Before deciding to undergo surgery like LASIK, most LASIK candidates have questions about the actual surgery, the days and weeks after the surgery, and how their life will be different after the surgery. Since undergoing LASIK is a serious decision that will have a large impact on the candidate’s life, we want to make sure that all questions are answered before deciding to undergo the surgery. That’s why we provide our blog as a resource and why we’re always willing to talk through any concerns you may have. That being said – here’s a common question that we get asked:
Will I need glasses after LASIK?
The honest answer is maybe.
One of the reasons why some people will have to wear some form of glasses (typically reading glasses) after LASIK is for reading.
As people age, the ciliary muscles in their eye begin to lose elasticity. This elasticity is what allows people to focus on objects (such as the objects they are reading) up close. This is called presbyopia and is a typical part of aging which is why some people who have never worn glasses in their life sometimes need reading glasses as they get older.
Typically, when LASIK is performed, it is to correct distance vision issues and other issues like refractive errors rather than presbyopia. However, the need for glasses can be reduced if the candidate elects to have monovision. The result of this surgery is one eye being corrected for seeing distances and the other being corrected for seeing near. This is not as effective for fixing distance vision as would be correcting both eyes for distance in a typical surgery, but it does help to alleviate the need for reading glasses after LASIK.
Glasses may also be needed to improve vision in other instances where vision wasn’t fully optimized during LASIK and can’t be corrected with an enhancement. This is not a common occurrence, but it is definitely something we’d be happy to talk to you about.
Do you have more questions about LASIK? Check out some of our past blog posts or get in touch. We’d be happy to discuss any questions you might have!
