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Candidates for Lasik
Not every single person that wants to have Lasik will be a great fit for it. Even though this eye surgery has helped millions of people to remove their dependence on glasses or even reduce the use of glasses, it is really important to know that Lasik may not be the best fit for you. The only way to determine if you are going to be a good candidate to have Lasik is to speak with and then be evaluated by Dr. Sadiqa Stelzner, M.D.
A Good Candidate for Lasik will be someone who:

  • Is 18 years of age or older.
  • Has realistic expectations.
  • Has healthy eyes with plenty of corneal tissue thickness.
  • Is affected by common vision problems such as astigmatism, farsightedness, and/or nearsightedness.
  • Has a stable contact lens or eyeglasses prescription.

In order to have good surgical results will depend on completely disclosure of all of your medical history, and a very thorough pre-operative evaluation. It will be during this exam that there will be multiple tests done, which will include:

  • Dilated exam of the retina
  • Refractions to measure the amount of astigmatism, nearsightedness, and/or farsightedness
  • Dry eye evaluation
  • Wavefront measurements
  • Diagnostic testing of the cornea curvature
  • Pupil size measurement
  • Corneal strength measurement
  • Corneal thickness testing

When the exam has been done, it will be determined whether or not Lasik will be a good fit for you and if it will be the best option to correct your vision. If it is not, then Dr. Stelzner will take time to discuss any alternative treatments that may be available for you. You will be able to learn more about any alternative treatments by visiting the alternatives to Lasik page on this website. It is our dedication to providing patients with pre-operative testing to show what will be a good fit which is important to maintain our excellent surgical track record.
Poor Candidate for Lasik
There are several situations that may exist which may make a person not the best candidate to have Lasik. Some of those situations could be:

  • Unrealistic expectations
  • History of ocular herpes for a year before having Lasik.
  • Breastfeeding or pregnancy
  • Diagnosis of abnormalities in the cornea like scarring or keratoconus
  • Diagnosis of any autoimmune disorders. The medications that are used to treat the disorders can cause the immune system to slow down healing.
  • Having a history of dry eye.

Having Realistic Expectations with Lasik
Many patients who have Lasik are really thrilled with the procedure. However, it is very important that you remember that just like with other surgical procedures, outcomes will vary based on the person. Lasik is not able to provide perfect vision every single time for every single person. The final outcome for Lasik will vary based on the case and the various rates of healing. You should take time and speak with your surgeon and ask questions. If you do not have any realistic expectations, then you will not be a good candidate to have Lasik Eye Surgery.