If you’ve lived most of your life relying on glasses or contacts to see, laser eye surgery may sound like a dream come true. For many, many people, it is.
LASIK can reduce your dependency on glasses or other visual aids. But will LASIK completely eliminate the need for glasses altogether?
It can, but there are a few things to consider. Keep reading to find out if you may need glasses after LASIK!
Efficacy of LASIK
LASIK is a highly effective procedure. The goal of LASIK is to improve a patient’s vision by reshaping their cornea.
95% of patients achieve 20/40 vision or better. 80% achieve 20/20 vision or better. Now, these numbers are high, but they aren’t 100%.
No LASIK surgeon can guarantee that LASIK will be 100% effective. The chances are high, but it isn’t a sure thing.
There are factors that make it more likely that the surgery will be effective. Before you get LASIK, you want to make sure that you’re a good candidate.
Reputable surgeons will use a screening processing to operate on suitable LASIK candidates. If your corneas are too thin, your pupils too large, or your prescription unstable, LASIK may not be effective.
In fact, these factors may even make LASIK dangerous to undergo. But a good surgeon will be able to honestly tell you if you’re a good candidate or not.
The main thing you should look for when considering LASIK is a good LASIK surgeon. Many less-than-effective LASIK surgeries are the result of an inexperienced or disreputable surgeon.
Doing your research will make it much easier to choose an experienced surgeon. An experienced surgeon will screen out 10-20% of LASIK patients.
These are the things that will make you more likely to have a safe and effective LASIK procedure.
Long-Term Results
You may have heard that LASIK surgery only works for a few years. This is false.
LASIK permanently reshapes your eye. The tissue that’s removed doesn’t grow back.
Reshaping the tissue and removing it is what allows your vision to change. This is why it’s best to have LASIK only if you have a stable prescription.
If your prescription changes after you have LASIK, your eyesight will change. LASIK only works to shape your eye to a certain prescription, so it doesn’t change to adjust to worsening vision.
This is why some people perceive LASIK as being temporary. As we get older, our vision tends to change.
LASIK does not prevent these changes. That may mean you have to wear glasses when you get older even if you have had LASIK.
Age-Related Conditions
Once you turn 40, you’re more likely to develop conditions like presbyopia or cataracts. Presbyopia is especially common and can make it harder to see up close.
Many people need reading glasses as they get older, regardless of if they’ve had surgery. There are solutions for presbyopia and cataracts that don’t involve reading glasses.
You can still have cataract surgery and get a premium intraocular lens. Intraocular lenses (IOLs) can allow you to see up close without the aid of reading glasses.
Having surgery doesn’t prevent you from these common age-related vision correcting procedures.
Thinking about LASIK? Schedule a consultation at Ellis Eye in San Francisco, CA and find out if you’re a LASIK candidate!
