LASIK Questions Surgeons Want You To Ask (Part Two)
As we mentioned in our first post, we polled several refractive surgeons about the questions they wish patients would ask about vision correction procedures, the most well-known being LASIK. In this article, we continue the series of questions to ask a LASIK surgeon with a focus on what happens after LASIK.
Q: What is recovery from LASIK like?
A: For the majority of patients, LASIK recovery is very fast, and you’ll be able to resume most of your normal activities within a day or two. You will be instructed to take it easy, rest, and be diligent about sticking to your schedule of eye drop medications. Typically, the first few hours, up to a day or two, after the topical anesthesia wears off, your eyes may feel slightly irritated, sensitive, or dry. Other potential symptoms you may experience after surgery include halos around your eyes at night, tearing eyes, puffy eyelids, and sensitivity to light. These should all diminish within a week. While these initial symptoms resolve quickly, the total healing period takes a little longer, typically from 3-6 months, during which time your vision will gradually improve.
Q: There are many surgeons who perform LASIK. How do I decide which one is the best for me?
A: One of the most important decisions you will make is the eye doctor you choose to perform your LASIK surgery. It’s essential to find a refractive surgeon you feel comfortable with and who you trust. When considering a vision correction procedure, you want to feel confident in the skill and expertise of your surgeon. Look for a qualified surgeon who is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and has lots of experience with the procedure. He or she should be eager to answer all of your questions and help educate you so you can make an informed decision. This should include making you fully aware of the risks and benefits to make the choice that is right for you.
Q: Will I ever need to wear glasses again in the future?
A: LASIK permanently reshapes the cornea to correct the vision you had at the time of surgery. However, once you hit your 40s, many people may find it harder to focus on objects close up. This is what’s known as presbyopia, which is a condition affecting the lens of the eye, different than the cornea where most vision correction procedures take place. With presbyopia, the lens inside the eye becomes less elastic and can no longer change shape to bring things in the near vision field of vision into focus clearly. Presbyopia affects everyone and is part of the natural aging process. You may eventually find you need eyeglasses for reading and close work. If you have LASIK, it won’t prevent presbyopia or make it worse.
Q: If my vision should change in the future, can I have another treatment?
With modern LASIK, the number of patients requiring an enhancement treatment, which is a follow-up LASIK procedure, is less than 2 percent within the first 12 months. The potential for needing an enhancement increases about 1 percent a year, so over a decade, the chance of vision changes requiring an enhancement is about 10 percent. While it is likely you can have an enhancement procedure, you will need to be carefully evaluated to determine if it is recommended for your eyes and vision.
Having a few questions to ask your LASIK doctor about the healing and recovery process from vision correction surgery will help you make an informed decision about moving forward, knowing what to expect in the days and weeks following LASIK.
