9 Facts about Laser Eye Surgery to put your mind at rest
No marketing hype or fake news here. Just 9 concrete, evidence-backed facts to wash away your doubts and fears and clear up your understanding of Laser Eye Surgery — once and for all.
1. You will not go blind from Laser Eye Surgery
Essentially, no. Technically there is an exceedingly small risk of blindness with laser eye surgery but it is lower than the risk of wearing monthly contact lenses for one year, so a risk that everyone seems to accept as perfectly reasonable.
2. Side effects are mild and temporary
After Laser Eye Surgery, it’s normal to experience a few mild and temporary side effects to your vision — things like dry eyes and light sensitivity. These naturally occur as the eye progresses through the healing process, and in the vast majority of people are resolved within the first 3-6 months.
3. There is less than a 0.1% chance of a minor visual complication
With varying levels of expertise and technology among clinics, it’s hard to pin a complication rate on Laser Eye Surgery. But the fact is the procedure has been named the safest in the world, and for a surgeon to face a situation which he or she cannot satisfactorily correct or improve, it would take an incredibly unfortunate and unlikely series of events to unfold.
4. Laser Eye Surgery is safe and effective over the long-term
It’s widely understood that Laser Eye Surgery is safe and effective over the long term. And if over 60 million patients weren’t enough proof, several long-term studies have shown that decades after treatment patients continue to have accurate vision and healthy eyes.
5. Laser Eye Surgery is a pain-free procedure
No matter what you may think, pain is not a part of Laser Eye Surgery. It’s a completely pain-free procedure. You may feel slight pressure when the surgeon creates the flap in LASIK, but thanks to the anaesthetic eye drops, throughout the whole time (just a few minutes), you’ll barely notice a thing.
6. What matters most is your choice of clinic
It’s tempting to grab a time-sensitive offer on the high street, but your choice of clinic is definitely not something to be rushed. The reality is to deliver a safe and effective treatment, Laser Eye Surgery should cost at least £4000. Any less and you know they’re cutting corners somewhere. You can often find out a lot by asking the question: is the clinic run by a surgeon or business person?
7. Ninety-six percent of our patients achieve 20/20 vision
Depending on your prescription and where you go, your chances of achieving 20/20 vision — the common standard of visual acuity — will vary. At the top clinics, a typical patient will achieve 20/20 or 20/16. And even those with high prescriptions or conditions like dry eye can reach such outcomes.
8. Laser Eye Surgery is safer than contact lenses
Yes, placing little pieces of plastic on your eyeballs is more dangerous than receiving a cutting-edge treatment. The reality is sight-threatening infections occur in as many as 1 in every 500 for extended wear contact lenses and 1 in 2,500 for soft contact lenses. In Laser Eye Surgery, infections are rare and may arise in around 1 in every 10,000 patients. In addition, an infection is more likely to be diagnosed early after Laser Eye Surgery due to the close follow-up.
9. No matter if you cough, sneeze, or jump, it will not affect the outcome
Chances are if you can think up a situation, it’s already happened hundreds of times. And thanks to eye-tracking technology, it was no doubt brushed over without so much as a murmur from the surgeon. Laser Eye Surgery isn’t named the safest surgery in the world for nothing.
Find out more about the facts or book a consultation at London Vision Clinic by contacting one of our Patient Care Coordinators today.