Clarity and convenience are among the top benefits of LASIK. In the minds of most consumers, convenience is measured in part by how long the improved vision will last. Fortunately, patients who have freed themselves from glasses or contacts do not have to subject themselves to a lifetime of vision correction surgeries. With LASIK, one procedure is all that is necessary in most cases.
Below, trusted Bay Area ophthalmologist and corneal specialist Mark Mandel, MD, discusses how a life without lenses is within reach for the vast majority of adults.
Enduring Results
How permanent your LASIK results will be depends in part on your age, the stability of your prescription and your overall health. It is an urban myth that LASIK needs to be repeated every 10 years. However, the eyes continue to mature into your 20s, and so a LASIK procedure done at a very young age may be premature. Younger persons whose prescriptions need to be updated regularly should wait until their vision stabilizes for the best results.
Some patients who notice a slight regression at a later date may choose a LASIK enhancement procedure, which involves a minor reshaping of the cornea to correct for any vision changes. A recent study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology followed patients whose LASIK corrected for extreme myopia. Within 10 years of the initial procedure, just 6 percent chose a LASIK enhancement to tweak their vision.
In the few cases in which nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism eventually reappears after a LASIK procedure, it is unlikely you will ever return to your pre-surgical prescription.
As we age, most of us will develop presbyopia, the farsightedness that tends to make reading more difficult. Even with LASIK, you may need to use reading glasses at this point in your life. For some patients over 40, a modified form of LASIK called monovision LASIK can be performed to correct presbyopia.
If you would like to know more about the benefits of LASIK, we encourage you to schedule a personal consultation with Bay Area ophthalmologist Mark Mandel, MD. Contact Optima Eye by emailing us or calling 877-210-2020 ext. 3 today.
