Can You Be Too Young for Laser Vision Correction?

The short answer to the question, “Can you be too young for laser vision correction?” is: Yes.

There are reasons why you still see so many children wearing glasses today, even when laser vision correction is performed on more than 700,000 people each year. laser vision correction is a refractive surgery that treats eyesight imperfections that cause myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism. laser vision correction technology reshapes the cornea to allow light to focus properly on the retina. The result is clearer vision, even 20/20 or better vision, for many patients.

So why wouldn’t you want to have laser vision correction performed as soon as possible?

We all know that children are constantly growing and changing, and their eyes are no exception. In fact, some people have refractive instability into their early 20s. This means that their vision correction needs may be frequently fluctuating. One qualification of being a good candidate for laser vision correction is having stable vision, without prescription changes, for at least two years. Most children simply do not have that stability.

So what is the right age for laser vision correction? The Food and Drug Administration has stated the minimum laser vision correction age requirement is 18 years old, but there can be rare circumstances where the procedure is recommended earlier. The determination for laser vision correction for any age individual can only be made after a comprehensive laser vision correction Evaluation by a qualified doctor.

Pacific Eye Specialists offers Free laser vision correction Evaluations. To learn more, visit our website at pacificeyespecialists.com or call 415-921-7555.

Researching LASIK Surgeons

You can spend years deciding to improve your vision though laser vision correction. Research on the Internet and feedback from others who have had similar experiences can aid in your process. However, regardless of how many people you ask about laser vision correction, without a full laser vision correction consultation you will never know for sure if you are a good candidate.

The laser vision correction consultation also allows you to “interview” the surgeon to make sure you are putting the best possible professional in your corner. Below are some questions you should ask your laser vision correction provider. If he/she cannot or will not give acceptable answers, it is best to continue researching other providers.

Laser Vision Correction Surgeon Questions

•  What professional organizations are you certified by and what organizations to you belong to?
• What specific training do you have in laser vision correction surgery?
• How many years of laser vision correction surgery experience do you have?
• How many laser vision correction procedures have you performed?
• Where do you perform laser vision correction procedures?
• What are the potential risks and complications of laser vision correction and how are they handled?
• Does my overall health make me a good candidate for this procedure?
• Do you think laser vision correction will produce the results I want?
• How much will laser vision correction cost? Are there any hidden charges? Are there financing options?
• Exactly how will laser vision correction be performed?
• What type of technologies do you use?
• What do I have to do before, during and after laser vision correction?
• What will the recovery entail and what kind of external help will I need?  
• What are my options if I am dissatisfied with my surgical outcome?

Armed with this information, you can make an informed decision about improving your vision through laser vision correction.

Our Doctors at Pacific Eye Specialists offers free laser vision correction consultations to take the first step in the laser vision correction discovery process. To schedule your consultation, visit pacificeyespecialists.com or call 415-921-7555.

LASIK: Good Enough for NASA

If you’re still concerned about the safety of laser vision correction, consider this: The National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) now accepts astronaut applicants who have undergone laser vision correction. Many studies were done to ensure that acceptable vision quality was achieved after the procedure. There were also concerns about the stability of the corneal flap that is created for the first step of the surgery. By folding back this flap, the surgeon has access to the underlying corneal tissue to correct the nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. When the procedure is complete, the corneal flap is folded back into place so it can re-adhere.

The extensive research showed that advanced laser vision correction provided excellent results:

• Corneal flap fared well in extreme conditions (especially when created with blade-free femtosecond laser technology as opposed to conventional procedures using a metal blade)

• Wavefront-guided LASIK produced superior results (this is technology that uses laser light to identify imperfections in the patient’s eye and create a 3-D map to guide the laser treatment for the most precise vision correction possible)

People in the aerospace environment benefit from being able to see without the hindrance of glasses or contacts (think about glasses floating through the air or trying to clean contacts without gravity!). LASIK has also made it possible for nearsighted people to become astronauts (this wasn’t possible in the past).

Even if you haven’t set your aspirations on being an astronaut, LASIK can open up a whole new universe of possibilities for your everyday life. Many people achieve 20/20 vision – or better – after the procedure and enjoy years of their lives without glasses or contacts.

Of course, not everyone is a good candidate for LASIK. Your corneas may be too thin, you may have medical conditions that will interfere with your healing or your vision problem may be better corrected by a different type of procedure. A quick glance won’t let you know if LASIK is right for you – you need a full eye examination. 

If you’re ready to fix your vision, visit the website of Pacific Eye Specialists to schedule a LASIK Consultation. Visit pacificeyespecialists.com or call 415-921-7555 today.

Give Dad the Chance at Better Vision

Father’s Day is June 16 this year. Your good ‘ole dad probably has dozens of neckties, fishing lures and golf pants in his closet, so why not give him a gift that may help him view his work and play in a whole new light?

Laser vision correction eye surgery has given millions of Americans the freedom from wearing contacts and glasses to correct their nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. And while laser vision correction doesn’t always produce the exact same results for every patient, advanced laser vision correction technology has made this procedure a possibility for more people than ever. No laser vision correction center can absolutely guarantee 20/20 vision after laser vision correction, but many patients do experience these types of results.

Of course, you can’t just go out and buy laser vision correction for dad, or even yourself for that matter, without first having a laser vision correction Consultation. An eye surgeon must evaluate a patient’s health first to make sure he or she is a good candidate for the procedure. The surgeon will look at the thickness of the cornea, perform corneal mapping, tear film and pupil size evaluation and assess the patient’s overall medical health.

What you can do is schedule a laser vision correction consultation for dad with us at Pacific Eye Specialists. Dad may need a bit of a push to pursue vision correction, and Father’s Day could be the perfect opportunity. We’ll take good care of him – we promise!

If you think your dad might benefit from laser vision correction eye surgery, contact us today at 415-921-7555 or pacificeyespecialists.com to schedule his laser vision correction Consultation. If he’s approved for the procedure, we have laser vision correction financing options to help make laser vision correction affordable for virtually any budget.