In some instances, not everyone will be appropriate for LASIK eye surgery. Several factors could prevent you from qualifying for the LASIK operation.
This article highlights seven reasons that will make you not qualify for LASIK eye surgery.
What Are the 7 Reasons for Not Qualifying for Laser Eye Surgery?
If you are less than 18 years
LASIK outcomes are permanent. A person’s eye can change during their lifetime. There is relatively little research on how and why children’s eyes undergo developmental changes in vision.
During puberty, a person’s vision may undergo significant changes. Because of this, the effects of LASIK may only be temporary or completely unpredictable. Anyone younger than 18 years old is not a good candidate for a LASIK procedure.
If you are nursing or pregnant
It is not suggested to undergo LASIK before or after pregnancy. Pregnancy hormonal imbalances and possibly fluid retention might alter a woman’s eyesight prescription. During her childbirth, her nearsightedness or astigmatism may increase. Variations in hormone levels can cause dry eyes throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. Dry eyes may cause discomfort and hinder the healing process. In addition, the eyes should be dilated during LASIK. The drugs used for dilatation and after LASIK surgery may be absorbed through mucosal membranes, which may be detrimental to the fetus.
Using prescription drugs
Some medications available by prescription may affect the outcomes of a LASIK procedure. For instance, the healing process may be slowed down by certain steroids, and best-corrected vision may suffer. Medications for acne might cause considerable dry eye in certain people.
A higher risk of corneal scarring following LASIK surgery is associated with dry eye syndrome. Your healthcare professional is the best person to ask about the appropriateness of the prescription medications you are currently taking.
Unstable vision
If you wear contact lenses or glasses with a prescription that changes frequently, you should not get LASIK eye surgery. Most doctors and other medical professionals would rather have your prescription remain unchanged for more than a year.
The usage of contact lenses, diabetes blood sugar fluctuations, and the natural progression of age are all factors that might cause your prescription to shift over time. The results of a LASIK operation are long-lasting. Before LASIK eye surgery, it is important to check that your prescription has not changed significantly.
Poor general health
Several different medical issues might impact how your body recovers from surgery. Patients suffering autoimmune illnesses does not qualify for LASIK surgery. Many autoimmune disorders induce dry eye syndrome. It is possible that a dry eye will not heal properly and also has a higher chance of developing a post-LASIK infection. Other illnesses, including diabetes, lupus, glaucoma, rheumatoid arthritis, or cataracts, often impact LASIK results. Before LASIK, you should have gone the previous year without getting any eye infections or suffering any eye injuries. Scarring of the cornea can be a lasting outcome of ocular infection and injury, which might have negative consequences.
Dry eye syndrome
Dry eye syndrome is typically considered an incompatible condition for LASIK surgery. A person with dry eyes has a greater chance of experiencing substantial post-LASIK discomfort, as well as the possibility that their dry eye problems will worsen. It’s possible that having dry eyes will also slow down the healing process. However, this does not mean that a person with dry eyes cannot have the LASIK procedure.
The severity of your dry eye issue will be evaluated based on the findings of the examination that your healthcare practitioner will perform on you. Before undergoing LASIK eye surgery, some patients are given specialized drugs to treat dry eye before the procedure. Treating dry eye problems and reducing the severity of any bothersome symptoms is possible by performing certain treatments, such as punctal occlusion.
More than 7 millimeter dilated pupils in the dark
During the LASIK procedure, the eye’s portion that will be lasered should be no larger than 6 millimeters in diameter. This is true for the majority of the lasers that are utilized during the LASIK procedure. If your pupil expands to a regular size of 7 or 8 millimeters when it is dark, you will most likely experience unwelcome glare, halos, or starbursts around lights when you go out at night.
The incidence of this adverse effect is decreasing as lasers with treatment zones greater than 7 mm become more prevalent. Inquire your LASIK surgeon about the type of laser he employs and the size of the treatment area. Typically, special pupillary testing is performed as part of the pre-LASIK examinations.
Conclusion
Patients with high myopia, corneal thinning, or keratoconus may not be suitable candidates for LASIK. Before undergoing corneal surgery, you should undergo a comprehensive evaluation by an ophthalmologist to exclude certain diseases.
