8 Common Misconceptions Regarding Lasik Surgery
September 17, 2019
Many people with minor eye-sight problems have considered Lasik surgery in the past only to decide against the procedure after hearing misinformation about the process. Everyone, it seems, has a friend who has heard something not so great about Lasik. It is important to bypass this misinformation in order to make an informed decision regarding the procedure. We have listed the top myths about Lasik that our patients hear.
Myth #1: Lasik Hurts
It is normal to be concerned with the pain and discomfort present with any medical procedure. However, it is not often that a patient reports pain during Lasik surgery. The eyes are first numbed with drops. There may be a slight feeling of pressure at the beginning of the process but this only lasts a few minutes.
Myth #2: There Are Unknown Risks
People mistakenly believe Lasik is so new that there may be potential side effects that may not yet be known. The fact is, the Lasik procedure was first started in the 80s. The first surgery was performed in the United States in 1987. In the more than 30 years Lasik has been performed in America, the technology is constantly improving.
Myth #3: Only Helps Nearsightedness
There are two major reasons for this common misconception. First, nearsightedness is one of the most common eye disorders so many Lasik patients are in fact seeking to remedy this problem. Secondly, there was a time in the early days of Lasik that nearsightedness was the only eye disorder treated with the procedure.
Today, Lasik is used to treat a variety of other problems with the eyes including astigmatism and farsightedness. In fact, Dr. Nguyen and the staff at Anh Nguyen Ophthalmology are Lasik patients.
Myth #4 You Will Be Finished With Glasses Forever
This one is partially true. Eight out of ten people do not need contacts or glasses for most of their daily activities following Lasik. However, it is possible you will need help from these aids when doing things like reading or driving in the night time hours. Lasik will not prevent any age-related decline in your vision that can happen in later years.
Myth #5 Lasik Can Leave You Blind
This may be the most far fetched myth when it comes to Lasik surgery. There has never been an incident in which a patient became blind following Lasik surgery.
Myth #6 You Will Need Long-Term Treatment
Most people will be surprised to know the entire Lasik procedure can be completed in less than 20 minutes. Lasik patients are allowed to return home immediately and most can resume their normal activities within 24 hours or less.
Myth #7 Lasik Is Only For Young People
If you think you are too old to benefit from the Lasik procedure, think again. No one is disqualified from Lasik due to age and even patients in their 60’s have successfully undergone the Lasik procedure.
Myth #8 Too Expensive
Anh Nguyen and the staff at Anh Nguyen Ophthalmology provide the Lasik procedure at an affordable price and provide a number of payment options for the convenience of patients.
Anh Nguyen Ophthalmology accepts the following payment options:
- Financial Spending Accounts
- Health Savings Accounts
- Health Advantage Credit Cards from Wells Fargo
- CareCredit
If you have any questions regarding these payment options or treatment and procedures offered by Anh Nguyen Ophthalmology, you can call the clinic at 703-912-0504. You can also contact the clinic via its online contact form here.
