If you’re tired of wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses, you may wonder whether laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery is right for you. LASIK eye surgery may dramatically improve your life and the way you see it. Your candidacy depends on a comprehensive vision exam by an experienced eye doctor to determine your personal visual needs and if LASIK is a good fit for you.  LASIK laser eye surgery can correct such eye problems as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.  After your eye evaluation in Billings, our doctors will discuss the different laser vision options and discover which would benefit your current condition and lifestyle best.

Before going to your LASIK eye surgery evaluation there are some general criteria that can guide you in deciding if this is the right procedure for you. To have laser eye surgery you should have good eye health, be in good overall health and have realistic expectations of the LASIK procedure.

Below are some eligibility requirements for LASIK candidates.

LASIK Candidates Should Have Good Eye Health:

• Your eye prescription should fall within certain prescription limits.
• You should have no eye disease, including keratoconus, uncontrolled glaucoma, severe cataracts, corneal disease or certain retinal and optic nerve diseases.
• You should have no residual or active eye conditions including optic neuritis, ocular herpes, some cases of amblyopia (lazy eye) or strabismus (muscle imbalance).
• You should have no current or recurring infections.

LASIK Candidates Should Have Overall Good Health:

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• To be a good candidate for LASIK laser eye surgery, you should not have any autoimmune diseases such as Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis.
• If you have diabetes it must be well managed and under good control with no diabetic retinopathy.
• Certain health conditions may require medications that can slow or prevent healing. You should tell your surgeon about all the medications you are taking and have taken in the last year.
• You cannot be pregnant or nursing, or plan to become pregnant in the next 6 months following surgery. If nursing and considering LASIK laser eye surgery, you should wait at least 3 months after you’ve stopped. Hormonal fluctuations can affect vision stability.

Considerations and Expectations:

In preparation for a LASIK procedure, you will not be able to wear contact lenses for an extended period of time before the surgery due to contacts temporarily altering the shape of your corneas. This amount of time will be determined by one of our doctors. This is a very important LASIK surgery requirement.  By discontinuing the wearing of your contacts and allowing the shape of your corneas to go back to their natural state, your LASIK scan can accurately determine your specific eye dimensions.  This will ensure the laser is programmed to reflect your true visual state and allow the surgery to be its most effective.

It’s important that you are committed to following the LASIK post-operative instructions from your doctor, including:

• Resting your eyes immediately following surgery.
• Using prescribed and non-prescribed eye drops to continue the lubrication of your eyes after surgery.
• Follow-up visits to check on progression of your eye healing and health.
• Restriction on some activities that could impair the healing processes (such as swimming).

You must be comfortable knowing that while in many cases LASIK surgery eliminates the need for contacts and glasses, results can vary depending on the individual.

The Eye Clinic Surgicenter offers a free, no-obligation LASIK evaluation. Contact us today at phone or website to see if you are a good candidate or to find out even more about LASIK eye surgery.