LASIK eye surgery vs. Contacts

LASIK vs. Contacts

The Cost:

Many people find this hard to believe, but over the next 10 years you will spend more money on contact lenses, contact lens fitting, contact lens solutions and glasses than you will on LASIK. The problem that is more real to most people is the immediate higher cost of LASIK. However, with our affordable payment plans you can make the financial burden spread over time to match your goals. Think of it as buying a house vs. renting one. Which one is more affordable over the long term?

Safety:

According to a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, October 2006 edition, researchers have confirmed that LASIK surgery as performed this year is safer than contact lens use. Sight threatening infections from contact lens use occur in 1 in 2,000 contact lens wearers, whereas the study confirms that only one in 10,000 patients risk significant vision loss due to complications from LASIK, making LASIK the safest elective procedure being performed today.

The risk of Laser Vision Correction has been diminishing as technologies continue to evolve. The introduction of the next generation microkeratomes and bladeless technologies has provided a new level of safety and accuracy for the appropriate surgical candidates. In addition Custom LASIK can now provide not only a better vision but also helps in eliminating night glare, one of the early common complaints of LASIK patients.

The potential risks of contact lens infections are widely known to eye doctors. Tens of millions of Americans may be at risk of these serious infections for which there is no prevention. Basically everyone wearing lenses is at risk. Patients must remember that contact lenses are a medical devise and that you are placing a foreign body in your eyes running the risk of an infection.

A Lancet study showed that people who wear daily contact lenses run the risk of 1 in 100 of developing a bacterial keratitis, an infection that can lead to a loss of vision. Patients who abuse contacts by wearing them overnight or improperly caring for their lenses have an even larger risk.

Lifestyle:

What are the lifestyle costs of wearing contacts?

• Do you have comfort issues with contacts?
• Do you realize how much time you spend cleaning and caring for your contacts?
• What type of lifestyle compromises do you continue to make because of your contacts?
• Have you ever found yourself on the road without your contact supplies?
• Have you ever had a contact-related eye infection?

The LASIK Procedure is not without risk, but wearing contacts has its own risks. Infections with contacts can occur, so considering this possibility, the hassle of contacts and the lifetime costs of wearing contacts, maybe it's time for the LASIK Procedure.