LASIK is growing in popularity. For people who wish to get rid of their corrective lenses, this surgery provides an avenue.
Before undergoing the surgery, it is important to know whether you are an ideal candidate. The procedure is risky, and there has not been time for long-term data to be collected on patients who undergo LASIK. Certain jobs will not allow you to have LASIK, so it is important for you to check with your employer. For example, the Navy does will not let their pilots have LASIK done. However, they do allow PRK, a type of laser eye surgery, as an acceptable refractive procedure.
Since insurance will most likely not cover the procedure, it is important to make sure you can afford it. Like most surgeries, it is expensive. However, because it is a new technology, it will hopefully go down in price over time as the novelty wears off and it becomes a more common procedure.
LASIK is only good for patients whose eyes are not changing. If you have had to change your prescription in the last year, you are classified as having refractive instability. Anyone who does not have stable status is not a good candidate. In addition, there are several things that can interfere with our refractive stability, including fluctuating hormones, breast feeding, pregnancy, certain medication, and age. People under 20 typically do not have stable enough eyes to undergo this procedure.
If you have a disease or are on a medication that interferes with your body’s healing process, you should consult with your doctor about getting LASIK. Autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiency states, and diabetes can prevent your body from healing properly. Additionally, steroids can disrupt the stasis of your eye prescription.
There are certain eye diseases that have not been investigated enough to determine if LASIK is safe for infected people. These include Herpes zoster in the eye, glaucoma, keratoconus, and other eye injuries.
If you play contact sports on a regular basis, LASIK may not be right for you. Blows to the face that occur in wrestling, boxing, and martial arts can inhibit the healing process.
The surgery has only been approved for adults. Therefore, no person under the age of 18 is allowed to have LASIK performed on his or her eyes.
When you consult with a doctor, he or she should prescreen you for several conditions. These include blepharatis (inflammation of the eyelids), large pupils, thin corneas, dry eyes, and previous refractive surgery. If you have any of the above conditions, LASIK may further aggravate them.
While LASIK surgery can correct vision, it can also have many horrible side effects. If LASIK surgery has caused you to suffer, you may be entitled to compensation for damages. Visit the website for the personal injury law firm of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C, today to learn more.
Joseph Devine