Who Is Eligible for Lasik?

LASIK is a type of eye surgery that is used to eliminate vision problems. After this procedure, patients usually do not need to wear glasses or contacts. Before they can undergo the surgery, people need to meet certain eligibility requirements.

Eye Problems

• To qualify for LASIK eye surgery, you cannot have a preexisting eye problem, such as glaucoma, cataracts, conjunctivitis, keratoconus or chronic dry eye syndrome, which would hinder the success of the procedure.

Other Health Problems

• If you are a healthy individual who does not suffer from an autoimmune disease, such as HIV, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus, there is a better chance that LASIK eye surgery will be effective. Some medications for autoimmune diseases can hinder the process of recovering from LASIK surgery, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Eye Stabilization

• When people are in their teens or 20s, they often experience refractive instability, or their vision becomes worse or changes in other ways. When your vision has stabilized, meaning you have not gotten a new eye-glass or contact-lens prescription for a year or longer, you will be considered an eligible candidate for LASIK eye surgery.

Other Surgeries

• If you have not had another form of refractive surgery, such as photorefractive keratectomy or radial keratotomy, you are more likely to be considered an eligible candidate for LASIK eye surgery.

Eye Structure

• Your cornea, the transparent part at the front of the eye, needs to be thick for a doctor to be able to perform LASIK eye surgery. During the procedure, a physician creates a flap out of corneal tissue and restructures corneal tissue under it, according to MedlinePlus. You also need to suffer from a common refractive error, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or astigmatism, to be eligible for LASIK surgery.