There are a number of old wives’ tales out there regarding laser eye procedures. Here are some of the top myths floating around out there that just aren’t true:
1. Myth: Laser eye surgery is painful
Before a laser eye procedure starts, anaesthetic drops are put into the patient’s eyes meaning that they do not feel any pain during the surgery. The vast majority of patients describe the feeling of the actual procedure as a mild feeling of pressure. However, patients have reported a number of different experiences during the recovery period. The varied experiences of the recovery period are mainly due to the two different types of laser procedure; Lasik and Lasek.
Lasik Recovery; The majority of patients have reported that they feel a dry sensation and experience mild stinging during the recovery period, this is usually as bad as it gets. These symptoms usually wear off after 24-48 hours, allowing the patient to get back to their day to day work.
Lasek Recovery; Patients can expect to experience more prominent symptoms from Lasek surgery. Similarly to Lasik, symptoms do improve 24-48 hours after surgery but in most cases the patient will experience mild discomfort up to 1 week after surgery.
2. Myth: Laser eye surgery does not last forever
We find that this is one of the most common beliefs surrounding laser eye surgery and it couldn’t be further from the truth. Highly regarded research has shown that once the shape of your cornea is changed to correct your vision, the change is permanent. It must be remembered that the eye is still like any other organ and changes over the years. However, studies have shown very small change occurs in the eye, particularly the older you are and the change is so slow that a patient is unlikely to require further laser eye surgery.
3. Myth: You can’t have laser eye surgery over a certain age
Age is not an issue when it comes to laser eye surgery. A laser eye procedure can be carried out on any age as long as the eye is healthy and as long as the patient is deemed suitable for it.
4. Myth: Laser eye surgery can only correct nearsightedness
This used to be the case in the past but laser eye surgery can now correct farsightedness and astigmatism with the recent developments in technology.
5. Myth: You can go blind from laser eye surgery
Many leading ophthalmologists consider the chance of a patient being blinded by a modern laser treatment to be almost impossible. The procedure is safe and simple and if there was a significant risk in a laser eye procedure the Ophthalmologist would not perform the procedure.
If you would like some more information on the services which we offer please contact the clinic by calling 028 9032 2020 or email info@cathedraleye.com.