Also about the risks: the doctor/surgeon should be able to tell if you are a good risk or bad. If your vision isn't too bad, you have thick enough corneas and a few other factors, you are a good risk. Kind of like someone who gets a heart procedure--if you exercise and eat right, you are good risk and more likely to be a successful patient. Having the corrected vision has come in very handy on a daily basis and it has been worth the small risk to me. By the way, I remember reading the risk of getting an eye infection that permanently affects your vision is a bit slightly higher wearing contacts (accounting if some mis-handles their contacts) vs having something going wrong in the lasik procedure.