Just because laser eye surgery is done in an office, the procedure only takes a few minutes, and then the patient can go home immediately, most people forget that it is a surgical procedure. There are laser eye surgery safety precautions that each person must think about prior to surgery, during surgery, and after surgery.

Before surgery, your doctor will have to evaluate your overall health to determine if you are a good candidate for laser eye surgery. Many people that are less that ideal can still have laser eye surgery but they will have to adhere to certain laser eye surgery safety rules. Some of the tests that your doctor will run include corneal surface scans and curvature measurements among others. If the doctor does not believe that laser eye surgery is the best option for you, then you should ask him or her why and see if there are changes, you can make to raise your chances of being allowed to have surgery.

Pregnant or nursing women can have hormonal changes, which can affect the shape of the cornea. Most doctors will recommend that women who are pregnant or nursing should wait a few months after giving birth or weaning their baby from the breast.

The cornea will be reshaped during laser eye surgery and anything that may change the shape of the cornea from its original or normal shape should be corrected prior to surgery. This is always best for laser eye surgery safety. Even the wearing of contact lenses changes the shape of your cornea and should not be worn at least two weeks prior to surgery and in the case of hard contact lenses several weeks before surgery is recommended.

Just because you have nearsightedness or farsightedness, does not necessarily mean that you are a good candidate for laser eye surgery. The FDA has placed limits on procedures that are approved and those that cannot have surgery are individuals with more than -14. diopters of nearsightedness, more than 6.0 diopters of astigmatism or more than +6. diopters of farsightedness.
 
Children under the age of 18 are not usually allowed to have surgery because of laser eye surgery safety. As we grow, our eyes change size and shape until we are around 18 years of age. It is not recommended to have surgery while the eyes are still in their growing stage.

Other eye health problems may have to be considered for laser eye surgery safety. If there are any abnormalities, which may affect the outcome of laser surgery will be discussed with your prior to surgery.