LASIK May Not Be What You Think

LASIK has become one of the leading vision-restoring procedures to date. Statistics demonstrate that 98% of the patients who undergo LASIK can regain the 20/20 vision they once enjoyed. Even with all of this success over years of use, and the millions of procedures that have been performed over a 20-year period, there continue to be some pretty significant misconceptions about the procedure. We’d like to put some of the myths to rest. Doing so may enable you to move forward with the treatment you’ve wanted but too uncertain to get.

LASIK cannot be performed if you have astigmatism.

To have astigmatism merely means that the spherical curvature of one or both of your eyes has deviated from the norm. To successful form clear imagery, the cornea needs to have a round curve. Astigmatism is more oval, described as a football-shape. LASIK has been performed successfully on many cases of astigmatism, even severe degrees.

LASIK is not for you if you’re farsighted.

This laser eye procedure is suitable for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Each of these vision problems is associated with the curvature of the eye, so the reshaping of the cornea that takes place during a LASIK procedure is an appropriate approach for many patients.

LASIK is not suitable to correct severe vision disruption.

Many people believe that their prescription is too strong for their vision to be improved just by reshaping the cornea. LASIK has been performed on some of the most severe prescriptions, and patients have been very happy with their results.

Night glare will be the norm after LASIK.

Night glare used to be a potential side effect of the LASIK procedure. Of course, gaining better daytime vision may not feel so advantageous if it costs you the ability to drive at night. Since the 1990s, when LASIK was first developed, the technique and technology used in this procedure have been refined. Instances of night glare have decreased from 20% to less than 1%.

We make good vision our business. Get the straight facts about LASIK and how it can help you gain more out of life. Call the Eye Institute of Houston at (713) 668-7337.