LASIK vs Contact Lenses
Although LASIK surgery is by far the most commonly performed permanent refractive treatment in the United States, the number of patients that regularly use contact lenses to see clearly far exceeds the number of patients that undergo LASIK surgery. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Eye Health Statistics at a Glance report, which was published in 2009, 38 million Americans rely on contact lenses to treat refractive errors, while only 700,000 patients undergo the LASIK procedure each year. Despite the popularity of contact lenses, many ophthalmologists and patients feel that laser vision correction is the superior treatment.
If you suffer from vision impairment, including nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, and currently wear contact lenses to correct your visual acuity, you may find laser vision correction to be a worthy alternative. Below you can find some information on how LASIK compares to contact lenses. For a more comprehensive overview however, we encourage you to contact a local physician through our nationwide DocShop network.
Comparing LASIK to Contact Lenses
Obviously a direct comparison between laser vision correction – a surgical procedure that provides permanent correction for refractive errors – and contact lenses can be difficult. The old “apples vs. oranges” figure of speech certainly comes to mind, as the two achieve different goals. While corrective eye glasses and contact lenses aim to treat the symptoms of vision impairment, LASIK surgery aims to treat the source of the impairment. That being said, there are some areas where a direct comparison can be made.
Risk of Infection
Many patients assume that daily use of contact lenses is safer than LASIK because contacts do not require surgery. However, a review of various vision studies was published in the Archives of Ophthalmology in October of 2006, and found that contact lens wearers do face a risk of infection that increases the longer patients wear lenses. The researchers estimate that one in 100 contact lens wearers develop serious infections on the lens of the eye over a 30-year period of use, and one in 2,000 wearers develop significant visual impairment due to these infections. A representative of the AAO estimates that one out of 10,000 contact lens users get serious infections after one year of use; this rate increases to one out of 1,000 wearers when patients sleep in their contact lenses.
The rate of
infection after LASIK surgery can vary depending on the surgeon; however,
experts estimate that as few as one in 5,000 patients develop eye infections
following LASIK. This data illustrates that LASIK surgery is as safe, if not
more safe, as wearing corrective contact lenses. As contacts can become torn, overly
dirty, dried out, and wrinkled, as well as trap particles underneath the
plastic membrane, they are not without risk and can cause complications.
Cost of Treatment
A year's
supply of contact lenses generally costs about $150. This does not include
supplemental costs such as cleaning solutions and unquantifiable variables such
as having to insert contacts every morning , not being able to partake in
certain activities because of contact lenses, and having to maintain contacts
to ensure proper use. After 11 years of contact lens use, the total cost of
lenses is actually more than the one-time
cost of LASIK, which is typically in the range of $1,600.
Contact a LASIK Surgeon
If you are interested in undergoing LASIK surgery for permanent vision correction, contact a surgeon today. During a personal consultation, you can determine if laser surgery is right for you. Find a refractive surgeon in your area and get started today.
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