Is LASIK Permanent?
LASIK, the most popular form of laser vision correction, was first approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration just over twenty-five years ago. Since then, millions of patients in the U.S, once dependent on eyeglasses or contact lenses, have been able to significantly reduce their dependency on visual aids after choosing LASIK surgery.
LASIK is permanent, safe, and corrects your refractive error, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Understanding how the eye functions and how LASIK works will help you make the right decision to improve your sight.
Keep reading to learn more about LASIK and if it is permanent!
What Are Refractive Errors?
If your vision without glasses or contact lenses is blurry and you are under the age of forty, you likely have a refractive error. Refraction is the bending of light rays as they pass through the lens of your eye.
The eye’s lens focuses light on your retina, a thin layer of light-sensitive cells at the back of your eye. The retina translates light into signals carried along the optic nerve to the brain, which interprets these signals as visual images.
If the light does not fall properly on the retina, vision quality will be blurry. The shape of your eye can prevent the light from accurately focusing on your retina.
When this happens, it’s called refractive error. Your eye doctor can diagnose a refractive error at your annual eye exam.
Besides permanent laser vision correction, refractive errors are commonly corrected through the use of glasses and contact lenses.
Types of Refractive Errors
Three types of refractive errors can usually be corrected by LASIK surgery.
Myopia or nearsightedness is when distant objects appear blurry
Hyperopopia or farsightedness is when close objects appear blurry
Astigmatism affects both distant and close-up vision, making objects blurry.
What Does LASIK Do?
LASIK reshapes the cornea, the dome-shaped transparent protective outer layer of the eye. An eye surgeon creates a flap in the cornea, then uses a laser to reshape the cornea, which corrects your natural refractive error.
The result is permanent vision correction. You will be able to significantly reduce your dependence on glasses and contact lenses and experience visual freedom.
However, as you get older, your near vision may become blurry due to other changes in your eye. An eye condition known as presbyopia is a natural part of the eye’s aging process.
This eye condition affects the lens of the eye, not the cornea, and can cause blurry vision up close. This form of refractive error commonly begins in your early to mid-forties.
Although LASIK cannot prevent vision changes due to other eye conditions, you will be able to enjoy the effects of LASIK for a lifetime! To determine if you are a candidate for LASIK, you must first visit your eye doctor for a consultation.
Do you want to learn if you may be a candidate for the LASIK procedure? Schedule a LASIK consultation at Vermont Eye Laser in Burlington, VT, today!
