Fear #1: You Will Be Awake During Surgery
Surveys show that the idea of being awake during the LASIK procedure scares most potential candidates away from going through the surgery. In spite of knowing how exponentially LASIK will change the quality of their everyday lives, they balk at the last moment because of the fear, and then forever regret this “weakness” because they fully realize that modern science has already offered such an easy solution to get their normal vision back on track.
If it was possible to put patients under with general anesthetics, the number of people going through the procedure would have surely quadrupled. But reality is this: the procedure is so minimally abrasive, it does not require the significant risks involved in inducing controlled unconsciousness. Surgeons are quite aware of this principle fear and they have eye-tracking devices to safeguard against any physical disturbances like hiccups, coughs and sneezes during surgery. So there’s nothing you can do really, in a state of fright that will impact the surgery in any way.
After handling thousands of equally fearful patients, the surgeon and assisting staff at a reputable LASIK clinic are well trained and well experienced in handling and minimizing fear, so this is one of those experiences in life when the smart thing to do is just go with the flow. A bit like taking injections, when you are afraid of needles. In expert hands, the prick of a needle is barely felt, and you come away afterwards wondering why you spent so many agonizing hours worrying yourself into a frazzle in the first place.
Fear #2: You Will Surely Feel Some Pain
This is the second fear that paralyses people into deciding not to go through with LASIK surgery. If you’re indeed a candidate for LASIK, you are highly encouraged to read first-hand experience reports from people who have already gone through the procedure. It is one thing for the clinic staff to assure you that the process is painless because of the anesthetic drops that completely numb your eyes. A tiny voice of fear still lingers afterwards that make you wonder if you’re possibly the exception to the rule. However, reading as many patient testimonials as you can, will soon make it very plain that other people with equal amount of worries and low pain thresholds felt nothing during the surgery. And neither will you.
Fear #3: Your Surgery Will Be The One That Goes Horribly Wrong
There is 1 chance in 30,000 that an experienced LASIK surgeon does not get satisfactory results from the procedure. That’s really good betting odds, if you consider the potential life risks we take every time we hop into a car or board an aeroplane. But irrational fears look for loopholes in the most logical arguments, and LASIK clinics are quite used to allaying such fears in most patients. It is rare that a potential candidate arrives for LASIK surgery without having done their homework, which has already provided reassuring data on the chances of complete recovery.
The best thing to do under the circumstances is to take this concern to your LASIK provider and let them give you a complete breakdown of the process. Hearing it first-hand from the people who are responsible for handling your eyes goes a long way in resolving this anxiety about a worst-case scenario.
Fear #4: You Will Go Blind
With the chances of that happening being pegged at 1 in 5 million, it’s probably safe to say that you’re more likely to win one of those bumper Powerball lotteries. Twice.
Modern science had advanced so dramatically in the field of LASIK surgery that some reputable clinics feel quite confident in marketing their services like a spa treatment. This is because the blindness factor is so infinitesimal, it is pretty safe to just focus on the lifestyle improving advantages of LASIK. Much like a Glycolic Facial beauty treatment.