Laser anxiety. During laser vision correction, I will be conscious and aware of what is happening to me at all times
Many patients feel fear, not to say trepidation, at the mere thought that laser vision correction is not performed under general anesthesia, but only under local anesthesia. What do you mean, they ask, I will be conscious and aware of what is happening to me the whole time? An affirmative answer is unacceptable to them.
Once they overcome the fear associated with the very name of the confluence – they probably imagine that this kind of surgical intervention is accompanied, like an action movie, by a beam of red light that burns everything in its path… – another one appears: the doctor will “tinker” with my eyes, and I will feel everything and it will hurt.
Meanwhile, laser eye surgery is safe, painless and extremely fast, and being fully conscious during the procedure does not expose the patient to any risk. During laser eye surgery, the patient does not undergo general anesthesia, as this would be an unnecessary burden on the body. Laser vision correction is performed under local anesthesia (anesthetic drops are instilled into the eyes) in an outpatient setting.
Another issue that contributes to this most common fear is that patients are afraid that they will lie still and unblink their eyes, thus nullifying the entire operation. Meanwhile, modern laser devices have an eye tracking function (such as the Eye Tracker 6D or 7D system), so they are very precise, and the patient does not have to worry that a slight movement of his eye will make the procedure fail. Blinking is impossible, as a dilation is inserted outside the eye to prevent movement of the upper eyelids. Also in the case of nystagmus, laser treatment is possible!
Remember: even if you blink, cough, sneeze or move your eyes even a fraction of a millimeter, the eye tracking system will take control of the situation.
One last point: fear of pain. Many patients are convinced that laser vision correction is associated with severe pain sensations, but this is not the case. None of the laser vision correction methods are associated with painful sensations AFTER the operation. Already after the procedure, you may experience discomfort for up to 3-4 hours (in the case of so-called deep methods) or up to 3-4 days after using PRK/LASEK/TransPRK methods
The laser vision correction procedure takes a few to several minutes – shorter than the preparation for it. During its duration, the surgeon is in contact with you at all times and can, step by step, explain to you what he is just doing and what is happening to your eyes.
If you’ve come across a talkative doctor, you may not even realize it’s over….
