Almost everyone these days has heard about LASIK. What was once a new, little-known procedure is now popular amongst celebrities, athletes, and people from every walk of life.
It’s no wonder! The prospect of no longer needing glasses or contacts is appealing to anyone with refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
But despite how popular and widely available LASIK is, you may be hesitant to decide to get it yourself. There are many reasons that may contribute to your hesitancy about having LASIK, but they may stem from misinformation.
Keep reading to find out if you’re the only thing that’s standing in your way of getting LASIK and to learn more about the procedure!
The Expense
LASIK is an investment, but that’s the way that it should be. After all, this is a procedure that deals with your eyesight.
The last thing you want is subpar results, right? As with most things in life, you get what you pay for.
When your eyesight is involved, you want the highest quality treatment you can get. Still, the price tag on LASIK is enough to make some people question if it’s really worth the money you have to pay.
Ultimately, only you can determine what perfect vision is worth to you. But LASIK is actually more affordable than you think.
How much do you spend every year on contacts and glasses? Even with vision insurance, you have to spend a bit out of pocket if you want quality glasses and contact lenses.
You may only end up paying a few hundred dollars a year. That can feel more affordable than the up-front cost of LASIK.
But what you aren’t taking into consideration is the fact that LASIK is an investment. As a one-time procedure, you’ll only have to pay for it once, and then you’ll no longer have to pay for the costs associated with glasses or contact lenses.
If you can’t pay for LASIK in one lump sum, you can also pay for the procedure using a payment plan or financing. On average, most LASIK patients pay off their procedure after only 2 years.
After that point, you own your vision and it’s yours. That means you’ll eliminate the need for glasses or contacts.
So you save all that money you’d be spending on glasses and contacts every year after you get LASIK. Getting LASIK in your twenties will allow you to have decades of clear vision to enjoy.
How’s that for visual freedom?
Safety
You should always be aware of the risks of any procedure, and LASIK is no different. There are some risks, but no more than other common elective procedures.
In fact, it’s safer than many other elective procedures. You may have heard that you could go blind if you have LASIK, but that’s definitely not true.
There is a small chance for serious complications, but that risk is significantly reduced by having a LASIK consultation. If you go to a reputable practice and they say you’re a good candidate for LASIK, the risks of serious health problems associated with LASIK are low.
Some people are also concerned with long-term health issues. LASIK is safe in the short term, but what about the long-term effects?
People assume that LASIK is a new procedure, but that’s not true, because LASIK has been FDA-approved for over 25 years. The first patients that had LASIK are still satisfied with their results.
More importantly, LASIK has only continued to evolve as a procedure since it was first FDA-approved.
In short, LASIK is safe. There are some risks, as with any surgical procedure, but it’s as safe as an elective procedure can be.
Will LASIK Hurt?
One of the biggest LASIK fears that potential patients have is usually about if it will be painful or hurt. As with most vision correction procedures, you have to be awake for it.
But that’s actually a good thing. Many of the risks associated with many surgical procedures are due to general anesthesia.
Not using it makes LASIK even safer. And just because you’ll be awake, there’s no reason to think that having LASIK will cause you any pain.
Believe it or not, LASIK doesn’t hurt! Before the procedure begins, you’ll receive numbing eye drops. The eye drops will numb the surface of your eye so you won’t feel any pain at all.
You shouldn’t feel anything except for some slight pressure, which only lasts a few seconds at most. This is when your LASIK surgeon uses an instrument called a speculum to hold your eyes open, but it should never be painful.
As for the myth that you can smell your own eyes burning? It’s a myth and not true. LASIK uses a “cold” laser that cuts through tissue, so it doesn’t burn anything.
You can’t feel this part either, thanks to the numbing eye drops that you receive before LASIK begins.
The Recovery Process
Since a flap is created in the cornea during LASIK, it does take a few months to fully heal from LASIK. But the immediate recovery is actually pretty fast.
Many people even go back to work the next day. Discomfort tends to last only a day or two at most after the numbing eye drops wear off.
You will need to abstain from certain activities for a week or so. This includes things like playing sports, wearing eye makeup, and doing anything that’s too strenuous.
But for the most part, you’ll feel completely normal shortly after LASIK. For many people, you may find that your vision will start to improve right after LASIK.
If it doesn’t, and your vision seems a little cloudy, this is something that can happen. It can take a few days before your eyes get used to their new normal, so don’t worry!
Once you’ve had LASIK, your vision will only get better each day. As long as you follow all instructions from your eye doctor and attend your follow-up appointments, you’ll see the results you want.
Wondering if LASIK could bring you visual freedom, once and for all? Find out by scheduling a LASIK consultation at Herschel LASIK and Cataract Institute in Orlando, FL, today!
Why not find out if a lifetime without visual aids could be yours?
