Everything you need to know about LASIK

Would you love to ditch your glasses or contact lenses and schedule LASIK surgery instead? You’re in good company. Every year, surgeons do roughly 800,000 LASIK procedures.¹ But is it right for you? Let’s take a look at what LASIK is and whether you should consider it.

The basics of LASIK

To understand the procedure, let’s start with how the eye works. When light enters the eye, it hits the retina (the back part of the eye). The retina converts the light into electrical impulses that travel to the brain.² The cornea (the dome-shaped structure at the front of the eye) and the lens work together to make sure the light hits its target.³

Sometimes the cornea and lens miss the target and instead focus the light just in front of the retina. This problem — called a refractive error — is what glasses or contacts correct.⁴

LASIK stands for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis. It reshapes the cornea so that light hits the retina like it’s supposed to. It can reduce or even eliminate the need for glasses and contacts. During the outpatient procedure, the surgeon folds back a paper-thin flap of corneal tissue, reshapes the cornea with a laser and then puts the flap back in place.⁵

“LASIK is a time-tested and highly effective procedure to treat myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and/or astigmatism,” says Michael A. Brusco, M.D., founder and medical director of Brusco Vision in Falls Church, Virginia.

Ready to ditch your glasses or contacts and go for LASIK? Get more info about LASIK surgery now.

Who can — and can’t — benefit from LASIK?

You may be a good candidate for LASIK surgery if you are age 22 or older and if your eye prescription hasn’t changed in the last year. You also need to have good overall eye health and a thick, healthy cornea. This is something your surgeon will check during your first consultation.⁶

But it isn’t for everyone. The American Academy of Ophthalmology cautions that you may not be a good candidate for LASIK if you have:⁶

• Advanced glaucoma
• An unstable refractive error
• Keratoconus (cone-shaped cornea)
• Severe dry eye
• Uncontrolled diabetes

Also, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding shouldn’t have LASIK done because hormonal changes can temporarily affect vision.⁶

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People over 50 may not get as much benefit from LASIK, according to Diane Hilal-Campo, M.D., an ophthalmologist in Oakland, New Jersey, and founder of Twenty/Twenty Beauty. “Generally, the happiest patients with the best results are those between the ages of 18 and 40,” she says. “Patients who are 60 and above usually have cataract lens changes. Those patients should not have LASIK.”

Things to watch out for

Eye surgery can sound scary, but LASIK is a proven procedure. The chance of vision becoming worse because of LASIK is rare.⁶ That said, you may have some side effects, which can last for a few months, including dry eye, blurry vision, sensitivity to light and seeing haloes around bright lights.⁷

“A much less common risk is that the eye may over- or under-heal in response to the procedure, which may result in a small residual prescription, causing some blurry vision,” says Dr. Brusco. “In this case, the patient would still see much better than before the procedure, but this small prescription may need to be adjusted with the laser after a few months.”

What LASIK doesn’t do

“Perhaps the most common misconception is that LASIK will ‘fix my eyes,’” says Dr. Hilal-Campo. “LASIK can help you be less reliant on glasses, but as you age you will need glasses for at least some tasks, regardless of LASIK. LASIK does not cure eye diseases like glaucoma, macular degeneration or cataracts.”

Alternatives to LASIK

“LASIK is the best choice for most patients, though some may be a better candidate for photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK,” says Dr. Hilal-Campo. “This procedure does not make a corneal flap, so it can be performed on patients who are not candidates for LASIK because their corneas are thin.”

Other alternatives to LASIK include:

• Implantable collamer lens (ICL): For patients with larger prescriptions, thinner corneas or irregular diagnostic tests. Good candidates for this procedure are under age 50, without cataracts.⁸
• Custom lens replacement (CLR): For patients over age 50.
• Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE): For patients who want minimal downtime in terms of physical activity.

Dr. Brusco recommends consulting with a surgeon who offers several types of vision correction, including LASIK, to find what’s best for you.

Vision benefits and LASIK

Vision insurance doesn’t typically cover LASIK, since it’s an elective procedure. However, if you’re a UnitedHealthcare Vision member, you have access to up to 35% off laser vision correction at one of QualSight LASIK’s 800+ locations around the country.

Surgeons in this network use only U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved technologies and have collectively performed over 7 million procedures. Visit the QualSight LASIK website to find a surgeon near you and schedule a no-cost consultation.

Another way to get clearer vision? LASIK surgery. UnitedHealthcare Vision members get up to 35% off laser vision correction services. Schedule a free exam today!  

Sources:

1. The 25th anniversary of laser vision correction in the United States Clinical Ophthalmology, March 2021.
2. How the eyes work National Eye Institute, last updated April 2020.
3. Eye anatomy: Parts of the eye and how we see American Academy of Ophthalmology, April 2023.
4. Refractive errors National Eye Institute, last updated June 2022.
5. LASIK U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
6. LASIK — laser eye surgery American Academy of Ophthalmology, November 2022.
7. Facts About LASIK Complications American Academy of Ophthalmology, February 2023.
8. Implantable collamer lens (ICL) surgery Duke Health, last reviewed October 2022.