Do I Qualify for LASIK If I Have Thin Corneas?
LASIK has corrected the vision of millions of people worldwide, making it arguably the most well-known and widely requested laser vision correction surgery. For many people, LASIK surgery results in clearer vision and reduced dependence on visual aids.
One reason LASIK is so popular might be that many people are good candidates for the surgery. LASIK can correct the vision of people with the most common refractive errors: nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
Other factors that make people good candidates for LASIK include:
- Being at least eighteen
- Having a stable eye prescription for a year or more
- Realistic expectations about the outcome of surgery
Unfortunately, other factors can prevent you from being a good candidate for LASIK. These factors include certain chronic health conditions, pregnancy, and thin corneas.
The only way to know for sure if you might be a good candidate for LASIK is to visit your eye doctor at Chesapeake Eye Care for a LASIK consultation.
What is the Cornea?
The cornea is the transparent surface of the eye. It covers and protects the iris, or colored part of the eye, and the pupil, which is the eye’s opening.
The cornea bends light as it enters the eye and focuses it on the retina. The cornea also acts as a protective barrier against dirt, germs, and other potential harm.
It is comprised of five layers: the epithelium, the Bowman’s layer, the stroma, Descemet’s membrane, and the endothelium.
How Do Thin Corneas Affect the Outcome of LASIK?
During LASIK surgery, an eye surgeon uses a laser to create a flap on the surface of the cornea, the epithelium. This flap accesses the middle layer of the cornea, the stroma, which the surgeon reshapes with the laser to correct vision.
Corneal thickness is a crucial factor in determining whether a person is a good candidate for LASIK. Thin corneas can affect the safety and effectiveness of the procedure.
Undergoing LASIK if you have thin corneas greatly increases your risk of complications. One of the most serious complications after LASIK is corneal ectasia.
Corneal ectasia occurs when the cornea thins or becomes unstable and bulges outward. Ectasia impacts the sharpness of your vision and can lead to permanent vision loss.
While the risk of developing ectasia exists for anyone undergoing LASIK, the risk is much greater for people with thin corneas. Corneas should be a suitable thickness to ensure healthy outcomes from the surgery.
What Other Vision Correction Procedures Are Available?
If thin corneas have eliminated you as a candidate for LASIK, there are other options to correct your vision. These options include photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE), implantable Collamer lenses (EVO ICL), and refractive lens exchange (RLE).
PRK
Photorefractive keratectomy is similar to LASIK, but during PRK surgery, a section of the epithelium is completely removed to access the stroma. Once that layer has been removed, the stroma is reshaped to correct vision, just as with LASIK.
It can take up to three months for epithelium to regrow and full visual results to be realized.
SMILE
SMILE, or small incision lenticule extraction, is one of the latest laser vision correction options for people with nearsightedness or astigmatism. During the procedure, a tiny incision is made in the epithelium to access the stroma.
Using a precision laser, the eye surgeon creates and extracts a small oval of corneal tissue, a lenticule, to correct vision. If you have thin corneas, the suitability of SMILE depends on how thin your corneas are.
SMILE does not require corneas to be as thick as LASIK does, but it can be risky for someone with extremely thin corneas.
EVO ICL
In an EVO implantable Collamer lens surgery, an artificial lens is implanted in the eye between the iris and the natural lens. The artificial lens is made of a biocompatible material derived from collagen, a naturally occurring protein in the body.
Because EVO ICL surgery does not affect the cornea, corneal thickness is not a factor in determining whether a person is a good candidate. However, it can only correct mild-to-moderate nearsightedness and is not suitable for people with farsightedness or astigmatism.
RLE
Another vision correction option for people with thin corneas is refractive lens exchange. During an RLE surgery, the natural lens of the eye is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL).
Depending on the IOL you choose, correcting your vision with RLE can allow you to experience greater visual freedom. The IOL also prevents cataracts from forming and affecting your vision later in life.
While thin corneas can prevent you from being a good candidate for LASIK, they don’t have to prevent you from correcting your vision. Alternative options, like PRK, SMILE, EVO ICL, and RLE, can help you experience clear, crisp, glasses-free vision!
Do you want to learn if you are a candidate for refractive surgery? Schedule an appointment at Chesapeake Eye Care and Laser Center in Chesapeake or Easton, VA, today!