One of the most common phrases we hear from patients who have had LASIK is, “I wish I had done this sooner!” It’s hard to appreciate how life-changing LASIK is until you have had the procedure and experienced the benefits for yourself.
So why do most patients wait so long before deciding to move forward with LASIK? For most people, it boils down to one thing: fear. Fear of the unknown can be a huge deterrent for most people.
Let’s look at four of the most common fears surrounding LASIK. And by taking a closer look, hopefully, you will see that there is really nothing to fear after all.
Fear of being awake during surgery
Many patients dislike the idea of staying awake during LASIK. And we get it — the idea of staying awake while having surgery performed on your eyes does sound nerve-wracking.
But LASIK is a fast procedure and your doctor will give you a mild sedative so you can stay relaxed during the surgery.
Fear of pain
You can take comfort in knowing that you won’t feel any pain during LASIK. Your doctor will give you numbing eye drops prior to surgery. You may feel some slight pressure but no pain.
Fear of complications
There is a very low risk of complications from LASIK. In fact, only one percent of LASIK patients experience any complications after surgery. And most of the complications that do occur are mild and can be fixed with a follow-up surgery.
And there are no reported cases of patients being blinded after having LASIK.
Fear of a difficult recovery
Patients who have had LASIK are almost always surprised by how fast their recovery is. Immediately following the surgery, you may have some sensitivity to light and an itching or burning sensation in your eyes. But this goes away fairly quickly and most patients find they feel better within days.
If you are interested in learning more about LASIK, contact our office to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors.