You got LASIK and now your vision is great without glasses or contacts! Horray! We manage many LASIK patients at our office and it is wonderful that we can change the lives of our patients with this procedure. However,It is important to point out that our eyes do change over time. Eye exams are necessary to check for serious vision-threatening issues such as glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic eye disease even if you had LASIK.
If you have undergone LASIK chances are you were nearsighted. People who are nearsighted have an increased risk of retinal tear or detachment even after LASIK. In addition, LASIK reshapes the front surface of the eye (cornea) by removing tissue to allow clear vision. As a result, the thickness of the cornea is reduced and it is important to monitor for any progressive thinning (ectasia). Yearly eye exams are important to monitor changes in the cornea as well as general ocular health. Most vision changes are painless and gradual which may go unnoticed. Annual eye examinations assure that potential sight threatening ocular health issues will be diagnosed sooner than later.
