Not everyone who wears specs qualifies for LASIK. You have to meet the LASIK eligibility criteria.
What are these LASIK eligibility criteria, and how do they matter? In this blog, we are going to delve into these details.
Overview
Like every medical treatment, LASIK also has some fixed requirements that you must meet. For example, some surgeries are put on hold until a diabetic patient controls their blood sugar levels.
LASIK/laser specs removal treatment has become very common today. But it is a surgical procedure that requires proper healing and recovery. Apart from this, several advanced refractive eye surgeries are available today.
LASIK screening tests are meant to check your eye health and general health, too. Based on this information, doctors decide whether or not you can undergo LASIK. If yes, which LASIK/laser procedure will be the most suitable for you? The aim is to ensure that you get clear vision without any complications in the future.
Eye Tests Before LASIK Surgery
To ensure the best outcomes and minimise risks and complications, your eye doctor may conduct the following tests:
Comprehensive Ocular Assessment
Your eye health is evaluated in detail. During this analysis, your doctor obtains information about your eye(s), including your specs number and the correction needed.
They may also look for any infection in your eye(s) that may require LASIK to be postponed.
Corneal Evaluation
Most LASIK surgeries are flap-based, meaning a flap is created on the patient’s cornea (the clear outermost layer of the eye). For this, the cornea must be healthy and have adequate thickness.
Tests like corneal topography and pachymetry are done to map the cornea and reveal information about its thickness, shape, strength, curvature, irregularities, etc. Individuals with a thin cornea may not be eligible for traditional LASIK.
But not to worry! There are other options like the 9-second SMILE Pro, the flapless PRK, and the lens-based ICL to choose from.
Eye Pressure
The intraocular pressure (IOP) of your eyes is measured to ascertain that you do not face any complications during the recovery phase. The reason? Steroid eye drops are generally prescribed for recovery after LASIK. Some patients may experience an increase in their eye pressure with these medications.
To rule out pressure-related issues that may affect LASIK recovery, an IOP test is done beforehand. Additionally, IOP testing also helps detect and rule out glaucoma.
Refractive Error
You should be at least 18 years of age to be eligible for LASIK. Your eye doctor checks the kind of refractive error you have (myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism). Also, they ascertain that your specs power (prescription) has been stable for at least one year.
Dry Eye Evaluation
If undiagnosed, dry eye can influence the results of LASIK and also recovery. This makes it necessary for your doctor to check your tear film quality, tear breakup time, and health of the lacrimal & meibomian glands.
If dryness is detected in your eyes, pre-treatment is done to improve healing and visual outcomes.
Pupil Size Measurement
It is vital to measure pupil size to find out the right optical zone for LASIK, particularly for night vision. A large pupil size may mean a higher risk of halos and glare after the surgery.
However, advanced LASIK/laser technologies that doctors are using today have fewer side effects even in individuals with larger pupils.
Binocular Vision Evaluation
Those who had lazy eye disorder and muscle alignment issues in their childhood may have binocular vision problems. These may influence the overall results of the LASIK surgery. That’s the reason your eyes are tested to rule out binocular vision disorders or eye muscle imbalance.
Wavefront Analysis
It is a diagnostic test that measures the exact path of light as it passes through your eye. It helps detect higher-order aberrations (optical distortions) accurately. It is typically used in customised LASIK/laser surgeries to map microscopic imperfections that standard eye tests cannot detect.
Retinal Assessment
A complete retinal evaluation is essential before the LASIK surgery. It is done to ensure that you do not have any underlying retinal conditions, such as retinal holes, macular issues, or weak spots (as may happen in patients with high myopia). If any such irregularity is found, doctors treat it before LASIK.
Treating them before the procedure ensures long-lasting visual outcomes.
Healthy Eyes
To be eligible for LASIK, you must have overall healthy eyes and a healthy body. Those with any corneal issue, glaucoma, or retina problems are often not eligible for LASIK specs removal surgery. Slit lamp examination is done to closely examine the structures at the front and back of your eye to rule out these eye conditions.
Also, if you have conditions like high blood pressure (hypertension) or sugar (diabetes), these must be well-managed if you want to undergo LASIK for vision correction and freedom from specs and contact lenses.
LASIK Eligibility Criteria
- 18+ years of age
- Stable spectacle number for at least 1 year
- Healthy corneas
- Healthy retina and optic nerve
- Controlled diabetes/BP (if present)
- No active eye infection
- Realistic expectations from surgery
Conclusion
Precision eye tests before LASIK are a vital step in deciding if LASIK will be a suitable choice for you to get rid of specs and contact lenses. It is a critical step to ensure safe, accurate, and long-term vision correction.
At Sohana Eye Hospital, the best LASIK surgeons in Mohali use cutting-edge diagnostics to assess your eyes thoroughly and suggest the most suitable LASIK/laser specs removal technology according to your eye test results. The goal is to empower you with specs-free, clear, sharp vision for life while minimising any side effects and complications.
Sohana Hospital is the oldest and largest specs removal centre in the region. Keeping up with its reputation and maintaining pace with the times, it has pioneered the introduction of all the latest LASIK and laser vision correction technologies in the region.
The hospital boasts a complete refractive suite under one roof, including:
- Wavelight Plus InnovEyes (World’s latest LASIK)
- SMILE Pro
- Contoura Vision
- LASIK
- PRK
- Presbyond (Specs removal for those aged 40+)
- ICL
- RLE
Want to achieve specs-free clarity? Book your LASIK screening tests at Sohana Hospital today!
LASIK Screening Tests – Your First Step to Specs-free Clarity!
