Is Lasik Eye Surgery Worth the Risk?

Living with a common vision problem such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism can truly be a pain to deal with. From blurry vision to double vision, headaches, and even night driving issues, coping with consistent eyesight issues can impact every area of your life and leave you searching for relief. While eyeglasses and contact lenses are viable options to manage your vision condition(s), many people long for the day when they can put their daily eyewear away for good.

Is undergoing Lasik eye surgery the best option for you?

What is Lasik Eye Surgery?

Lasik is considered to be the most commonly performed laser eye surgery used to correct everyday vision problems and eyesight issues. The procedure utilizes a highly specialized laser that is specifically designed to improve vision, reduce or eliminate the need for corrective eyewear, and treat refractive errors impacting a person’s vision. The procedure works by reshaping the cornea to enable light entering the eye to be properly focused onto the retina for clearer vision.

Lasik Eye Surgery Risks

Like any surgery, there are inherent risks associated with Lasik and the impact the procedure can have on your eyesight. While research has shown that serious complications are rare, there is a small percentage of people who experience real and persistent issues after the surgery. Some of the identified temporary complications can include:

• Scratchiness and dry eye
• Glare, halos or starbursts around light
• Light sensitivity
• Difficulty with night vision
• Discomfort or pain

Being aware of the potential risks is important before making the decision to undergo any surgery. As for Lasik, over 300 peer-reviewed studies show that, on average, 95% of patients who undergo the procedure report being satisfied with the outcome.¹

That being said, there is a small percentage of patients who have experienced the above-mentioned symptoms for an extended period of time, and an even smaller percentage that say their symptoms became permanent.

Lasik Eye Surgery Side Effects

Negative side-effects associated with Lasik surgery are rare, but they do occur.

While dry eye may present as a temporary risk, Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis (or DLK) can cause severe eye damage if left untreated. A person experiencing this issue typically experiences an itch in their eye, causing the area to look hazy and cloudy, eventually swelling and even scaring the cornea.

In addition, significant loss of vision has been reported in a small percentage of cases, as well as other “flap complications,” which occur when the actual procedure is not performed correctly and does not adhere properly to the eyes’ surface. Some of these flap complications include:

• Irregular astigmatism – Caused by an unequally curved corneal surface, or from laser correction that is not centered correctly on the eye
• Keratectasia – Bulging of the eye surface that can occur if too much tissue is removed from the cornea during Lasik
• Epithelial ingrowth – When cells from the outer layer of the cornea grow under the flap after the surgery

Lasik Eye Surgery Recovery

The average recovery time for each person can vary. However, most people undergoing the procedure will experience mild sensitivity to light, puffy eyelids, itching, and even some burning sensations for about four hours following the surgery. Due to these typical symptoms, it is common to receive a mild sedative following Lasik in order to ease the discomfort.

It is best to rest your eyes and even nap during this initial recovery phase to allow the body to heal and manage any experienced pain. After the initial two- to four-hour recovery period, having redness and even dark red spots on the whites of the eyes for several days is perfectly normal. Similar to bruising after a surgery, it may take several days – or even a few weeks – for these spots to disappear completely.

How Much is Lasik Eye Surgery?

The cost of the surgery can vary depending on the extent of your vision issues and the experience level of your eye surgeon. On average, Lasik can run between $1000 and $3000 per eye, which can include the actual surgery, post-operative care, and follow-up surgeries if additional corrections are needed.

As in all cases, it is important to discuss the cost and included services prior to committing to any surgery or procedure to ensure a stress-free and positive experience.

Comprehensive LASIK Eye Surgery Consultation and Care in Mount Vernon, Ohio

Do you want to learn more? Even if you’re not ready to commit to Lasik, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by simply exploring Lasik corrective eye surgery further.

The best place to start is by getting an in-depth analysis of your vision health. While iCare Vision does not perform Lasik surgeries, we can help you learn whether or not you’re a good candidate for the procedure and walk you through the ins and outs of Lasik.

When you start your corrective eye surgery journey with us – eye care experts with no financial stake in your procedure and completely unbiased recommendations – we’ll only suggest procedures that will help make your life and vision better.