We determine if somebody is a good candidate for LASIK by the things we don’t want to get after LVC:
Dry eyes: I usually ask my patients if they have dry eyes without contact lenses. This is usually an indicator of an underlying dryness. At your consultation, a dry eye test and discussion about your symptoms is usually conducted to assess your specific risk for this.
Glare/halos around lights at night: These are concentric rings or starburst effects that you may see around lights at night. There are 3 risk factors for these: large pupils, high prescription, high astigmatism.
That said, custom LASIK or iLASIK technology has significantly reduced the risk of halos even in the patients who have risk factors. When you go for your consultation, an infrared test is done in the dark to measure your pupil size so your risk can be assessed.
Keratoconus: this is a condition where the cornea of the eye becomes \\u201ccone shaped\\u201d. This can happen in people who have a family history of keratoconus, have too thin of a cornea or have a corneal shape that makes your doctor suspicious of keratoconus. This is why your corneal thickness as well as corneal shape (topography) are measured at your evaluation. Your should also ask your family if anybody has keratoconus. An indication is usually a young member of the family who underwent a corneal transplant.