Play Sports? Here are 4 Benefits of Laser Eye Surgery

Whether you are a pro or amateur sportsperson, you need good eyesight to play at your best. Wearing glasses or contacts will enable you to see, but they can be uncomfortable and impractical, especially while playing sports.

Glasses are easily knocked or fall off when running or bumping into teammates. The glasses are then at risk of being stood on and broken. Sweat and heavy breathing can cause glasses to fog, which reduces visibility. The glasses’ frame also blocks a player’s peripheral vision, limiting actions during a match.

Laser eye surgery is where a beam of laser light is used to reshape the cornea to correct vision or remove unwanted eye tissue. Athletes often choose laser eye surgery to improve their vision to gain the edge in making split-second decisions. They also no longer have the hassle of wearing glasses or contact lenses.

Most athletes have the choice of more than one type of laser eye surgery.

LASIK is the most well-known, with a long history of success featuring a fast recovery time. However, flap surgery involves the slight risk of reopening for people who play contact sports with a hit. After the surgery, the recommendation may be to take more time away from sports.

PRK, also a flap surgery, is ideal for people with thin corneas who aren’t suitable candidates for other forms of laser eye surgery.

SmartSight laser eye surgery is a popular method for athletes – pro and amateur alike. It’s the least invasive form of laser eye surgery, so recovery is even more comfortable and quicker. The fast recovery means they can go back to the field faster than other forms of surgery. People are likely good candidates for SmartSight if they have:

• a stable prescription
• healthy eyes with no eye disease
• no family history of some eye conditions
• good general health with no systemic conditions, particularly those that affect healing

There’s a wide range of reasons why sports lovers choose to have laser eye surgery to improve their vision on the field or court.

Peripheral vision is everything when you’re playing sport. Depending on the sport you play, good peripheral vision allows you to see the ball, an opponent, or a teammate from the side. The split second of coming into view can make all the difference when reaction times matter. The frames of glasses can severely hinder your peripheral vision, but laser eye surgery can enable you to enjoy a good clear view.

People wearing glasses while playing sports have a greater risk of facial injury if their glasses break. And this can happen if hit by a ball or another player, or they fall onto the court or field.

Contact lens-wearing sportspeople aren’t immune either. If a contact lens gets dislodged during play, you either need to play on with poor vision or stop playing to replace the contact lens.

Fogging and slipping glasses can impact a person playing to the best of their ability. After laser eye surgery, you can throw away your glasses and not worry about fogging or slipping issues again.

Many swimmers rely on the dark line to stay in their lane but can’t see much else without their glasses or contacts. Laser eye surgery means they can see the time and objects around the pool. Most swimmers will need to wait at least two weeks after laser eye surgery before returning to the water.

The cost of glasses and contact lenses adds up over time. Regular sports players may have the added expense of a pair of prescription sports goggles to play basketball, hockey, or tennis, so they don’t risk an injury if the ball breaks their glasses.

The cost of glasses and contacts spreads out over many years. If you wear contacts, you’re constantly buying new lenses and saline, and glasses wearers need updates to their lenses, repairs, or new frames. Calculating the cost over five or ten years can be frightening. Paying for laser eye surgery can save thousands compared to a lifetime of glasses and contacts.

If you’re considering laser eye surgery to improve your athletic performance, schedule a consultation today.