If you wear glasses or contacts, you know how frustrating they can be. Everyone has fallen asleep in their contacts! If you don’t wear contacts, you’ve lost your glasses at the worst time.
Whatever your reasons, glasses and contacts can be annoying sometimes. Maybe you’ve considered LASIK but you’re afraid of a procedure that is for the eyes.
If you’re interested in LASIK, keep reading to learn the 5 most common fears about the procedure and what to expect!
1. Will It Hurt?
Your eyes are windows to the world around you. It’s natural to be nervous about a procedure that could hurt them. Surprise, LASIK doesn’t hurt! This is due to numbing eye drops that you’ll get before the procedure even begins. If you’re feeling anxious, you may be given a pill like Valium to help you relax.
The numbing eye drops will wear off a few hours after the procedure. After the eye drops have worn off, your eyes may feel uncomfortable or itchy and scratchy. This feeling dissipates a few days after recovery has started.
2. Will I Still Need To Wear Glasses After LASIK?
It’s hard enough to decide to get a procedure like LASIK, but what if you still need glasses? Since becoming FDA approved, LASIK has a 96% success rate among patients. If you follow all the instructions and take all medications, you can avoid complications.
It’s important to note that LASIK only reshapes the cornea. As a result, you will still need reading glasses for presbyopia in your forties or fifties. This would be the case even if you didn’t get LASIK since your eyes will continue to age.
3. Could Something Go Wrong?
Like any surgery, there are risks associated with LASIK. At Metro Eye Care, you’ll be in expert hands! Before ever getting LASIK, you’ll be required to undergo a comprehensive LASIK consultation. During your LASIK consultation, one of our LASIK surgeons will examine your eyes.
During this exam, they will determine whether you’re a good candidate for LASIK. If you are, we’ll move forward with next steps, including scheduling your surgery. Not every patient is a good candidate for LASIK. By performing this comprehensive eye exam, we are able to reduce risks before LASIK.
4. The Recovery Process Will Take Too Long
Many patients hear the phrase “recovery” and get nervous. With LASIK, the recovery process is minimal. After you get the procedure, you’ll lie down in a dark room for about 4 hours.
This will help expedite healing. You’ll be required to take medicated eye drops to reduce infection and inflammation. You’ll also need to use artificial tears to keep your eyes lubricated.
After the first day, your vision should start improving. You can return to most of your everyday activities, including working at your job. You can shower but you need to be careful not to get soap or water in your eyes.
You’ll still need eye drops and artificial tears but your vision is greatly improved. The full recovery process takes about 6 months. After the first month or two, you’ll barely notice that your eyes seem a little drier than normal!
5. What Happens After The Procedure?
Right after the procedure, you may have hazy or smoky vision. This is normal and goes away after a few days! You will be more sensitive to light and the sun, so you’ll need sunglasses when you’re outside.
You won’t want to do much after the procedure besides sleep. If the numbing eye drops start wearing off, Tylenol can be a good way to ease any discomfort. From there, you’ll find that your vision and recovery gets better each day!
LASIK may seem scary but it’s a popular procedure for a reason! Ready to take the leap to clear vision? Schedule your LASIK consultation with Metro Eye Care today!
