Safer Than Contacts: LASIK vs. Long-Term Contact Lens Wear

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University’s Casey Eye Institute reports that contact lens wearers face a much greater risk of developing a serious eye infection than patients receiving laser eye surgery. This is especially true for long-term contact lens wearers.

The report indicated that over the course of 30 years, there is a 1-in-100 chance of contact lens wearers developing a serious lens-related eye infection. Over the same period of time, patients undergoing LASIK have only a 1-in-2,000 chance of experiencing dramatic vision loss.

University researchers reported that contact lens users are also more likely than LASIK patients to develop complications leading to further vision loss. They indicated in the Archives of Ophthalmology that the chances of LASIK leading to significant vision loss is about 1-in-10,000.*

LASIK is among the safest, most advanced methods of vision correction ever developed and is FDA-approved to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. The actual laser time of an average LASIK procedure takes less than 60 seconds. Because of it’s increased safety and precision, it has been deemed safe and effective by NASA for our astronauts and the U.S. military.

For further information regarding LASIK at Ellis Eye & Laser Medical Center, please call 1-800-SEE-SHARP or schedule your free consultation today.

*Archives of Ophthalmology, WebMD