FEAR ABOUT LASER EYE SURGERY?
When I talk to patients that recently had Modern LASIK, it’s common that I hear them say, “I shouldn’t have waited so long!” or “Wow, that was it?!”. I like to ask them, amongst everything you were feeling, what is it that made you wait? The typical answer is they were simply scared. Scared of the unknown, scared of the ‘pain’, scared of ‘going blind’, scared of maybe ‘going into a panic’, and scared of ‘looking away from the laser at the wrong time’.
My intent with this blog is to address & even ‘de-bunk’, if you will, the fears that are associated with a life changing procedure like LASIK.
First, let me back up and explain my own personal situation with you all. I do and almost always have dealt with severe anxiety. When I say, “I understand how you feel” when you’re nervous, I truly do. I’ve lived it. It’s a condition i’ve worked with since before highschool. I get nervous to the extreme of very commonly talking myself out of something I know could be very fun and memorable. I’ve been known to throw in a panic attack or two at the airport or waiting in line at Fiesta Texas. It’s just who I am, so I totally get the “fear aspect” of any given surgery. Especially on your eyes, right?
Check it out. December 13th I had LASIK and I can still see. Let me put it into a simple daily example of my new life, my NuVision. I can wake up in the morning and see! (I can also look over at my snoring boyfriend and nudge him to quit snoring, without accidently smacking his face instead of his back). I don’t panic when we are on our way to the movies because I didn’t bring my glasses, because my allergies wouldn’t allow me to wear my contacts. I was able to jump into the pool during a recent hotel stay in Rockport without that mid-air immediate sense of regret “Shoot! I’m wearing my contacts! This is going to be bad in about 2 seconds!”. So, listen, if I can do it with the amount of anxiety i’ve lived with… I feel like it’s a fair game.
Pain
Another big fear, right? What if I told you there are multiple, I mean MULTIPLE sets of numbing drops that are placed in your eyes from the moment you even sit in the initial room, minutes before your procedure? What if I told you the same numbing drops are still placed in your eyes during your procedure AND WE SEND YOU HOME WITH SOME! During your procedure, you are not expected to feel any pain.
Panic
It’s common to feel like you’re more nervous than excited the day of surgery. Even when the surgery is to free yourself of your current glasses/contacts. We totally get that; I totally get it. The point of total nausea kicks in and you psych yourself out. Except, we’ve got you covered. We give all of our patients a “happy pill” the day of their LASIK. We want you to feel comfortable during your laser light show, how cool is that? The 8 minute procedure is over so quick, I didn’t even get through my entire 3 song playlist during my procedure. “That’s it?”, they say. Yes, that’s it. Just like that, you’ve had LASIK.
What if I look away from the LASER?
The laser loves your eyes so much that it checks & re-checks the position of your eyes 800 times per second, and if you look away , it pauses and we simply re-align you, then finish the treatment with no untoward effects.
What is it that I am even going to be looking at during my procedure?
I came across this concern when a friend of mine came in for his initial consultation, so I decided “Hey, that’s a great question! Let me get under the laser and take a few pictures of the lights so I can show you”. Here they are. These are the awesome stadium lights that you look at until the pretty green light appears to fix your correction.
All in all, I wanted to let you know i’ve been where you are. I’ve been nervous, i’ve been scared. But i’ve also gone through the procedure from start to finish. I’ve experienced the pre-operative process, the music selection (when we let YOU pick the type of music for your procedure), i’ve gone home and stared out of my back window the same day of my procedure and saw tree branches that were a blur to me before. I’ve looked at each light you will. I’ve been given the same numbing drops and i’ve also enjoyed the same freedom that you will!!!
I started working at Parkhurst NuVision with ‘outside eyes’, thinking that I could settle with my glasses and contacts, not realizing the freeing option I had. I’ve witnessed hundreds, maybe thousands, of patients and friends walk through the same journey since i’ve started working at Parkhurst NuVision and it is truly a life changer.
Let’s recap. Let’s De-Bunk the fears.
- I beat my anxiety, I had LASIK.
- I can still see.
- I didn’t go blind.
- I didn’t feel any pain through the procedure.
Is there something else that you have wondered about the procedure, but haven’t asked? Comment below and let me know!
If you’d like to contact our office, you can do so here!
-Amanda
Be sure to talk to one of our doctors about not only the benefits of LASIK, but also any risks of LASIK that may pertain to your individual needs and circumstances.