Am I a Candidate?

Not everyone is a candidate for the procedure.  To be a candidate for Laser Vision Correction you must:

· Be at least 18 years of age.  Because your eyes usually continue to change and do not stabilize until your 20’s, many surgeons prefer patients to be 21 or older.

· Have no active eye disease.   Healing is why we cannot be 100% predictable with the procedure.  Any active eye disease can add another variable in the healing process.  Also, be sure to inform your doctor of health conditions, such as diabetes, which could affect your outcomes.

· To be within range of the Classic LASIK procedure, your prescription should be between –0.50D and –14D for Myopia (nearsightedness) with up to 6D of Astigmatism or between +1D and +4D of Hyperopia (farsightedness) with up to 4D of Astigmatism.  For the CustomLASIK procedure, you should be between –0.50D and –6D of nearsightedness.

· Have a stable prescription for more than 1 year.  This means that your prescription has not changed more the 1 diopter or unit in the last year.

· Not be pregnant or nursing.  The hormonal changes can affect your prescription and the shape of your cornea.  You should wait 6 months after your baby is born or you have finished nursing.

· Do not expect to throw away your glasses or contact lenses after the procedure, you may need them for certain things throughout the day, such as driving or reading.  You will need reading glasses as you get into your 40’s or 50’s due to a natural aging process called Presbyopia, which cannot be corrected with the procedure.

To find out if you are a candidate for the surgery you will first need to schedule a pre-operative exam with one of our co-managing Optometrists at an Rx Optical location that is convenient for you.  At this exam the Dr. will double check your prescription to make sure that your vision is stable.  He will then dilate your eyes which will also paralyze your focusing ability.  This will allow him to get your “true prescription” to make sure you are not over-focusing for any reason.  Once your pupils are dilated he will check the health of the inside of your eyes.  If your eyes are stable and healthy, we will get you scheduled for your procedure at the TLC center.

The surgeon does his pre-operative testing the day of surgery.  At the TLC center they will do the:

1. Pachymetry test, which is an ultra sound test that measures your exact corneal thickness.

2. Pupilometry test with an infrared instrument, which will measure your exact pupil size.

3. Topography test, which is a map that shows us the shape of your cornea.  For the CustomLASIK procedure they will use a Wavefront Analyzer, which will give the surgeon a 3-D image of the surface of your cornea.

These tests will help determine whether you are a candidate for the Classic or CustomLASIK procedure.  Your surgeon will discuss your options with you that day before your surgery.