Am I Suitable

How to know if you would be suitable for corrective eye surgery

We shall run a full diagnostic check on your eyes to see if you are suitable for corrective eye surgery, and to determine the right corrective eye surgery procedure for you

You may be a suitable candidate if you:

Since our personalised vision treatments remove less tissue than standard LASIK, they can be performed on people previously unsuitable for Laser corrective eye surgery - such as those with higher prescriptions, large pupils or thin corneas. If you think your spectacles prescription is too weak or too strong for corrective eye surgery, or you have been refused treatment previously through another clinic, give us the opportunity to review what we could do for you - you may be pleasantly surprised.

What Prescription Range can Personalised Vision Treatments Correct?

The limit of what can be corrected varies from person to person, and is ultimately determined by the surgeon. We will only treat you for corrective eye surgery if we are confident that you are suitable and that we can achieve a good result. As a general guide, the Advanced Vision Care system can correct:

Prescription range for Laser treatments:
Alternative treatments (when you are not suitable for Laser)

Unlike other clinics, Advanced Vision Care offers comprehensive corrective eye surgery plans for people not suitable for Laser. These include:


Prescription range for non-Laser treatments:

Every patient is individually assessed by the experienced clinical team and the surgeon, Mr Pillai. Only after this extensive consultation can an accurate analysis be made as to your suitability and results. If you would like to discuss your suitability before coming for an assessment then call a member of our team, who all assist Mr Pillai, on 0800 652 4878.

We provide the same rigorous pre-screening and high standards of care with all our personalised vision correction treatments. Most people who want the treatment are able to have it, but if not, or your occupation does not allow you to, our expert staff will be happy to discuss the latest alternatives with you including Implantable contact lenses and clear lens extraction.

Your suitability will not be based on only one parameter such as your prescription but on a combination of factors. Some conditions are a definite contra-indication but for most people the suitability decision is based on a combination of lifestyle, your ocular and general health and your expectations for the treatment. If you would like to discuss your suitability with a member of the clinical team, then please call 0800 652 4878?

If you are unsuitable for Laser or fall outside these parameters please click here.

What Laser Eye Treatment Does NOT Correct

As a natural part of aging, everyone's eyes, whether normal, short- or long-sighted, become presbyopic. This means that in addition to your previous vision correction you will require glasses for close-up activities such as reading. Those people requiring distance vision correction may still benefit from having this Laser-corrected and may only need glasses for close-up activities. At Advanced Vision Care we offer treatment specifically for middle-aged patients with reading glasses, called Conductive Keratoplasty. We are also able to provide the latest in new technology that uses multifocal intra-ocular lenses (Clear Lens exchange (CLE) with multifocal IOLs) which are a revolutionary lens-replacement option that restores distance and near vision.

Contra-indications for Laser Surgery:
Total transparency about our results

Our procedures have been developed from years of experience in Laser surgery and we understand the advantages of total transparency with our patients. Our friendly staff will counsel you on the benefits, any potential complications of the treatment and answer any questions you have.


Am I Suitable?

Your Eye Prescription

You have a prescription or refractive error if the light entering your eye does not fall as a pinpoint on the retina. The majority of us have a refractive error of some form, even if very small.

The Normal Eye



The eye shown in this diagram has no refractive error; or prescription. In reality, only a small percentage of us are so perfectly formed! More common situations are described below:

Myopia (short-sight):



In the above diagram the eye is myopic or short-sighted. This is the most common type of refractive error. Here, images in the distance will appear blurred and those close will be clear. The extent of this will depend on the level of myopia present.

Images are blurred because the light rays cross before they hit the focal point, as the cornea (clear covering at the front of the eye) is too steep. The term short sighted is used because the light focuses short of the retina. In Laser treatment we gently flatten the cornea to move the focal point back onto the retina. Mypoia is represented by a minus sign (-) on your prescription. (See Am I suitable? for the prescription range treatable at Advanced Vision Care.)

Hyperopia (long- sight):



In the above diagram the eye is hyperopic or long-sighted. This is effectively the opposite to myopia as the light is focused too long for the retina. Images are blurred because the light rays effectively cross after they hit the focal point, as the cornea is too flat. In Laser treatment we gently steepen the cornea to move the focal point onto the retina. Hyperopia is represented by a plus sign (+) on your prescription. (See Am I suitable? for the prescription range treatable at Advanced Vision Care.)

Astigmatism (distortion):



In this diagram the eye has astigmatism, where some rays of light are focused in different positions to others, creating a distorting effect. This is because the cornea is not a perfect sphere, but rather eliptoid. A popular analogy is that the cornea is shaped more like a 'rugby ball' instead of 'football'. Most of us have some degree of astigmatism combined with our myopia or hyperopia. In Laser treatment we gently smooth away these irregularities to bring the focal point back to the retina. (See Am I suitable? for the prescription range treatable at Advanced Vision Care.)

Presbyopia (age-related reading focus):

This is the gradual inability to focus on near objects with age that usually starts between 40 and 50 years of age. People who have presbyopia require the aid of reading glasses for close work and reading.

Laser Eye Treatment cannot correct presbyopia or stop it from happening in the future but at Advanced Vision Care we offer a treatment for this condition called Conductive Keratoplasty which can eliminate the need for reading glasses. We are also able to provide the latest in new technology with our multifocal intra-ocular lenses (CLE with multifocal IOLs). These are a revolutionary lens-replacement option that restores distance and near vision.

Higher Order Aberrations (tiny imperfections):

The refractive errors discussed above are termed 'lower order aberrations' and they make up 85% of all aberrations in an eye. The remaining 15% is made up of higher order aberrations (imperfections) which are responsible for vision errors such as difficulty seeing at night, glare, halos and starburst around lights. These are created by tiny irregularities in the biological structures of the eyes.

At Advanced Vision Care we use the latest Advanced wavefront treatment (Zyoptics) to treat these aberrations, where possible, in order to give the patient a better quality of vision post-operatively and also reduce or eliminate any night vision problems after Laser treatment.

Please Note:

Only your surgeon can determine if you are a suitable candidate for Zyoptix corrective eye surgery, based on appropriate diagnostic tests and your medical history.