The Ideal Candidate for LASIK

While LASIK surgery is now used to treat both a wide variety of people and a wide variety of eye conditions, not everyone is an ideal candidate for eye surgery. If the procedure poses a threat to a patient's health, or if an eye surgeon can't guarantee the desired results for any particular patient, then LASIK may not be an option. Below are a few of the key factors used to determine a candidate's suitability for LASIK surgery.

Age

Generally, eye surgeons will not perform a LASIK procedure on patients under the age of 21, and some surgeons have a minimum age requirement of 25 or more. This prerequisite is in place because for many people their eyes and vision are still changing in their early 20s. Conversely, patients over the age of 50 may have less success with LASIK because their eyes are also subject to change as a normal result of the wear and tear that comes with age.

Eye Health

These days, most common eye abnormalities like myopia and hyperopia are highly treatable with LASIK. That said, some uncommon eye conditions may require a more complex refractive procedure while others may not be treatable at all. Furthermore, though it does not affect vision, long-term dry eye sufferers may also not be considered for LASIK surgery since the condition can greatly complicate both the procedure and the recovery period afterward.

Overall Health

Some prospective LASIK patients are surprised to discover that other preexisting health conditions not directly related to their vision may make them a bad candidate for refractive surgery. For example, anything that may complicate the healing process--like an autoimmune disease, diabetes, lupus, or Hepatitis C--may also preclude a person from receiving LASIK treatment. Some medications--namely the popular acne treatment, Accutane--also cause side effects (like dry eye) that can adversely affect a person's LASIK recovery and/or results. If you are or were taking any such drugs, you may have to wait several months to a year after stopping treatment to be approved for a LASIK procedure.