Are You Afraid of LASIK?

Is a life free of glasses and contacts appealing but you’re scared of LASIK? Any surgical procedure can be frightening but LASIK is incredibly safe and reliable.

LASIK is an effective laser vision procedure that became FDA approved in the 1990s. Millions of people have undergone LASIK and now enjoy a life free of glasses and contact lenses.

Keep reading to learn more about LASIK and why there’s no reason to be afraid of undergoing it!

1. LASIK is a bladeless procedure

With most surgical procedures, it’s likely that a blade may be used. But with LASIK, this is not the case! LASIK is a completely bladeless procedure. Instead of using blades, 2 different lasers reshape the cornea and correct vision.

With bladeless LASIK, wavefront technology is an important part of the procedure. Wavefront technology creates a 3D topographical map of the eye.

By creating a map of the eye, each patient has a customized LASIK experience. Like our fingerprints, each eye is unique and one of a kind. Wavefront technology allows every patient custom correction of their refractive errors.

2. There’s no pain when you undergo LASIK

For a procedure that reshapes the cornea, you’d assume there’s pain involved. Here’s the thing: you don’t feel anything during LASIK! This is because you have numbing eye drops administered before the procedure begins.

These numbing eye drops mean that you can’t feel anything, pain included, during LASIK. You’re awake the whole time during LASIK, so there’s no need to worry about anesthesia.

The numbing eye drops wear off a few hours after the procedure and you’re at home resting. You may feel some slight discomfort after LASIK but it goes away after a few days for most patients.

3. LASIK has a fast recovery period

Maybe it’s not the procedure you’re afraid of, but recovering from LASIK. Much like the procedure, recovering from LASIK is fast! For the first week, you’ll want to avoid strenuous activities and exercise.

You’ll also want to not wear any makeup to keep your eyes clean during recovery. After a week, most patients are back to completing their regular activities!

As long as you take all medications prescribed by your doctor, you’ll have a safe recovery. If you feel an unusual amount of pain a day or two after LASIK, see your doctor. You may have a complication that needs treatment.

There’s nothing to fear but fear itself when it comes to LASIK. Schedule your LASIK consultation at New England Eye Center in Boston today!

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