Not everyone who wants LASIK vision correction is necessarily a good candidate to have the surgery. You should consider a few things before you settle on LASIK:

• If you don’t like to take a chance every now and then, you probably shouldn’t have LASIK vision correction. There are possibilities of complications as a result of LASIK that you should research before having the procedure done.
• If having LASIK vision correction could affect your career or is not covered by your insurance you should think of another alternative. The cost of LASIK is getting cheaper, but is still quite expensive and you’ll want to make sure it isn’t prohibited by your employer.
• You must be an adult with refractive stability to be accepted for LASIK vision correction. Refractive instability is determined by patients who are 20 or younger with fluctuating hormones due to such things as diabetes or someone who is pregnant or breastfeeding or taking medications that cause fluctuation in vision.
• If you regularly engage in contact sports or suffer from a condition or disease may affect wound healing you should consider an alternative to LASIK vision correction.

Compare what each LASIK surgeon relies on as their procedure of choice. Do they rely on the traditional LASIK that uses a blade to make the incision or do they use “bladeless” InterLase lasers to make all of the cuts. Ask what they believe is most reliable and what they do the most.

Set forth a base of criteria that you will hold each LASIK surgeon to. Don’t base it solely on cost or on the doctor’s experience, but see if they perform what you feel most comfortable with. This decision will affect YOU for the rest of YOUR life, not the surgeon’s.

Do your homework to avoid scams related to the “20/20 vision or guaranteed money back”. Make sure you check these doctors against the consumer affairs office or better business bureau to ensure that they do good practice. Understand what your rights are when it comes to having surgery and LASIK in general.

Understand what can happen during the surgery and ask your potential LASIK surgeon how they handle a situation that could potentially end a procedure. There is a chance a mistake could lead to permanent damage to your eye without even a chance to have corrective surgery.

Ask the same questions of your LASIK surgeon in relation to how he deals with situations after surgery. Question your LASIK surgeon about how they handle migration of the flap, inflammation or infection, intensive eye drop treatments, or additional procedures after the initial surgery.

LASIK surgeons are also held to an FDA standard regarding the type of laser used during the surgery. Make sure you find out what laser your potential LASIK surgeon uses and double-check it against the FDA’s approved list.

LASIK risk continues to drop as doctors and engineers perfect the equipment used in the process. The risks involved in LASIK also drop as doctors continue to screen for the right candidates to have the surgery. Research now shows that with the right pre-testing and surgical care the risk of any complications in LASIK surgery are less than 1%.

The most common risk with LASIK surgery is a complication with the flap created by the surgeon to cover the cornea. In traditional LASIK surgery the flap is created when tissue is cut by a surgical tool known as a microkeratome. Since this tool, a metal blade is used by a human being there remains a risk related to human error.

When this type of traditional LASIK is performed the risk is when the flap is then used as the natural bandage at the end of the surgery it is not the right size. Therefore, the complication is an irregular bandage that irritates the eye and causes what is known as an irregular astigmatism. This LASIK risk is greatly reduced by a newer “bladeless” LASIK procedure.

When you are considering different LASIK surgery opportunities you should question your surgeon on what is included in the cost of the LASIK surgery.
What is and isn’t included in the LASIK cost?
What will I be charged for if complications occur or enhancements are needed?
What is the cost for LASIK medications such as anti-inflammatory or painkillers?
What is the cost for temporary contact lenses if they are needed after LASIK?
What is the cost of the follow-up visits related to LASIK?

Finally, you should get in contact with your insurance company to determine if they will cover the cost of the LASIK surgery. Some insurance companies don’t cover LASIK cost because they consider the surgery to be cosmetic. If financing is not a problem you should strongly consider using the LASIK surgeon who best suits your needs and concerns.

The FDA considers the average cost of LASIK surgery to be $1,344 in 2005, a significant decrease from the original numbers listed in 2002 of nearly $1,600. Many consider this LASIK cost to be marginal in relation to the comfort created by newly improved vision.

You definitely need to stop wearing your contact lenses in the weeks leading up to your consultation before LASIK. Since the surgery is dependent on the shape and measurement of your cornea you must let it regain its shape. Lenses sometimes reshape the cornea themselves, causing problems with LASIK. Here are some FDA recommendations based on your contact lenses:
Soft contact lenses should be removed and not worn for at least two weeks prior to your LASIK evaluation.
Rigid gas permeable lenses should be removed and not worn for at least three weeks prior to LASIK evaluation.
Hard lenses should be removed and not worn for at least four weeks prior to LASIK evaluation.

When you meet the doctor to discuss LASIK eye surgery you should let him know a few things about yourself. Let the doctor know about any past or present medical and eye conditions as well as all medications you are taking or are allergic to. It is important that you disclose all of this to your doctor before deciding if LASIK is right for you.

After you’ve disclosed this personal information to the doctor, you should then discuss if you are a good candidate for LASIK surgery. Let him explain to you the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the surgery as well as what you can expect from beginning to end.

You should stop using any lotions, perfumes, or creams the day before the surgery as well as any makeup that may cause debris to get in the eye. The doctor may even request that you scrub and wash out your eyes for a good time before LASIK surgery to prevent the chance of any type of infection.

Finally, you should definitely arrange with a loved one for transportation to and from the LASIK surgery. Before LASIK surgery some doctors will arrange for you to take some medicine to help you relax that could impair your vision and reaction time. After LASIK surgery you may need a few days to recover your vision, hence the need to arrange for a drive home.