Pros and Cons of Laser Eye Surgery — Discovering the Factors
If you’re dependent on glasses or contact lenses for day-to-day functioning, the idea of laser eye surgery can be very attractive. In fact, when discussing the pros and cons of laser eye surgery, that’s the main benefit that people are aiming for – to surgically fix their vision problems so that glasses and contacts can become a thing of the past.
Before undergoing any refractive operation on your eyes, it pays to understand the pros and cons of laser eye surgery beforehand.
How Laser Eye Surgery Works?
Laser eye surgery is a form of surgical vision correction, also known as refractive surgery. It aims to provide a permanent solution for vision problems requiring correction with glasses or contacts. These vision problems include myopia (short-sightedness), hyperopia (long-sightedness), astigmatism, and presbyopia.
All of these techniques are based on the premise of adjusting the curvature of the cornea, which is the transparent dome of tissue at the front of the eyeball.
Apart from the SMILE procedure, the other laser eye surgery methods involve using an excimer laser to vaporise precisely selected areas of corneal tissue, thereby modifying its shape and curvature. This corrects the way that light bends through the cornea, providing you with sharp sight.
Although it may sound perfect on paper, everything comes with advantages and limitations. So, what are the pros and cons of laser eye surgery?
The Pros and Cons of Laser Eye Surgery
While this list may be extensive, it is not exhaustive. Particularly when discussing risks and potential complications, some may be more relevant to you than others. It’s important to always discuss your individual circumstances with an eye care professional who knows your medical history before undergoing laser eye surgery.
The Pros
- You’re no longer dependent on optical aids such as glasses or contact lenses. This also eliminates all the difficulties that come with them – the cost of replacing your contacts, spectacle lenses that fog up or get smudged, broken or lost frames, and the effort of cleaning and maintaining your contacts.
- The procedure is fast and painless. Most laser eye surgery procedures can be over in as little as 15 minutes per eye. You will also feel very little during the operation due to effective topical anaesthesia applied to your eye.
- Recovery is typically fast. Some laser eye surgery techniques are associated with a faster recovery period than others; for example, PRK tends to have a slower healing process than LASIK. However, many people are often able to return to their usual activities within a week or two. This is dependent on your type of operation and whether your typical tasks involve any risk to your eyes as they recover, but the downtime is not usually considered significant.
- It can work out to be cheaper in the long term. People wearing contact lenses know that it adds up to no small amount over the years to continually purchase new lenses. This cost is greatest in people wearing daily disposable contacts every day. Although laser eye surgery is a larger upfront cost, many clinics offer payment options. Despite the larger upfront payment, you would eventually break even with the savings made from no longer purchasing contact lenses.
- Refractive surgery is associated with low rates of complications and high rates of success. Different surgeons will be able to provide their personal success rates. However, overall, this type of procedure is known to be typically safe and uncomplicated.
The Cons
- All surgery comes with a risk. Even though the risk is low, there is the potential for complications. Such complications can include prolonged discomfort and inflammation, infection, over-correcting the prescription, or under-correcting the prescription. There may also be risks specific to the type of procedure you have. For example, although LASIK is considered to be a very safe and effective operation, it comes with some unique flap-related complications, such as dislodgement.
- The correction of your vision problems may not be permanent. Due to various underlying factors, not all well-understood, some people experience a phenomenon called regression. Regression occurs when an eye begins to return toward its original prescription, even after having successful laser eye surgery. This regression can start as soon as a year or two after your operation. Not everyone experiences regression, but it is not possible to predict with accuracy who will and who won’t.
- Laser eye surgery won’t restore sight lost from other vision problems and diseases. Refractive surgery is only able to correct your refractive error; that is, blurry vision from needing a prescription. However, if your sight is limited from conditions such as amblyopia, retinal detachment, or an eye injury, laser vision correction won’t be able to fix this.
- The cost may be prohibitive for some. Despite payment plans, the fee for refractive surgery may be out of reach for some people. It can be easier to manage cash flow by staying in glasses and contact lenses.
- Dry eye is a potential side effect. Some techniques of laser vision correction are associated with lower risks of post-operative dry eye compared to others. However, people with severe dry eye may be advised to avoid laser eye surgery.
- Not everyone is eligible. Each laser surgery technique has its limitations, including what range of prescriptions it can treat and even what ages are recommended for these procedures.
For some, the pros of undergoing laser eye surgery may outweigh the cons. If you’re interested in refractive surgery, contact your trusted eyecare provider Eye Laser Specialists on (03) 9070 5788 about what may be recommended for you.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
References
The Pros and Cons of Laser Eye Surgery
https://www.optegra.com/eye-health-blog/laser-eye-surgery/the-pros-cons-of-laser-eye-surgery/
