You know a lot of people who have already had lasik surgery, but you are not sure that it is right for you. What do you need to know before making an informed decision? Start with a good eye surgeon and set up an appointment for an examination. The doctor will be able to tell you whether or not you are a good candidate for lasik surgery.

There are many reasons why you may not be a good candidate and the doctor will explain these to you. Listen to him carefully and know that he has your best interest in mind. You may find that you have:

* An unstable prescription -- this means that your eye condition changes regularly.

* A severe refractive error -- to correct your extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness, it will require too much deep sculpturing and cornea reshaping.

* Large pupils -- if the pupil is too wide, then the laser beam will not be able to properly shape the eye.

* A thin cornea will not retain its structure and shape if the top layers of tissue are surgically removed.

* Abnoramally structured cornea -- this condition is not treatable with Lasik surgery.

* Pregnant or nursing -- these two conditions may change the measured refraction in your eye.

* Collagen vascular disease -- affects the collagen-containing connective tissue.

* Glaucoma or cataracts. These eye diseases may cause complications for laser surgery.

* Active herpetic keratitis -- a herpes infection in the eye.

* Diabetic retinopathy -- a potentially blinding complication of diabetes.

These are just a few of the reasons why you may not be a candidate for lasik surgery. You should be honest with the doctor and work with him and his staff to make sure that you have no hidden problems.

Make sure you go to a reputable eye surgeon and not a small medical center that may disappear in a few years. Check into their credentials-how many lasik surgeries have they performed, were there any malpractice suits against them, and ask the Better Business Bureau about them. The eyes you have are the only ones you get-a medical error would be disastrous.

You probably know someone who has already had the procedure done. Talk to them and see what they have to say-they have first-hand experience about what to expect and they may or may not recommend their eye surgeon.

If everything is okay, you will have your lasik surgery and go through your recovery period. It will take a few weeks for a complete recovery, but your eyes should get stronger and your vision clearer.

Take your time, think about your options and then make an informed decision about your lasik surgery. You may end up with 20/20 vision and never have to wear glasses or contact lenses again. Or, you may find out that you do not qualify for this surgery. Either way, you took the time to learn about the procedure and are a more informed consumer because of it.