   
Is LASIK Eye Surgery Permanent?
By Lisa Ross
Perhaps one of the most commonly asked questions by
people when considering LASIK eye surgery is whether or
not laser eye surgery is a permanent fix for their
vision problems.
For most people it's the thought of not ever having to
wear glasses or contacts again that they dream of.
However, the majority of people are skeptical that laser
vision correction will last forever.
So
is laser eye surgery permanent? The truth is, that is a
very difficult question to answer, as it is impossible
to make 100% guarantees about anything in life
especially when it comes to a surgical procedure. No
surgeon should ever make a guarantee that your vision
will remain perfect for life, and if you find one that
does be wary of them and get a second opinion.
Fortunately, LASIK eye surgery is a commonly practiced
procedure that has yielded many answers over the last 15
years that help to answer this question.
•
A
San Diego LASIK Eye Surgery specialist advised that on average only
5 to 10% of people who have undergone laser eye surgery
require re-treatment later in life. What this means
statistically is that for every 100 people who have
laser eye surgery, between five and 10 of those people
will need to have the procedure done again in their
lifetime. If you do require re-treatment within a
certain period of time, most clinics will perform the
re-treatment free of charge. It is important you check
with your local LASIK eye surgeon and understand their
policies regarding re-treatments carefully.
•
As far as re-treatment rates, they are normally
the same for both LASIK and LASIK eye surgery
procedures.
•
Strength of prescriptions tends to play a
significant role in re-treatment's. Meaning, Plus
prescriptions (eg. +4.00) and High prescriptions (eg.
over -4.00) are both more likely to require
re-treatments than their opposites.
•
The odds of your prescription regressing back to
what it was before you underwent LASIK eye surgery is
extremely slim. It is much more common for your
prescription to partially regress over time. For
example, if your prescription was -5.00 before laser eye
surgery, then your eyes may eventually regress to -1.00.
LASIK eye surgery is not an absolute guarantee to be
blessed with perfect vision permanently. However, the
chances that you will need a re-treatment is extremely
small but should be taken into account.
Furthermore, for those people whose prescription
regress, it is normally only a very small amount when
you compare it to your original prescription before you
underwent the surgery. It is always smart to clearly
understand both the risks and benefits when it comes to
surgical procedures. |
