The procedure for laser eye surgery permanently reshapes your cornea, but it cannot stop the natural ageing process of your eyes. For most people, this means your distance vision, which is what laser eye surgery corrects, will remain stable for a very long time. However, your near vision may still change as you get older.
Let’s delve into the details of what makes laser vision correction so effective and what to expect in the future.
The Science Behind LASIK: A Permanent Change
The primary goal of laser eye surgery is to permanently reshape the cornea to correct refractive errors. These vision problems, which include short-sightedness (myopia), long-sightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism, cause blurred vision because the cornea does not correctly focus light onto the retina.
LASIK is a form of refractive surgery that uses a laser to vaporise a tiny amount of corneal tissue. This permanent alteration of the cornea’s shape allows light to focus properly, resulting in improved vision. This is why laser eye surgery is so effective. The change to the cornea is designed to last a lifetime. This is also why an eye surgeon must ensure you have a stable prescription before undergoing the procedure.
A common question we get is, “how long does LASIK last?” As a general rule, the answer is “permanently.” The LASIK procedure itself takes minutes. After the eye drops have taken effect to numb the eye, an eye surgeon uses a femtosecond laser to create a thin corneal flap. This is a far safer and more precise method than using a small blade, which some older clinics might still use. The underlying corneal tissue is then reshaped with an excimer laser. The laser eye surgery process is swift, comfortable, and provides permanent vision correction.
Ray-Tracing Guided LASIK Eye Surgery – The Future
Focus Clinics is the first laser eye clinic in the UK to offer Ray-Tracing Guided LASIK, an advanced laser eye surgery treatment that creates a 3D model of the eye and tests the surgery thousands of times to develop a personalised map of each eye. This allows for a far more precise and customisable correction than traditional LASIK surgery, and we’re seeing results of better than 20/20 vision regularly.
This is the future of laser eye surgery, and it’s currently only available in the UK at Focus Clinics.
Ready To See Clearly?
Focus has a 100% 20/20 vision success rate for all common short-sighted prescriptions using it’s A-LASIK technique.
Age-Related Vision Changes: What LASIK Can’t Prevent
While the changes to your cornea are permanent, the long-term outcome of your vision depends on other factors, most notably natural age-related changes.
Around the age of 40 to 50, most people will begin to experience presbyopia. This is a natural, age-related condition that affects your near vision, making it difficult to focus on close-up tasks like reading. This happens because the natural lens inside your eye, located behind the cornea, becomes less flexible with age.
Laser eye surgery corrects the cornea, not the natural lens, so it cannot prevent this vision change. This is the primary reason why some people who have had successful laser vision correction may find themselves needing reading glasses a few years later. The good news is that there are advanced options like LASIK Blended Vision, which can address this.
Enhancements and Future Procedures
Even with the best preparation, there are two common situations where further laser eye surgery or another procedure might be required:
LASIK Enhancement
In a small number of cases (around 1-4%), a LASIK enhancement may be needed to fine-tune the results of the first procedure. This is usually carried out several months after the initial surgery, once the eye has fully healed and the prescription is stable. A LASIK enhancement is a minor procedure and is included in the initial eye surgery cost at reputable clinics.
Ray-tracing can prevent you from needing a second enhancement session due to how accurate the first procedure is. So, this is an excellent treatment option for those who want to ensure they only need one procedure.
Addressing Reading Vision
If a patient’s distance vision is still perfect but they develop the need for reading glasses due to presbyopia, a second procedure using Blended Vision may be an option. This type of refractive surgery involves correcting one eye for near vision and the other eye for distance vision, allowing the brain to combine the images for a full range of focus. This is a very popular solution for patients who want to avoid having to wear glasses for reading.
LASIK vs. Other Procedures
While the cost of laser eye surgery may be a consideration for some, the life-changing benefits are undeniable. Not only do you not have to wear contact lenses anymore, but you can also do contact sports without worrying about damaging your glasses, play with your children without blurry vision, and so much more. Laser eye surgery can really give you freedom.
For those with a very high prescription or who are not suitable for laser vision correction due to too little tissue on the cornea, there are other types of eye surgery, such as lens replacement surgery, which can also provide excellent vision correction. With lens replacement surgery, the natural lens is replaced with an artificial one, which can correct a wide range of vision problems and prevent the development of cataracts. Unlike LASIK, which reshapes the cornea, this surgery changes the entire lens system of the eye.
Whether you choose lens replacement surgery or LASIK should depend on the recommendations of the eye surgeon you see. If you aren’t sure they’ve made the right call for you, please get in touch. Our team of surgeons will be happy to provide some clear recommendations.
Your Vision, Your Future
So, to answer “how long does LASIK last?” once more, the results are permanent, but your eyes will naturally age. If you want to stop having to wear glasses or contact lenses, laser eye surgery is an excellent solution for the vast majority of patients. It provides a long-term solution to many common vision problems, giving you the freedom to live life without the hassle of contact lenses or glasses. While the surgery cost can be an investment, the value of having a life free of glasses and contact lenses for years to come is priceless for most patients.
For more information, book a free consultation with us at Focus Clinics today to discuss your vision.
