LASIK is a surgical procedure that can correct eye conditions ranging from severe degrees of nearsightedness to moderate farsightedness and astigmatism. The aim of undergoing laser eye surgery is to improve your eyesight and decrease your dependence on corrective glasses and contact lenses. Before you should even consider LASIK in Orange County as an option, however, you will have to ask your eye doctor if this procedure can address your eye problem and if you are qualified to undergo this type of surgery.
To determine whether or not you are an ideal candidate for LASIK procedure, your eye doctor will look into your medical history and ask you questions about your health. Some of the factors that he will take into consideration are the following:
Eye Health
Your current eye health is one of the major factors your doctor considers before he suggests LASIK eye surgery as an option. You should be free of eye conditions like herpes simplex and herpes zoster, as well as eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, corneal disease, keratoconus, and certain optic nerve and retinal diseases. Corneal thickness is also a big factor in considering a patient’s candidacy for LASIK. A good candidate should have a corneal thickness of at least 0.5mm.
General Health
To be able to undergo LASIK procedure, it’s important that you are in good general health. Disclosing any health issues you may have is essential as your doctor will be able to determine whether or not your eye surgery will be successful. Typically, patients with health problems such as autoimmune disease, collagen vascular disease, and uncontrolled diabetes are not qualified for LASIK procedure. Additionally, if you have a condition or take medication that compromises your immune response, then the doctor may suggest a different eye procedure.
Age
Eye surgeons require candidates to be at least 18 years old, because vision changes during your childhood and teenage years. It then stabilizes into early adulthood, and only then do well-trained surgeons like Dr. Ferzaad Moosa of Excel Laser Vision Institute suggest laser eye surgery.
Eye Problems and Eye Injuries
To ensure that the procedure is successful and that you will heal properly, you should make sure that your doctor is aware of whatever eye problems you have, including strabismus or muscle imbalance, amblyopia or lazy eye, and other active or residual eye conditions that can affect healing after surgery. Any eye injury or infections you have should also be disclosed, as well as other conditions you may have like claustrophobia, a back injury, and keloid scarring. These will all affect the outcome of the surgery as well as healing time.
