LASIK Candidate

Your patient is a 25-year-old man with myopia. His prescription has been stable for several years. He shows no corneal abnormalities and is generally healthy with no comorbidities. He asks, “Am I a good candidate for LASIK?”

A good candidate for LASIK

Yes. Good candidates are 21 years and older, have good eye and general health, with stable prescriptions (for at least one year). 

Talking Points: LASIK is generally safe and effective for correcting myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. About 94-100% of patients with low-to-moderate myopia achieve 20/40 vision or better. The most common side effects include over/under correction, dry eye, and nighttime halos/glare. Rarely, permanent dry eye, glare, or markedly reduced vision can occur.  Approximately 3-10% of all patients—especially those with high degrees of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism—will need a “touch up”surgery within two years. It is important to stress that LASIK does not prevent or correct for presbyopia, which typically develops around age 40. This patient may still need to wear glasses after surgery. Managing expectations is vital to a successful surgery and patient satisfaction.