OOMC News

Contact lenses and LASIK corrective eye surgery are two great options to enhance your vision. However, LASIK can provide better, longer-lasting results for patients.

To learn more about the difference between both vision correction options and the benefits of LASIK, here’s what you need to know about contact lenses and LASIK corrective eye surgery.

Vision Correction Benefits

Contact lenses and LASIK can help you see clearly, but contacts will only correct your vision when you’re wearing them. When you take them out, you may still need glasses to see.

LASIK offers a more permanent solution. During a LASIK procedure, the surgeon will use a cool-beam laser to apply your customized treatment and reshape the cornea. In just a few days, you’ll be able to see clearly without any need for contact lenses or glasses.

Cost of Contact Lenses vs LASIK

Depending on your location, the technologies used, and where you have the procedure performed, LASIK eye surgery can cost $2,000 to $6,000 per eye. Contact lenses and other costs associated with contacts will cost around $1,000 per year.

However, it’s important to remember that contact lenses are a reoccurring healthcare purchase. So, in about ten years, you could spend up to $20,000 on contact lenses alone.

LASIK, on the other hand, is a one-time expense. Since the procedure provides permanent vision correction, getting LASIK can save you more money in the future than paying for contact lenses each year.

The cost of LASIK includes the surgery, as well as the pre- and post-operative appointments. The price of contact lenses only applies to the lenses; it does not cover annual eye exams, contact lens solution, or other necessary eye care expenses.

LASIK vs Contact Lenses: Eye Care Risks

Contact lenses are great if you don’t want to wear glasses for the day, but there are a few risks that everyone needs to know. For example, you always want to make sure you clean your contacts properly every night to avoid infections and other serious eye issues. Also, you never want to use expired contacts, as this can cause health and vision problems.

On top of that, wearing contacts can irritate your eyes, especially if they are dry or if you suffer from allergies in the spring. However, using eye drops regularly can help alleviate irritation and keep lenses moisturized temporarily.

Thanks to advanced technologies, LASIK presents fewer risks. With the right LASIK recovery tips and post-operative appointments with your eye doctor, your eyes will heal properly, and infections and other eye problems become less of a risk.

Between contact lenses and LASIK corrective eye surgery, LASIK offers more benefits and can better provide patients with the long-lasting clear vision they need. If you’d like to learn more about LASIK, and how it can improve your life, schedule your free consultation at Corneal Associates today!