Although LASIK has greatly improved the vision of tens of thousands of patients, it’s not the best option for everyone. There are several options to LASIK to consider if you are interested in vision correction and are not a good candidate for the LASIK procedure. 

Because Our Doctors in Billings are committed to providing the best possible outcome for each of their patients, LASIK will only be recommended if they believe it’s the best option for you. A variety of preexisting conditions and variables, such as having thin corneas or certain corneal diseases, may prevent you from having LASIK. Our Doctors will determine whether any of these conditions affect you during the comprehensive exam you receive at your initial LASIK consultation.

If Our Doctors determine that you aren’t a LASIK candidate, you may qualify for LASIK alternatives such as photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) or intraocular lenses (IOLS).

PRK: Like LASIK, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) uses an excimer laser to reshape the eye’s cornea. With PRK, however, the first step of LASIK – creating a corneal flap – doesn’t occur. Instead, the excimer laser ablates the epithelium (the thin outer layer of the cornea) to correct vision, flattening the cornea in a nearsighted eye and smoothing the irregular cornea in an eye with astigmatism. This allows light entering the eye to better focus onto the retina, which results in clearer vision.

IOLS: Intraocular lenses (IOLS) are an alternative to LASIK and PRK eye surgery for correcting moderate to severe myopia (nearsightedness). This procedure is generally indicated for younger patients who are not good candidates for LASIK. IOLs are clear implantable lenses that are surgically placed either between the cornea and the iris (the colored portion of your eye) or just behind the iris, without removing your natural lens. These lenses enable light to focus properly on the retina for clearer vision without corrective eyewear. Implantable lenses function like contact lenses to correct nearsightedness. The difference is that IOLs work from within your eye instead of sitting on the surface of your eye. Also, IOLs offer a permanent correction of myopia, unless the lens is surgically removed.

Our Doctors in Billings are dedicated to providing the right vision correction procedure for you. To find out if you are a good candidate for LASIK, or if another option is more appropriate for your vision correction needs, please contact The Eye Clinic Surgicenter at 406-252-6608 or website to schedule an appointment.