Lasik Eye Correction

After laser eye surgery, how long before the eyesight resumes degrading?

It is my understanding that the correction of near-sightedness with this kind of surgery is temporary... but how temporary?

Public Comments

1. I have a friend that had it done about 10 years ago and she still doesn't wear glasses. It might depend on the individual and how it was done.
2. It depends on how bad your eyes were before and how well you take care of them after surgery. However, sometimes you can't help it when your eyes start going bad again; my mom did everything right and still had the surgery redone a few years later. Even if your vision in general never starts going bad again, it's very likely that you'll have to use reading glasses after a while; everyone I know who's had this surgery eventually had to get reading glasses.
3. hmm. lasik is permanent, not temporary. but it is true that some patients have myopic regression after lasik. it is also true that everyone will still need reading help (reading glasses) in their 40's. so i guess the real answer is...it varies by individual. but everyone eventually needs reading glasses.
4. I had the surgery just over 3 years ago. (Age 33 at time of surgery, after several years of minimal change in my prescription.) I haven't had an eye exam since the surgery, but I believe my vision is already not as sharp as it was immediately following lasik. Not enough change to feel as though I need corrective lenses again, but no longer 20/15! I think it depends a lot on your age at the time of the surgery and how much change you typically see in your prescription in the years leading up to the surgery. A good optometrist or a really good, ethical lasik surgeon should be able to tell you if you're a good candidate based on how long you're likely to remain out of glasses/contacts following lasik. But lasik isn't always perfect, and depending on how much correction your vision needs, you may not get out of glasses/contacts at all! Be very careful before you undergo lasik! Good luck!
5. I did a lot of research prior to having my PRK 6 weeks ago...and the surgery is permanent. The part of the cornea that is ablated does not grow back. There is a very good possibility you will end up needing reading glasses later on because the flexibility of the lens decreases, but this happens in people who never wore glasses in their lives. This is not to say that you could end up with a different eye condition (retinal problems) that could cause your vision to decline, but that will most likely be totally unrelated to your laser surgery (only way it could be related to your eye surgery would be a complication of the surgery itself...which will happen very close to your surgery...only 5% chance of problems postop). For nearsightedness...you will be corrected for distance permanently...just probably will need reading glasses when you get closer to your 40s or 50s.