Lasik Fear #3 Fear Of Complications
A third popular LASIK fear is fear of complications. Like with any surgical procedure, there are risks and potential complications. Choosing the most advanced laser technology and a highly experienced, reputable surgeon can reduce the risk of complications.
In addition, individual qualities, such as cornea thickness and ocular health, can reduce risks even further. At your LASIK consultation, your eye doctor will discuss any risks and complications with you. Elect for the procedure only if you feel comfortable with the risks of LASIK.
Among patients who overcome their LASIK fears, many wish they hadnt been so afraid.
Having laser eye surgery shouldnt haunt you. With a professional behind the laser and an understanding of the procedure, its easy to overcome common LASIK fears and opt for a surgery that can change the way you see the world.
Get educated, do your research, and learn what to expect. Make a consultation appointment to speak with a LASIK specialist to help overcome your fear.
Does Laser Eye Surgery Hurt Heres What Happened To Me
If youre considering laser eye surgery, you may have wondered, Does laser eye surgery hurt? Our writer Emma North shares her first-hand experience of this life-changing surgery including how she felt during each step and how much recovery time was needed.
Thinking about laser eye surgery? Your first question is probably going to be whether its painful or not. According to Clinical Services Director for Optical Express, Stephen Hannan, It is normal for the eyes to feel uncomfortable and watery for the first 12 24 hours after. But, after undergoing this transformative surgery I can assure you its not painful
Laser eye surgery put simply, is the reshaping of the surface of the eye in order to correct vision concerns such as longsightedness, shortsightedness and astigmatism. The procedure was first carried out in Berlin in 1987, where Dr Steven Trokel performed photorefractive keratectomy and since then, laser eye surgery has seen huge advancements in technology. The two most popular types of laser eye surgery today are called LASIK and LASEK but, which procedure you have will depend on your suitability.
The demand for laser eye surgery is surging due to its high success rates and according to this study, the market is set to grow by over $774 million from 2021-2025.
What To Expect After Surgery
You will feel little pain under normal circumstances, but you might feel your eyes itch, burn, feel gritty, watery, or have blurry vision.
Even though you should see better immediately after surgery, it will take about 2-3 months for your vision to get to optimal levels. How good your vision gets is dependent on how well you could see before the surgery.
Your ophthalmologist will prescribe eye drops and pain medication that will last you several hours after the surgery. They may require you to wear an eye shield at night to protect your eyes until you heal.
The first follow-up appointment will be two days after the surgery to check for healing and complications, and the next will be within six months.
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Getting Ready For Laser Eye Surgery
How do you know if laser eye surgery is for you? There are a few ways to determine if you meet the qualifications to get refractive surgery. To start, talk with your eye doctor or primary care physician to find out if you would benefit from the procedure and if you have any medical conditions that might impact the effectiveness of the procedure and the progression of recovery. This might entail answering questions about your familys medical history, your lifestyle, and your general health.
If you use contact lenses, you should switch to glasses for a bit. Contact lenses can change the shape of the cornea, and the eyes need to return to their normal shape in order for the laser eye surgery to be effective. Your eye surgeon will need to take exact measurements of your eyes to prepare for your surgery, and wearing glasses will ensure that the measures are as precise as possible. These measurements include examining corneal thickness, vision and prescription testing, eye pressure, and pupil dilation, among others. These tests are quite easy to conduct, but wearing contact lenses will deprive your doctor of the accurate information they need.
Patients who wear soft contact lenses should not wear them for a week before the surgery. Patients with hard contact lenses should use glasses for up to a month before the surgery.
What Happens If You Blink During Laser Eye Surgery
Blinking during laser eye surgery is not something you need to worry about, as the numbing eye drops we use before the surgery will reduce your natural urge to blink. Additionally, we will use a very small instrument to hold your eyelids open to prevent you from accidentally blinking and interfering with the procedure. Remember that each eye is only kept open for one to two minutes, so you should not feel much, if any, discomfort at all.
What have we heard our patients say immediately after their LASIK surgery? Wow, that was easier than I expected! and I wish I had done it sooner.
Now that you know why you stay awake during LASIK surgery and how we will help you stay calm throughout the entire process, its time to schedule your complimentary, no-obligation LASIK consultation! Contact us today. Dr. Mozayeni and his team look forward to meeting you and will be happy to answer any and all questions you have about LASIK.
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Laser Eye Surgery Aftercare
Aftercare is an essential part of the laser eye surgery procedure and as a patient of Optical Express, I was given a comprehensive aftercare programme including several types of eye drops to be administered daily, wearing eye shields to bed and avoiding wearing makeup for at least 7 days. Youll also be asked to return to the clinic the day after surgery to check on your healing progress.
Youll be given everything you need by your clinic after surgery but remember to bring your sunglasses with you as youll need these when leaving the clinic. Its also worth noting that if you live in a city like London, The Underground is a no-no. This is due to the dirt and pollution in the stations which can get into your eyes. Instead, its advisable to have a loved one drive you home or grab a taxi.
Of course, your specific aftercare will be dependent on your surgery and your surgeon will be able to advise you on any concerns. With Optical Express, youll also be invited to attend check-up appointments 1 and 3 months post-surgery to check on your progress and to formally discharge you.
Lasik Is Safe And Effective With Local Anesthetic
they are able to sit through the 10 to 30 minutes of prep time and the very short amount of time it takes the laser to shape their cornea. Side effects do not last long, with most people experiencing improved vision within a day or two and being able to return to work within a few days or a week. Rates of complications and side effects are very low.
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Are You Awake During Lasik Surgery
Unlike many other surgeries, it is not necessary to have general anesthesia for LASIK eye surgery, and in fact, it is actually necessary that you are awake for the procedure. There are several reasons why you are awake during LASIK eye surgery:
- The procedure is very fast! Youre typically in the laser suite for 10 minutes total. The actual LASIK procedure itself only takes one to two minutes per eye.
- The surgeon needs your cooperation in order for the procedure to be performed with the greatest accuracy.
- Being put to sleep is typical for invasive procedures so that the patient does not feel pain. LASIK surgery has minimal discomfort. Numbing drops are instilled in your eyes prior to surgery, which blocks pain and takes away the urge to blink.
- General anesthesia comes with its own risks, and therefore is only used in invasive procedures, where it is absolutely necessary. Since LASIK eye surgery creates little to no pain thanks to numbing drops and a mild sedative, we are confident we will not need to add this risk to your procedure.
- Dr. Mozayeni will need to check in with you periodically throughout your LASIK surgery to ensure you are reacting properly to everything. This can only happen if you are awake during your LASIK surgery!
Understanding Wavefront Technology In Lasik Eye Surgery
Wavefront technology is a major advance in LASIK laser eye surgery, especially for people who have complicated prescriptions. It may sound a bit funny, but your eyes are like your feet. Your shoe size is determined by the length of your feet.
With conventional or standard LASIK surgery, vision correction is measured by the patients visual acuity: 20/20, 20/40, 20/100, etc. This method corrects how much a person can see, but doesnt address all the details.
Imagine if shoes were made exactly for your feet by measuring width, length, comfort level, arch, and so on. The result would be a great pair of shoes that fit perfectly.
Wavefront technology does this for the eyes by measuring the whole eye and providing a three-dimensional map of how light is altered as it travels through the eye.
All optical aberrations from front to back are visible on this map, which allows the eye surgeon to correct your vision to a perfect fit.
This allows correction not only for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, but also for other aberrations that can affect contrast sensitivity, night vision, depth perception, and light sensitivity . By correcting for the individuals specific wavefront map, vision can be improved dramatically.
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How To Sleep After Cataract Surgery
Because cataract surgery is an uncomplicated outpatientprocedure, you will be treated and sent home within a few hours of beingadmitted for your appointment. After the surgery, it is crucial to follow allof the aftercare instructions that your surgeon gives you, which will make fora smooth and successful recovery.
It isnt uncommon to feel some tiredness after your procedure.If this is the case, it is encouraged that you take a nap and rest your eyes. Whenit comes time to lay down, here are a few ways that you can be sure to do sowithout worrying about harming your eye.
Often, after a surgical procedure, patients receive a prescription for pain medication however, after cataract surgery, the pain is usually mildly irritating at its worst. If you do find it difficult to sleep because of any discomfort in your eye, speak to your surgeon at your follow-up appointment for the best option to relieve the pain.
Im Feeling Nervous About Being Awake How Can I Stay Calm During Lasik
Here at Providence Eye & Laser Specialists, we recognize all patients are nervous at some level, which is perfectly normal. Please know our team will never leave your side and we will always be communicating with you so that you are comfortable with the process and remain calm during your LASIK procedure. Additionally, upon arrival on the day of your surgery, we will provide you with a mild sedative that will take the edge off and help you relax.
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Three Things To Do Following Lasik:
- Sleep is the best remedy for the initial post-op discomfort. Again, the most discomfort following LASIK usually occurs 2-3 hours after the numbing drops wear off from the procedure. When patients are able to get home relatively quickly and fall asleep, they tend to report little to no discomfort after LASIK.
- Use your eye drops. You will be given a prescription for two medicated eye drops to use after LASIK. Use the drops as instructed. In addition, youll have the preservative-free artificial tears to use.
- Wear your goggles when you sleep. 20/20 Institute will provide you with goggles to wear while you sleep.
You will have your first checkup after your LASIK procedure on the day after your LASIK, and your second checkup will be sometime the following week. It is medically necessary to come to these two checkup appointments in the first week after LASIK. The doctors will evaluate your vision and how you are healing and advise you on how to proceed to ensure a smooth recovery.
Deciding to have LASIK is a decision that you will most likely wish you did sooner. Remember, our Vision Counselors are available to you at 303-202-0669 if you have any questions or would like to to see if LASIK is right for you.
Twenty Years Later Lasik Has Its Pros And Cons
Dec. 20, 2019 — LASIK has been FDA-approved to correct vision since 1999. Today, doctors perform about 600,000 LASIK procedures in the United States each year. Most people who have this surgery end up with 20/20 vision, and the vast majority — more than 95% — say they’re happy with the results.
Yet side effects like glare and halos are common after LASIK. And rarely, people have even lost vision or had long-term pain or other problems.
Morris Waxler, PhD, the former FDA official who was part of the original team that approved the procedure, has in recent years claimed the FDA has downplayed the risks. He’s asked the agency to pull LASIK from the market. The FDA responded that the evidence doesn’t justify a recall, but it has promised to keep monitoring LASIK safety.
Is LASIK safe? Yes, says Edward Manche, MD, a professor of ophthalmology and division chief of Cornea and Refractive Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. “The FDA has approved it and reaffirmed its safety,” he says. “There are certainly patients who’ve had some problems, but the vast majority of people do extremely well.”
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Talking To Your Eye Doctor
Here are some questions to ask your eye care professional about LASIK eye surgery:
- Do you think LASIK surgery is the best option for me?
- Which other refractive surgeries do you think would benefit me?
- What are the possible risks and benefits involved?
- How often do you perform LASIK eye surgery?
- If I have the procedure, how long will it be before I can resume my normal daily activities?
- Which type of technology will you be using?
- What are the costs?
Laser Eye Surgery Aftercare: 10 Dos And Donts After Laser Eye Surgery
Undergoing LASIK eye surgery to improve your vision is relatively quick, easy, and painless. This is why so many people are getting some form of laser eye surgery today. Even if they are not an ideal candidate for LASIK, there are other types of laser surgeries like PRK and implantable contact lenses.
The important thing to remember is that laser eye surgery is still surgery and there are specific dos and donts after laser eye surgery which you will want to follow during your LASIK surgery recovery period or other laser surgery recovery period.
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Are You Sitting Or Lying Down During Cataract Surgery
A full GA is only very rarely required for cataract surgery. Some patients have difficulty in lying still, and some are simply so nervous that they request sedation to the level that is effectively a general anaesthetic. So long as you have a healthy throat, heart and lungs a modern anaesthetic is very safe.
What Is The Recovery Process Like After Lasik
After placing the flap down, the eye can start healing. There are no stitches used in LASIK eye surgery.
While your eyes are recovering, you cannot touch or rub your eyes. Prescription eye drops are important for a successful procedure and recovery. They help with inflammation and preventing infections.
Early on, you might have blurry vision. But as your eyes heal, your vision will become clear. Your vision will improve within the first few days and continue improving in the days and weeks after LASIK.
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Do I Have To Be Awake During Lasik
Posted on June 8, 2016 in LASIK
Many people wonder if they can be put to sleep during LASIK eye surgery, due to anxiety about the procedure. What these individuals dont realize, however, is the entire procedure typically takes no longer than 10 minutes for each eye. The laser will only be in use for less than one minute on each side to reshape your corneas.
This is why you will not need general anesthesia. Being put to sleep has risks of its own and would mostly just increase the cost of your surgery. There is not much benefit to general anesthesia during LASIK, which is why the vast majority of patients remain awake during their short surgery.
If you are worried about your procedure, you will have the option to receive a mild sedative or take medication to help calm any fear you may have. Our team at Eye Doctors of Washington want you to feel relaxed and at-ease during the LASIK process. Patients often report the surgery taking less time than expected and it not being as stressful as anticipated.
To learn more about what to expect during your LASIK eye surgery, feel free to contact us to set up an appointment.
Best Vision & Full Recovery
At the most, it might take about six months for patients to experience full recovery from laser eye surgery. During this time, there might be a number of vision fluctuations, with periods of improved vision offset by blurriness or afterimages. Follow-up appointments will allow the doctor to check on the progress of the recovery and the improved vision, and patients should tell the doctor about any fluctuations or discomfort. It is very important that patients not neglect these visits.
All told, it takes about four weeks after the operation for most patients to get their best vision, but this can vary wildly, depending on a number of different factors. Even during the six-month long-term recovery period, the patient will likely have some restrictions on what they can do in order to ensure that the eyes are allowed to heal. This might mean less time on a computer or smartphone screen, no high-contact sports and activities, and increased care for the eyes and face.
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