Common fears about LASIK

In Sacramento * Roseville * Stockton * Yuba City, CA

Many people have fears; some rational and some not. Irrational fears are called ‘phobias’ and ar not uncommon when it comes to medical and dental procedures. The Sacramento LASIK professionals of Griffin & Reed Eye Care are deeply committed to your comfort throughout your LASIK journey, from your initial consultation to your surgery and aftercare.

We believe that an educated patient is a relaxed patient, so our surgeons take as much time as you need to ensure all of your questions are thoroughly answered. When you know what to expect, your fears will vanish.

Common fears about the LASIK procedure include:

• Fear of pain during or after the LASIK procedure
• Fear of losing eyesight
• Fear of contact with the laser
• Fear of the ‘scalpel’
• Fear of being awake during the procedure and feeling the surgery
• Fear of having eyes open throughout the procedure

Some people are so fearful of LASIK that they would never consider it. The truth is, LASIK is a common and very safe procedure in the hands of our trained and experience Sacramento LASIK surgeons. Often, simply understanding what LASIK is all about and what to expect during the procedure is enough to take away most, it not all, of the fear.

So let’s dissect some of these common fears and separate fact from fiction:

• Fear of pain during the LASIK procedure:
  Contrary to some myths about LASIK, you will not be able to feel a thing. Although you are conscious, you are under mild sedation, and numbing drops will be used in your eyes. Some patients feel a bit of pressure, however there is no pain with this procedure. And the good news is, it takes less than 5 minutes to complete the procedure on one eye, so LASIK is a quick procedure that will be over before you even know it.
• Fear of Losing Eyesight
  Some patients fear that LASIK might cause permanent blindness. However, according to the FDA, no cases blindness due to LASIK have been reported. The risk of serious complications after LASIK surgery is less than 1 percent, and it is rare for a patient’s vision to worsen following the LASIK procedure. Any vision disturbances that occur post-surgery can often be solved with retreatment.
• Fear of Contact with the Laser
  It’s not hard to understand why some are fearful of having a laser beam shining directly into their eyes. LASIK does involve a laser, used to remove corneal tissue. However, the laser contacts each eye for less than 15 seconds. And there’s no reason to fear that the surgery will ‘go wrong’ if you blink or move your eye during the procedure, because the highly sophisticated equipment used during your LASIK procedure includes a specialized eye tracking system that follows your eye movement. This means that, once your LASIK surgeon can match the laser pulses to your eye movement and successfully complete your surgery even if you blink or move your eyes.
• Fear of the “scalpel”
  LASIK surgery does not involve the use of a scalpel (surgical knife) to create the corneal flap. LASIK surgery the highly advanced microkeratome blade or IntraLase® laser, (bladeless LASIK) so there is absolutely no reason to fear that your eye will be cut or somehow damaged beyond repair during LASIK surgery.
• Fear of Being Awake and Feeling the Surgery
  While LASIK patients are conscious throughout the procedure, a mild sedative and numbing eye drops are used to help the patient relax and block the sensations of pain. LASIK patients do not report feeling pain; only a bit of pressure, and patients report that the sedative is very helpful in dulling their awareness during this very short procedure.
• Fear of having eyes open throughout the procedure
  The thought of being able to see your eye surgeon performing LASIK surgery is unnerving to some. Even though a sedative and numbing eye drops are used, some patients worry about this. The good news is that the eye drops blur your vision for about ten seconds, so that the patient is not able to actually see the procedure being done. Most of the five minute procedure the patient can see involves preparation for the actual procedure.

Talk to our LASIK Surgeons
We hope this information helps you to better understand the LASIK procedure. We believe that the more you know about what to expect, the more comfortable you will feel, and the more enthusiastically you will approach this very safe surgery that has improved the lives and vision of so many.

The best way to be completed prepared for your LASIK procedure is to talk frankly and openly with one of our qualified LASIK surgeons, all of whom are truly compassionate and highly trained to answer all of your questions.

If you’ve been considering LASIK, wny not take a moment right now to contact us for Sacramento LASIK, serving the greater Sacramento area? Schedule your evaluation.

Discover how LASIK can bring your world into focus. If you are considering LASIK, call Griffin & Reed Eye Care at (916) 485-2020 or fill out our online contact form.