Posted by: Manhattan LASIK Center
While laser vision correction is a very safe and effective way to improve your vision, it isn’t necessarily right for every patient. Before you can be approved for the procedure, you will first need to schedule a consultation with your laser vision surgeon in Paramus, NJ who will assess the extent of your prescription and a number of other factors, before deciding if you are a candidate for the treatment. One of the main things that they will use to make this decision is your prescription.
Your eye prescription refers to how clearly you can see at different distances and this information is measured in diopters. Good candidates for laser vision correction must have a prescription that falls into specific parameters.
Prescription Parameters for Laser Eye Surgery
To qualify as a candidate for laser vision correction, your prescription can be up to:
● -10 diopters of near-sightedness
● +6 diopters of far-sightedness
● 6 diopters of astigmatism
If your prescription falls outside of these parameters, it may be that you need to consider an alternative to laser eye surgery. Your surgeon will be able to talk to you about your options.
Other Elements to Consider When Meeting The Requirements for Laser Eye Surgery
It isn’t just your prescription that will determine whether you can have laser eye surgery or not. There will also be a number of other elements that your laser vision correction surgeon will want to take into account when making this decision. Some of the most crucial include the following.
Your prescription must be stable. This is considered to be the second most important element of candidacy for treatment after ensuring that your prescription falls within the necessary parameters. Ideally, patients should have had a prescription that hasn’t changed for at least 12-24 months. This shows that their current prescription is stable. Candidates should also be over the age of 18 as our eyes grow and develop until we reach a certain age and this could cause the prescription to change.
Your eyes must be healthy. There is a range of eye conditions that can affect your suitability for laser eye surgery including glaucoma, keratoconus, corneal dystrophy, and blepharitis. Your laser vision correction surgeon will assess the health of your eyes before approving you as a candidate for the procedure.
The thickness of your cornea. Corneal thickness is a particular concern for patients hoping to undergo LASIK. This is because, without the necessary corneal thickness, there won’t be enough corneal tissue to create the epithelial flap and reshape the cornea as needed. The integrity of the cornea may also be adversely affected, and this can affect the success of the treatment.
You must be in generally good health. In order to be considered a good candidate for laser eye surgery, patients must also be in generally good health with no serious underlying medical issues. Some of the conditions which could prevent you from being a good candidate for the procedure include uncontrolled diabetes, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and if you are pregnant/breastfeeding.
If you are interested in laser vision correction surgery and curious if your prescription means that you are a good candidate, call (212) 759-9617 to speak with our team at Manhattan LASIK Center to schedule a consultation or virtual consultation today.
