Common Fears about LASIK
Chicago, Illinois Eye Surgery
There are many people who want LASIK but are held back by a number of fears. It is not uncommon for people to experience a number of fears about LASIK laser eye surgery, fears that tend to vanish when people truly understand the LASIK procedure.
At Doctors For Visual Freedom, we believe that patient education is crucial to helping our patients get the results they desire from LASIK or any vision procedure, so we hope to address these common fears, many of which are based on misconceptions about LASIK:
- Fear of pain during or after LASIK
- Fear of losing vision
- Fear of the laser
- Fear of the "scalpel"
- Fear of being awake with eyes open during the procedure
Let's take a look at these fears in detail.
Fear of Pain During or After LASIK
During LASIK, your eyes are numbed with anesthetic drops. This will prevent you from experiencing any discomfort during the procedure. After laser eye surgery, some people report their eyes feel a little itchy or gritty for a few hours. The best way to eliminate discomfort is to sleep for the first few hours after your procedure. This is generally easy after the Valium given at the time of surgery. Others find that their discomfort can be controlled with over-the-counter medication, like acetaminophen (Tylenol). Most people feel no discomfort at all after their three or four hour nap.
Fear of Losing Vision
Although there is a risk that you may lose visual acuity, this adverse event was not witnessed in any of the trials for the laser that we use. We estimate the risk of blindness to be less than one in one million. In contrast the risk of blindness from contact lenses is about one in forty thousand and the risk of dying in a car accident on the way to your surgery is one in 6500
Fear of the Laser
This is an easy fear to sympathize with. Lasers are high-tech and potentially scary devices, but the technology should also be a comfort. Optics has always been one of the most precise sciences, and LASIK takes advantage of the latest innovations in the science to give you the best possible results. The lasers work very quickly and gently, following a precisely programmed pattern, and taking just a few seconds to reshape your cornea and improve your vision. The Excimer laser that we use removes about 1/25,000th of an inch per pulse and cannot penetrate further in to the eye. Additionally, our laser has a high speed tracker that means that the laser cannot hit the wrong part of your eye. If you move a small amount, the laser moves with you. If you move a lot, the laser stops until you are back in position.
Fear of the "Scalpel"
Let's put this fear aside right now. No one is going to take a scalpel to your eye. Instead, the flap is created with a device known as the microkeratome. This device is finely made with extraordinary precision and you do not see the device making the flap as we block your vision at that time.
Fear of Being Awake During the Procedure
After meeting with Dr. Golden preoperatively, you go in to our appropriately named “Blue Room” where you will receive Valium to help you relax. You then sit in a reclining chair with a water fall, low lights and chirping bird noises in the background until almost asleep. You are then taken in to the laser room where you are given a teddy bear to hold and Dr. Golden talks to you throughout the whole procedure. Most people's fears about experiencing LASIK relate to their fears about discomfort, the "scalpel" and the laser. There is no pain during the procedure! Some fear, too, that they will blink or move their eye, interfering with the procedure. During LASIK surgery, a special device is used to gently keep you from blinking. The laser is also equipped with a special device called a tracker that allows it to follow the movements of your eyes. If your eye moves too much, the laser will automatically shut off.
Talk to Dr. Golden in Person
Unjustified fears should not keep you from getting the Visual Freedom you desire. We invite you to talk about your fears with Dr. Mark Golden in person. He will listen to them and explain to you the science of LASIK, and the safety of the LASIK procedure. Then you can make an educated decision about whether your fears are justified or whether you should have LASIK.
To schedule your laser eye surgery appointment with Chicago eye surgeon Dr. Golden, please call or email Doctors For Visual Freedom today.
Two Locations:
Doctors for Visual Freedom Laser Center
875 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1550
Chicago, IL 60611 | Doctors for Visual Freedom Laser Center
2010 S Arlington Heights Rd, Suite 121
Arlington Heights, IL 60005 |
