Who are candidates for Blade-free LASIK surgery?
Blade-free LASIK surgery helps correct the vision of people with myopia, hyperopia, and/or astigmatism. A large majority of people that wear glasses or contacts and suffer from such refractive errors are candidates for LASIK surgery.
In general, candidates for Blade-free LASIK should be:
- 21 years of age or older: younger people may still have eyes that are growing. In certain cases, individuals younger than 21 may have LASIK surgery. There is no upper age limit for LASIK.
- Dissatisfied with wearing glasses or contact lenses.
- Have had no change in glasses or contact lens prescription for at least a year.
- Have otherwise healthy eyes.
- Be willing to accept a small amount of risk associated with surgery.
- Understand that glasses and/or contacts are occasionally still needed for some activities after surgery.
- Not have excessively thin corneas or extremely high levels of refractive error.
- Your doctor will test for these conditions on your evaluation exam.
The following conditions may prevent you from undergoing Blade-free LASIK. You should alert your eye surgeon if you have one or more of these conditions so that he or she can help you make the best choice about undergoing refractive surgery:
Condition:
Reason for caution:
Autoimmune diseases (ex: Rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogrens syndrome, Lupus, scleroderma)
May result in poor or inadequate healing after LASIK. LASIK may cause activation of these diseases in the eye.
Diabetes
May result in poor or Inadequate healing after LASIK. Poorly controlled diabetes can cause unstable refractive error
Immune deficiencies (ex : HIV/AIDS, history of an organ transplant, undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, taking oral corticosteroids
May increase chance of a severe eye infection after the surgery.
Personal or family history of corneal diseases, such as Keratoconus or Pellucid Marginal Degeneration
May result in unstable corneal shape and irregular warpage of the cornea after surgery.
History of Herpes Simplex or Zoster eye infections.
May cause reactivation of the infection.
History of other eye diseases (Glaucoma, Fuchs Dystrophy, Macular degeneration, Cataract, Ambylopia or lazy eye)
May decrease the chance of success of LASIK.
Pregnancy or Nursing
Can cause temporary changes in the shape of the cornea.
Certain medications: Accutane® (isotretinoin), Cordarone ® (amiodarone)
May interfere with corneal healing after LASIK.
Dry Eyes
May worsen after LASIK.
