5 Things That Make You A Good LASIK Candidate

Being a good candidate for LASIK means a lot of different things. Part of it means having the correct mindset towards LASIK. Another key component is qualifying physically for the criteria.

The only way to know for sure if you’re a good candidate for LASIK is to schedule a LASIK consultation! Keep reading to learn about 5 things that make you a good LASIK candidate!

Your Prescription Is Stable

If your prescription is always changing, your eyes are not ready for LASIK. Your prescription can change more thanks to hormones.

Getting LASIK when your eyes are still fluctuating makes LASIK useless. A good LASIK candidate must have a stable prescription for at least a year. If your prescription has not been stable for a year or more, you will not be a candidate for LASIK. An unstable prescription means that you will have to wait until your eyes stop changing to get LASIK.

You Are At Least 18

Age plays a very significant role when it comes to LASIK. While there is no upper age limit to LASIK, meaning you cannot be too old for it, anyone under 18 cannot get LASIK.

This is because until we are adults, our hormones are affecting our bodies. These hormones cause prescription changes. Many LASIK surgeons recommend waiting to get LASIK until your mid-twenties. Your eyes will no longer change thanks to hormones then.

You Are Not Pregnant

Like puberty hormones, pregnancy hormones can wreak havoc on your sight. Getting LASIK while you are pregnant is not safe for your unborn child. Instead, you will need to wait several months after you finish nursing to get LASIK.

You Have Healthy Eyes

Your physical health is important for LASIK, and so is the health of your eyes. If you have any eye injuries or eye conditions like dry eye, you could develop complications. The recovery period for LASIK is short, but your eyes are delicate after the procedure.

After you get LASIK, your eyes will be more prone to infection. Before being a candidate for LASIK, conditions like dry eye need treatment. Having healthy eyes will make your recovery less stressful!

Your Corneas Are Thick Enough

A key part of LASIK is having thick enough corneas. Some patients who want LASIK have corneas that are too thin. Until a LASIK consultation, you won’t know if your corneas are too thin.

In everyday life, having thin corneas won’t affect you. But when you get LASIK, corneal thickness is a big deal! A crucial part of LASIK is cutting a flap into the top layer of the cornea. This flap is then used to get access to the top layer of the cornea.

At the end of the procedure, the flap is put back down. This allows it to reattach itself. For patients with thinner corneas, a procedure called PRK is safer.

Want to find out if you’re a LASIK candidate? Come to see us in Burlington, VT for your LASIK consultation! It’s time to start the vision journey of a lifetime!