You might have heard a lot about laser eye surgery, but the chances are that not everything you’ve heard is 100% true. The information you read online or hear through word of mouth isn’t always the whole truth, and that’s why we’ve put together this blog post to help address some of the most common misconceptions.
Deciding whether laser eye surgery is right for you is a personal decision, but it should be one based on fact rather than fiction. So let’s bust a few myths with some laser eye surgery facts.
Myth: The laser is hot
When you think of lasers, it’s only natural to think about science fiction, and assume that they’d be red hot. In actual fact, the lasers used during laser eye surgery are cold. You might also have heard that there’s a burning smell during the course of the surgery, but this is just caused by carbon atoms being released into the air by the laser, and is nothing to worry about.
Myth: Laser eye surgery is painful
One of the most common concerns about laser eye surgery is that it will hurt. In actual fact, in most cases you won’t feel a thing during the procedure, as you’ll be given anaesthetic eye drops beforehand. In the few days after surgery you may experience some slight discomfort, but this will soon pass as your eyes heal. For more information, take a look at our blog post on the truth about laser eye surgery pain.
Myth: Laser eye surgery isn’t permanent
The changes made to your cornea during the course of laser eye surgery are permanent. However, your vision may still change slightly as you age, as it would if you hadn’t had treatment. For more information, take a look at our guide to how permanent laser eye surgery is.
Myth: If you have laser eye surgery, you won’t be able to have cataract surgery later on
This is not the case. Laser eye surgery does not prevent you from having cataract surgery if you need it later in life.
Myth: Laser eye surgery could make you go blind
Laser eye surgery only affects the front surface of the eye. Major complications are extremely rare, and to date there have been no cases of blindness, after millions of procedures being carried out worldwide.
Myth: If laser eye surgery goes wrong, nothing can be done to correct it
Again, not true. In the unlikely situation that results are not as expected, our surgeons can carry out further treatment to help you achieve your desired outcome.
Myth: Laser eye surgery is just for people with short-sightedness
This is not the case. In actual fact, laser eye surgery can also correct long-sightedness and astigmatism very successfully.
Myth: Laser eye surgery is a very new procedure
Laser eye surgery as we know it today has been around since the 1980s, and the science of laser eye surgery goes back much further than that. For more details, take a look at this infographic on the history of laser eye surgery.
Still got questions?
We hope this blog post has helped you to understand more of the truth about laser eye surgery, but if you have any more questions or doubts, we’d love to hear from you.
