Why is Refractive Stability Neccessary before LASIK?

Continually adapted and developed over the years, LASIK has provided many people with a safe and effective way to improve vision. LASIK is safest and most effective for people who are good candidates for the procedure. An important aspect of candidacy is refractive stability.

Refractive stability means your glasses or contact lens prescription has not changed for at least a year. Some LASIK surgeons require their patients to have stable vision for two years prior to the procedure.

Your vision is more likely to be unstable if you are:

• Younger than 20
• Taking certain medications
• Experiencing hormone fluctuations
• Pregnant or breastfeeding

The LASIK procedure makes permanent changes to your cornea. As such, additional procedures are required to correct for any prescription changes. You are much more likely to achieve the best LASIK results if you have had stable vision for a year or two.

Some of the parameters listed above do not necessarily disqualify you from a LASIK procedure. The only way to know if LASIK is right for you is to consult an experienced eye surgeon.

To find out if you are a candidate for LASIK, please contact an experienced LASIK surgeon in your area.