Four Signs Laser Eye Surgery Is Right For You
If you wear glasses or contacts, you have probably considered getting laser vision correction surgery so you no longer have to wear your visual aids. Perhaps you've had friends get the surgery, or maybe your eye doctor has even recommended it for you. Laser vision correction surgery can be wonderful for many people, but there are people for whom it is not the best option. Are you a good candidate? Here are four signs a laser corrective procedure is right for you.
1. Your vision has been stable for a few years.
You do not want to get laser vision correction surgery if your vision is still changing. If your vision is still changing, you may have the surgery performed only to discover you need to wear glasses again a year or two later. Eye doctors usually want your vision to have been stable for at least two years before you get laser vision correction surgery. The longer it has been stable, the better.
2. You can take a few days off of work.
You may have heard of people who had laser correction surgery and were able to return to work the next day. This does happen for some people—but only when a certain type of corrective procedure, which involves creating a flap in the cornea—is performed. Other corrective procedures take longer to heal from, and even with the flap-style surgery, you may heal slower than most. It's important to make sure you can get at least a week off of work if you want to have laser surgery.
3. You have someone around to drive you and help you out.
You won't be able to drive right after your laser surgery. Some people can drive a few days after, but for others, it takes a week or more for their vision to improve to that extent. So, do not go through with the surgery until you have a friend or family member lined up who can drive you around and also help you with care the day after your surgery.
4. You're good at caring for your eyes.
After the procedure, you will need to put several types of drops in your eyes for a week or more. If you are good at sticking to a schedule and handling your eyes, this should not be a problem. However, if you have an aversion to eye drops or find caring for your eyes difficult, you may want to reconsider.
Talk to your optometrist to learn more about the pros and cons of laser surgery.