LASIK surgery has gained popularity over the last several years. It has proven to be an effective way to permanently improve your eyesight by correcting defects. Patients who have undergone LASIK surgery have no longer needed to wear glasses and contact lenses. But if you are someone who is considering LASIK surgery, you must be wondering what the risks of LASIK surgery are or what the benefits of this surgery might be. This blog will give you the answers you need. 

We have previously written about how LASIK surgery can improve your eyesight and how you never have to wear glasses or contact lenses ever again. So without further ado, let’s dive into the key benefits of LASIK.

The Benefits of LASIK Eye Surgery

Here are the key benefits of LASIK eye surgery: 

1. Quick surgery with immediate results: The LASIK procedure itself only takes about 15 minutes and within 15 days of the surgery, your sight will be restored to normal. Of course, you don’t actually have to wait for the full 15 days — within 24 hours of the surgery you will have improved vision. But the complete restoration of vision takes 15 days. During this time you might have some restrictions like avoiding direct sunlight and avoiding swimming, but otherwise you can go about your daily life as usual. 
2. You save money in the long run: LASIK surgery can feel like a major investment and this is often cited as a reason by some people for avoiding it. The truth is, however, that you end up saving a lot of money in the long run. The time, money and energy that you would have to spend on frames, lenses, contacts, contact solution, and optometrist appointments for the rest of your life can be all saved by just getting this one-time surgery done. 
3. A hassle-free lifestyle and self-confidence: Glasses and contact lenses can be an eye-sore — pun intended! Wearing them can decrease your self-confidence and just be a drain on your time and energy. When you misplace your glasses, you are not able to live your normal life and you are not able to be there for your loved ones at home or perform well at work. So the biggest benefit of LASIK is that you will get your life back. You will no longer have to worry about glasses and lenses, and you will be able to live your life to the fullest. 
4. LASIK surgery is pain-free: When people hear LASIK involves a laser, they assume that the surgery is painful. This is far from the truth. At most, you will feel a slight irritation in your eye during the surgery. In most cases, patients do not even require bandages or stitches and can get back to their normal life within 24 hours. 
5. Low risk, high satisfaction: A 2015 study to evaluate the subjective quality of vision and patient satisfaction after LASIK surgery found that a total of 98.5% of patients were satisfied or very satisfied with their surgery, and 98.5% considered their main goal for surgery was achieved. 79% of those patients said they had less difficulty driving at night. The chances of complications is also very less and any complications that do occur are minor and can be fixed easily. 

All in all, there is enough reason to go for LASIK surgery without worry. But it helps to be aware of some of the potential risks as well. 

The Risks of LASIK Eye Surgery 

There are no significant risks associated with LASIK surgery as such and any issues that come up can be treated easily. Here are some that you should be aware of: 

1. Dry eyes: Post-surgery, there can be dryness of the eyes for a few weeks. This happens because the surgery causes a drop in production of tears. This temporary problem can be solved easily with the use of eyedrops. 
2. Glare, halos and double vision: There is the possibility of difficulty in seeing clearly for a week or two after surgery because your eye takes some time to heal fully. During this time, you might experience increased light sensitivity, glare, halos around bright lights or double vision. These will stop once your eye has healed fully. 
3. Under-corrections: This is a rare occurrence and more of a surgical error. The laser might remove too little tissue from your eye which means you will not get the expected results. Under-corrections happen with people who are nearsighted and another LASIK procedure can correct this issue.
4. Over-corrections: On the other extreme, with far-sighted people, it is possible to have overcorrections. These rare errors happen when the laser removes too much of the tissue in the eye. These are harder to correct. 
5. Regression: This happens when your vision slowly reverts back to your original prescription. However, this is a very rare complication. 
6. Vision loss or changes: Very rarely, complications during the surgery might result in loss of vision or a decreased clarity of vision. However, with an experienced ophthalmologist and reputed eye hospital, you don’t have to worry about this happening.

Pre-Existing Conditions That Increase Risk

Certain pre-existing health conditions can increase the risks associated with LASIK surgery or increase the chances of complications. Of course, your doctor will ask for your medical history and understand your health situation fully before proceeding with the surgery. They might suggest that you do not go ahead with the surgery if you have:

• A weak immune system due to taking certain medications
• Dry eyes, indicating an issue with your tear ducts
• Recent changes in your vision due to medications, hormonal changes, pregnancy, breast-feeding or age
• Autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis
• Injuries or diseases related to the eye, including uveitis, herpes simplex, glaucoma or cataracts

LASIK surgery is to be avoided if you suffer from: 

• an eye disease that makes the cornea to thin and bulge
• severe nearsightedness
• very large pupils or thin corneas
• age-related blurry vision 

As you can see, the benefits of LASIK surgery are significant and the risks are minimal. Experienced ophthalmologists will always ensure that they understand your medical profile and take all the measures necessary to ensure you have a safe and successful surgery. 

At Prasad Netralaya, over 3000 LASIK surgeries have been completed since 2013. Our experienced staff and state-of-the-art technology make us the best eye hospital in Mangalore to have your LASIK surgery done. Reach out to us and book an appointment to speak to our doctors right away. Take the first step towards perfect vision!