Laser Eye Surgery vs contact lenses: Read the facts

Trying to figure out if you should have Laser Eye Surgery or not is generally not a barrel of laughs.

Granted, you don’t go into it expecting to enjoy yourself. But let’s face it, it could be a whole lot easier and less stressful than it’s made to be. Heck, it could even be fun! Okay, maybe that’s pushing it a bit too far…

But the point is, if it wasn’t for all the misinformation, bias marketing spiel, and untrustworthy tabloid articles, deciding to have Laser Eye Surgery could be a smooth and exciting process. If the facts were clearer, it would have already changed more lives than 35 million.

But they’re not clear. So a lot of us end up trudging through masses of data and forums and getting fed up. And in the end, stick with glasses or contact lenses and miss out on the incredible benefits of Laser Eye Surgery.

But the good news is it doesn’t have to be that way. In little more than a heartbeat, you can reverse your fate by busting the myths, arming yourself with the facts, and joining the growing band of the clear-eyed and well-informed.

Fact #1: Contact lenses pose greater risks to your eye health

According to the scientific studies carried out by The British Contact Lens Association:

• The risk of sight compromising infection is 1 in 500 for extended wear contact lenses (which is actually higher than the risk of undergoing laser eye surgery; this risk goes down by a factor of five to 1 in 2,500 for daily disposable lenses). In comparison, the risk of infection with laser eye surgery is about 1 in 10,000. Unsurprisingly, using your finger to place a foreign object on the surface of the eye is a major cause of these infections. To find out more about potential risk associated with laser eye surgery, read more here.

While wearing contacts, oxygen is restricted from entering the eye, increasing the chances of dry eye syndrome. This is a growing problem for people who work at a computer or use a screen for several hours a day.

Fact #2: Laser Eye Surgery is cheaper than contact lenses

Adrian Knowles of the Eyecare Trust, a UK charity for raising awareness of eye health, says:

“If you work out the cost of a year’s supply of daily disposable lenses, it comes out at about 90p per day.”

Spread that out over the course of a year, and it comes to about £325. Now, depending on how long you’re planning to be around we could calculate the costs 30, 40, or 50 years. But most people won’t wear contacts every single day, so let’s say 15.

Assuming there’s no inflation, that brings the costs of contact lenses to around £5000. That’s more than the highest quality Laser Eye Surgery treatment, which as well as coming with a host of other benefits, can be permanent but depends on an individual’s physiology.

Fact #3: Contact lenses limit sports, exercise, and social activities

When it comes to being active, contact lenses have obvious benefits over glasses. But they’re not so much a better option as rather just not as bad.

You may have better peripheral vision and less chance of a restricted view, but it only takes one to slip out to stop the whole show. And that’s if you’re able to wear them in the first place — any water-related sports and activities are off the cards unless you have specialist eyewear.

Laser Eye Surgery doesn’t restrict your vision in anyway, so you’re free to engage in whatever activities you please. Many athletes and sports people have the treatment solely for sport, particularly those that require good accuracy and hand-eye coordination.

Find out more about the facts of vision correction treatment or book a consultation at London Vision Clinic by contacting one of our friendly patient care coordinators.