Best Occupations for LASIK: What Jobs Can Benefit from Laser Eye Surgery?

Updated on March 2nd, 2022

For individuals that wear prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, there’s no doubt that there is at least one frustrating or negative thing about them. Whether it’s fiddling with the frames to keep them from sliding down or slipping the contacts out at night, these vision solutions aren’t always the right option for everyone. A common thought is that LASIK surgery is just for individuals looking to improve vision for everyday activities like reading and driving, but did you know that LASIK can be a great career move too? In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the best occupations for LASIK and what benefits laser eye surgery can offer professionals in these fields.

1. Film, Television, Theater, or Fashion.

LASIK is a fantastic vision solution for individuals in film, television, theater, or fashion as the days tend to be long and filled with wearing heavy makeup, artificial light conditions, completing stunts, and putting on physically demanding performances. Eyeglasses may be uncomfortable to wear for hours at a time, can fall off during stunts, and makeup can mar contact lenses. Plus, professionals who are working behind the scenes may also benefit from LASIK as it allows them to see what’s happening on set clearly without additional aids. LASIK works well for makeup artists, set designers, technicians, and actors/actresses.

2. Military, Law Enforcement, or First Responders.

Law enforcement and military personnel can benefit from LASIK as their careers tend to require them to wear heavy-duty gear throughout their work hours, including helmets, and nighttime vision gear. Having to remove your eyewear or needing to switch out your contacts in the middle of an operation is not plausible in these fields. Firefighters can also benefit greatly from LASIK as contact lenses tend to become uncomfortable and irritated in smoky environments, and prescription eyeglasses aren’t the greatest option for wearing underneath fire helmets.

3. Professional Athletes.

LASIK is a great solution for athletes, especially those who play contact sports. Athletes need good vision to perform at their best; glasses and contacts can hinder an athlete’s performance. LASIK eliminates the need for corrective eyewear and improves vision quality, which ultimately enhances an athlete’s on-field abilities.

4. Healthcare Professionals.

If you are in any of the healthcare occupations – doctor, nurse, surgeon, veterinarian – LASIK is the preferred vision correction option as it ensures that your eyesight is pinpoint accurate. Administering prescriptions, reading charts, and operating on pets and humans alike leaves no room for error, as being off by even a few millimeters or reading the wrong medication can mean the difference between life and death for your patients. Plus, some prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses can affect the scale and depth of objects, which can lead to a lot of errors in the healthcare field.

5. Commercial Pilots, Air Force, and Astronauts.

Individuals who are working as commercial pilots, air traffic controllers, are in the air force, or are applying to become an astronaut, will want to heavily consider LASIK as an alternative vision solution to eyeglasses and contact lenses. Not only does LASIK ensure that you can see in low visibility conditions, but it ensures accuracy when operating and landing aircraft in tight or complicated situations. Commercial pilots and air force professionals are required to have 20/20 vision or better without corrective lenses. LASIK eye surgery can help pilots achieve this level of visual acuity, so they can continue flying safely.

As for astronauts, eyeglasses are too bulky to fit underneath the complicated suits, and being in space can cause astronauts’ eyes to change shape due to the way fluids move within the body in a no-gravity environment. This means that contact lenses aren’t a viable solution – LASIK is what is trusted.

6. Retail Service Sectors.

LASIK surgery can also be a great solution for retail service sector workers, such as cashiers, and salespersons, who want to improve their vision. Workers in this sector are required to have good vision, so they can identify products, read labels, price tags, and receipts and help customers, as well as, read complex stock codes and perform stockroom organization duties. LASIK can help these workers achieve 20/20 vision or better, so they can do their job effectively.

7. Administration or Office Staff.

Paperwork errors can cost businesses a lot of money and time. Almost every office job, from lawyers, secretaries, and support staff, has to deal with computer screens and paper files, which relies on reading. Prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses can be irritated by low light conditions or prolonged periods at the computer, while LASIK does not have this issue.

8. Food Service.

The food industry is an incredibly fast-paced environment with some of the smallest profit margins, so precision is important here. One wrong ingredient and a dish is ruined; one wrong check and you have a complaining customer, and wrong change means a hospitality nightmare. The livelihoods of individuals like chefs, delivery drivers, wait staff, and restaurateurs depend solely on providing paying patrons with excellent customer service. Add deep freezers, busy hands, and hot kitchens into the mix, and good vision is required. You don’t have the time to swap out your contacts or fiddle with your glasses.

Wrapping It Up

If you are in any of the above occupational fields, or in an adjacent job-related field where you must be able to see without glasses or contact lenses, then LASIK is a prime option for vision correction. As Central Florida’s leading LASIK vision correction center, our expert surgeons are more than happy to answer any questions you have about what the procedure entails, so give us a call at (407) 843-5665 or book a complimentary consultation with us.