You’ve worn glasses or contacts forever, and frankly, you’re tired of the hassle. You want to see clearly from the second you wake up in the morning till the moment you drift to sleep at night. But if you`re considering Lasik, you probably have some questions like, “Will I be laid up for days?” “Will it hurt?” And: “What are the odds it`ll work?” Before you go under the laser, here are a few things you should know.
How is Lasik done?
After your eye surgeon applies numbing drops, he makes an incision in the cornea and lifts a thin flap. Then a laser reshapes the corneal tissue underneath, and the flap is replaced. “The patient can see very quickly,” says Doctor. G.N.Qureshi the medical director of laser eye institute Pakistan. “You get off the table and think, `Wow.`”
Who can get the procedure?
Lasik is used to treat the common vision problems nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. To find out if you’re a good candidate for the surgery, see an ophthalmologist for an eye exam. “You need to make sure your cornea is uniform, you don’t have severe dry eye or other eye conditions, and your prescription is stable,” explains Dr. G.N.Qureshi.
Lasik can also be used to fix presbyopia—that maddening effect of aging that makes it harder to focus close-up—but you need to have one eye corrected for near vision and the other for distance. This technique, called Monovision Lasik
What`s the success rate?
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 90% of Lasik patients end up with vision somewhere between 20/20 and 20/40.
There`s a chance you will still need to use corrective lenses sometimes: A 2013 survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center found that more than 50% of people who get Lasik or other laser vision-correction surgery wear glasses or contacts at least occasionally. Still, 80% of the survey respondents reported feeling “completely” or “very satisfied” with their procedure.
How long will I be out of commission?
You will need someone to drive you home after the procedure, but you can go back to work the very next day.