What Type of Vision Does Laser Surgery Correct?

Laser eye surgery is used to correct the vision of people who wear contact lenses or glasses and no longer want to. While many people can successfully correct their vision problems with laser surgery, the procedure is not right for everyone.

Vision Requirements

• Potential patients should be nearsighted or farsighted, have astigmatism (irregular shaped cornea) or a combination of the problems. Ophthalmologists also check corneal thickness and pupil dilation.

Risks

• Risks of laser eye surgery include overcorrection, undercorrection, glare, halos, double vision and dry eyes.

Vision Stability

• A prospective laser eye surgery patient must demonstrate vision stability. Laser eye surgery might not be option if your vision fluctuates or is worsening.

Contraindications

• Laser surgery patients should not have a history of eye disease or injury. Candidates also cannot have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus, hepatitis or Crohn's disease.

Considerations

• Laser surgery may not completely free patients of a dependency on glasses. Recovery time also varies from patient to patient.