What Kind of Vision Problems Can Be Corrected by Lasik?

Lasik surgery corrects the vision of people who rely on contacts or glasses and no longer want to. While many people can successfully correct their vision problems with Lasik, certain requirements determine whether Lasik is right for them.

Vision Requirements

• According to LasikDepot.com, potential patients should be nearsighted or farsighted, or have astigmatism (irregular shaped cornea) or a combination of these problems. Requirements also exist for corneal thickness and pupil dilation.

Age Requirements

• Anyone considering Lasik should be at least 18, says WesternLaserEye.com, as the vision of younger patients may still be changing, which could alter the surgery's outcome.

Prescription Requirements

• A prospective Lasik patient must demonstrate vision stability, with an unchanged prescription in the two years before surgery, says LasikDepot.com.

Contraindications

• Lasik patients should not have any history of eye disease or injury. Candidates also cannot have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus, hepatitis or Crohn's disease, according to LasikDepot.com.

Considerations

• Lasik surgery may not completely free patients of a dependency on glasses, states LasikDepot.com, which says most nearsighted patients experience "20/40 vision or better" after surgery. Recovery time also varies from patient to patient.