Is Lasik Eye Surgery right for you?

With all of the talk of the pain-free, instant results of Lasik Eye Surgery, it may seem like Lasik Surgery is hardly surgery at all. But is it the best choice for you?

Ask yourself these questions to see if you a good candidate:

* Make a list of the pluses and minuses of Lasik Eye Surgery for your life. This should not be a snap decision. Are you absolutely sick to death of the hassle of wearing contacts or glasses? Or is it only a minor inconvenience? If you really dont mind wearing contacts or glasses, youre probably not ready for Lasik Eye Surgery.

* Are you 21 or older? If you are younger than 21, your vision may still be changing as your eyes mature.

* Are you pregnant or nursing? Lasik Eye Surgery is not recommended if you are pregnant or nursing as your eyes may have changed slightly and you should wait until after your baby is born.

* Do you expect to go into surgery blind as a bat and come out with eagle eye vision? How realistic are your expectations for Lasik Eye Surgery?

* What medications are you taking? Talk to your Lasik Surgeon about all the medications you are taking that may affect your surgical outcome and especially if you are taking Accutane (for acne) or prednisone.

* Are you near sighted (only object close up are clear)? If so, your Lasik Surgeon may suggest you wait until your late 20s when your vision is more stable.

* Are you in good health? For patients with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, glaucoma, herpes infections of the eye, or cataracts, talk to your Lasik Surgeon to see if Lasik Eye Surgery is a good option for you.

Common types of vision imperfections

Many vision problems are caused by an imperfectly shaped eyeball, cornea or lens. The most common vision imperfections are:

* myopia nearsightedness; close up objects are clear.

* hyperopia farsightedness; far away objects are clear.

* astigmatism images both far and near are distorted.

* presbyopia aging eye, occurs around the age of 40 and can be corrected with bifocals

Myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism can usually be corrected by Lasik Eye Surgery. Presbyopia usually cannot be corrected by Lasik Eye Surgery except by using the mono-vision technique. Mono-vision (correcting one eye for distance vision and the other eye for near vision) is a relatively new concept. Ask your doctor if mono-vision might work for you. Your Lasik Surgeon may be able to correct one eye for far sightedness and the other for near sightedness. This could eliminate or lessen your need for reading glasses. And in some cases, surgery on only one eye may be needed.