Departments

Department of Refractive Surgery

What results may you expect with lasik?

The aim of the laser vision correction procedure is to achieve the best possible results in the safest way possible. Despite the fact that no one can promise patients the "perfect" vision or a 10/10 vision, most laser patients no longer need glasses or contact lenses to drive, play sport, watch television or be professionals where a perfect vision is required, such as in the police or fire department. In fact some patients, with today’s technology, are able to have an even clearer than 10/10 vision after the operation.

The goal is not to completely discard glasses or contact lenses, but to dramatically reduce the patient's dependence on them in an effort to improve his or her quality of life.

Even if an outstanding result has been accomplished with regard to the patient’s vision, he or she may still need glasses to drive at night or to read a book.

Even if all goes well, there are consequences that may cause some dissatisfaction. Older patients must realize that they will not have the same quality vision for near and far in the same eye without the use of corrective lenses. Some patients with myopia take advantage of their myopia (by taking their glasses off or by wearing weaker than the prescribed lenses) in order to read. Such a patient may need glasses for reading after the surgical correction of the myopia. The problem of monovision must be discussed with these patients. In this case, the stronger eye is corrected for seeing from a distance and the weaker eye is corrected to a lesser degree in order to support vision up close.

Additional procedures are carried out more often when the patient has a high degree prescription for his or her refractive problem. These procedures are a normal part of treatment that can be administered when your vision has stabilized, unless it is not medically acceptable or is considered unsafe.

In order for an additional procedure to be performed, adequate corneal tissue must exist and for this reason a second measurement of the remaining corneal thickness is performed.

Additional procedures must be performed only after the cornea has fully healed and stabilized.

The advantage of laser correction is that it allows most patients the freedom to enjoy their daily activities without having to depend on corrective lenses. It also allows people to pursue a career for which they would be considered unsuitable with a less than perfect vision. In some cases, patients gain a greater precision vision, which means that, after the operation, their vision becomes better than the corrected vision they had before the operation.

You must be aware of your expectations and try to keep them within reasonable limits.