Imagine being able to make it through your day without wearing glasses or contact lenses. That’s the goal of LASIK, or Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, surgery. The procedure can virtually cure some vision problems by changing the shape of your eye and the way it processes light. LASIK produces results so dramatic that it has a 96% patient satisfaction rate, the highest of any elective surgical procedure.
If you’re considering LASIK surgery, it’s important to consult with eye professionals who have extensive training and experience performing this delicate procedure. The providers at Pacific Eye include highly trained physicians whose services include expert LASIK surgery for residents of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara in California.
The professional staff at Pacific Eye has the expertise necessary to help you obtain the best possible results from LASIK surgery. Read on to learn five important reasons you should consider this life-changing procedure as a solution for your vision problems.
Reason #1: Permanent improvement
In a normal eye, light rays enter through your cornea and your lens. The light then focuses directly onto the retina at the back of your eye. The retina changes these light rays into messages that the optic nerve carries to your brain. Your brain reads these messages to produce the images you see.
Refractive errors, including hyperopia (farsightedness), myopia (nearsightedness), and astigmatism result when the shape of your eye doesn’t allow light to focus properly on the retina. The retina receives incomplete or inaccurate information, which the brain interprets as blurry images. Glasses or contact lenses can temporarily correct refractive errors because they alter the way the light enters the cornea and focuses on the retina.
During LASIK surgery, your physician uses a laser to reshape your cornea, permanently changing the way light focuses on your retina and eliminating any imperfections.
Reason #2: Proven results
LASIK surgery has a solid track record for safety and effectiveness. The procedure is FDA-approved and has been in use for more than 20 years. Specially-trained physicians perform about 700,000 LASIK procedures annually. In all, about 10 million Americans have had LASIK surgery since the FDA first approved this procedure in 1998.
With an extensive history of success, up to 99% of LASIK patients achieve at least 20/40 vision as a result of the procedure. Up to 90% of patients achieve 20/20 vision. Improved screening procedures and advances in laser technology have made complications rare.
Reason #3: Convenience
Since LASIK’s results occur from physical changes to your eye, you can enjoy the convenience of improved vision 24/7. For most patients, this means less dependence on corrective lenses, meaning little to no use of glasses or contact lenses.
The convenience of corrected vision without lenses can be significant. You’ll have precise vision for all types of recreational and professional activities without the discomfort of wearing glasses or the worry of where you left them if you take them off. You’ll save time and money if you don’t have to replace glasses and/or contact lenses.
Reason #4: Quick results
You typically don’t need bandages or stitches with LASIK surgery. While you won’t be permitted to drive yourself home after the procedure, you won’t need much downtime. You’ll likely return to your normal schedule a couple of days after your procedure. While every patient reacts differently, you may see significant results in as quickly as 24 hours after surgery.
Reason #5: Increase self-confidence
If you were bothered by the way you looked with eyeglasses, you’ll have more opportunities to work and play without them after LASIK surgery. While an improved appearance may not be your primary goal, living without eyeglasses can give you an increased sense of self-confidence if you look and feel your best.
LASIK surgery can also give you the chance to use your new attitude to pursue activities or careers unavailable to people with less than perfect vision. Jobs that require perfect vision such as airline pilots, paramedics, lifeguards, firefighters, police officers, and some military positions, may now be within reach with your improved vision.
Find out if LASIK surgery may be right for you. Schedule an appointment online or call one of our offices in San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Paso Robles, Lompoc, or one of our two locations in Santa Maria.
