Laser Eye Surgery: 6 Common Myths and Misconceptions

All About Laser Eye Surgery

You may have heard many rumors about laser eye surgery. The most common one could be the operation is painful or debilitating. But in fact, it is not.

Most patients hardly feel pain and can resume their usual activities quickly.

This article analyzes some common misconceptions about lasers and sets the record straight regarding this procedure.

It is difficult to tell where these fears and myths come from, but understandably, people buy into them. Perhaps these fears and anxieties are due to people’s worries about a surgical operation that is not well understood.

This is natural because our sense of vision is essential to us. From this perspective, part of the doctor’s job is to inform people about the benefits and safety aspects of laser eye surgery.

Here are the 6 common myths and misconceptions about laser eye surgery and their answers. If you have further questions about laser eye surgery, discussing them with your doctor is a good idea.

• Laser Eye Surgery Will Hurt Me

Laser eye surgery is not an operation to be afraid of. The procedure is completely painless because anesthetic eye drops are given to all patients approximately 15 minutes before the surgery.

These numb the eyeballs quickly, preventing any discomfort and pain during the procedure. It is common to experience a slight downward pressure on the eye during LASIK surgery.

This happens when the Femto laser ‘docks’ with your eyeball and takes about 25 seconds, but it is not painful. The bottom line: laser eye surgery is completely painless.

• Complications Can Occur If I Blink, Sneeze, Or Move My Eyes

Computerized laser eye surgery devices can track your eyes much faster than you can move them. First of all, there are fixing lights for you to look at during the procedure.

During the surgery, you will be asked to follow these lights and focus with the guidance of your doctor. These help you maintain a steady gaze. Even if you blink, sneeze, wiggle or cough, you don’t have to worry.

Human eyes can move at a speed of about 300 meters per second. Sounds fast until you discover how fast a laser can react.

Laser systems can follow your eyes up to 500 movements per second, with a response time of 4-6 milliseconds.

These laser eye surgery tools can follow the eyes much faster than you can move them.

During the procedure, you can slide your eyes from left to right, the laser system will have no problem tracking and treating your eyes.

• I Will Have Permanent Dry Eye After The Operation

Of course not! After the surgery, dry eyes may be experienced for a certain period. This situation can be controlled by using artificial teardrops. Over time, the need for drip disappears.

• I’ll Never Need Glasses or Contact Lenses Again

Unfortunately, laser surgery does not promise a life without glasses or contact lenses. But of course, this is not true for all eyes.

Laser treatment’s purpose is to change the cornea’s structure permanently, and it does this very effectively. But the cornea changes with age, like every other part of your body.

For example, almost everyone will face the problem of presbyopia (hardening of the lens of the eye) when they enter their 40s and 50s.

This does not mean that having LASIK or RELEX SMILE laser eye surgery in your 20s will prevent further presbyopia from developing.

Your eyes will age like all your organs, and you may need different glasses and contact lenses for different vision disorders in the future. And, of course, there are many things that can be done to help when these problems occur.

• I Won’t Be Able to Work or Drive for Weeks

Doctors usually recommend taking three days off work and a slightly longer break from LASEK for a complete recovery after LASIK eye surgery.

However, this is a matter of precaution. Although the post-operative vision is usually a little blurry, this situation improves very quickly.

While the eyes may be sensitive to light a few hours after surgery, the subsequent recovery time is usually very fast.

Some LASIK patients are back to work within 24 hours. Recovery is much faster in RELEX SMILE laser eye surgeries. Most people can come to a doctor’s check-up the next day in their vehicle.

• There May Be A Possibility That I Will Go Blind

Since the early 1980s, the laser method has treated millions of people. Laser therapy is an approved, safe technology.

There is no risk of blindness. Laser surgery is not an obstacle or cause for any eye treatment (including cataract surgery) you will see in the future.

Laser eye surgery can be applied to eyes with myopia between 1 and 10 degrees, hyperopia between 1 and 7 degrees and astigmatism.

If the eye structure is suitable, the laser can be applied a second time. Since the laser treatment is applied to the cornea layer of the eye, there is no damage to the retina.

Color blindness does not occur after treatment. It does not cause bleeding and is not an open treatment because it is applied to the cornea part of the eye without vascularity.

See Also:

Fish oil for eye health