LASIK Eye Surgery
LASIK has been around for decades. Is it still the gold standard for refractive surgery? A (Refractive Surgeon): Absolutely. Femtosecond LASIK (FS-LASIK) is safe, predictable, and has rapid recovery. Topography-guided LASIK (TG-LASIK) now offers personalized ablation profiles. A recent 2026 study showed 97% of eyes achieved 20/20 or better at 12 months post-op .
B (Optometrist - Pre/Post-op Care): The outcomes are excellent for low to moderate myopia. However, patients need realistic expectations. Higher-order aberrations (HOAs) like coma do increase after LASIK, which can cause night vision issues (glare, halos, starbursts) in a subset of patients, especially those with large pupils .
C (Ophthalmology Practice Owner): The business model has shifted. LASIK is a cash-pay procedure, with prices ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 per eye in the US. Competition from SMILE (small incision lenticule extraction) and implantable collamer lenses (ICL) for high myopia is fragmenting the market.
D (Potential Patient): I'm nervous about the flap. I've heard horror stories about flap dislodgement years later from eye rubbing or trauma. Also, dry eye after LASIK sounds miserable. My friend got SMILE and had less dry eye. I'm shopping around, and the technology differences are confusing.