How should I decide if vision correction is right for me?
When lined up against contact lenses and glasses, Laser Eye Surgery is the Ferrari of vision correction treatment.
It’s a larger investment, and you have to go somewhere special to get it, but when you do, it offers an unrivalled level of performance and a much higher quality experience.
And yet, there are still a small proportion of people who Laser Eye Surgery isn’t good for.
If we stick with the Ferrari analogy, we can see straight away that such a car may not be ideal for someone who’s pregnant or currently impaired by illness. Luckily for them, though, these are generally just temporary barriers.
If we look a little closer, we can also see that unfortunately there is a small bunch of people who a Ferrari would never be good for. For example, those who live in cul-de-sacs with huge speed bumps. For these people, living with a Ferrari just isn’t a possibility.
And let’s not forget the group of people who just don’t have the desire to ever own a Ferrari simply due to preference. It could be they prefer their old Morris Minor, or that Italian sports cars just don’t excite them as much as other things in life.
We can say the same for Laser Eye Surgery. There are three types of factors that affect whether or not the surgery will be right for you. These are temporary conditions like poor eye health, permanent conditions like your prescription, and last but by no means least your preference and what it is you actually want.
Laser Eye Surgery Technology has advanced so much over recent years that it’s becoming less and less likely you’ll be unsuitable for surgery. Conditions like near-sightedness (myopia), far-sightedness (hyperopia), astigmatism, and even ageing eyes (presbyopia) and high prescriptions are commonly treated with a very low turn-away rate.
If you are unsure whether your prescription can be treated, talk to your ophthalmologist or simply call a Laser Eye Surgery clinic for a chat. It’s important to note here that some clinics can treat a wider range of conditions than others.
Once you know Laser Eye Surgery can treat your prescription; it’s time to find out if this is the right time for you. And crucially, is Laser Eye Surgery something you actually want?
Is this the right time for me to have Laser Eye Surgery?
Unstable Prescription
One of the main requirements for Laser Eye Surgery is a stable prescription. If you’re currently in your teens, pregnant, suffering from a condition like diabetes, or taking certain medications, you may be experiencing subtle changes in your prescription. These will level out over time, and normally at around 12 months following your last prescription change you’ll be eligible for surgery.
Poor overall eye health
To have any surgery, it’s necessary to be in a good state of health. In particular, it’s important that conditions that affect the immune system like collagen vascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus, are controlled and non-active so as to avoid complications in the healing process. Some conditions are contraindicated as they may produce unreliable results. Conditions like ‘keratoconus’, which causes the cornea to become thin and more conically shaped.
What can Laser Eye Surgery offer me?
Reduced chances of eye infections and diseases
Granted this is one for the contact wearers, but it’s probably the most critical reason to have Laser Eye Surgery. By wearing contact lenses, you’re putting yourself at risk of eye infections, corneal ulcers, corneal abrasions, conjunctivitis, and eye-irritation. These can soon develop into more serious conditions, making contacts one of the riskiest long-term methods of vision correction, and Laser Eye Surgery the safest.
“In a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology a few years ago, sight-threatening infections from contact lens use occur in one in 2,000 contact lenses wearers, but only one in 10,000 patients risk significant vision loss due to complications from LASIK,” says Dr. Kerry Solomon, President of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and a member of the American Refractive Surgery Council.
Improvement in vision
In top performing Laser Eye Surgery clinics, the vast majority of patients achieve 20/20 vision or better following the surgery. That means you have a high chance of achieving the standard of vision required to be a fighter pilot, and enjoying the life enhancing benefits that come along with it.
More opportunities for sport and recreation
Laser Eye Surgery can not just offer something to the world’s elite athletes and sportspeople, but also amateurs and lovers of physical activities alike. Getting rid of the glasses or contacts can liberate you to ski, dive, swim, do water-sports—even just run on the treadmill worry free.
If you’d like to book a consultation at London Vision Clinic, or find out more about if Laser Eye Surgery is right for you, leave us a comment or give us a call us on 020 7224 1005.
