Lasik Questions To Help You Decide If Lasik Is For You

Before you decide to have LASIK, you should ask yourself a series of questions to help you make your decision. There are also additional questions you can ask to find a reliable doctor.

LASIK Surgery Checklist

Know what makes you a poor candidate:
Career impact - does your job prohibit refractive surgery?
Cost - can you really afford this procedure?
Medical conditions - e.g., do you have an autoimmune disease or other major illness? Do you have a chronic illness that might slow or alter healing?
Eye conditions - do you have or have you ever had any problems with your eyes other than needing glasses or contacts?
Medications - do you take steroids or other drugs that might prevent healing?
Stable refraction - has your prescription changed in the last year?
High or Low refractive error - do you use glasses/contacts only some of the time? Do you need an unusually strong prescription?
Pupil size - are your pupils extra large in dim conditions?
Corneal thickness - do you have thin corneas?
Tear production - do you have dry eyes?

Know how to find the right doctor
Experienced - how many eyes has your doctor performed LASIK surgery on with the same laser?
Equipment - does your doctor use an FDA-approved laser for the procedure you need? Does your doctor use each microkeratome blade only once?
Informative - is your doctor willing to spend the time to answer all your questions?
Long-term Care - does your doctor encourage follow-up and management of you as a patient?  Your preop and postop care may be provided by a doctor other than the surgeon.
Be Comfortable - do you feel you know your doctor and are comfortable with an equal exchange of information?