Five Signs That Lasik Might Not Be For You

Five Signs That Lasik Might Not Be For You

All surgical procedures carry a certain amount of risk, whether they are cosmetic or not. The risks of infection or non-planned results with Lasik remain on the low side, but every human being is different. If you are considering altering your nearsightedness or farsightedness, you should keep in mind five signs that mean Lasik is not for you.

1. If you absolutely can’t live with results that might not be exactly what you signed up for
If your life will be ruined forever if you end up with 20/40 vision instead of the 20/20 you and your doctor aimed for, and re-doing the surgery or living with the possibility of only the latter, you should not get Lasik surgery.

Lasik surgery has come an awfully long way since it was first introduced years ago as a relatively simple procedure, but things don't always go as planned. The human body is not 100 percent predictable and sometimes results are close to, but not exactly, what we want.

2. You’re not willing to research the best doctor for you as an individual
What may have worked for your friend or a woman in an advertisement might not be the right professional for your needs. If you are only interested in a quick fix without finding out which doctor has the top-of-the-line equipment and training, you should reconsider.

Conversely, if you’ve found the doctor with the right qualifications for YOU, but his or her bedside manner makes you uncomfortable or he or she is not willing to answer your questions (or shuffles you to a non-medically degreed staff member), then Lasik – at least at that particular center – may be the wrong choice for you.

3. The financial costs are too great
If you currently have an insurance plan or budget which comfortably allows for glasses or contact lenses, but not Lasik, and you don’t have a career which requires 20/20 vision without visual aids, perhaps you’re better off postponing what for many people is an optional surgical procedure.

4. If you can’t tolerate the thought of surgery at all
If it’s not something you can stomach, no matter how minor, or you are not willing to take medications or precautions, or post-operative directions, you should seriously reconsider getting Lasik. Follow-up appointments and care such as eyewash with certain medications to avoid infection are absolutely essential. If this is not something you think you can tolerate, then this is a sign that Lasik might not be for you.

5. If you always wonder what latest technology is around the corner
Lasik’s been around safely for a couple of decades and gone through many different iterations (scalpel, laser, etc.). Each year brings newer and possibly better techniques of performing the procedure. This is exactly the reason you might not want to get it, or at least not yet, if the necessity or want for it can be pushed off for a few years.

If you are the type of person who wants next year’s version of a new car with all the bells and whistles before the previous year is out, you might want to wait a bit and see what newer options in eye correction are available in the future.

By Julie Bricklin

Five Signs That Lasik Might Not Be For You