likely be able to get LASIK later on.

Alternative Solutions

Some issues aren’t something you can fix, and they aren’t something you can change. Genetic predispositions like thin corneas don’t have a workaround to receive LASIK.

But LASIK is not the only refractive surgery out there. In the case of thin corneas, PRK is a great alternate surgery that has very similar results to LASIK. Refractive lens exchange is another option.

The only way to know if you’re a LASIK candidate or suited for other procedures is to have a LASIK consultation.

Ready to find out if you’re a good LASIK candidate? Schedule your LASIK consultation at New England Vision in Burlington, VT today!

Isn’t it time to see the world around you without any limitations holding you back? LASIK and other vision procedures are a life-changing way to see the way you’ve always wanted to!