Why LASIK?

Why choose LASIK?

A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE TREATMENT TO RESTORE NATURAL EYESIGHT

LASIK is the most common type of procedure among a family of laser vision correction approaches that includes surface laser treatments (PRK, LASEK) and SMILE.

The risks and benefits of all of these procedures are similar. All of these laser eye surgery treatments typically produce excellent results in the right patients and expert hands. Anything else you might hear are matters of degree.

Because most patients are suitable for LASIK, we’ll use this term throughout this website unless we intentionally wish to highlight the different types of laser eye surgery, at which time we’ll refer to them by name.

After LASIK, most patients enjoy vision that is similar to the eyesight they had in contact lenses and glasses before surgery, without the discomfort and limitations of activity. If you’d like to learn how LASIK works, check out our LASIK process page.

The benefits of LASIK

OVER 95% OF PEOPLE LOVE LASIK

Surveys of LASIK patients and a meta-analysis of over 3000 peer reviewed articles find that patient satisfaction ranges between 92 and 98 percent with many patients describing it as life-changing. Data over ten years of study find a patient satisfaction rate of 95.4%.

IS ANYONE UNSATISFIED?

Yes. Some people say their outcomes after LASIK results in a reduced quality of life. Some report pain after the procedure (although this is usually a known side-effect of PRK – a form of laser eye surgery that treats the surface of the eye).

Surgeons sometimes need to perform enhancement procedures on a small percentage (1 to 5%) of patients that are either over-corrected or under-corrected.

Some patients need to wear glasses and contact lenses again after treatment (although this is usually a result of aging eyes and different eye conditions that laser eye surgery did not intend to treat).

LASIK offers freedom from glasses and contact lenses

FREE YOUR EYES AND THE REST WILL FOLLOW

Although some people value the aesthetic benefits of no longer needing to wear glasses, the benefits of LASIK are mainly functional. LASIK aims to make you less dependent on glasses and contact lenses, helping you more easily lead an active lifestyle.

Eventually, by the time you reach your mid-forties, you will begin to notice the effects of presbyopia. Then, you’ll likely need reading glasses. This is unrelated to the problem that LASIK sought to treat (either nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism).

The effects of LASIK are permanent

THE IDEA THAT LASIK WEARS OFF IS A MISCONCEPTION

When we reshape the cornea, the results are permanent. Because it is not a piece of plastic, your eye may change over time like the other tissues in your body. That means you may need further treatment. This is not because the effects of LASIK wore off. It’s because your eye changed over time. It happens to everyone.

Some people confuse the age-related need for reading glasses (presbyopia) with the misconception that the effects of LASIK wear off. This is a myth. The results of LASIK are permanent. However, if you aren’t pleased with your results after the first treatment, we can improve them with further treatment at no extra cost. Additionally, when you develop presbyopia (as everyone will by 50 years of age), there is a successful procedure we can offer to correct this.

LASIK offers fast recovery

YOU’LL BE BACK IN ACTION THE NEXT DAY

One of the reasons LASIK surpassed the popularity of earlier forms of laser eye surgery (surface procedures like PRK and LASEK) is because LASIK patients see results moments after surgery. Often, their vision is as good as it was when wearing glasses or contact lenses within 24 hours.

In contrast, patients who have surface procedures take longer (up to three to six months for final results) to recover their visual acuity because it takes that long for the eye to return to normal after the swelling induced from the surface treatment.

Recovery speed when comparing LASIK and SMILE is not significantly different.

LASIK is painless

IT’S OVER BEFORE YOU KNOW IT

Another one of the most popular LASIK benefits is that it’s a painless procedure with only minor discomfort after the procedure.

In contrast, some patients who have had surface procedures report discomfort and pain following treatment that can persist from a few days to a week. Recovery time is still relatively short when put in perspective, but it’s longer than LASIK.

Patient discomfort when comparing LASIK and SMILE is not significantly different.

LASIK is safe

IT’S EVEN SAFER THAN CONTACT LENSES

Today, the scientific consensus is that LASIK is safe, and complications are rare. But, no surgery is without risk.

First, we avoid complications by screening patients so that we only select those suitable for the procedure. We recommend surface procedures to patients that present conditions that are less suitable for LASIK (e.g. thin corneas or a lifestyle that might put them at risk of eye trauma). We further ensure patients understand the benefits and potential risks of the procedure.

Patient safety when comparing the surface procedures, LASIK and SMILE, is not significantly different.

Surface procedures avoid the need to create a corneal flap, however, so this removes the possibility of flap complications. These types of complications are rare in LASIK but non-existent in PRK. With that said, although we are not creating a flap with PRK, more corneal haze may result post-operatively.