When is LASIK impossible?

Unfortunately LASIK can not rectify all vision impairments - even when they lie inside the correctable refraction values. Other contraindications apply beside the strength of vision impairment. For LASIK there are two forms of contraindications - definite and indefinite. Definite contraindications make the LASIK surgery impossible, indefinite contraindications must be taken into serious consideration before making the decision to undergo LASIK.

Definite contraindications of LASIK

• Diseases of the cornea (e.g. keratoconus, degeneration)
• Acute eye diseases
  (e.g. diabetic retinopathy, developed glaucoma)
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding
• Patients under 18 years (eye still growing)
• Instable refraction values (increasing diopter values)
• Astigmatism > 5 Diopter
• Corneal thickness < 500 µm

Indefinite contraindications of LASIK

• Retinal defects (e.g. holes, retinal detachment)
• Eye disease
  (e.g. high interocular pressure, begin of diabetic alterations, chronic infection)
• System diseases (e.g. Auto immune deficiency, rheumatism)
• General bad health (e.g. chronic health problems, acute allergies)