Wearing contacts is an option for patients who don’t want to worry about wearing glasses; however, patients who wear contacts are more susceptible to infection than those patients who opt to have the LASIK procedure.
Higher Risk of Infection with Contacts
The Patient Reported Outcomes with LASIK (PROWL) study done in 2014 found that patients who use daily wear contacts are 10 times more likely to get an infection than patients who have LASIK procedure. Patients who wear extended wear contacts are nearly 34 times more likely to get an infection than patients who have the procedure.
The risk of infection is higher for those who wear contacts because of improper care of the lenses. This can include not cleaning them properly, not replacing them often enough, or not washing your hands before putting the contacts in your eye.
In less common cases, wearing contacts could also potentially cause corneal scarring if not used correctly.
Low Risk of Infection with LASIK
LASIK patients have a significantly lower risk of infections. The LASIK flap heals quickly, which lowers the risk for infection in the eye. The risk of infection is very low even during recovery for patients.
Wearing contacts can be bothersome, but they can also cause problems if not cared for properly. To avoid the risk of infections with contacts, and improve your vision, contact us to schedule your free LASIK consultation today!