3 Myths About Laser Eye Surgery You Can Ignore
What goes on in the operating room can be a mystery to everyone but the highly trained doctors who work there, and any surgery -- from getting tonsils removed to a heart transplant -- has certain myths surrounding it. This is true for corrective vision surgery, which is more commonly known as 'laser eye surgery'. Taking the mystery out of the procedure can help you to be less anxious about your time in the chair -- so if you're looking for some peace of mind about your upcoming surgery, then here are a few myths you can ignore.
Myth #1: It's an especially risky surgery
Any surgery that involves lasers tends to call up the mental image of James Bond from Goldfinger, but the reality is much less sinister than that. Your eyes will be numbed for a short time with eye drops (the surgery only lasts about a quarter-hour), and you're awake throughout the entire procedure -- though if you're scared, your ophthalmologist might offer a sedative to ensure your comfort. While there are risks, like with any surgery, most people have a positive experience with laser eye surgery.
Myth #2: It's less than permanent
You've heard stories of people going in to get laser eye correction and having to go back in a few months to improve upon it, but such cases are quite rare -- these enhancements only happen about 4% of the time, and the correction the second time is much less severe (and much less time-consuming) than the initial surgery. While you may not keep the whole improvement as you (and your eyes) get older and don't work as well, the actual rate of regression that requires vision enhancement is so low that, on the whole, most vision gains made through laser surgery will be permanent.
Myth #3: It's all the same in the end
It seems like there are as many variations of laser eye surgery as there are stars in the sky, each with their own acronym and subtly different specialties. Your mother probably warned you that 'if you buy cheap, you get cheap' -- so don't settle for the lowest price or most convenient time table if it doesn't fix what you need fixed. Take the time to talk to your eye doctor about what option and ophthalmologist will be right for you and your eyes, and make sure you have all the information going into the surgery. For more information, contact a professional like the Advanced Retinal Institute Inc.
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