We sometimes hear from contact lens wearers who are unsure if they are good candidates for a LASIK eye surgery. In some cases, there is a misconception that because contact lens wearers are not dependent on glasses, they cannot benefit from LASIK surgery. Of course, you first need to have a thorough examination by your eye doctor to determine if your unique vision needs warrant laser eye surgery, but many LASIK patients are former contact lens wearers. The reality is that individuals who wear contact lenses, generally, are among the best candidates for LASIK eye surgery. Here are just a few ways that contact lens wearers benefit from LASIK:

• Reduced long-term costs. The average person who wears contact lenses every day goes through hundreds of dollars of contacts each year, particularly those who wear the more pricey daily disposable lenses. Following a laser vision correction surgery, a patient no longer needs to wear contact lenses. This means, in the years to come, hundreds and hundreds of dollars will be saved that would have been spent on lenses and other supplies, like cases and cleaning solutions.

• Less discomfort. A contact lens, while designed to be inserted on your eye, still causes discomfort. All frequent contact wearers know that irritation and watery eyes are just the norm. It is also harder to enjoy leisure activities, particularly outdoors. For example, a piece of sand or dust getting trapped beneath your contact can be extremely painful and keep you from completing an activity. There is also a higher risk of eye infections when you are touching your eyes to put in and take out contacts, as well as the risk of corneal ulcers or other problems if you over-wear or do not clean your contacts.

• Less time on maintenance. One of the greatest benefits of LASIK is the freedom it provides from constant contact lens care and maintenance. You will no longer have to always worry about carrying spare contact lenses and cases everywhere you go.

If you are a contact lens wearer who is considering LASIK and has questions about whether the surgery is a good option for you, give the LASIK Vision Centers of Cleveland team a call today. We are happy to provide more information.