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Imagine taking the kids to the cottage for skimboarding, swimming, and fishing and never needing to waste time wiping lake water from your glasses, or changing out your disposable contacts. While LASIK can give you near-perfect vision for days like these, taking the “plunge” into LASIK can be challenging if there are concerns about your corneal thickness.

To help you navigate the ocean of misinformation around corneal thickness for LASIK, we’ll debunk six myths below so that you can dive into this transformative procedure with facts in hand.

Your Cornea Thickness & LASIK: What Is It & Why Does It Matter?

Your cornea is the clear, dome-shaped portion of your eye that helps you see clearly. It bends and refracts light rays onto the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye called the retina. Composed of 5 layers of cells and tissue, the average cornea thickness is 540 microns (0.54 millimeters) but varies across individuals. For being such an important part of your vision, it’s astonishing that your cornea is only half the thickness of a credit card!

The thickness of the cornea for LASIK matters, as it helps determine your eligibility for LASIK surgery. LASIK involves reshaping the cornea to correct refractive errors, which is accomplished by creating a flap and removing some corneal tissue in the underlying layers.

5 Myths About Cornea Thickness & LASIK That Cause Confusion

1. Myth: Thinner Corneas Are More Prone to Complications.

  • Fact: LASIK complications are not directly related to corneal thickness but rather to the quality of the cornea tissue and healing process. As long as the cornea maintains structural integrity, there’s no increased complication risk. A thinner cornea doesn’t equate to a weaker cornea.

2. Myth: Thicker Corneas Are Better Because They Allow for More Correction Room.

  • Fact: Just because you have thicker corneas doesn’t mean you’ll have a better LASIK outcome. The LASIK cornea’s thickness may create a situation where the laser cannot penetrate deep enough to get an optimal result. Additionally, thicker corneas may be more prone to inflammation and swelling, which impacts healing and the final vision quality.

3. Myth: If Corneal Thickness for LASIK is Too Thin/Thick, You Have No Other Vision Correction Options.

  • Fact: You’re not SOL if you don’t qualify for LASIK due to cornea thickness. Other refractive surgeries like SMILE, PRK, LASEK, and implantable contact lenses can accommodate different corneal thicknesses but have unique benefits and drawbacks.

4. Myth: You Can Increase/Decrease Corneal Thickness With Drops, Exercise, or Supplements.

  • Fact: As much as we’d all love to be able to take a supplement or administer eye drops and magically have thicker corneas, our medicine just isn’t this advanced. Corneal thickness for LASIK is primarily determined by genetics, and the only meaningful way to change it is through surgery.

5. Myth: Cornea Thickness Is The Only Factor That Determines LASIK Suitability.

  • Fact: While corneal thickness is crucial, it’s not the only one. Your pupil size, tear production, eye health history, prescription, stability, expectations, and goals are all factors discussed before being green-lit as a candidate for LASIK

Ready for crystal clear vision? Our LASIK experts at Magruder Laser Vision can help you understand your corneal thickness and determine if LASIK is right for you. Book an appointment today!