The Risks of Laser Eye Surgery and the Best Alternative to It

Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis or commonly known as LASIK is one of the most effective laser eye surgeries today. Before you decide to go through this popular procedure, however, it is important that you read the small print on it. You see, laser surgery does not come without risks. There's no question that it's a really effective procedure, but just like other forms of medical procedures, it has some dangers you need to be aware of.

Dry-Eye Symptoms

Perhaps the most common side effect of undergoing LASIK is experiencing dry-eye symptoms. After surgery, it is possible that you will have these symptoms not just for a short period, but for long term. In some cases, the symptoms may persist and get worse. One reason for dry-eye after laser surgery is that the laser can cause damage to the delicate nerves in your eyes, particularly the ones that stimulate tears. To treat dry eyes, you will need to apply eye drops on a daily basis, which in itself is already a problem because long-term use of eye drops can result to chronic eye inflammation.

Reduced Vision Quality

Another common side effect of LASIK is that it has the tendency to reduce the quality of your vision, especially in low light. This may seem ironic as LASIK promises to give the patient 20/20 vision, but unfortunately, the procedure can sometimes do more harm to the eyesight than good. Some of the common vision problems caused by the surgery include aniseikonia, anisometropia, hazy vision, double vision, and increases sensitivity to light.

Complete Vision Loss

This is very rare, but it definitely can happen. This may result from a variety of reasons, but more often than not from scarring, infection, and even equipment malfunction.

You should also be aware of the fact that you may still need to wear glasses or contact lenses after going through LASIK, depending on the degree of your eye problem. In short, it doesn't always deliver what it promises.

The good news is there are alternatives to laser eye surgery, which are safer and far more effective. And believe it or not, they are not as expensive as LASIK. One such alternative is orthokeratology, or the method of wearing specially-designed contact lenses (referred to as Ortho-K lenses) that improve the vision by reshaping the cornea. It works just like LASIK, but minus the equipment, the expenses, and the dangers that go with surgery.

The thing about Ortho-K lenses is that it's totally reversible, which means you can stop wearing them and not worry about your vision. Ortho-K lenses are designed to be worn at night, before going to bed. The lenses are then removed in the morning the following day and you will immediately see the improvement in your vision. That also means you're basically not wearing anything to work or school. In the meantime, you can check out www.nospecs.com.au to know what is orthokeratology and whether it is right for you or not.

Bottom Line

There is no question to the effectiveness of laser eye surgery. In fact, thousands of people who have gone through it can swear that it has changed their lives for the best. If you are after a risk-free method of improving your vision, however, you may want to opt for an alternative, one that's safe, fast, and effective such as Orthokeratology.