Am I suitable for Laser Eye Surgery?
The power range for PRK is +2.00 to -3.00 with -2.00 of astigmatism while Lasik can cover +4.50 to -11.00 with -4.00 astigmatism although some clinics set a power range of +2.00 to -8.00 there have been cases of +8.00 to -15.00.
Even if your prescription is regarded as being too high some surgeons may consider a prescription reduction as being worthwhile.
PRK has a 6 to 8 week period of visual stabilization requires protective padding for 48 hours and can produce a visual imbalance between the eyes while waiting for the second eye to be corrected [with Lasik you can have both eyes operated on the same day] and as a result may be unsuitable for some people.
As a general overview it is somewhat easier to list the unsuitable rather than the suitable as individual suitability will vary however, if any of the following apply you should not proceed :- pregnancy or breast feeding uncontrolled diabetic mellitus active or severe vasculitis active collagen vascular disease systemic medications steroids cytotox therapy still experiencing prescription changes monocular vision cataract keratoconus severe dry eyes nystagmus have or have had herpes zoster ophthalmicus or pemphigoid increased corneal thickness binocular vision of less than 6/12 active iritis exposure keratopaphy proliferative retinopophy and finally either too old or too young.
Clinics will vary in their upper age limit from on average 50 to 75 years while some set no upper age limit. 27 is often regarded as lower limit for PRK and 21 for Lasik.
