If you have less than perfect vision, there is a good chance you are curious about laser eye surgery.
But choosing to get it done is a big decision as treatment is extremely expensive and results of the procedure are permanent.
Therefore it is important to know if the reality of what laser eye treatment can achieve matches your expectations, in order to avoid disappointment.
Many people assume that laser eye surgery results in perfect 20/20 vision for most patients but this is, sadly, untrue.
However, this is not to say that the outcome of surgery is not extremely good for most people.
Approximately nine out of ten patients will have their sight improved to an extent where they no longer have to wear glasses or contact lenses after the procedure, at least during daylight hours.
A common side effect of surgery is poor night vision, which causes the person to see a halo effect around lights and means wearing glasses for driving after dark is an absolute necessity.
It is also imperative that a person understands the exact meaning of 'permanent results' is when it relates to laser eye treatment.
The outcome of the surgery is permanent, in that the correction made to your eyes and therefore your vision will not change.
But 'permanent' does not mean life long perfect eyesight, as laser eye surgery cannot prevent natural deterioration in vision as a person ages.
Even patients with the best surgery results are likely to require reading glasses by the age of 45.
However, it should be remembered that most people will enjoy many years of excellent eyesight before this deterioration, and even after glasses become a necessity again their eyesight will still be significantly better than it would have been had they never had the procedure.
The results of surgery are largely dependent on the person's eye sight before treatment.
Realistically those with extremely poor vision, while they may still notice a significant improvement, may still need glasses after surgery.
Patients who are very short sighted (-8 or greater) or long sighted (+2 or more) may be advised by their consultant not to undergo laser eye treatment as the results are likely to be unsatisfactory.
While the results of treatment are generally very good and technology is always improving, patients need to bear in mind that the procedure does not always go to plan.
Even good candidates for laser eye treatment may not receive the perfect sight they were hoping for as under or over correction is a fairly common problem.
Laser eye surgery may not give most patients flawless vision, but satisfaction rates are high.
If you have had bad eye sight for many years the novelty of not having to wear glasses at all times can make the cost of treatment very worth while.
Realistic expectations will mean a patient's satisfaction is even greater.