There’s the simple convenience of not having to fuss with contact lenses or glasses. Sure, you may be used to wearing glasses. And yes, you might even feel that the daily contact lenses routine isn't that bad. But can you imagine your life without those ‘inconveniences’?
Waking up in the morning and not having to fumble for your glasses to see your alarm clock
Going on your morning run without your glasses bouncing around on your face
Not having to worry about fogging up your glasses with temperature changes or hot drinks
LASIK is about more than just improving your vision for convenience sake. It's a way to make meaningful improvements in your quality of life. Let's take a look at why so many people have chosen LASIK, and how laser eye surgery can improve your enjoyment of the activities you love most.
For some, LASIK is a lifestyle choice: athletes, outdoor enthusiasts, boaters, private pilots – for all of these people, the vision correction procedure allows them to pursue their passion, where glasses or contacts might literally get in the way.
LASIK eye surgery is a very popular procedure in part because it is patient-friendly in a number of key areas. The procedure itself only takes about 15 minutes for both eyes, and the healing process begins quickly with little or no discomfort. It also doesn’t take long at all to start seeing positive results, and getting back to most of your favorite activities.
LASIK eye surgery is a one-time cost while glasses and contact lenses are an ongoing cost over a lifetime. If you were to do the numbers, you may want consider the following:
Glasses can be expensive, especially if you decide to purchase multiple pairs at a time for your different needs. They need to be replaced fairly often, which can be costly if they break unexpectedly.
Contact lens wearers have a monthly expense between the contact lenses, solutions, containers, etc. Plus they also must also purchase a pair of glasses to have on hand in case they need them.
If you purchase prescription sunglasses, they can be more costly than non-prescription sunglasses.
A recent review of more than 4,400 LASIK clinical studies conducted between 2008 and 2017 found patients are experiencing better visual outcomes than ever before. This vast data pool also showed the procedure has improved over time and, with the advent of modern technology and techniques, is among the safest and most effective surgical procedures. The LASIK scientific literature review also reports the global patient satisfaction rate has increased to more than 98 percent. People who’ve had LASIK seem to start out satisfied with the procedure, and stay that way over time. A recent three-year study showed that people who had LASIK were more satisfied with their vision than contact lens users, and that their satisfaction stayed high over time, while the satisfaction rate of contact lens users declined.
These findings are just some of the research that make LASIK one of the most studied elective procedures performed today. Over time, a tremendous about of clinical research into LASIK has been conducted – to date more than 7,000 peer-reviewed published studies, in fact – to confirm the procedure is both safe and effective. Results are overwhelmingly positive.
This post originally appeared on Katzen Eye.