Who is Not Suitable for Laser Eye Surgery?

Find out who is not suitable for laser eye surgery and what conditions can disqualify you from the procedure. Learn about risks associated with laser vision correction.

Who is Not Suitable for Laser Eye Surgery?

Patients with autoimmune diseases are not suitable for laser eye surgery. Many autoimmune conditions cause dry eye syndrome, which may not heal well and has a higher risk of infection after surgery. Other conditions, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, glaucoma, or cataracts, can also affect the results. Not everyone is a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery.

A number of conditions may disqualify you from the procedure, such as having an autoimmune disease that causes dry eyes and that may not be cured well with surgery. Other conditions, such as diabetes and glaucoma, can also affect Lasik results. If you're under 20 years old, your eye prescription will most likely keep changing; this is normal. Laser eye surgeons want to make sure that their prescription hasn't changed for at least 12 months before surgery. When the eye prescription keeps changing during subsequent visits to the optician, for example, with an interval of 12 to 24 months, we say that the eye prescription is “unstable”.

If we were to perform laser vision correction while the eye is still growing, we wouldn't expect the result to be long-lasting. Similarly, we wouldn't expect our children's clothes to continue to fit well as they get older. To ensure that you are in a position to undergo laser eye surgery, a series of tests must be performed to ensure that you can safely continue with treatment. You have a thin or irregular cornea. If you have a predisposition to have irregularities in the shape of the cornea, this may be worsened by laser eye surgery and you may develop a condition called corneal ectasia.

Your eye prescription is outside the safe range of treatment. Laser vision correction works by remodeling the cornea to improve focus. There are a few medical conditions, including some eye conditions, that may affect your eligibility for laser eye surgery. One category of conditions that may be more likely to make you unsuitable for treatment are those that affect the cornea. For example, lasers can be used to restore vision through laser eye surgery, refractive lens exchange, and laser cataract surgery.

Eye conditions, such as keratoconus, which can cause inherent weak spots on the cornea, can also make it unsuitable for laser eye surgery. People with uncontrolled autoimmune disorders, such as lupus, or with a family history of keratoconus, may be more likely to have complications with laser eye surgery. When you compare laser vision correction with eyeglasses or contact lenses for life, you might be surprised to find out which is the most cost-effective option. A vision correction solution is available to the vast majority of people who otherwise have healthy eyes, although it's not always laser eye surgery. It's normal for there to be some variation between eyeglass tests, but if you're in your early twenties and there's a progressive increase in myopia, you'll likely have to wait before having laser eye surgery.

Dan Reinstein explains that people who are pregnant and breastfeeding may also not be suitable for laser eye surgery. Some conditions, such as glaucoma, diabetes and arthritis, can make laser eye surgery difficult; however, with specialist surgical care from London Vision Clinic, these conditions won't necessarily prevent you from receiving treatment. However, while many people are eligible for laser eye surgery, there are certain people for whom it may not be appropriate.