5 things you ‘knew’ about LASIK Eye Surgery that wasn’t true at all
Although it’s still seen as a new procedure, LASIK was first approved by the FDA over 20 years ago. During that time there has been a massive amount of misinformation passed by word of mouth about the procedure.
A lot of it is based around the fact that we are all, quite rightly, extremely nervous about things being done to our eyes – let alone with a laser. After all, for most of us, lasers are things we’ve seen used in movies with devastating results.
So, it seems the first task of anyone considering LASIK surgery is to go ‘myth-busting’ about what will and won’t happen when they undertake a vision correction procedure.
#1 “It’s going to hurt”
This is the most common one so let’s get it out of the way first. While the chances are you’ll feel some pressure on your eyeball, it will be painless and you’ll feel no discomfort at all. Anesthetic eye drops will numb the area and are usually given 15 minutes before the surgery so they’ll have time to work.
#2 ”If I blink then I’ll ruin it”
This is one occasion where the phrase ‘in the blink of an eye’ isn’t really that fast at all. Yes, we can blink really quickly but lasers are even faster and can track your eye, if you blink, sneeze cough, or even move your gaze from the bright light being shone into it.
LASIK procedures have gone way beyond what they were when this myth originated, and the top institutes such as the Motwani institute DrMotwani.com can leave you with better than normal human vision.
#3 “It’s cheaper to keep wearing glasses”
OK, this one might be true but there’s also a lot of ‘it depends’ to throw into the equation. If you’re 25 when you have the LASIK procedure and don’t need any glasses or contacts for the next 35 years, surgery is going to be cheaper. If you have the procedure at 50, then maybe not so much.
Another factor is the cost of the glasses. The simple single vision lenses (even ones in designer frames) will not be as costly as varifocals. Also, there is the convenience factor to weigh in, and the price of that will be known only to you.
#4 “I won’t be able to drive for weeks”
This one, however, is way out. You’ll usually be cleared to drive at your first assessment, so it will be more like 3 or 4 days rather than weeks. Good news if you want to go out and about, bad news if you fancied some time off as you can usually be back to work after 24 hours. So, whilst it might all seem a bit bright out there straight after the surgery, things will settle down pretty quickly.
#5 “You can small burning”
This one would put most people off but it’s not true. Yes, you can smell something but it’s not burning as, despite what you’ve seen in movies, lasers do not burn. The smell is carbon atoms released as the laser reacts with your eye.
Of course, even after striking all of these myths from your list of worries, you are still a bit shaky, mild sedatives are usually available to take before the procedure.