Permanence of
Lasik, Bladeless Lasik, PRK, etc.
All
refractive surgery techniques make permanent changes to the eye.
Some more permanent than others.
Excimer laser assisted surgery techniques conventional or custom
wavefront
Lasik,
Bladeless Lasik,
PRK,
LASEK, and
Epi-Lasik all remove
corneal tissue.
Regression
back toward the original refractive error is common with high
myopia (nearsighted, shortsighted) correction and just about all
hyperopia (farsighted, longsighted) correction. It is not likely
regression with any excimer laser assisted surgery will regress all
the way back to the original
refractive
error, but it is a possibility in some circumstances.
Intacs
are removable, but not exactly reversible because there is an incision
where they are inserted into the cornea.
P-IOL adds an
anterior chamber
IOL inside the eye, which can be removed, but incisions are made
to put it in and out.
RLE removes the natural lens of the eye and replaces it with an
artificial lens that can be exchanged, but is sorely needed.
CK is about the only refractive surgery procedure that actually
regresses on its own, eventually returning the cornea to virtually its
preoperative state.
Despite the permanence
of the changes from surgery, your eyes will continue to change at the
same rate they did before surgery. Around the age of 40 just about everyone
will become
presbyopic
and require reading glasses.
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