6 Myths About Laser Eye Surgery in the UK

Is Laser Eye Surgery Permanent?

Getting laser eye surgery is a lifelong commitment with amazing benefits to your vision. Laser eye surgery reshapes the tissue in front of your eye to improve your vision, and these changes are permanent. The surgery aims to permanently fix vision problems such as astigmatism, hyperopia (long-sightedness) or myopia (short-sightedness).

However, your vision acuity may not stay the same forever as the natural ageing process can alter your vision over time. Plus, if you have any other eye conditions, they could make your vision progressively worse. It’s recommended that you should undergo laser eye surgery if your vision has been stable for at least up to a year.

Is Laser Eye Surgery Painful?

It’s normal to wonder whether laser eye surgery will be painful. The treatment itself is painless, however, you may experience a little bit of discomfort post-op.

With Femto-LASIK, you should experience very little pain. You may feel some slight discomfort and light sensitivity in the hours following your surgery, but it should subside quite quickly. On the other hand, Trans-PRK is more painful and could take you a few days to feel better.

The good news is that your ophthalmologist will help you manage your pain straight after your procedure is complete. They may prescribe you pain medication and adjust the dosage accordingly during post-op follow-ups.

Still have some reservations? We’ve broken down everything you need to know about recovering from laser eye surgery in our handy guide.

Can you go Blind From Laser Eye Surgery?

It’s normal to have certain side effects immediately after laser eye surgery, such as blurry vision or light sensitivity, but can laser eye surgery cause blindness?

The short answer is yes. However, this would be considered an extreme complication of laser eye surgery and is really rare. The chance of being blinded by laser eye surgery is 1 in 5 million.

Laser eye treatment is only superficial. With the laser, only the first two out of five layers are treated. Thus, the laser doesn’t go deep into the eye to cause damage to the lens or retina.

If you have any concerns about the complications of laser eye surgery, it’s best to talk to your ophthalmologist to fully understand the risks involved.

Are Contact Lenses Safer Than Laser Eye Surgery?

Both contact lenses and laser eye surgery are safe, although they have some risks associated with them.

If proper hygiene procedures aren't followed when putting in or taking out contact lenses, you may be at risk of getting an infection. An infection could cause permanent scarring or keratitis, which is the inflammation of the cornea that can cause severe vision problems.

Some side effects of laser eye surgery occur straight after the treatment, such as blurred vision, dry eyes, or light sensitivity, but these typically disappear in a few weeks.

There’s no real answer to which is better - laser eye surgery or contact lenses - but there are some standout, long-term benefits to laser eye surgery including its cost-effectiveness and permanent vision correction.

Can Only Young People Get Laser Eye Surgery?

A common myth about laser eye surgery is that it’s only for young people. This is simply not true. Anyone can benefit from laser eye surgery, but you must be over 18 years of age.

There are some factors that could influence whether or not you’re suitable for laser eye surgery.

• Health: Health conditions such as diabetes or cataracts could impact laser eye surgery outcomes.
• Prescription: Your prescription is a determinant of your overall laser eye surgery eligibility.
• Corneal thickness: The thickness of your cornea will determine which laser eye surgery treatment is best for you.

For details on laser eye surgery eligibility, give our blog a read here.

Is Laser Eye Surgery Relatively New?

You may think laser eye surgery is a recent development in laser eye care, but it’s actually over 50 years old. In fact, the technology used to kickstart the practice was first developed in the 1940s.

Since 1948, several pioneering ophthalmologists researched and developed cornea refractive surgery. In 1973, the excimer laser was invented and later used for the first time in 1987. This was the first laser created that could reshape or sculpt the cornea to correct vision problems.

Later, different treatments were developed, which are still in use and constantly developed with the latest technological advancements. At betterview, we offer both of the most popular laser eye treatments: Trans-PRK and Femto-LASIK.

Schedule a consultation to get answers to all your laser eye surgery questions.

Now that we’ve busted the myths and offered real laser eye surgery facts, we hope you feel confident about getting the procedure done. Our shop in Westfield, London, is opening soon - book your free, 30-minute consultation today and get the process to 20/20 vision started.