Even though LASIK corrective vision surgery is a safe, proven, FDA-approved procedure, and has been for many years now, some people still say they think the idea of pointing a laser at their eyes in order to improve their vision sounds extreme, even scary and painful. Part of the reason may be that there is still a lot of negative information floating around about the procedure that simply isn’t true. Here is the truth about some common misconceptions regarding LASIK.
The procedure and recovery is a lot easier than you may think
Most patients admit that the anticipation is worse than the actual procedure. The surgery itself is fairly simple and straightforward:
- Your eyes are numbed with anesthetic drops
- Some people are also given a mild sedative
- The procedure is painless, but you may feel slight pressure or vibration
- The entire procedure takes about 60 to 90 minutes, with the correction phase only lasting about 10 to 15 minutes
- For a few hours after the surgery, your eyes may feel irritated
- Most side effects cease with a few hours of rest
Most patients recover from the procedure fairly quickly and with little discomfort, returning to normal activities in a day or two.
The lasers used for LASIK emit a cool beam of light
These types of lasers don’t penetrate, burn or cut your eyes. The lasers used for LASIK can remove extremely thin layers from the surface of your eye with almost no heating and without affecting the rest of your eye.
The future need for glasses or contacts
LASIK surgery is designed to help reduce dependency on glasses and contacts, but the procedure doesn’t necessarily do away entirely with the need for any additional form of correction for all your vision needs. You may still need reading glasses, for example, especially as you age.
Don’t make your decision about LASIK based on misconceptions
If you’ve been thinking about having the procedure, schedule a consultation appointment to get the correct information and to find out if you could be a candidate for laser vision correction. Call today: (352)-237-8400.