Lasik eye surgery has become a viable alternative to contact lenses and glasses for young adults.
It gives them a chance to experience near-perfect vision without the hassle of contact lenses and glasses.
Dr. Charles Cowan, an optometrist at Auburn Eye Care, described the ideal candidate for Lasik eye surgery.
"Broadly speaking, the procedure has been done on patients of all ages," Cowan said. "Obviously, it's not healthy for children, but some doctors will perform the operation for patients 18 and older, and some require that they are 21."
Cowan said the procedure was created as a means of correcting nearsightedness. Therefore, it's more effective for people with nearsightedness than farsightedness.
"People who might make good candidates are those with low and medium amounts of nearsightedness and in some cases, even high levels of nearsightedness," Cowan said. "Those with low to moderate amounts of farsightedness typically receive effective results, as well."
The goal of Lasik eye surgery is to reduce the patient's dependency on lens correction, Cowan said.
"My older sister is 23 and had Lasik surgery three years ago," said James Casey, a senior in accounting. "She was really happy with the results and has been able to be lens-free since. Her vision is just now beginning to fade back a little bit, and she may need a re-treat in the future."
Cowan said a patient should wait three months after the surgery to allow the eyes to completely heal before considering a re-treat.
He also suggested for patients considering the surgery to wait until they have had a stable lens prescription for two years.
"Nearsightedness is progressive throughout teen years and early adulthood, but around 30 it tends to stable out, and a patient will have the same prescription for multiple years," Cowan said.
Cowan also said typically the surgery takes about 20 minutes in addition to pre-surgery preparation and explained other details about the surgery.
"If one is squeamish about eye manipulation procedures, they should know that they will be fully awake throughout the procedure."
Cowan advised that before the surgery patients consider the costs and save up, because most insurance does not cover the $800 to sometimes $2,200 per eye procedure.
Another requirement before surgery is for patients to stop wearing contacts for two to four weeks, depending on how often they wear them, Cowan said.
However, despite the high costs and numerous requirements, the rate of satisfied patients is high, about 95 percent, and the surgery can be effective in yielding beneficial results, Cowan said.
"I have been interested in Lasik since the moment I first heard about it years ago, but I wasn't old enough yet," said Amy Reid, a senior in political science. "I have worn glasses since I was 3 and began wearing contacts in fourth grade. I hate wearing glasses because my lenses are so thick and they make my small eyes appear even smaller."
Reid said even if the surgery could not fully correct her vision, to have glasses with thinner lenses would be an improvement.
"I honestly cannot imagine what life is like with good vision, because I haven't had it since I was 3," Reid said.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
