Can LASIK Transform Your Life?
One of the most rewarding aspects of my career is talking with LASIK patients about their quality of life after the procedure. Most people who have made the choice to have LASIK will tell you it is one of the best decisions they have ever made in their lives. They tell me how much having good vision improves every moment, every task and every interest. LASIK’s incredible reputation for both safety and results leads many people considering it to think LASIK truly can transform their lives.
But nothing in life is perfect. LASIK is not for everyone. Knowing what LASIK can and can’t do is a critical part of being an informed and satisfied LASIK patient; it is the basis of the conversations I have each and every day with people wanting to improve their vision with LASIK.
Here are some facts about what LASIK can do:
It can improve your vision – sometimes even more than glasses or contact lenses can.
LASIK corrects the shape of the cornea itself. Glasses or contacts compensate for the cornea by putting another lens in front of it. While that can improve vision, the focus provided by corrective lenses is not as exact as what can be achieved with LASIK.
It can allow you to pursue an active lifestyle.
Many of my LASIK patients are athletes, hobbyists or people who enjoy the outdoors. This isn’t surprising. Anyone who wears glasses or contacts knows how difficult, or even impossible, swimming, running, skiing, baseball or other sports can be to perform or enjoy. With LASIK, people can enjoy them freely – without the hassle or risk of eyewear.
It can open up new career paths.
Relying on glasses or contacts to see well makes you a less-than-ideal candidate for becoming a fireman, police officer or other emergency responder. Vision correction procedures like LASIK can help people qualify for those careers that rely on excellent vision to protect and save lives.
Better vision without relying on glasses and contacts can give you the freedom to pursue activities and experience life in ways that just weren’t possible before. If you are thinking about LASIK, and if you are a reading this blog you probably are, talk to people you know who’ve had LASIK. Better still, talk with a refractive surgeon to help you understand the limitations of LASIK as well as its many dramatic benefits. You’ll be a more satisfied LASIK patient as a result.