How Long Does LASIK Last? Eye Surgery Procedure Explained

LASIK eye surgery is a popular procedure designed to correct your sight permanently. This means you can do away with your glasses and your contact lenses and enjoy sharp vision the moment you open your eyes in the morning. But how long does LASIK last for? Are the effects truly permanent for a lifetime? Keep reading to find out what you need to know about the LASIK procedure. 

LASIK Eye Surgery Explained

The LASIK procedure is just one of several types of vision-correcting operations, known collectively as refractive surgery. You may have also heard of other procedures such as PRK, SMILE, ICL, or RLE. 

When being assessed for LASIK eye surgery, your surgeon will first perform a comprehensive examination to ensure the LASIK procedure is the most suitable for you. This includes checking:

• Your prescription falls within the treatable range
• You have sufficient corneal thickness to undergo the LASIK procedure
• You’re within the age-appropriate limits
• Your best possible vision 
• Biometric measurements, such as the axial length of your eyeball 
• You have no other ocular or systemic conditions that can limit the success of LASIK eye surgery

During your pre-operative consultations, your surgeon will also have a discussion with you about your lifestyle factors, vocation, hobbies, and generally how you use your sight. At this point, you’ll also be provided quotes for your LASIK procedure and may be given some information about how long does LASIK last. 

The steps of the LASIK eye surgery operation are fairly straightforward. After your eye area is anaesthetised and sterilised, the surgeon will create a flap out of the top layers of corneal tissue. This can be performed by a bladed tool known as a microkeratome or by a femtosecond laser device. By opening this flap to one side, an excimer laser can be applied to the deeper tissues of the cornea. This process is known as photoablation, which involves using the laser to selectively vaporise areas of the cornea in order to modify its shape. By changing the curvature of the cornea, the passage of light is adjusted to focus on a clear point on the retina. After photoablation has been performed, the corneal flap is replaced. You’ll be sent home with protective plastic shields over your eyes and a list of post-operative care instructions. Aftercare appointments are typically made a day or two after the operation and again a few weeks after that. 

So, How Long Does LASIK Last?

Although LASIK eye surgery can offer permanent sight-correcting results, there are factors that can still cause your sight to change or deteriorate over time. This can mean you end up requiring another surgical treatment, or you may need glasses or contact lenses once more. Here are the main factors that can cause your sight to deteriorate after an initially successful LASIK eye surgery operation. 

You begin to experience presbyopia

Presbyopia is a very normal change to the eye involving a slow and gradual decline of your ability to focus on close objects. It occurs because the lens inside the eyeball begins to stiffen, meaning it becomes less able to adjust its shape to accommodate near focus. Although the results of your LASIK eye surgery may actually still be perfect, these types of procedures tend to only correct for far-distance vision. A successful LASIK operation has no bearing on the onset or progression of presbyopia, which is a normal age-related change to your sight. Most people begin to notice the effects of presbyopia around their mid-40s, which is why your surgeon has an age limit for performing LASIK. Although you may still enjoy a sharp long-distance sight, you will eventually find yourself relying on reading glasses for close work. 

You develop an eye disease

Needing a glasses prescription is not the only thing that can affect your sight. Diseases, disorders, or injuries to your eyes can cause changes to your vision, whether irreversible or treatable. One of the most common conditions you will encounter, particularly with age, is cataract. Undergoing successful LASIK does not prevent you from developing cataracts, which can cause your sight to become blurry and hazy.

Infections or injuries that cause corneal or retinal scarring can also have profound effects on your vision, as can other diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma. Some of these conditions, such as cataract, can easily be treated with an operation to restore your sight, while others result in irreversible vision loss. 

You undergo regression

Regression is a phenomenon that isn’t fully understood. It occurs when a prescription begins to return after having had a successful refractive operation, such as LASIK. You may not return all the way to your original prescription, but you may find yourself slowly becoming short-sighted (myopic) or long-sighted (hyperopic) again. This regression of your prescription can occur as quickly as within a year, while others may last for much longer before finding their sight slowly blurring. 

More research is still needed to understand why and how regression occurs and how to prevent it from happening. At the moment, doctors know that factors such as a very high prescription or thinner residual corneal thickness post-operatively can be a risk factor for experiencing regression. Many surgeons will offer a complimentary retreatment procedure within a year or two of the original operation. Not everyone will be suitable for retreatment, and if you are, it may need to be a different technique, such as PRK. 

Call us on (03) 9070 5788 today.

Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.   

References

Factors predicting the need for retreatment after laser refractive surgery.
https://journals.lww.com/corneajrnl/Abstract/2016/05000/Factors_Predicting_the_Need_for_Retreatment_After.5.aspx 

How long does LASIK last?
https://www.healthline.com/health/eye-health/how-long-does-lasik-last