If the light rays don't focus on the retina (light-sensing cells), the image you see is blurry. This is termed as refractive error, and may be caused due to an irregularly shaped cornea. LASIK surgery involves carving of the cornea in order to give it the perfect shape, thereby making light rays focus on the retina. LASIK surgery employs a high-precision laser, named Excimer, which is an ultraviolet chemical laser.
Scads of people have undergone LASIK, and most procedures have been successful. But as with any surgery, LASIK has associated risks and complications. However, LASIK has a relatively low complication rate, between 1% and 5%, which is among the lowest in the eye surgery field. Another trivia from the chapter on LASIK education is that LASIK may not result in perfect vision. That is, not all patients achieve a 20/20 vision.
If you suffered from myopia and have undergone LASIK as a corrective procedure, you would still require reading glasses (for near vision) in your late 40s. LASIK is an irreversible procedure, and most insurance companies do not cover LASIK surgery. Therefore, make sure that your surgery is performed by an experienced ophthalmologist. Also note that only eye MDs (ophthalmologists) are permitted to perform LASIK surgery.
Now that you are aware of the ins and outs of LASIK surgery, decision making is much easier. Have a discussion with an experienced ophthalmologist. It might be the case that you could very well forego the surgery. But if need be, LASIK is a superlative option to correct your vision.