Will You Need Glasses After LASIK?
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Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) is a laser vision correction surgery that Dr. Ming Wang and Dr. Josh Frenkel perform to improve their patient’s vision in Nashville, TN. At Wang Vision Institute, we use LASIK to reshape the tissue in the front of the eye, which repairs several different vision issues. However, after LASIK, the vision may become blurry again as you age. The amount of time you will have clear vision without the need for corrective lenses after surgery depends on your age at surgery and your medical history of progressive eye conditions.
What is LASIK?
When light hits your cornea, the outer layer of the eye bends so it can focus on the retina in the back of the eye. This refraction doesn’t always occur correctly, leading to blurry vision, a refractive error.
LASIK can correct three refractive errors:
1. Astigmatism: This is caused by an imperfect shape in front of your eye.
2. Nearsightedness (myopia): This occurs when vision is sharp when looking at something close, but blurry for things that are far away.
3. Farsightedness (hyperopia): This occurs when vision is great for objects far away, but blurry for things that are close.
With LASIK in Nashville, TN, our doctors aim to correct a patient’s vision, so they no longer need glasses or contacts to see things near or far. However, this isn’t always possible.
Who is the best candidate for LASIK?
Our experienced eye surgeons, Dr. Wang and Dr. Frenkel, examine a patient’s eyes at a LASIK evaluation to determine if they are a candidate for LASIK surgery. A candidate must be 18 years of age or older, and have enough corneal thickness for the laser correction surgery.
Do you need reading glasses after LASIK?
LASIK can correct vision and remove any corneal imperfections, which improves vision. Your eyes do change over time; however, your vision should never go back to as bad as it was before surgery. Presbyopia occurs when the cornea loses its ability to focus on things that are close by. This can begin as early as age 40 and, usually, only requires reading glasses.
What to expect after LASIK
After LASIK, your vision may fluctuate for up to six months after surgery. You may have dry eyes, difficulty driving at night, or glare or halos around light. While your vision will improve with LASIK, you may not have perfect 20/20 vision. Many of our patients have 20/30 or 20/40 vision, which is enough to see things far away clearly, and to see things close by too.
Some patients at our Nashville, TN office do still need vision correction. Contact lenses cannot be worn until at least six months after surgery since the cornea is still healing. Sometimes, it can be hard to fit someone for contact lenses after LASIK surgery as the corneal thickness has changed. However, low prescription glasses usually work fine for anyone with an ongoing refractive error. For most of our patients, reading glasses suffice. During a follow-up appointment after your laser vision correction surgery, Dr. Wang or Dr. Frenkel can give you their professional opinion regarding corrective vision options.
Learn more about how LASIK can improve your vision
At Wang Vision Institute, Dr. Ming Wang and Dr. Josh Frenkel provide laser vision correction surgery to patients with refractive errors in Nashville, TN. During a LASIK evaluation, they can determine if a patient is a good candidate for surgery. Our team only uses the latest techniques and technologies to ensure you get the best result. To learn more about LASIK and if you will need glasses after surgery, call our office today to schedule an appointment for an eye evaluation.