More than 18 million people have had LASIK surgery on their eyes to correct vision problems since the early 1990s.

According to a new study in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, the choice has been a safe one for people with severe myopia, also known as nearsightedness.

Researchers from Miguel Hernandez University in Spain looked at long-term results for 118 patients, who had surgery on 196 eyes.

Before surgery, they needed glasses of at least 10 diopter power to get 20/20 vision. Ten years after the surgery, only 1 percent had cornea problems.

Sixty percent were able to go without glasses, and the retreatment rate was 27 percent.

"This study has allowed us to demonstrate that, in spite of the prejudices about the limits of LASIK technique, the results regarding predictability, efficacy and safety for high myopic patients are very good in the long term," one researcher said.