Look at all of your alternatives before choosing which one is the best for you. Dr. Stephen Slade, a highly rated ophthalmologist in Houston, says that you should find a doctor who has expertise with different options so they can help you make an educated decision.

PRK, or Photorefractive Keratectomy

Another laser surgery option. Pros: PRK is good for those who have a tendency toward dry eyes, thin corneas or otherwise aren’t a candidate for LASIK. Cons: Some studies have shown that results may not be as quick as with LASIK, and that it isn’t as comfortable.

Refractive lens exchange

The eye’s natural lens, which can become a cataract later in life, replaced with a man-made lens. Pros: Good for older patients.

Implantable contact lenses

Pros: Best for those with severe nearsightedness or not suited for surgery. This option offers a better quality of vision than soft contact lenses.

Glasses

Pros: No surgery means less risk. This is the safest option. Cons: However, it isn’t the best optical solution, since the closer you can physically get the lens to your eye the better. Also, looking through the dead center of the lens is ideal, but with glasses you’re not always looking through the center.

Contacts

Pros: Contacts are another option for anyone not wanting to wear glasses and reconsidering surgery, and they are better optically than glasses. Hard contacts offer better vision than soft lenses or glasses, but soft contacts are much more comfortable for most people and are cheaper, even though you have to replace them more often.

Cons: Contacts can pose a fairly higher rate of infection since you’re putting foreign objects into your eyes.