When it comes to eye care done right, the best vision correction solution depends on your needs. Many people in the United States benefit from vision correction by wearing glasses or contact lenses. Another option that you’ve likely heard of is a refractive surgery known as LASIK.
LASIK can offer patients a variety of benefits when it comes to improving vision.
Nevertheless, LASIK isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. You and your ophthalmologist will determine if you are a good LASIK eye surgery candidate. But, it never hurts to do a little research before your next eye exam!
Keep reading to learn what an ideal LASIK eye surgery candidate is and other answers to common questions about LASIK.
Am I a LASIK Eye Surgery Candidate: Common Questions
How old do you have to be to get LASIK?
The ideal LASIK candidate is at least 18 years of age or older.
There are several reasons why you must be 18 or older to undergo LASIK. Age plays a significant role in vision development. As you progress throughout childhood and adolescence, your eyes grow and develop.
Children with glasses or contacts require frequent prescription changes as their vision develops. At 18 to 20 years of age, these changes become less frequent.
When it comes to LASIK eye surgery, it is recommended that you not get the surgery until your vision has stabilized. If you were to get LASIK before you’re 18, the surgery benefits wouldn’t be as effective because your vision hasn’t finished developing.
Who can get LASIK?
There are a few general LASIK eye surgery candidate requirements.
First, you must be 18 years of age or older, which we discussed in the previous section. You must also have a stable vision prescription for at least two years, ensuring your vision won’t change as you age.
There are also certain conditions that best benefit from LASIK vision correction, including nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. Glasses or contact lenses refract light for an individual’s uniquely shaped eye. LASIK surgery reshapes your cornea to properly refract incoming light without glasses.
Who should not get LASIK?
Understandably, LASIK surgery isn’t the right fit for every patient looking to correct their vision. Several factors can decrease the effectiveness of LASIK surgery.
For example, your body’s hormones influence a lot of your body’s function, including your eyesight. Hormones produced during puberty influence children’s eye development. In adulthood, these hormones stabilize, and so does your vision.
Women have a unique experience with fluctuating vision due to the hormones estrogen and progestogen. When a woman is pregnant, her estrogen levels steadily increase, which sometimes leads to dry eyes, isn’t ideal to undergo LASIK. If you’re considering LASIK when pregnant, it is recommended that you wait to undergo this surgery.
How many times can you have LASIK?
Typically, you should only need to have LASIK done once. However, everyone’s eyes and vision are unique, so there are exceptions.
The main factor that impacts how many times someone might have LASIK is cornea thickness and health. Because an adult patient’s vision isn’t likely to keep changing, they won’t need additional treatments to adjust their vision.
Some patients may have a cornea that is too thin. In this case, LASIK isn’t recommended because the patient might require further treatments. Thankfully, there are alternative solutions, such as PRK, that can help those with thinner corneas.
Do What’s Best For Your Eyes
In the end, the best way to determine if you can get LASIK is by visiting an experienced ophthalmologist, like the ones at Carrot LASIK & Eye Center.
Our ophthalmologists at Carrot LASIK & Eye Center care about more than just your eyes. As a local and military-owned practice, Carrot LASIK & Eye Center is passionate about making great eye care affordable and accessible.
By bringing a personalized approach to each patient visit, we ensure that you get the absolute best. This is especially true for any patients who are curious about LASIK. With cutting-edge technology and a focus on what works with your lifestyle, each eye care solution is personalized for a patient’s needs.
Carrot LASIK & Eye Center is also introducing a monthly financing plan in the spirit of caring for our patients! With this plan, patients can receive the benefits of operations like LASIK and only pay $127 a month. Other vision correction services that this plan covers are SMILE, PRK and RLE.
See now and pay later with Carrot LASIK & Eye Center. Call Carrot LASIK & Eye Center at (480) 561-6000 or contact us online to learn more about improving your vision today.
