Would you recommend Lasik eye surgery or contacts/glasses?

This is really your decision to make based on 1) how happy you are with glasses or contact lenses and 2) your tolerance for a) risk and b) cost.

LASIK is never necessary in the sense we think of for medical treatment. For that reason, it is not covered or reimbursed by insurance, whether government or private. You will have to shoulder the cost out-of-pocket yourself although many LASIK doctors have outside financing companies to help with this.

Glasses (especially high prescriptions) can distort your vision, while contact lenses give a more natural picture of the world. Still, many people with no problems at all with comfort or vision with these, feel a dependence on lenses is a burden compared to the more ideal state of glasses/contact-free sharp vision. Long-term studies show that LASIK is actually safer and less expensive over the long run than contacts.

As highly successful and safe as it may be, LASIK, is not completely without risk! There is abundant information on the Internet discussing these issues you can research, but there is no substitute for consulting with an Ophthalmologist, preferably one who sees his or her own patients and is adept at most aspects of eye surgery. Elective procedures like LASIK demand a good understanding of the benefits, risks, and alternatives before you decide to proceed.

Written by J. Trevor Woodhams, M.D. - Chief of Surgery, Woodhams Eye Clinic