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Expected Results With LASIK
Before undergoing laser eye surgery, discuss with your doctor the expected results. With LASIK, there is a 90 to 98 percent chance of achieving 20/40 vision or better. However, your expected results with LASIK will depend on your current level of correction; your healing response; if you have a past history of eye disease, infection, or trauma; or whether you were born with eye problems.
In most cases, you should expect your vision to improve after LASIK, and your need for corrective lenses will be decreased or eliminated.
On average, with the LASIK procedure, there is a 90 to 98 percent chance of achieving 20/40 vision or better. To legally drive without glasses in most states, you will need at least 20/40 vision.
There is about a 60 percent chance of achieving 20/20 vision and about an 85 percent chance of achieving 20/25 vision following LASIK surgery. Whether or not this is achieved depends on your current level of correction, your healing response, and whether you have a past history of eye disease, infection, trauma, or were born with eye problems.
In general, how well your vision is corrected with contact lenses or glasses is usually the level of correction that LASIK attempts to achieve. It will not usually achieve a greater level than this.
Some patients do have vision quality problems following a LASIK eye surgery, such as:
- Difficulty seeing in dim light
- Sensitivity to light
- Glare
- Starbursts
- Halos at night.
Some people may be at a higher risk for these symptoms. Your healthcare provider will discuss your situation with you prior to surgery. However, even patients at low risk may notice symptoms after surgery.
These symptoms are most common and noticeable during the first few months following LASIK surgery. They tend to diminish over time and, in many patients, may not completely go away.
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD