LASIK: Is it the Best Answer or Not?

Filed in archive Risks and Problems on March 5, 2010

© bubblemonkey

Though LASIK refractive surgery, with its high tech approach and relatively low risk seems to be the best answer for getting the perfect vision you've always wanted, it's important to weigh all your options for vision correction.

Surgery is something you can never come back from-for though it's often possible to improve upon imperfect results with further surgical procedures, there's always a risk of irreparable damage with long term or permanent complications, leading inevitably to a lessened quality of life overall. The best time to ask questions, do research, and investigate statistics, doctors, procedures and the like is before getting refractive surgery, not after.

In future posts we'll be discussing patient advocacy and that small but important percentage of LASIK patients who have had severe complications, what those complications are, and how these patients have dealt with the struggle to restore their vision.

LASIK refractive surgery has helped many people achieve 20/20 or better vision and improved their quality of life-there's no doubt about it. But although the advantages may seem to outweigh the risks, a negative result is always a possibility, even if it's not a probability.

And remember, the only thing you risk with getting glasses is being called "four eyes".