Are You A Good Candidate For LASIK? What Expert Dr. Gerald Horn Wants You To Know

Deerfield, IL - ( NewMediaWire ) - October 06, 2020 - The idea of seeing clearly without corrective lenses is nearly inconceivable for some, but LASIK makes it possible for many. And while most people with poor unaided vision are great candidates for LASIK, not everyone is. Dr. Gerald Horn, as Medical Co-Director of Lasik Plus Chicago, is sharing what makes someone a good candidate for a LASIK procedure.

First and foremost, to be considered for LASIK, one’s eyes need to be fully developed. In order for LASIK to be performed safely, it’s required that patients be at least 18 years of age, with a stable prescription.

Good candidates for LASIK are in addition in general good health or have stabilized medical conditions. Those dealing with ongoing health conditions that aren’t well controlled may not be considered for a LASIK procedure, according to Dr. Gerald Horn. This is especially true for people who have uncontrolled diabetes especially with eye changes, uncontrolled autoimmune disease, and for people who are taking medication(s) that weaken their body’s immune response.

For those in good health standing, their vision correction prescription should be stable for at least a year, though often minor changes are often not examples of instability but the result of slight glasses overcorrections, according to Dr. Gerald Horn. A stable prescription as determined by your eye doctor’s examination is just one of several factors used to determine whether your vision is likely to respond well to LASIK.

If you suffer from significant dry eyes without contact lenses, have an eye or systemic infection requiring antibiotics, are recovering from an eye injury or surgery, or if you have a significant lazy eye or muscle imbalance causing double vision, LASIK may not be a good fit for you. If you have had retinal laser eye surgery you often may have LASIK.

The vast majority of patients – about 90% according to Dr. Gerald Horn – are excellent candidates. If you have a high prescription, including high astigmatism, nearsightedness, or farsightedness, with modern Lasik and lasers you may still be a good candidate. Dr. Horn suggests that if you have one of these conditions and want to know if you are a candidate for LASIK, you should see an experienced Lasik specialist. Additional sophisticated eye scans of the corneal surface will be performed prior to your procedure.

If you’re nursing, Dr. Horn says that it’s important that you either stop breastfeeding (pump and store) for a few weeks, consult with your infant’s pediatrician regarding eye medications you will or may need to use, or wait until you stop nursing. If you are pregnant you should wait to have a LASIK procedure.

Dr. Gerald Horn recommends if you’re interested in getting LASIK sooner and are determined to be a candidate, do not wear your contacts the day of or within a few days of your exam. You may otherwise be scheduled for a later date.

Some patients prefer laser vision correction because they fear dependency on their correction, in an emergency that might compromise their ability to respond quickly. Soldiers, parents of young children, or essential workers for example cannot afford situations where their lack of access to clear lenses in their glasses or a problem with their contacts might compromise their situation.

Though contacts are considered safe, many patients Dr. Horn sees fall into a category of a history of “contact lens abuse” and choose to have LASIK at some point. He points out some patients have a history of continuing infections with contact lens wear, admit to risky habits such as use of tap water to store their contacts, saliva to insert them, not keeping their contact case clean, or most commonly over-wear of their contact lenses. A habit of swimming or showering with contacts can, though rare, cause a severe (fungal or acanthamoeba) infection and risk severe permanent vision loss. For these patients in particular, and anyone wishing for freedom from their glasses or contact lenses, LASIK may be a preferred alternative, provided you understand and accept the risks, undergo a thorough evaluation by an experienced LASIK provider, and are a good candidate.

Dr. Gerald Horn feels with a good history, an experienced LASIK evaluation, and good patient compliance after the procedure, laser vision safety, effectiveness, and patient satisfaction is high. Several studies have demonstrated high patient satisfaction following LASIK. A worldwide literature review (Dr. Kerry Solomon (2009), the PROWL-1 (military population) and PROWL-2 (civilian) FDA mandated study, all demonstrated an average of about 95%-96% of patients were satisfied with their outcome after LASIK surgery. By comparison, a 2020 review of patient satisfaction for plastic surgery procedures (Elflein, J. Aug 26, 2020. US Patient satisfaction top surgical cosmetic procedures) ranged from 91-98%, ranking Lasik as one of the most successful elective procedures. In the US alone nearly 15 million LASIK procedures have been performed, with nearly double worldwide.

About Dr. Gerald Horn:

Dr. Gerald Horn has performed over 90,000 LASIK procedures and is the Co-Medical Director of LasikPlus Chicago (Lincoln Park, Oakbrook, Schaumburg). He is passionate about pharmaceutical development and has over 70 issued and pending US and International patents. He had been a co-founder and pharmaceutical Chief Scientific Officer for several companies, and is the sole inventor of the industry-leading eye-whitener now known as Lumify(R) licensed to Bausch Health Care, and has an eye-drop to reversibly restore reading vision (“Liquid Vision”, PRX) entering a Phase 3 trial. Dr. Horn has most recently developed a functional “better for you” naturally caffeinated beverage (Breinfuel(TM)), scheduled to become available Q4 of 2020 (www.breinfuel.com).