More costly, more hassle, but more satisfactory? A 2016 study found that 97% of people who had LASIK surgery felt surgery was a better solution to their near-sightedness than contact lenses.

When compared with a control group of near-sighted people who continued to wear contacts, those who had LASIK self-reported fewer eye infections, ulcers and abrasions, and fewer difficulties with night driving and nighttime visual disturbances than the contacts wearers. Rates of dry eye were similar in both groups.

The Cornea Research Foundation of America study enrolled 1,800 participants at 20 sites across the U.S.; 694 participants (39%) continued wearing contact lenses and 1106 (61%) had LASIK surgery.

Participants were surveyed at baseline and 1, 2, and 3 years after the study began. They were asked how strongly they would recommend their current vision correction method to a close friend or relative, and whether LASIK worked better for them than contacts. The satisfaction gap was consistent over the 3-year follow-up period.