Risks and Benefits of LASIK Eye Surgery

All surgeries have risks and benefits that are associated with them. LASIK surgery is no exception. Although it is an elective surgery you should speak with a surgeon to fully understand what you will be getting yourself into. Although few patients have serious complications there are milder side effects and complications that can occur as a result of a LASIK eye surgery.

Of course the benefits are that you should have better vision on the other side of the procedure. While you may still have to wear glasses your vision will have improved dramatically if all goes well. In addition to this, although LASIK is not a cheap surgery option you will be saving yourself the cost of new eyeglasses or contact lenses and new prescription updates. While you will still need to see an eye doctor on a regular basis there will not be a need to go as frequently as glasses or contact lens users. And if you don’t have to wear glasses after the procedure there will be no further need to replace lost or broken glasses or change frames for a more fashionable eyeglass frame.

While those are the advantages and the benefits that come along with having LASIK eye surgery, there are risks and complications as well. Less than one percent of patients experience significant complications. Statistically your chances are very good of not having major complications. However, your eyes are a vital organ that you use every day and so the risks should not be taken lightly. You may develop glare, halos, and/or double vision after the procedure that can seriously affect your nighttime vision. Some patients lose lines of vision on the vision chart that cannot be corrected with glasses, contacts or surgery.

Some patients develop severe dry eye syndrome. As a result of the surgery your eye may not be able to produce enough of its own tears to keep the eye moist and comfortable. This causes discomfort and can also reduce visual quality due to blurring or other visual symptoms. This condition may be permanent and intensive drop therapy and use of plugs ore other procedures may be required.

After you have the surgery performed if you are farsighted, the level of your improved vision may diminish as you get older. This can occur if your manifest refraction (a vision exam with lenses before dilating drops) is very different from your cycloplegic refraction (a vision exam with lenses after dilating drops). And while it seems that LASIK has been around a while the first laser approved for LASIK eye surgery was only approved in 1998. This means that the long-term effectiveness of LASIK surgery is not known yet. Patients should also expect to experience some side effects after the surgery, including some that are considered to be more severe complications. You should talk to your surgeon about all of these concerns before and after the surgery.

To learn more about LASIK as well as CK (conductive keratoplasty), cataracts and cataract surgery, PRK, glaucoma treatment, and other eye care options, it is important to visit our laser vision correction office near Tacoma and Gig Harbor.