Many people believe the myth that LASIK results wear off. However, this is untrue. The LASIK procedure makes permanent changes in the shape of the corneal tissue. After studying your eyes, taking precise measurements, and evaluating your prescription, our surgeons precisely reshape your cornea to correct refractive errors. This surgery normally delivers lasting refractive error improvements—based on your eyes and vision at the time of your surgery.
It is possible that your eyes and prescription might change over the years. However, this does not necessarily mean that your results are wearing off. If your refractive error was going to change naturally, then this is unrelated to the LASIK procedure. This is why we recommend LASIK for patients who have stable prescriptions. Some patients who experience significant prescription changes after LASIK may require an enhancement. This is a similar laser correction surgery that further corrects refractive errors.
In addition, your eyes will still age. LASIK results are permanent, but you should expect to deal with age-related vision changes. For instance, as you grow older, you will experience difficulty with up-close focusing. This is called presbyopia and happens to everyone as the lens becomes less flexible. We know now that this is the first sign of age-related change in our natural lens (Dysfunctional Lens Syndrome). Ultimately, this will lead to cataract changes and possibly cataract surgery. Fortunately, LASIK does not prevent patients from having successful cataract surgery.