The rate of complications of LASER eye surgery (and it IS surgery, regardless of the euphemisms employed) is in the single digit percentages, perhaps below 5%. So, with millions having it done the number of people unhappy about it will be a significant number, though, far outnumbered by those who are pleased.
I have known a few people who had complications. Some of them feel that the complications are life altering, for the worse. (extreme dryness, poor night vision, irregular astigmatism)
So, as with any other elective procedure, there is risk involved. How heavily you weight that risk will be inversely proportional to how negatively you feel about corrective lenses. I opted not to have the surgery in 2001. I did vision exercises for a while and even though my optometrist was not convinced they would work he did give me some free eye exam time to verify that I WAS able to improve my nearsightedness by one diopter in a month. It pretty much stopped there, though. As with most mildly nearsighted people, my myopia has been improving slightly as I head toward the inevitable presbyopia (farsightedness) that will probably result in the need for bifocals. Mildly nearsighted people already have a bit of an advantage as they can usually make it to older age before needing reading lenses.
But, if I had gotten the LASIK, I am certain I would have needed reading lenses by now. The last time I wore contacts I could not see clearly to do close, detailed work. With my very thin glasses I can just take them off to do close work.
So, it's a personal decision. You do owe it to yourself to check out the possible complications. I have read that if you are a very compulsive, picky person - like many BITOGers are - that you may want to think twice. Remember, this is a PERMANENT alteration to your body.
I have known a few people who had complications. Some of them feel that the complications are life altering, for the worse. (extreme dryness, poor night vision, irregular astigmatism)
So, as with any other elective procedure, there is risk involved. How heavily you weight that risk will be inversely proportional to how negatively you feel about corrective lenses. I opted not to have the surgery in 2001. I did vision exercises for a while and even though my optometrist was not convinced they would work he did give me some free eye exam time to verify that I WAS able to improve my nearsightedness by one diopter in a month. It pretty much stopped there, though. As with most mildly nearsighted people, my myopia has been improving slightly as I head toward the inevitable presbyopia (farsightedness) that will probably result in the need for bifocals. Mildly nearsighted people already have a bit of an advantage as they can usually make it to older age before needing reading lenses.
But, if I had gotten the LASIK, I am certain I would have needed reading lenses by now. The last time I wore contacts I could not see clearly to do close, detailed work. With my very thin glasses I can just take them off to do close work.
So, it's a personal decision. You do owe it to yourself to check out the possible complications. I have read that if you are a very compulsive, picky person - like many BITOGers are - that you may want to think twice. Remember, this is a PERMANENT alteration to your body.