FAQs
Am I a candidate?
Patients are normally eligible if:
You are corrected for nearsightedness, farsightedness or
astigmatism
You are in general good health
You have had stable vision for at least 6 months
You are at least 21 years of age
The Eye Clinic of Texas offers FREE consultations to determine if you are a good candidate for LASIK.
Who is NOT a candidate?
There are some medical conditions that may eliminate someone from being a candidate:
Rheumatoid arthritis
Some stages of diabetes
Lupus, or collagen vascular diseases
Ocular herpes
Other medical conditions that affect the
healing process
Women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant within 6 months should wait until approx. 6 months after childbirth or until vision stabilizes.
Once I know I'm a candidate, what's next?
Patients wearing contact lenses must discontinue use prior to a pre-operative exam
Soft contact lens wearers must be out
1
week prior to pre-op
Hard or gas permeable lens wearers must be
out 4-6 weeks prior to pre-op
The next step is a pre-operative exam, which consists of:
Medical history of patient
Dilated eye exam with refraction
Corneal topography - mapping of the cornea's
surface
Pachymetry - measuring the thickness of the
cornea
Measuring the size of the pupil
How do I prepare for surgery?
The day of surgery, you will need to:
Have a light breakfast or lunch depending
upon surgery time
Remove all eye make-up
Refrain from drinking caffeine or having
nicotine
Bring someone with you to drive home and
bring you back the next day for a post-op visit
What is the recovery time?
Most patients are functional the day after surgery and find it necessary to only take 1-2 days off work. There are however some minor limitations within the first 2-3 weeks;
No rubbing of the eyes
No strenuous or heavy lifting in which you
might be squeezing the eyes shut
No make-up, especially mascara. Removing may
initiate rubbing
No water activities, such as swimming or hot
tub, due to potential bacteria in the water
Am I a candidate?
Patients are normally eligible if:
You are corrected for nearsightedness, farsightedness or
astigmatism
You are in general good health
You have had stable vision for at least 6 months
You are at least 21 years of ageThe Eye Clinic of Texas offers FREE consultations to determine if you are a good candidate for LASIK.
Who is NOT a candidate?
There are some medical conditions that may eliminate someone from being a candidate:
Rheumatoid arthritis
Some stages of diabetes
Lupus, or collagen vascular diseases
Ocular herpes
Other medical conditions that affect the
healing processWomen who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant within 6 months should wait until approx. 6 months after childbirth or until vision stabilizes.
Once I know I'm a candidate, what's next?
Patients wearing contact lenses must discontinue use prior to a pre-operative exam
Soft contact lens wearers must be out
1
week prior to pre-op
Hard or gas permeable lens wearers must be
out 4-6 weeks prior to pre-opThe next step is a pre-operative exam, which consists of:
Medical history of patient
Dilated eye exam with refraction
Corneal topography - mapping of the cornea's
surface
Pachymetry - measuring the thickness of the
cornea
Measuring the size of the pupilHow do I prepare for surgery?
The day of surgery, you will need to:
Have a light breakfast or lunch depending
upon surgery time
Remove all eye make-up
Refrain from drinking caffeine or having
nicotine
Bring someone with you to drive home and
bring you back the next day for a post-op visitWhat is the recovery time?
Most patients are functional the day after surgery and find it necessary to only take 1-2 days off work. There are however some minor limitations within the first 2-3 weeks;
No rubbing of the eyes
No strenuous or heavy lifting in which you
might be squeezing the eyes shut
No make-up, especially mascara. Removing may
initiate rubbing
No water activities, such as swimming or hot
tub, due to potential bacteria in the water
Last modified on Dec. 17, 2009