Is LASIK Permanent?

September 13th, 2018

LASIK is a life-changing experience and has been for millions of people worldwide. There is a lot of confusion surrounding the topic of LASIK.

One common misconception about LASIK is that you will need to have LASIK again. This is false. LASIK is a permanent solution for vision correction. Unless your vision changes because of outside forces like presbyopia, cataracts or eye injuries, LASIK is permanent. This is because of how LASIK works. Keep reading to learn more about why LASIK is permanent!

LASIK Reshapes Your Cornea

LASIK fixes refractive errors by correcting the way light travels through your cornea. Your LASIK surgeon changes the shape of your cornea. The change is imperceptible to the human eye, but it makes all the difference to your sight.

When light goes through your cornea it focuses on the tissue on the back of your eye- the retina. The retina senses the light by sending an electrical impulse through the optic nerve. This impulse is then sent to your brain.   

If your cornea is not shaped correctly, the light will focus in front of or behind the retina. This causes nearsightedness or farsightedness. Advanced wave-front technology is used to map out the best way to reshape your cornea.

Other LASIK Myths

The permanence of LASIK is not the only misconception surrounding the subject. There are plenty of other myths that come from lack of knowledge of the procedure and fear. Here are a few examples:

• I’ll always have glare and dry eye after LASIK. LASIK side effects are not permanent in most cases. While you may experience side effects during recovery, most symptoms are temporary. They usually disappear within a few months or weeks. To keep side effects at bay, make sure you attend all follow-up appointments at Dr. Danny Lee’s office!
• LASIK is too new to tell if there is any permanent damage from it. LASIK has been FDA approved for over 20 years! Since becoming FDA approved, LASIK technology has improved. The procedure is common and is performed on millions of patients every year. LASIK has a 96% success rate, making it one of the most popular procedures.
• Everyone can get LASIK if they can afford it. Some people are not suited for the surgery. To be a good LASIK candidate means you can’t be pregnant, younger than 18 years old, and be in good health. You must also have thick enough corneas. If you are not a candidate for LASIK, there are other vision correction procedures. Before getting LASIK, you will undergo a LASIK consultation. In this consultation, you’ll have an extensive and comprehensive eye exam. If you don’t qualify for LASIK, this is when your LASIK surgeon will tell you. They may recommend other vision correction procedures instead!

You may still have a lot of questions about the surgery, which is great! You can ask them and learn what you need to know about LASIK by scheduling a consultation at Laser Eye Center with Dr. Lee in Decatur, AL! Don’t let myths stand in your way of clear vision!