Many people who wear glasses or contact lenses choose to have LASIK eye surgery to reduce or eliminate their dependence on corrective lenses. While the majority are pleased with their vision after LASIK, some do report occasional blur or fluctuation in vision clarity. This leads them to use reading glasses or glasses for certain activities despite having LASIK.
Why do some people still need glasses after LASIK?
There are several reasons why you may still need to wear glasses sometimes after LASIK surgery:
- Presbyopia – As part of the natural aging process, the eye’s lens loses its ability to focus up close. This starts in the 40s and leads to difficulty seeing small print and doing near work. LASIK cannot correct presbyopia, so reading glasses become necessary.
- Night vision issues – Some people experience halos, glare, and other vision issues when driving at night after LASIK. Wearing glasses at night can alleviate these side effects.
- Dry eyes – LASIK surgery can reduce tear production and dry out the eyes, causing intermittent blurry vision. Using artificial tears and wearing glasses helps when dry eyes flare up.
- Residual refractive error – If there is any slight under or over-correction after LASIK, glasses may be needed at times to sharpen vision.
- Vision regression – In a small percentage of cases, the eyes shift slightly over time and vision declines. Glasses become necessary if regression occurs.
The need for glasses may only be occasional, such as for night driving or reading. But some patients do find they need to wear glasses or contacts regularly again due to the above reasons.
How often and when do people need glasses after LASIK?
Studies show that most LASIK patients continue to have 20/20 or better vision and do not require glasses for daily activities. However, here are some statistics on glasses use after LASIK surgery:
- Up to 19% need glasses for some activities 1 year after surgery
- Around 25% require glasses 5 years post-op
- Roughly 30% are wearing glasses 10 years after LASIK
The most common situations when glasses are needed after LASIK include:
- Reading small print – Once presbyopia kicks in, reading glasses become essential in your 40s and beyond.
- Driving at night – Glare and halos at night are helped by wearing glasses.
- Working on the computer – Eye strain may cause blurry vision requiring glasses for computer use.
- Watching TV or movies – In a dark room, glasses can sharpen vision.
- Shopping or browsing – Eye fatigue in stores may necessitate glasses.
As you get past the 10 year mark after LASIK, the percentage needing glasses for all sorts of activities starts rising steadily with age.
Do you end up more dependent on glasses after LASIK?
Most LASIK patients find that their dependency on glasses decreases significantly. Even if glasses become necessary for certain tasks, it is typically much less than the glasses wear prior to surgery. Some key advantages include:
- No more glasses for most daily activities like working, exercising, socializing, etc.
- Contact lenses discontinued after surgery in most cases.
- When glasses are required, often only lower prescription reading glasses are needed.
- Higher independence and freedom from glasses the majority of time.
So while glasses may not be eliminated entirely, most LASIK patients achieve a higher level of independence and freedom from corrective lenses than before surgery.
Are there ways to reduce glasses dependence after LASIK?
If you want to minimize the need for glasses after LASIK, here are some tips:
- Use preservative-free artificial tears and gel drops to ease dry eye issues.
- Have reading glasses ready once you pass age 40.
- Get a touch-up enhancement if vision regression occurs.
- Wear sunglasses outside to combat glare.
- Have computer glasses prescribed to reduce eye strain.
- Use proper lighting and take breaks when doing near work.
- Stop smoking, as this exacerbates dry eyes.
- Maintain follow-up exams to monitor your vision.
While glasses may still be periodically necessary, optimizing your ocular health and visual environment can reduce reliance on them after LASIK surgery.
Conclusion
Although LASIK provides freedom from glasses and contacts for most everyday activities, the majority of patients will need to wear glasses from time to time after surgery. Situations like night driving and reading are most commonly associated with glasses use post-LASIK. Natural effects of aging like presbyopia also eventually require reading glasses. However, the need is much reduced compared to full-time glasses wear before surgery. With reasonable expectations and proper eye care, most people can enjoy significantly improved vision and much lower dependence on corrective eyewear after LASIK.
| Year After LASIK | Percentage Needing Glasses |
|---|---|
| 1 year | 10-19% |
| 5 years | 20-25% |
| 10 years | 25-30% |
References
[1] Nichamin LD. LASIK eye surgery. Am J Ophthalmol. 2003;136(1):162‐164. doi:10.1016/s0002-9394(03)00211-7
[2] Fan Gaskin JC, Patel DV, McGhee CN. Community followup of patients 10 years after laser in situ keratomileusis. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2014;40(11):1827‐1833. doi:10.1016/j.jcrs.2014.07.044
[3] Chan TY, Ng AL, Chan KP, Tham CC. An Update on Laser-assisted in situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) 9 to 12 Years After Surgery. Asia Pac J Ophthalmol (Phila). 2019;8(3):268‐273. doi:10.1097/APO.0000000000000253
[4] Schallhorn SC, Venter JA, Teenan D, Schallhorn JM, Hettinger KA. Effect of Presbyopia-Correcting Intraocular Lenses on Quality of Life. J Refract Surg. 2018;34(1):12‐18. doi:10.3928/1081597X-20171220-01
[5] Potvin R, Makari S, Rapuano CJ. Tears After LASIK. EyeNet. 2015. https://www.aao.org/eyenet/article/tears-after-lasik.