What
are the limits of LASIK?
The
limits of laser vision correction are different for each eye, since
every eye has a unique shape and corneal structure. The main determinants
of these limits are the thickness of the cornea and the pupil size.
Besides these, the model of the Excimer laser, the treatment ablation
contour, age, sex, climate and many minor parameters influence the
outcome. But still for a general idea we may suggest these approximate
values:
| Myopia: |
Up
to 15 Diopters |
| Hyperopia: |
Up
to 7 Diopters |
| Astigmatism: |
Up
to 7 Diopters |
One should know that we have patients who had 20
diopters of myopia and after having LASIK who don't need glasses as
well as patients with 6 diopters of myopia who had other methods of
laser surgery instead of LASIK.
For the lower limits, we think that it depends on the patients' requirements
and lifestyle. We have performed laser vision surgery on pilot candidates
as low as 0.50 diopters. As a rule of thumb, if a person is dependent
on glasses or contact lenses then he/she should consider laser vision
correction.
