Laser eye surgery has become so popular in this country that, for many, it is considered a minor operation. Even so, any surgery is potentially dangerous.
And many people who currently wear contact lenses wonder if they should take the additional step and have the operation instead. There are benefits and drawbacks to both, of course. The major benefit of laser surgery is that you don’t have to be worried about losing your contact lenses and not being able to see. The major benefit of contact lenses is that you don’t have to worry about losing one of your most important senses – your sight.
The common thread between both of these options is that they allow people with minor vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism to go about their daily duties without wearing glasses. If you are heavily into sports, eyeglasses can severely hamper your performance. In most sports, they are also inconvenient. Both the eye surgery and contact lenses, allow you to escape from your dependence on glasses.
One of the most important contrasts between the two methods of improving your eyesight is the cost issues. Even though the cost of eye surgery procedures have been coming down, they are still more than buying a pair of contact lenses. For example, contact lenses will probably cost you less than a couple of hundred dollars. Eye surgery, by contrast, will cost you four thousand dollars or more depending on where you have your surgery. In addition, eye surgery is considered a cosmetic procedure by many insurance companies and they will refuse to reimburse you for the costs.
The major problem with having an eye surgical procedure as opposed to settling for contact lenses, however, is that not all surgeons have the same degree of skill. And many patients who have taken the surgical route have later complained of post surgery problems with their eyes ranging from seeing halos to having constant dry eye. Other, more serious claims, involve allegations that the surgery damaged the cornea of the eye and resulted in their vision being worse than it was prior to the surgery. And, finally, surgery is usually not a one time thing. The eyes change as we get older. And, even after a successful surgery, you will probably need an additional one in the future.
Any decision that you make regarding your eyesight is important. So, before making any decision as to whether to go with contact lenses or surgery, talk to both your ophthalmologist and a recommended eye surgeon for their unbiased advice.
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