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Can I Find Out at My Yearly Eye Exam If I Qualify for LASIK?

lasik specialist examining patient

All Roads Point to Your Local Laser Vision Specialist

If you’re thinking of getting rid of your glasses or contact lenses with the help of LASIK, your first step is to determine whether you qualify.

Some patients first ask their eye doctor’s opinion on whether they qualify for LASIK. This makes sense as a preliminary step for those who see their eye doctor annually.

However, to thoroughly determine your candidacy and achieve optimal results, your journey toward vision without glasses or contacts includes the expertise of a highly qualified LASIK specialist.

Further Reading: How Do I Know If I’m a Candidate for LASIK?

How Your Yearly Eye Exam Can Help You With LASIK — And How It Can’t

When you visit your eye doctor, their primary goal is to check your eye health and vision, determine whether your eyes indicate other health problems, prescribe your glasses or contact lenses, and even help fit you for glasses or choose the best lenses for your vision needs.

Your eye doctor offers comprehensive support to keep you seeing clearly with the healthiest eyes possible. However, if you’re interested in learning more about LASIK or finding out if you’re a candidate, you may not get the same depth of guidance or support you’d get from a specialist.

If your annual eye appointment is with an optometrist: Optometrists hold a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree, but they are not medical doctors (MDs). Therefore, they can’t perform LASIK treatment and don’t specialize in this form of vision care.

If your annual eye appointment is with an ophthalmologist: Ophthalmologists hold a medical degree, either Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). Although all ophthalmologists are technically qualified to perform LASIK, not all of them do.

However, some ophthalmologists have chosen to specialize in vision correction treatments like LASIK, conduct research in this field, and develop expertise as this industry’s technologies continue to evolve.

You won’t get a definitive answer about whether you qualify for LASIK until you’ve scheduled an appointment with an ophthalmologist who specializes in laser vision procedures.

Further Reading: How You Know You’ve Chosen an Expert Laser Eye Surgery Provider

Why Your Path to Freedom from Contact Lenses and Glasses Runs Through a LASIK Specialist

Look for a trusted, highly rated provider focused on vision correction, including LASIK-like procedures. These providers have dedicated their professional careers to state-of-the-art LASIK technology that benefits patients, along with other options for those who may not be candidates.

To find out if you qualify, schedule an appointment with a provider for an advanced exam that checks your eye health and determines your candidacy for LASIK.

A candidate for LASIK:

  • Is at least 18 years old
  • Is not extremely nearsighted (no more than -10 diopters)
  • Has the necessary corneal shape and thickness for this procedure

You’ll find that ophthalmologists who specialize in LASIK are best able to answer your most pressing questions. They’ll ease your mind if you’re curious about whether LASIK is safe, describe what you can expect before, during, and after your procedure, and identify which treatment is best for your eyes.

Further Reading: What to Expect at Your LASIK Consultation

Your Advanced LASIK Candidacy Exam

During your LASIK candidacy exam, your provider performs highly accurate diagnostic tests to evaluate the health of your eyes and determine if you qualify for LASIK treatment. These tests go far beyond what you might experience at the optometrist’s office.

These diagnostic tests include refraction, corneal mapping, optic nerve analysis, and many others. To perform these diagnostics, your ophthalmologist uses the latest technology to analyze your eye and vision health.

To find out if you meet the qualifications for LASIK, you must undergo these pain-free, simple tests. As a bonus, you’ll get a comprehensive understanding of your overall eye health.

Further Reading: Go in-depth about the diagnostic technology

Depend on Expertise to Find Out If You Qualify for LASIK

Whether you want to better understand if LASIK is safe, learn how to pay for the cost of LASIK, or find out if you’re eligible to get LASIK now or in the future, your regular eye doctor may not have all the answers. Although your doctor is an essential part of your health care regimen, they don’t always have the same training or expertise that a LASIK specialist does.

If you qualify for LASIK or another procedure, you’ll soon experience the benefits of life without contacts or glasses. To get a preview of what life will look like after LASIK, check out these resources: