LASIK surgery: Is it right for you?
Are your eyes healthy?
Are you healthy?
Is your vision stable?
Can you afford it?
Do you understand possible side effects and complications?
Can you go without your contact lenses for several weeks before surgery?
What are your expectations for LASIK?
How do you choose an eye surgeon?
Content
What is the goal of LASIK surgery
What are the types of refractive laser surgery?
Is my vision treatable and stable?
Are my eyes healthy?
Am I healthy?
Can I afford it?
Do I understand possible side effects and complications?
LASIK versus reading glasses
Can I follow presurgery and postsurgery guidelines?
What are my expectations?
How do I choose an eye surgeon?
The final decision
Is my vision treatable and stable?
Each procedure is approved to treat certain degrees of vision correction. Extreme nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism are generally not treatable with refractive laser surgery. The risk of surgery may not be worth the possible benefit. Talk with your eye specialist about whether one of the laser procedures might work with your vision.
Also, your vision needs to be stable with only minor changes for at least a year. In particular, people who are nearsighted often have vision changes through their teenage years and into their early twenties.
Certain conditions and medicines — pregnancy, breastfeeding, steroid medicines — may cause temporary changes in your vision. Wait until your vision has stabilized before considering LASIK eye surgery.
