LASIK With Diabetic Patients By William Goldstein on March 29, 2016

Can a diabetic Patient Undergo LASIK?

The popularity of laser eye surgery has increased by leaps and bounds as a growing number of people are looking for freedom from their lenses or glasses.  Two key kinds of laser eye surgery are LASEK and bladeless LASIK surgery Detroit. Most people prefer to undergo LASIK as its recovery period is more comfortable and faster. A majority of the patients can resume their work, as well as, normal activities within a few days of undergoing LASIK surgery. On the other hand, for LASEK, it takes more days of recovery time. There are some specific cases where an eye surgeon may ask you to go for LASEK particularly if you are active in contact sports.

But a key question that many people have in their mind is whether it is safe to undergo LASIK with Diabetic patients. The answer to this question is that it will depend on various factors. Some of the concerns are listed below.

Healing process may be slower

It is known that people who are ailing from diabetes have a slower healing process. A laser eye surgery treats the defects in the cornea and that can actually take a longer time for recovery. However, there are some surgeons who insist that diabetic patients have Intralase. It is a premium kind of LASIK surgery that is said to have a faster recovery time. This is unproven, but may allow safer surgery in LASIK with diabetic patients.

Diabetic retinopathy

Normally those who are ailing from diabetes are annually assessed for retinopathy or diabetic changes in the eyes. So, in case you are ailing from diabetic eye problems, there may be a slight impairment in your vision. Usually diabetic patients who have retinopathy will be unable to get 20/20 vision due to damage in the back of the eye. If this is the case, vision cannot be improved with bladeless lasik surgery in Detroit.

Fluctuation in a prescription

If the level of blood sugar is not controlled well, such variances can lead to frequent changing of your prescription. It indicates that your surgeon or optician may get an inaccurate measurement in a prescription for a laser surgery for the eyes. Such fluctuations may result in inaccurate laser vision treatment through LASIK.

A majority of the surgeons or opticians may expect a diabetic patient to comply with the following:

  • Blood sugar levels are within control– All eye surgeons insist that blood sugar levels should be well controlled so that correct measurement can be procured from your prescription.
  • Diabetic retinopathy should be controlled or absent- There are some eye surgeons that may tell you that you should not have LASIK if you have any diabetic retinopathy. These surgeons can be concerned about your vision getting affected due to retinopathy.  This would prevent a good outcome for your LASIK surgery.

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Dr. William S. Goldstein

Laser Eye Care Center

William S. Goldstein, MD, has been practicing laser eye surgery since 1991. He was one of the first doctors to offer advanced eye care in all of Michigan and is a member of several prestigious organizations: 

  • American Board of Ophthalmology
  • American Academy of Ophthalmology
  • American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons

If you are ready to enhance your vision, call our office at (586) 323-2020 or request a consultation online.

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