Anyone who considers having LASIK eye surgery needs to consider both the benefits and safety of the procedure seriously. While this laser surgery is viewed as very safe, no medical procedure is with some risk. Before deciding if LASIK is the right option for you, spend some time researching the possible risks, side effects and complications and discuss these concerns with your doctor. In many cases, there are steps you can take to make LASIK safer and better to enjoy all of the benefits that this surgery has to offer.

Potential Risks Associated with LASIK

Since every individual has unique needs, no two procedures are exactly alike. One of the most common risks associated with these individual differences is the chance of under correction. This is generally most common in patients who have large pupils, which require more correction than people with normal sized pupils. The risk of under correction can be dramatically reduced with appropriate patient screening prior to surgery. Ask your doctor if your pupil size will impact your results, and consider alternative solutions if you do have large pupils.

Other potential safety concerns include the chance of infection, loss of visual acuity and impaired night vision. However, it is also important to consider the statistics associated with LASIK surgery before making a final decision. Of the million Americans who undergo laser eye surgery each year, less than one-half percent experience negative long-term outcomes. Most importantly, many of these side effects can be corrected with additional enhancement surgery.

Improving the Safety of LASIK

Researchers and experts have spent many years and invested millions of dollars in developing new technologies and techniques designed to make LASIK safer than ever before. One of the latest developments is the use of custom wave-front guided lasers to perform precise surgery on each individual eye. By taking exact measurements of the cornea and using this information to guide the laser, surgeons can produce amazing results and dramatically reduce the risk of complications.

Another important way to improve the safety of LASIK significantly is to undergo a thorough patient screening. Your doctor should look at factors such as age, overall health and eye characteristics before deciding if you are a good candidate for LASIK surgery. Recent research has shown that a great number of negative LASIK outcomes can be directly attributed to poor patient screening, such as performing surgery on patients with large pupil or excessively dry eyes.