Options for correcting your vision in San Francisco

For those who wear corrective lenses or contacts on a regular basis, it can be a significant annoyance in the quality of every day living.  Some have had to wear them since a young age while others who recently get them put up with the discomfort, lack of ability to buy sunglasses, challenges for sporting activities, and more.  Additionally, constant cleaning of glasses and the pain of putting in, removing and soaking contacts all for the sake of seeing better.  Thousands of people seek corrective laser eye surgery, the nation’s most popular elective surgery, just for better vision.

Within San Francisco, you’ll have several options for correcting your vision.  The most popular of them is Lasik eye surgery, a procedure that was started more than 50 years ago.  Lasik surgery involves using a special laser to lift open the cornea to create a flap, and then sculpt the cornea underneath it.  After the cornea has been reshaped the flap is then replaced back on the eye, the entire procedure takes only minutes.  Success rates for Lasik treatment are very high with patients who have low to moderate levels of farsightedness, regardless of whether they have astigmatism or not.

The other common yet not nearly as popular by name laser eye surgery is PRK, an acronym for Photorefractive Keratectomy.  Unlike Lasik surgery, PRK utilizes a different laser to sculpt layers of tissue on the surface of the cornea.  By doing so, it changes how light refracts inside the eye and allows better focus to the retina.  Like the Lasik treatment, PRK is a very short procedure and can treat nearsightedness, farsightedness and those affected with astigmatism.

Depending on the condition and severity of your eyes, most patients needing laser eye surgery can be treated with Lasik surgery.  Most eye surgeons specialize in one or the other treatments, and will best be able to help you choose the right option for you.

Both surgeries are usually done as outpatient procedures and recovery time is short, within a day for most.  A requirement is that someone brings you to and drives you home from the procedure though and it’s nice to have that person available for a few hours afterwards to help get your bearings until your vision is back.  Most patients report near perfect vision within a day or two after laser eye treatment, and many return to school or work the very next day.

The only other option is to continue wearing glasses and contacts, which will continue to cost you money year in and year out.  Opting to go with corrective laser eye surgery will not only increase the enjoyment in your life, it will also reduce some bills that accumulate through expensive eyeglass frame purchase and disposable contacts.