1. Great Vision, Not Superman Vision
Lasik improves your vision but it won't make it perfect. Slightly more than half of patients have 20/20 vision. The degree of success you'll have depends on your pre-op level of nearsightedness. If you're extremely nearsighted (8 diopters or more), your eyesight will get better sans glasses or contacts, but it won't reach the same levels as a patient who's slightly myopic.
2. Far and Away
While most people who choose Lasik are nearsighted, farsighted folks can benefit from Lasik, too. It will take longer for the results to become apparent. Your surgeon may operate on one eye, then wait anywhere from a few days to a few weeks before working on the other. After 6 months, the eyes will settle and the end results will be as good as those for nearsighted patients. There's a greater chance that the results may fade after awhile, so consult with your optometrist before the operation to determine the best procedure for you. Your eyes will get better, but they probably won't be 20/20. There are special FDA rules governing procedures for hyperopia (farsightedness), so you may not qualify for the procedure if you have 2 diopters or more of astigmatism.
3. Turning Back the Hands of Time
Patients over 40 years old, who desire Lasik surgery, whether they're farsighted or nearsighted, can relieve some of their distant vision problems with the procedure, but in doing so, they may sacrifice some of their already fading near vision. Lasik won't prevent the need for reading glasses as you age. That's one aging associated problem money and medicine can't change--yet.
4. Not So Fast There
It can be 6 months before Lasik surgery results become noticeable. You don't come home with perfect, crisp vision. The eyes need time to recover. The sharpness of vision after Lasik differs from that of a contact lens wearer. Although your eyesight will be better and you won't need glasses or contacts, the contrast may seem slightly different than what you experienced with external vision aids.
5. Encore on the Operating Table
A small percentage of Lasik patients may need adjustments after initial surgery. This usually occurs when a patient has extremely poor eyesight. A surgeon may perform only part of the corrective surgery at first and then complete the procedure later after reviewing the results of the first surgery.
