Myths and Facts About LASIK Surgery

You wake each morning to a world that’s fuzzy, one that only snaps into focus once you don your glasses or put in your contact lenses. Each year, 700,000 people in the United States turn to laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery to put an end to their vision problems, allowing them to see the world clearly without corrective lenses.

At Vision and Ortho-K Center, Dr. Curtis Frank and our team help many of our patients regain near-perfect vision through LASIK surgery, guiding them through their preoperative and postoperative care.

If you’re considering LASIK surgery to correct your vision, here are a few myths (and facts) about this very successful procedure.

Myth 1: LASIK is painful

Not true. Your LASIK surgeon uses eye-numbing drops before your LASIK surgery so you should feel perfectly comfortable throughout the procedure. You may feel some pressure, but the surgery is virtually pain-free.

Myth 2: LASIK can only help with near-sightedness

This is a myth. LASIK surgery can correct most refractive errors, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.

Myth 3: Anyone can benefit from LASIK

While LASIK has helped more than 10 million Americans see more clearly since its introduction in 1999, the procedure isn’t for everyone. For example, if any of the following describes you, we don’t recommend LASIK surgery:

• You have severe dry eyes
• You’re pregnant or nursing
• Your vision isn’t stable
• You have an autoimmune disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis
• You’ve had an eye infection in the past year
• You have glaucoma, cataracts, or diabetes

Rest assured, our job is to thoroughly assess your unique situation to see whether you’re a good candidate for LASIK.

Myth 4: Corrective lenses are gone for good

While LASIK surgery can correct your vision, you may still succumb to vision problems as you age, requiring you to turn again to corrective lenses, such as readers.

Myth 5: The side effects of LASIK are too risky

While any surgery comes with some risk, the side effects of LASIK aren’t all that common or severe. For example, many patients report problems with dry eyes after their LASIK surgery, but this side effect generally resolves itself quickly.

It’s important to note that our role is to help you with any postoperative concerns you may have, and we can quickly resolve issues, such as dry eyes, with some eye drops. We also ensure that you thoroughly understand the potential risks of LASIK surgery before you get started.

Myth 6: The success rate of LASIK isn’t good

If you’re wondering about the success rates of LASIK, consider this statistic: 98.4% of patients say they would have LASIK again and 95% are satisfied with their results. This number is a strong testimonial to the procedure’s effectiveness.

If you have more questions or concerns about LASIK surgery, please contact our office in Boston, Massachusetts, to set up an appointment.