The Most Common Questions I Get Asked About Laser Eye Surgery

Rowena, London Vision Clinic Patient Care Coordinator.

Being a Patient Care Coordinator, I’m the first person someone speaks to when they begin their journey with the London Vision Clinic. This means I’m often the person that gets asked those early worries, the ones that start “This may sound like a silly question…”

Laser Eye Surgery is such a huge decision – yes, it’s minimally invasive, and yes, it changes your life, but, it’s still surgery, and that mustn’t be downgraded to it being a small choice. I should know – I had my own treatment two years ago and went from a -8.00 prescription to being completely glasses free.

Ultimately, as I tell everyone who asks me, there is no such thing as a silly question. All worries, all concerns, all fears are legitimate and nothing should be swept under the carpet. It’s what will make you feel all the calmer before having the treatment itself.

So here are some of the more common questions I get asked on a regular basis. Perhaps they’re some that you’ve been thinking about before calling us!

Does Laser Eye Surgery hurt?

The simple answer here is no, not a bit. You do feel a little pressure on the eye, but it’s nothing close to pain – it just feels a little strange. The best part is that it only takes 15minutes – altogether – so it’s all over before you know it.

How do I keep my eyes open during Laser Eye Surgery?

The surgeon uses a little device to gently hold the eyes open during the procedure. This sounds uncomfortable, but you don’t realise it’s there after a couple of moments. What strangely made me feel better about this was the realisation it resembles a small eyelash curler, which to me made it seem much less scary!

Do I have to leave my contact lenses out before Laser Eye Surgery? Yes, a minimum of a week, depending on the type of contact lenses you wear. This is prior to your surgeon consultation. We ask you to do this to allow the corneas to relax back into their natural shape; as they can subtly change the shape of your corneas which can in turn change your prescription. Your final measurements are taken at this appointment, so this is to ensure we’re ultimately correcting the correct prescription.

You’ll meet so many people at every stage of your journey who have had surgery – and believe me, had the same worries that you might have. So don’t be shy in asking us what it was like – we’re always happy to share our experiences!