The answer to this question is definitive: yes, it is safe. According to reports, over 95 percent of patients who did LASIK achieved their desired vision with no problems and complications. This is a good number, a testament to how the technology for laser vision correction has improved throughout the eyes.
But as with any other medical procedure, there are risks involved in a LASIK eye surgery. A lot of these risks are not long-term and are simply side effects to the procedure (and medical procedures do have its side effects). These risks are reduced if the patient undergoing the eye surgery is a good candidate to LASIK in the first place.
Nonetheless, while majority of LASIK patients don’t experience problems, risks and side effects do happen. Here are the common side effects and possible complications you need to know:
Dry eyes: The most common side effect of a LASIK surgery is dry eyes. Your eyes will feel somewhat gritty and, of course, may cause irritation. This side effect should last no longer than a few days, but some patients report experience the “gritty” feeling a few months after the operation. Nonetheless, prolonged drying of eyes after LASIK isn’t common. Doctors also prescribe eye drops to minimize this complication.
Glare and double vision: Hours after the surgery, you may experience difficulty seeing. You may notice glare in your eyesight. You may also see haloes around bright lights; you may even experience double vision. But this is only short term; a day after the surgery, this kind of side effect should have minimized and should not hinder your day-to-day schedule.
Over and under correction: For those asking Is lasik eye surgery safe, this is usually the primary concern. Though uncommon, it is possible for the result of the procedure to be less than ideal, often called residual refractive error. This usually happens, however, to patients with high prescription. Patients with very high prescription are not eligible for LASIK due to this reason. In case this happens, a follow-up procedure can fix the problem.
Regression: “Is LASIK eye surgery safe” is the most common questioned asked by possible candidates of the procedure. The second most common question is, “are the results long term?” LASIK results are meant to be long-term, but there are rare occasions when one’s eyesight regresses to its original state after some time. Additional surgery may be needed to further correct this.
At the end of the day, though, it is a generally well-regarded fact that the LASIK eye surgery is one of the safest medical procedures in modern surgery. In fact, it can be considered safer than having contact lenses in the long run — the effects of leaving your lenses in when you sleep or when you shower are more harmful than the possible side effects of LASIK.
Since it has been introduced during the 1990’s, a lot of improvements have been made to the procedure and its technology, making it the most convenient vision correction option out there.
Is LASIK eye surgery safe? Know how it works and browses through more info at https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/eye-institute/lasik/faq.aspx.
Is lasik eye surgery safe? No surgery is free of risk. Learn more about the things you need to consider before agreeing to an operation.