There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding laser vision correction. You might find it tricky to discern what’s fact and what’s fiction.
To make an informed decision that aligns with your needs, it’s crucial to have an accurate understanding of vision-correction options like LASIK. Keep reading to learn about five common LASIK myths!
1. LASIK Surgery is Not Safe
As one of the most common elective surgeries worldwide, LASIK is a highly safe procedure. The success rate is equally high.
Complications are rare, only affecting a mere fraction of a percentage point of LASIK patients. Since it was first introduced over three decades ago, there has been a myriad of modern innovations in the field of laser vision surgery that have made it even safer and more effective.
Previously, the procedure required that LASIK surgeons use a blade by hand. Today, LASIK is completely bladeless, thanks to state-of-the-art technology.
In our office at Hayden Vision, we employ three of the most advanced lasers available: the Intralase femtosecond laser, the Wavelight Eye-Q excimer laser, and the ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q. These allow for an unparalleled degree of precision.
Our laser checks the exact position of your eye more than 400 times per second for ultimate accuracy.
2. LASIK is Only for Nearsighted People
LASIK can help nearsighted people, but it can help farsighted people and those with astigmatism too. When you have any of these refractive errors, your eye is unable to bend light correctly, resulting in blurry vision.
LASIK rectifies this by reshaping your cornea so that it can refract light properly. People with nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism can all enjoy life with reduced dependence on visual aids after LASIK.
It’s completely inaccurate to say that LASIK is reserved for only nearsighted individuals. At the same time, this does not mean that everyone will qualify for LASIK based on their prescription.
LASIK can treat a broad spectrum of prescriptions, but yours must still fall within its limits.
3. LASIK is Only for Young People
The FDA has approved LASIK for those who are eighteen and older. However, age alone will likely not be a qualifying factor in your LASIK candidacy.
While age itself is not a disqualifying factor, aging can affect your candidacy and whether LASIK can deliver the results you are looking for. Many people begin to experience presbyopia, or age-related farsightedness, in their forties.
Unfortunately, LASIK cannot correct presbyopia, although other procedures can. Other conditions associated with aging can also disqualify you from LASIK.
It’s good to remember that as long as your eyes are healthy and LASIK can help you reach your vision goals, age is typically not an issue! However, if you are older than fifty or sixty, other vision correction procedures may be better options for you.
4. LASIK Results are not Permanent
LASIK is a method of permanent vision correction. This is one of the many things that makes it so appealing.
Glasses and contacts are only temporary solutions, and they have their drawbacks. LASIK is meant to last a lifetime.
LASIK reshapes your cornea, and these changes are permanent. You will not have to worry about your eye somehow returning to its original, irregular shape.
One of the qualifying factors for LASIK is a stable prescription. This ensures that your results will be long-lasting.
You can breathe a sigh of relief as you leave your refractive error in the past. In rare cases, patients opt for follow-up enhancements to improve their vision.
It’s also important to note that LASIK will not prevent vision changes due to any other eye conditions you may develop in your life, such as cataracts.
5. LASIK is too Expensive
When deciding between glasses or contacts and LASIK, it’s important to weigh the costs. Price should be an important factor in any decision.
However, the truth is, despite its up-front cost, LASIK can be the more intelligent financial choice long term. As long as you wear glasses or contacts, you have to make consistent purchases to replenish your supply in order to maintain your vision.
Most people buy a new pair of glasses every couple of years, and contacts are needed even more often, especially if you choose ones for daily or weekly wear. On top of that, there are other costs like contact solution and cases, spectacle cleaner and wipes, prescription sunglasses, and more.
Over time, the costs of glasses or contacts exceed that of LASIK. In the long term, you are saving money by choosing LASIK, and at the end of the day, LASIK is an investment in your vision.
Would you like to experience the post-LASIK freedom of living with reduced dependence on glasses or contacts? Schedule your LASIK consultation at Hayden Vision in Evansville, IN, today!