LASIK Eye Surgery Leads to More Satisfaction
An article published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology reported that 3 after LASIK eye surgery, patients were significantly happier with their choice for surgery compared to those who wore contact lenses during the same time frame.
1,800 patients across 20 sites in the U.S. revealed that 88% of former contact lens wearers and 77% of those who wore glasses indicated that they were strongly satisfied with their choice of LASIK after the third year. Contrast that with a control group of contact lens wearers during that same time period, where only 54% reported being strongly satisfied with their choice to keep wearing contacts.
The data not only supported surgeons’ clinical impressions regarding their patient’s satisfaction with LASIK eye surgery, but also revealed two surprising conclusions.
Unexpected Benefits of LASIK
The first reported benefit of LASIK was its ability to dramatically improve the ease of night driving. Both those who formerly wore contacts and those who wore glasses claimed that driving at night became much more easier and enjoyable after their LASIK surgery.
Dr. Price, of Price Vision Group, stated that, “Too often we assume that glasses prescriptions provide perfect vision. However, anyone who wears glasses knows that there are visual disturbances and inconveniences with wearing them.”
Driving at night, especially with the weather patterns in the NW that often involve rain, can be very stressful for many. LASIK offers an improved solution for driving after dark.
The second benefit reported related to an improvement with dry eyes. Dr. Price continued, “For those who had previously worn contact lenses, dry eye symptoms were no worse 1 year after LASIK and improved over the 3-year follow up period.”
Compared Against Contact Lens Correction–Not the Perfect Eye
The fact that contact lens wearers were selected as the control group was a unique design and a powerful strength of the study, according to Dr. Price.
He elaborated, “At the time we put this study together, LASIK was being criticized by a small group of people who, rightfully or not, blamed LASIK for any visual problems they had or depressions they felt. LASIK was being compared to perfection instead of alternative treatments for visual errors. Therefore, we felt it was important to see how LASIK patients compared within a control group using another popular form of visual correction, such as contact lenses.”
As it stands, LASIK appears to be a great long-term choice for vision correction. For more common questions about LASIK, click here!
