How Long Do the Benefits of Laser Eye Surgery Last?

Laser eye surgery is a quick and painless procedure to restore vision so that glasses or lenses are no longer needed. While the effects of LASIK surgery are permanent, the benefits may diminish over time. For most patients, LASIK results will last a lifetime. However, some may need to have a LASIK booster surgery after 10 years.

The reason for this may vary depending on the age at which you are undergoing LASIK and your vision health. Visual fluctuations can occur as a result of eye changes over time. Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) eye surgery often helps people with vision problems who want to rely less on eyeglasses or contact lenses. Augmentation surgery is very similar to the initial LASIK procedure; however, instead of creating a new flap, the previously created flap is lifted and then laser ablation is applied.

In the vast majority of cases, laser eye surgery is a permanent vision correction option for patients. Before undergoing any laser eye surgery procedure, many people ask their surgeon how long the results will last. Can they expect 10 years of great vision? Maybe 20 years? Do even LASIK results last a lifetime? The answer is a little more complicated than giving a fixed amount of time. It's normal for all people to experience visual problems as they age, regardless of whether or not they've had laser eye surgery.

However, some specific factors contribute to answering the question of “how long does LASIK eye surgery last”, such as age and changes in vision, such as presbyopia or astigmatism. Presbymax is a sophisticated laser eye surgery procedure that is only available on the Schwind Amaris 1050RS laser platform. Kraff successfully performed the first excimer laser procedures in the Chicago metropolitan area using the Excimer VISX laser. The best way to make your LASIK results last as long as possible is to visit an eye surgeon specializing in lasers in your area.

There is a small degree of risk in all surgical procedures, including LASIK and other forms of laser eye surgery. If laser eye surgery was performed on a patient with an unstable prescription, the result may not be expected to be long lasting and a subsequent improvement procedure may be required. If this rare complication occurs, laser eye surgery can be repeated after 2 or 3 months, when the resulting vision correction should, this time, be permanent.