Is It Right For You LASIK Surgery
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Plato |
If you're tired of wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses, you may wonder whether LASIK surgery is right for you. LASIK surgery has a good track record and some people are satisfied with the results. However, LASIK surgery isn't the most appropriate vision-correction option for everyone, and it's not without risks.
LASIK surgery is a type of refractive eye surgery. During the procedure, an eye surgeon creates a flap in the cornea, and then uses a laser to reshape the cornea and correct focusing problems in the eye. LASIK surgery is most appropriate for people who have a moderate degree of:
- Nearsightedness (myopia), in which you see nearby objects clearly, but distant objects are blurry
- Farsightedness (hyperopia), in which you can see distant objects clearly, but nearby objects are blurry
- Astigmatism, which causes overall blurry vision
Wouldn't it be wonderful if a simple surgery could provide a simple quick fix? The challenge is that for many LASIK produces amazing results in the short term. But what many people fail to consider is the long term perspective. Recent studies raised further questions on the safety and efficacy of laser surgery for improving sight. And most patients do not recover 20/20 vision. The long-term view is not much better. Even for those who initially attain "perfect" 20/20 eyesight, the improvement diminishes for many after six months, requiring the use of glasses for such tasks as night driving or reading.
though the FDA is supportive of LASIK surgery,
their own website on LASIK surgery raises
the risks you should be aware of.