If you rely on contact lenses for clear vision, you may have wondered if LASIK is a smarter long-term choice. While contacts offer a non-surgical option for vision correction, LASIK provides a permanent solution. But which is the better investment? Let’s compare the financial cost, convenience, and eye health impact of each to help you make an informed decision.

Cost Comparison: LASIK vs. Contacts

At first glance, LASIK seems like a significant expense. The average cost of LASIK surgery ranges from $2,000 to $3,000 per eye, depending on the technology used. However, this is a one-time cost that eliminates the need for contacts or glasses in most cases.

In contrast, the cost of contact lenses adds up over time. The average person spends between $250 and $700 per year on contact lenses, depending on the type they use. Factor in additional costs such as cleaning solutions, lens cases, and replacement lenses, and the lifetime expense can easily exceed $10,000 over a few decades.

For most people, LASIK pays for itself within 5-10 years compared to the ongoing costs of contact lenses.

Convenience and Lifestyle Benefits

One of the biggest drawbacks of contact lenses is the daily maintenance required. From cleaning and inserting them each morning to removing and storing them at night, contacts require constant care. If you forget your solution or lose a lens, it can disrupt your day.

With LASIK, you wake up every morning with clear vision—no more fumbling with contacts or worrying about running out of supplies. Whether you’re traveling, swimming, or playing sports, LASIK offers a level of freedom that contact lenses simply can’t match.

Health Considerations

While contact lenses are generally safe, improper use or extended wear can lead to eye infections, dryness, and irritation. Many people who wear contacts for years experience discomfort, especially those who work in environments with dry air or extended screen time.

LASIK eliminates these concerns by reshaping the cornea to correct vision without external devices. While LASIK does carry some risks, such as temporary dry eye or glare, advancements in laser technology have made the procedure safer and more precise than ever. Most patients experience minimal side effects and achieve 20/20 vision or better.

Making the Right Choice For You

Choosing between LASIK and contact lenses ultimately depends on your lifestyle, budget, and eye health. If you’re comfortable with the ongoing expense and maintenance of contacts, they may be a good short-term solution. However, if you’re looking for a long-term investment in your vision, LASIK offers financial savings, convenience, and health benefits that make it a compelling choice.

If you’re considering LASIK, schedule a consultation with us to see if you’re a good candidate. Your future of clear, hassle-free vision could be just one procedure away!

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Prevailing wisdom states that contact lenses are safer than LASIK for vision correction – but as time goes by, we’ve learned new things to challenge this belief.

Board-certified ophthalmologist Dr. Brian Will notes that contact lens wearers are more likely than LASIK surgery patients to develop complications that eventually lead to vision loss. Based on medical reviews of several extensive studies, daily contact lens wearers have a 1% chance of developing a severe lens-related eye infection over 30 years – compared to a one-in-2,000 chance of suffering significant vision loss due to LASIK.

Direct Comparisons Are Challenging

Between 20 and 25 million people in the United States wear contact lenses. About a million Americans have LASIK to correct their vision each year. Unfortunately, eye doctors throughout America have experienced several contact lens patients losing their eyes from infections.

Direct comparisons of the risks vs. rewards of contacts and LASIK have been difficult because surgical complications are immediate and associated risks with contact lenses accumulate over several years.

The risks associated with long-term contact lenses are more significant when people wear them incorrectly or fail to clean them thoroughly. Still, potential issues remain even when wearers do everything right.

Almost every contact lens wearer violates some principle of proper use at some point. For example, they might neglect to wash their hands before handling their lenses or use tap water instead of a sterile solution for storage. Sleeping with your contacts in can dramatically increase the risk of eye infection.

One out of 10,000 daily contact lens wearers will develop a severe infection over a year. That risk jumps to one in 1,000 for wearers who sleep in their contacts. Therefore, Dr. Will advises his contact lens patients never to sleep with their contacts, even if it’s supposedly safe to do so.

Customized Laser Surgery

Over the past 15 years, LASIK surgery techniques have continued evolving, and better training has reduced the incidence of nighttime vision problems and other complications that were prevalent years ago.

One significant advance was the introduction of Wavefront LASIK, allowing eye surgeons to customize the procedure for each eye. Dr. Jim Salz, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Southern California, noted that the risks of contact lenses and having LASIK are probably similar. “In many cases, the decision comes down to patient preference,” he said.

He added that advances in laser surgery and contact lens technology should make each vision correction approach safer in years to come.

Who Is a Candidate for Lasik?

Contact Will Vision and Laser Center today to learn more about LASIK and Wavefront-guided PRK or any of our eye care treatments.

If you would like more information on LASIK enhancement in Portland, OR, and the Pacific Northwest, schedule a complimentary consultation with board-certified ophthalmologist Dr. Brian Will.

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