Lasik procedure is performed to correct refractive error of the eye and sometimes it is not unusual to think, whether this procedure can be reversed or not. The procedure is usually performed to get rid of the eyeglasses and contact lens, by resolving hyperopia, myopia or astigmatism eye related problems.
Why Reversal?
In most of the cases, more than 96% of them have positive outcomes after the Lasik surgery. However, there are certain instances, where the outcomes are not as expected. So, the outcomes may not be pleasant and the problems of reduced vision, halos, glare and night driving vision. It may be because of the treatment decentration. In rare cases, it is also possible that Lasik is performed to correct multiple vision problems and a single vision refractive error can be reversed, while the other one is retained. And some of the Lasik procedures but not all the Lasik procedures have the ability to get them reversed.
Reversal of Lasik Procedure
The process involved in the Lasik is removing the extra tissue over the surface of the cornea and reshaping the cornea to the expected shape. Removing the tissue is a permanent change made over the cornea and hence the results are also permanent. Eventually, the vision can never be gone back to the previous position.
But, any relative changes made within the eye may make the result to be modified in a certain period of time. Basically, aging of eyes’ lens can affect the near vision. Here, aging of the lens refers to the presbyopia, which is a pre-cataract change that begins usually, in the beginning of 50s. And in cases of corrections of large myopic or nearsighted refractive error, the epithelium over the area of laser is expected to be thicken, slightly more than the normal quantity and it eventually result in changes in refraction in smaller amounts. However, it cannot be back to the position, the shape or quantity it was, prior to Lasik. So, on an overall Lasik never gets reversed.
Another Dimension
On the other hand, there have been certain attempts made to reverse Lasik, especially, when the outcomes are lesser than ideal. These attempts were made with better outcomes and good results.
Studies and Reports
Supracor procedure, which is a procedure of intracorneal femtosecond laser has been attempted to reverse the procedure and so the unpleasant outcomes too. The initial procedure was attempted to resolve the vision related problems, called presbyopia and hyperopia. Reversal of Lasik procedure has been attempted to reverse the correction of presbyopia, however, the effects and outcomes of hyperopia are retained well. This experimental Lasik procedure has been proven to be successful in reversing the effects of presbyopia, while retaining the positive results of the hyperopia.