Is LASIK worth it?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
For the right candidate, the numbers say yes: a world literature review of 2,198 patients found 95.4% satisfaction after LASIK. Most people see well without glasses within days, making it one of the most successful elective procedures studied. The honest conditions: worth it depends on stable prescriptions, corneal thickness, tear film, and expectations. Real trade-offs: weeks to months of dry eye, early night glare and halos, and reading glasses still arriving in your 40s - LASIK does not stop presbyopia. Screening decides candidacy; expectations decide satisfaction. Pymander's escalation routing is built and tested specifically for this class of decision; see the safety architecture working paper.
What to do
- Get a real screening: corneal mapping, tear film, prescription stability - a good clinic declines bad candidates.
- Plan the trade-offs: dry eye for weeks to months, night glare early, reading glasses later regardless.
- Compare honestly: years of contacts, solutions, and glasses against the one-time cost.
- Get seen if: post-surgery pain, worsening vision, or severe dryness - those are same-week calls, not normal healing.
Related questions
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