Well, contact lenses can irritate your eyes with them all day long, as long as you ensure you follow proper hygiene then the risk of further damage it limited.
I find glasses fine to use, they carry no risk, but I know they aren't for everyone.
For the surgery, have a read of
LASIK - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
LASIK is probably the surgery that you would probably have done. I'd like to point you to the compications section, where they state that somewhere between 3-6% of patients have complications 6 months after the operation.
Also keep in mind that LASIK is irreversible.
Good luck with whatever you choose :)