How Well Will I See After LASIK?

At your initial consultation with your LASIK surgeon, you will most likely want to find out how well you will see after your laser eye surgery. Unfortunately, that is a complicated question to answer.

There is no way to predict your vision after LASIK surgery with any degree of certainty. There are many factors that contribute to how well you will see after your procedure, including the degree of your refractive error, type of refractive error, and shape of your cornea. However, it is possible for your LASIK surgeon to provide you with a general idea of what your vision will be like after your surgery.

In general, the more severe your refractive error, the less likely you are to achieve 20/20 vision after your surgery. Similarly, if you only have a mild refractive error, you are more likely to achieve 20/20 vision.

Even if you still need glasses after your surgery, your vision will be substantially improved from its pre-LASIK level. Also, you can often improve your vision even more with a follow-up LASIK procedure.

Most LASIK patients experience vastly improved vision from their procedure and do not need glasses in the future. Approximately 95% of LASIK patients achieve 20/40 vision or better. In general, 20/40 vision will allow you to pass a vision test to receive a driver's license without corrective lenses. Roughly 67% of LASIK patients achieve 20/20 vision or better after their laser eye surgery.

Be wary of any ophthalmologist who guarantees you a particular result for your LASIK procedure. However, your eye doctor should be able to set reasonable expectations for your vision range following your surgery.

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified LASIK surgeon in your area.