Lasik Laser Eye Surgery

Women who are pregnant or nursing may experience hormonal changes that affect
the shape of their eyes. For a more predictable result, it is better to wait a
few months before having LASIK.

Poor vision. There are limits to how much vision correction LASIK can provide.
Some people have such poor eyesight that they are beyond the help of refractive
surgery. FDA limits on approved procedures exclude those with more than -14.00
diopters of myopia, more than 6.00 diopters of astigmatism or more than +6.00
diopters of hyperopia. After a routine refractive eye exam your eye doctor will
be able to tell you if you qualify.

Unstable prescription. As we mature, our eyes change shape and size. That is why
a young person’s eyeglass or contact lens prescription is constantly changing.
Most prescriptions stabilize by the age of 18, but many do not and continue to
change throughout our 20s. LASIK surgeons prefer to operate on patients who are
over 18 and whose prescriptions have not changed significantly in two years.
Operating on eyes that are still in the process of growing creates the risk that
the vision correction will be negated as the eyes continue to change. Your eye
doctor will compare the results of your eye exam with your patient history to
see if your prescription is stable.

Eye health (anterior). Eye doctors typically divide the eye into anterior
(front) and posterior (back) portions. They use a biomicroscope called a
slit-lamp to examine the anterior portion (the lids, conjunctiva, cornea, iris,
lens and sclera) for abnormalities that could affect your LASIK outcome. For
this test, you put your chin in the chin rest over the examining chair, and the
doctor will shine a light onto your eyes and examine the anterior portion
through the microscope.