LASIK Specialist Exton, PA

Have you considered LASIK surgery? Are you looking for LASIK specialists near Exton, PA? Come see us at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania. We are a short drive away in Pottstown. Like most of our patients, you may have questions about the procedure. We are here to help.

Am I a candidate?

Hands down, the question we get asked most frequently is, “Am I a candidate?” We evaluate your eye health and your general health to provide that answer. We typically recommend LASIK for people with moderate refractive error. However, recent LASIK advances allow us to correct much higher refractive errors. We will ask detailed questions about your eye health and do a comprehensive eye evaluation to ensure you are a candidate and don’t have any underlying eye conditions that might lead to a poor surgical outcome.

Generally, we are looking for signs of progressive eye diseases and a condition called keratoconus that leads to a cornea thinning over time. We will want to know if you have had past eye injuries or a history of certain eye infections. Sometimes, people have very large pupils, and that might mean that LASIK is not the right choice because it may mean post-surgical glare or halos. We will test for dry eye, and if you have a severe case, we may rethink LASIK as the surgery worsens the condition.

We will certainly also discuss your expectations. For example, if you see well enough to only need glasses part of the time, you may not see much improvement from the surgery. On the other hand, we may be unable to correct your vision if you have very high levels of refractive error.

We also want to ensure a patient has stable vision before LASIK surgery. Vision continues to change in the teenage years, so we do not perform the procedure on anyone under the age of 18. Pregnant patients also have temporary vision fluctuations, so we wait until their vision is stable. Finally, certain steroid drugs can also create these temporary vision fluctuations.

Your overall health

In addition to your eye health, we need to ask detailed questions about your overall health. LASIK is more risky if you have certain medical conditions. Many of our patients with diabetes require additional evaluation to determine whether LASIK is a good option.

We are also concerned about certain immune system conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or other autoimmune conditions, which may affect one’s ability to heal. Likewise, we express concern over any patient taking immunosuppressant medication. Finally, patients with chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia may experience more postoperative pain than patients without these conditions.

No matter the issues, we will thoroughly evaluate your health. We often work with our patient’s general practitioners or another specialist, such as a cardiologist or endocrinologist, to assess the patient.

Just know that LASIK surgery is very safe and effective and one of the most researched surgeries on the planet. Our patients are thrilled with their surgical outcomes. Not sure whether you are a candidate? No problem. Have you got questions? We’ve got answers. See us for an initial consultation. We want to be Exton PA’s go-to LASIK specialist. Call our Pottstown office today at 610-327-8528 or visit our Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania website to schedule an appointment. We look forward to seeing you.