Obscure questions about Laser Eye Surgery

Remember when your teacher used to say, ‘There’s no such thing as a stupid question’, and you’d go ahead and ask something and she’d give you a strange look as if to say what are you?!

Well, that’s not going to happen here. This is a safe space, and there isn’t a question about Laser Eye Surgery that surgeons haven’t heard a hundred times before.

But there is a wide range of questions — from common ones like will it hurt? that are asked on a daily basis, to the more obscure ones like can I bring my cat into the room with me? which are only asked every so often. It’s these more specialist questions which it can be hard to find adequate answers for when traipsing around the interwebs.

So let’s tackle five of these less frequently asked questions about Laser Eye Surgery. If you have your own that’s not on the list, go ahead and ask us in the comments below (we won’t laugh, we promise!).

Why does Laser Eye Surgery cost so much?

Laser Eye Surgery can seem costly when taken as a single lump sum. But if you look at it over the course of say 10 or 20 years, it’s actually extremely cost effective and cheaper than wearing glasses or contact lenses.

The bulk of the cost is attributed to the equipment, laser technology, safety systems, and expert surgeons. There’s also the clinic, staff, and any continual maintenance, training, and upkeep costs. At London Vision Clinic, as a commitment to achieving the best possible outcome, our post-operative care continues up to 1 year post treatment, during this time if an opportunity for an enhancement is identified, then this is also covered.

With all things considered, a safe and effective treatment costs no less than £4,000 to perform.

Can you have Laser Eye Surgery more than once?

Top up or enhancement procedures are routine and can be done if it’s deemed the patient will see significant improvement from their current standard of vision. As mentioned above, this is covered if identified within a year of treatment.

That being said, most people who’ve had Laser Eye Surgery will never need a second procedure. An enhancement may be necessary if there is an over or under correction of the original procedure, which will occur in a small percentage of patients due to the differences in the eye’s healing response between individuals.

If our eyes were made of plastic, the outcome would be perfect every time due to the accuracy of the laser, but biology sometimes gets in the way. In the longer term, natural changes that would happen even without having had laser eye surgery may cause a change in your prescription, so an enhancement might be needed. However, nobody can avoid the onset of presbyopia – the need for reading glasses as you get older – so an enhancement would be necessary to improve reading vision when this happens.

Should I have Laser Eye Surgery now or wait for a more advanced procedure?

Waiting for a newer, safer version of Laser Eye Surgery to be developed can seem a sensible thing to do. But in reality, the treatment is at its peak and advancements over the short-term will only be incremental. By waiting around and holding out for something better, you’re merely losing precious time which you could enjoy with greater vision.

Can I have Laser Eye Surgery if I have scar tissue?

As scar tissue can range from minor to severe and arise from trauma or disease, the effectiveness of Laser Eye Surgery will vary depending on the scar. For mild scars, particularly those away from the center of the cornea, laser eye surgery can often be performed as normal, with the scar remaining essentially unchanged. For more severe scars, it may not be possible to perform a full refractive correction (i.e. you may still need to wear glasses), but the same lasers can be used to smooth the surface and remove some of the scarred tissue, which will improve the quality of vision.

One other aspect to consider is the cause of the scar. There may be instances where laser eye surgery is not safe or recommended due to the risk of recurrence.

If Laser Eye Surgery is a solution, why do people continue to wear contacts or glasses?

Just like there are many reasons people don’t upgrade to the more efficient and economical electric cars, there are many reasons people don’t upgrade their vision by having Laser Eye Surgery.

The first is misinformation and fear: Although many Laser Eye Surgery myths have long been busted and it has even been proven safer than wearing contacts, fear and misinformation are still the main reasons why people don’t have the treatment. The second is habit: Some people are simply used to their glasses or contacts routine. And the third is suitability: Laser Eye Surgery still isn’t an option for everyone. However, today, when performed by expert surgeons using the latest technology, as many as 97 percent of people are eligible for treatment.

Have a question that’s totally out there? Put it to us in the comments below. Or, if you’d like to book a consultation, contact one of our Patient Care Coordinators today.