Laser Eye Surgery Results - What is a Realistic Expectation

Most people who are either short sighted or long sighted are curious about laser eye surgery. Committing yourself to undergoing treatment is a big decision as it is an expensive procedure and will make permanent changes to your vision. It is important to have a realistic idea of what laser eye surgery is capable of achieving, as deciding to undergo the treatment without this understanding can potentially lead to disappointment with the results. When you have your initial consultation at the vision clinic the laser eye practitioner will explain the procedure and its outcome to you, but here is a brief outline of what you may be told.

Many people who have not properly looked into laser eye surgery believe it will give most patients 20/20 vision. This, unfortunately, is not the case. However, in around 90 percent of patients it can improve the vision significantly enough to give them many years of glasses and contact lenses free living. A normal side effect of laser eye surgery is seeing a halo effect around lights and experiencing poorer vision in low light levels. For many patients, this necessitates wearing glasses for driving at night, even if their daytime vision is extremely good.

If considering laser eye surgery it is also imperative to properly understand what ?permanent results? means in relation to the procedure. While the effects of laser eye surgery are irreversible there is, at present, no way of preventing the natural degeneration in sight that continues as you grow older so your ?perfect? vision will not last throughout your lifetime. Most patients, even those who have had extremely satisfying results from the procedure, require reading glasses by the time they reach the age of 45. However, it is important to remember that while ?perfect vision? may not be lasting many people do enjoy glasses free living for many years and, even when glasses become a necessity, their vision is greatly improved on what it would have been had they never undergone surgery.

What can be realistically be achieved with laser eye surgery is dependent on the individual?s sight. Those who have poorer vision are likely to receive greatly improved vision but perhaps not to the extent where they can completely do without either glasses or contact lenses. Many doctors will advise patients who are extremely short sighted (-8 or greater) or very long sighted (in excess of +2) against undergoing laser eye surgery as the results may be unsatisfactory.

Patients need to bear in mind that laser eye treatment is not flawless. While technological advances have made it a very meticulous procedure errors can occur. Therefore, even ?good? candidates for laser eye surgery may not receive the ?perfect? eyesight they were hoping for, as vision can be slightly under or over corrected by the procedure.

Although laser eye surgery cannot produce flawless vision, undergoing treatment with an open mind and realistic expectation of the end result means a majority of patients are extremely satisfied with their post-surgery vision. The novelty of not having to wear glasses all the time is, on its own, sufficient reason for most laser eye surgery patients to be pleased that they made the decision to undergo treatment.

Leanne has had many articles published on the topic of corrective laser eye surgery. http://www.lasereyesurgery.about-beauty.net