What If I’m Frightened about having Laser Eye Surgery?

Laser Eye Surgery can be a life-changing procedure – in the best way possible. Not only can it allow you to ditch the pesky glasses and contact lenses that have been getting in your way for goodness knows how long, but it can also allow you to experience the world in a whole new way. We’re passionate about the benefits of Laser Eye Surgery (and so are our patients!). But that isn’t to say there isn’t a lot to think about. You might even be frightened about the prospect of having Laser Eye Surgery – and we get it!

The fact is, any surgical procedure can elicit a certain amount of fear – even one as safe and pain-free as Laser Eye Surgery.

Thankfully, there are simple ways to help mitigate these fears.

Knowledge Dispels Fear

At the London Vision Clinic, we’re big on informing patients about every aspect of Laser Eye Surgery (and other refractive treatments, for that matter!). We’re dedicated to providing in-depth resources on every topic you can imagine – just take a look at our blog! We hope that providing all the necessary information will help our prospective patients address their fears in an informed and logical way.

Of course, the biggest part of addressing Laser Eye Surgery fears is to address the potential risks.

Understanding the Risks

The internet is a big place. It can be easy to find various reports on the risks of Laser Eye Surgery, from detailed scientific studies to tabloid scare stories. Of course, it is often the scare stories that stick with us most. But the fact is, such incidents are extremely rare. To reiterate this point, we’ve put together a few statistics:

• Over 20 million Laser Eye Surgery treatments have been carried out worldwide so far.
• The chance of something going noticeably wrong in the hands of an expert surgeon is around 1 in 1,000.
• The chance of the surgeon being faced with a situation where they could not correct the problem satisfactorily is 1 in 30,000.

Nonetheless, it is extremely important to be fully aware of all the risks when deciding on Laser Eye Surgery. This includes the risk of side effects, which commonly include post-operative dry eyes and visual disturbances (such as halos and starbursts). The good news is that these effects are a normal part of the eyes’ healing process and usually resolve themselves as the eyes recover from surgery.

Furthermore, there is technically an exceedingly small risk of blindness when undergoing Laser Eye Surgery; however, to put this into perspective, this is lower than the risk of wearing monthly contact lenses for one year.

Your doctor will discuss the risks of Laser Eye Surgery with you in detail during your initial consultation.

Be Clear on the Benefits and What They Mean to You

The primary reason most people consider having Laser Eye Surgery is the prospect of finally being rid of their glasses or contact lenses. While it is important to note that this outcome cannot be guaranteed, the vast majority of patients are extremely satisfied with their vision following the procedure.

Here at London Vision Clinic, our results speak for themselves: 96% of our Laser Eye Surgery patients achieve the full standard of 20/20 vision; over half of these patients achieve even better vision!

But the benefits of Laser Eye Surgery often go far beyond an improved prescription. Being free from glasses and contacts can change the way you live your life, giving you greater freedom when it comes to hobbies and sports, removing the hassle of maintaining external visual aids, and potentially saving you money in the long run!

To top it all off, with an expert surgeon using advanced technology, Laser Eye Surgery treatment should be painless and recovery times surprisingly short. In fact, we often hear that a patient’s only regret is that they didn’t have Laser Eye Surgery sooner!

Bearing this in mind, and being clear about what unaided vision would mean to you is vital in overcoming your fears.

Speak to People Who’ve had the Treatment

We all know the importance of a personal touch. We’re far more likely to go through with something ourselves once we have heard the account of someone who has done the same thing. Being an increasingly common procedure, it is likely that you will know someone who has had Laser Eye Surgery themselves – or at least know someone who has!

This can be helpful for providing insight into the process and the results. Of course, you should always bear in mind that everyone is different – and so are their eyes and thus potential outcomes. Nonetheless, many of our patients originally enquire about Laser Eye Surgery after speaking with someone for whom it has changed their lives.

Even if you don’t know anyone who has had Laser Eye Surgery, there are thousands of first-hand accounts available online. Just take a look at the Trustpilot page for London Vision Clinic!

Come And Meet The London Vision Clinic Team

As mentioned above, while all of these tips can help you make your decision about Laser Eye Surgery, you’ll never know for sure until you have a consultation for yourself. Your free, no-obligation consultation is a great opportunity to learn more about the procedure, and the outcomes you can expect, and to ask any remaining questions you might have.

Most of the people we see for Laser Eye Surgery consultations at London Vision Clinic are still nervous to some degree. Everyone from the Clinic Coordinators to the surgeons is fully aware of this and are experts in managing anxiety and helping to put patients at ease. Once you’ve met the London Vision Clinic team, we hope you’ll know you’re in the right place and that you made the right decision.

To learn more about Laser Eye Surgery at London Vision Clinic, get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators or Book a Consultation today!