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LASIK, glasses or contact lenses: which suits me?
None of the three is right for everyone. Spectacles are the simplest and carry almost no risk to the eye. Contact lenses give natural vision for sport and work but need strict hygiene. LASIK can reduce your need for both, but it is surgery on a healthy eye, cannot be undone and does not prevent reading glasses with age.
If your eyes are healthy and you see well with spectacles or contact lenses, there is no medical need for LASIK. It is a choice about convenience and lifestyle, and a good choice depends on your eyes, your work, your sport and what you are comfortable with. This guide sets the three options side by side. For a closer look at spectacles against contact lenses alone, see glasses or contact lenses: which is better?
Spectacles
The good: nothing touches the eye, so the risk to the eye is close to nil. Spectacles shield the eyes from dust and wind, can be changed whenever your power changes, and can include reading or progressive lenses as you get older. Modern lenses are thin and light even for high power.
The drawbacks: they fog in Goa's humid monsoon air and when you step out of an air-conditioned room, they get splashed in the rain, they can slip during sport, and very high power can make objects look smaller and the side vision less natural.
Contact lenses
The good: natural, wide vision with no frame in the way, useful for sport, dancing, stage work and some jobs. Many people use them alongside spectacles.
The drawbacks: they need careful daily hygiene. Sleeping in lenses that are not meant for overnight wear, or wearing them in the sea, a pool or the shower, raises the risk of a serious eye infection. Some people find them dry and uncomfortable, especially in air-conditioning and on screens. Read contact lenses: fitting, supply and safe use.
LASIK
The good: for many suitable people it greatly reduces dependence on spectacles and contact lenses for distance vision, which helps with swimming, sport and travel.
The drawbacks: it is surgery on a healthy eye. Dry eye is common for some months and can last longer, glare and haloes at night can occur, some people need a second treatment or still need spectacles for some tasks, and the change to the cornea is permanent. Not every eye is suitable; see am I suitable for LASIK?
How do they compare?
Risk to the eye
Spectacles carry almost no risk. Contact lenses carry a small but ongoing risk of infection for as long as you wear them, which careful hygiene keeps low. LASIK carries the risks of a one-time operation, plus side effects such as dry eye. The risks are different in kind, and the eye doctor can explain how they apply to you.
Swimming, the beach and sport
Contact lenses should not be worn in water. Spectacles are awkward in water and in contact sport, though sports eyewear and prescription goggles help. This is the area where people most often find LASIK useful.
Changing your mind
You can stop wearing spectacles or contact lenses at any time. LASIK cannot be undone.
After 40
From the 40s, near vision changes for everyone (presbyopia). Spectacle wearers move to progressive or bifocal lenses or reading glasses; contact lens wearers may add reading glasses or use special lens designs; people who have had LASIK usually need reading glasses. None of the three stops this change.
Cost over time
Spectacles and contact lenses are an ongoing cost; LASIK is mostly a one-time cost, but it is not the end of all costs: drops, follow-up and reading glasses later all come after it. See what decides the cost of LASIK.
What does not change, whichever I choose?
None of the three changes the inside of your eye. A short-sighted eye is longer than average, and it keeps a higher risk of retinal detachment and glaucoma, whether you wear spectacles, contact lenses or have had LASIK. Cataract can still develop later in life. So regular eye check-ups remain important. If you ever see a sudden shower of floaters, flashes of light or a shadow across your vision, come in the same day; emergency eye care at ReNew Vision is available 24 hours.
Which option suits whom?
- A student whose power is still changing: spectacles or contact lenses for now. LASIK is not done while the power is changing.
- A young adult with stable power who swims, plays sport or works in dust or water: contact lenses may be enough; a LASIK check-up can tell you whether laser treatment is an option.
- Someone with dry, gritty eyes after long screen hours: spectacles are usually the most comfortable. Dry eye makes both contact lenses and LASIK harder.
- Someone planning a career in the armed forces, shipping or aviation: check the current rules of that service about spectacle power and eye surgery before deciding anything.
- Someone in their late 40s or older: reading glasses will be needed anyway, and if a cataract is starting, cataract surgery with a suitable lens may be the better time to correct power.
How do I decide?
Start with an eye check-up. It tells you whether your power is stable, whether your eyes are healthy enough for contact lenses or laser treatment, and what each option would mean for you. At ReNew Vision, the LASIK suitability check-up and counselling are done here, and the laser treatment is done at a laser centre we refer you to; see LASIK in Goa: check-up and referral. If you choose spectacles or contact lenses, the Vision Correction Centre is in the same hospital. You can also try contact lenses for some months before you decide on anything permanent.
ReNew Vision Eye Hospital, Vaddem, Vasco da Gama. Eye OPD Monday to Saturday, 4 pm to 7 pm. Call or WhatsApp 072489 88039.
Questions patients ask
Is LASIK better than glasses?
Not for everyone. Spectacles carry almost no risk and can change with your power. LASIK can reduce your need for spectacles, but it is surgery, cannot be undone and does not stop the need for reading glasses with age. The right choice depends on your eyes and your life.
Is LASIK safer than contact lenses?
They carry different risks. Contact lenses carry a small, ongoing risk of eye infection for as long as you wear them. LASIK carries the risks of a one-time operation, plus side effects such as dry eye. The eye doctor can explain how these apply to your eyes.
Can I try contact lenses before deciding on LASIK?
Yes, and many people do. Wearing contact lenses for a few months shows you how much you value vision without a frame. Leave them out for the time you are told before any LASIK tests, because they change the shape of the cornea for a while.
Will I need reading glasses after LASIK?
Most people do from their 40s. LASIK corrects the power for distance, but it does not stop the change in near vision that comes with age.
Does LASIK lower the risk of retina problems in short sight?
No. LASIK changes only the front of the cornea. A short-sighted eye keeps its higher risk of retinal detachment and glaucoma, so regular eye check-ups are still needed.
This page is general eye-health information, not personal medical advice. Your eye doctor advises you after examining your eyes.