LASIK surgery is one of the most popular elective surgeries in the United States. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, you may have considered the procedure. Let’s take a closer look at LASIK Surgery.
LASIK is a surgical procedure that corrects refractive errors to reduce a person’s dependency on glasses or contacts. It is a common procedure that treats myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.
In the procedure, a machine-guided laser is used to change the shape of your cornea to correct vision problems caused by refractive errors. Refractive errors occur when your eye does not refract, or bend, light properly. As a result, your vision will appear blurry.
The goal of LASIK is to correct these errors and reduce your need for physical vision correction. In most cases, it is a successful procedure. In fact, about 90% of people who have LASIK end up with vision between 20/20 and 20/40 without glasses or contacts.
If you are considering LASIK, the first step is to discuss it with your eye care provider. They will assess your eyes and determine whether you are a candidate for the procedure. From there, you will discuss the specifics of the procedure as well the recovery and treatment process afterward.
You will be able to see after the surgery, however the final results won’t be apparent for a few months. One or two days after the surgery, you will have a follow-up appointment with your doctor to check to make sure there are no complications and that your eyes are healing properly. It is also recommended to plan for another follow-up within the first six months of getting the procedure, or when your doctor feels is best.
As with any surgery, there are risks. Before speaking with your vision care provider, it’s important to do research and ask questions to ensure that you are educated on all that LASIK entails.