Before you can definitely be classed as suitable for refractive surgery at Moorfields Private, you will need to be seen by one of our consultants.

However, if you fit all the following criteria, it is likely that you will be suitable for corrective surgery:

• You must be over 21 and in general good health;
• You must have had a stable prescription for at least 12 months;
• Both eyes must have good vision;

And you should have a prescription within the recommended safe range for the procedure. For LASIK this is –1.00 to –10.00 (short sight) or +1.00 to +6.00 (long sight) including any astigmatism. Higher refractive errors can be corrected by lens implantation. Ask your optometrist if you are not sure how to interpret your prescription.

You may not be suitable if:

• You are pregnant;
• You have had a previous Herpes viral infection of the cornea;
• You are taking any drugs which interfere with the healing response (for example, drugs used during chemotherapy);
• One or both eyes has a significant ocular abnormality or keratoconus (conical cornea);
• You have severe dry eye disease;
• You have worn contact lenses within 1 week (soft lenses), 4 weeks (gas permeable hard lenses), or 6 weeks (conventional hard lenses) of the treatment - contact lens wear can cause temporary changes in your corneal shape making accurate assessment difficult. Some consultants may wish you to leave your contact lenses out prior to your pre-operative assessment, the practice manager will let you know when you book your appointment.
• If you have certain medical conditions, such as diabetes mellitus, SLE, rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue disorder or other auto-immune disease, you will need to be assessed carefully for suitability.