LASIK is a surgical procedure that is capable of correcting a wide range of nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. More than 1 million patients undergo the LASIK procedure in the United States each year.
Most patients notice an improvement in their vision immediately upon completion of their surgery. By the next day, vision is often dramatically improved. However, patients should understand that while fast visual recovery characterizes the operation, it can take several months before some patients achieve their final vision after LASIK. Several studies demonstrate that the vision of a number of patients continued to improve up to six months post-operatively. During that time, patients may experience slight fluctuations in vision throughout the day. These symptoms generally diminish with time.
For some patients, vision after LASIK matches the sharpness of vision they had with glasses or contact lenses before the procedure. However, an estimated 1.5 million LASIK patients still face a return to glasses as their near vision begins to diminish with age. Fortunately, there’s another procedure-recently approved by the FDA-to help...