KING LASIK ANSWER THE QUESTION, HOW LONG DO RESULTS FROM LASIK LAST?
One of the common questions we at King LASIK hear from prospective patients is, “How long do the results from LASIK surgery last?” The answer is that the vision correction results from LASIK are usually considered permanent. This is because, during the LASIK procedure, the ophthalmologist corrects the patient’s vision problem by reshaping the curvature of the cornea; once the cornea has a new, improved shape, it generally maintains the corrected shape. Nonetheless, there are a few factors to consider when delving deeper into this question.
The Importance of Having Stabilized Vision Before LASIK
Vision does not remain the same throughout one’s life; it changes over time. Some of the changes occur during the early stages of life: sometime between the time of birth and the mid to late 20s. As individuals reach their mid to late 20s, their vision tends to stabilize. Therefore, individuals in their late teens or early 20s who do not yet have a stabilized vision prescription should not undergo LASIK surgery until their vision has stabilized, or they may need to undergo the procedure a second time once their vision has finished changing.
LASIK Enhancement
Also, due to inherent variances in the way each person’s body heals, certain patients whose vision has stabilized may undergo the LASIK procedure but still not achieve the vision correction results they desire. When this happens, the ophthalmologist might suggest that the patient have a secondary “enhancement” LASIK treatment. Once the patient has achieved their final outcome from the surgical enhancement procedure, however, the results should be permanent.
Independent Vision Conditions
Aside from the vision changes that generally occur earlier in life, people typically develop a visual condition called presbyopia sometime after they reach the age of 40. Presbyopia is characterized by difficulty seeing up close. This is why most people in their 40s or 50s need reading glasses. Even if someone has had LASIK surgery, he or she will most likely still develop presbyopia at some point.
In addition, there are several health conditions that can affect one’s vision, no matter what age the person is or whether he or she has had LASIK surgery. For instance, someone might develop type-2 diabetes, glaucoma or a corneal disease, all of which can cause vision problems that are unrelated to the visual results from LASIK.
Despite the possibility that a person will experience changes in their vision at some point in life, LASIK vision correction surgery is still an effective means of correcting one’s vision, and it offers long-lasting results.
To schedule a free consultation to find out more about LASIK surgery, please contact King LASIK by calling (877) 551-2020.