Technological advances in recent decades have positioned laser surgery as an increasingly widespread option among patients who want to correct refractive-type visual defects such as myopia or astigmatism. In fact, in a good number of cases, they have replaced the usual treatments in this regard, such as the use of contact lenses or glasses.
The increase in efficiency, comfort, the rapid postoperative period, and the fact that they focus on the cause of these refractive errors are some of the reasons that explain the increase in demand for these procedures. It is recommended that you understand the pros and cons of Lasik before engaging.
What Is Advantages Laser Surgeries?
Laser procedures have a vital element in their favor when it comes to solutions for refractive errors: they prevent patients from being dependent on contact lenses or glasses; What’s more, they stop wearing them because the surgery restores the anomaly in the area where it occurred, and the use of them is no longer necessary.
Besides, they are simple and short interventions that do not entail too long a postoperative period. At most, patients resume their routine activities in a couple of days and without significant side effects or risks.
And, above all, once the affected area has been intervened, they offer patients higher quality results than those obtained with the use of glasses, whose frame can interfere with the field of vision.
Laser Surgeries: Disadvantages And Considerations
This does not mean that laser surgeries to correct defects inherent to myopia, astigmatism, or hyperopia are free of risks or complications. Let’s see some comments and recommendations in this regard:
The most common side effects of this type of surgery are dry eyes, halos of light or reflections, especially at night. In fact, in cases where vision does not stabilize, certain diopters will likely reappear that later must be treated.
Despite the high degree of effectiveness that lasers provide, some people require glasses in the post-intervention stages. This is especially the case in patients with higher-grade refractive errors, for whom glasses are recommended for everyday activities such as driving the car, reading, or simply protecting themselves from the sun’s rays.
In other cases, the problem lies in difficulty for patients to adapt to their new visual condition. Some take weeks to assimilate the variations in their visual field, a situation that is usually somewhat annoying and uncomfortable.
If it is a patient of mature age, it is most likely that sooner rather than later, the symptoms of presbyopia or eyestrain will appear, a disease linked to the body’s aging process. In these cases, ophthalmologists usually prescribe glasses to correct the said anomaly. If the patient’s physical conditions are optimal, they can assess the possibility of implanting an intraocular lens to replace the crystalline lens.
