The Most Common LASIK Myths, Debunked

It’s normal to feel anxious before undergoing any treatment, especially surgery. Any stress brought on by living with a health concern — such as declining vision — is often compounded by worries regarding the treatment itself. “But what if it doesn’t work, and I go blind?” This common fear is often what prevents many patients in Toronto from treating their worsening eyesight.

Where does this fear come from? While some are rooted in unsuccessful laser eye surgeries, the success rates are still overwhelming. The reality is, these fears are fuelled by myths. And since they’re untrue — and even harmful — they shouldn’t cost you your vision, health, and quality of life.

The best way to fight fear is with information. Let’s start by debunking the most common myths about LASIK to uncover the facts behind this life-changing treatment:

Most Common LASIK Myths and Facts

Myth: LASIK is Painful

Fact: LASIK Does Not Hurt

Second only to vision loss is the fear of pain. No one wants to get hurt or have to deal with post-op pain and discomfort. When patients think of surgery, they automatically associate it with getting cut open and spending weeks in recovery while they heal. But that’s not the case with LASIK.

Even if it’s a laser eye surgery procedure, LASIK doesn’t hurt. You will be given a local anesthetic to numb the area to make the procedure as painless as possible. Most patients only feel a tiny bit of pressure, if any.

Myth: I Can Go Blind From LASIK

Fact: You Can’t Go Blind from LASIK

To date, there are no documented cases in Toronto of LASIK causing blindness. The chances of LASIK causing blindness are 1 in 5 million — extremely rare odds. In fact, you can probably think of other rare events that are way more likely to happen.

Plus, with ongoing technological advancements, careful patient screening, and strict safety protocols, many risks associated with laser treatments have been significantly reduced with LASIK. Today, it’s one of the safest and most effective vision correction treatments — the preferred option by eye surgeons and patients in Toronto seeking restored clear vision.

Myth: LASIK Causes Complications

Fact: LASIK Is One of the Safest Eye Treatments

Now that you know that you can’t go blind from LASIK, we need to confront other myths surrounding risk. While it’s true that every surgery comes with certain risks, it’s important to keep in mind that LASIK uses highly advanced technology, and requires strict safety protocols. As a result, even common complications or side effects like dry eyes can be mitigated with prescribed eye drops, and ease up during recovery as you adjust to laser-corrected vision.

Myth: LASIK-Corrected Vision Is Not Permanent

Fact: LASIK Provides Lifelong Vision Correction

The biggest reason why patients opt to get rid of their glasses and contact lenses is permanent results. In most cases, LASIK can eliminate nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism for good, ensuring that you enjoy long-lasting, clear and healthy vision.

In cases of severe refractive errors, some vision problems can recur, and require additional treatment to achieve desired results. What LASIK can’t combat, however, are age-related vision changes, such as cataracts and macular degeneration — these require different treatments.

Myth: I’m Too Old (Or Young) to Undergo LASIK

Fact: LASIK is Suitable for Everyone

Many patients fear that LASIK won’t treat their vision problems due to age, but that’s not true. For safety and maximum effectiveness, however, LASIK is recommended for patients at least 18 years old.

The reason for the minimum age requirement is ongoing development — eyesight continues to shift and develop when you’re young and tends to stabilize as you enter adulthood.

LASIK is most effective in older patients when eyesight is generally healthy, and there are no other vision problems, such as cataracts. Just keep in mind that because it’s natural for eyesight to decline with age, the risk of developing these other vision problems that may preclude you from being eligible for LASIK is higher in old age.

Myth: LASIK Can Only Treat One Vision Problem

Fact: LASIK Treats a Range of Conditions

Many patients think that LASIK isn’t worth their time and resources when they have multiple vision problems. Often, this is the case: a patient suffers from nearsightedness, with some astigmatism. But LASIK can treat all of these at once.

LASIK is not designed to treat just a specific eye condition — it can target multiple vision problems. Whether you suffer from only one vision problem like nearsightedness or farsightedness, or a combination of these with astigmatism or “ageing eye” (presbyopia), LASIK can put an end to all of these.

Myth: Contact Lenses are Much Safer than LASIK

Fact: Contact Lenses Pose Higher Risks than LASIK

There’s a reason why many contact wearers dread the effort that goes into wearing lenses — even when they swear by its convenience. But did you know that their everyday wear poses a lot more risks than LASIK?

That’s right — soft contacts, in particular, carry a high risk of infection: 1 in every 100 wearers are at risk of developing a serious eye infection due to cleaning and wearing habits. Meanwhile, the risk of a post-LASIK infection is 1 in 1,500 — a lot less likely to occur, and results in permanent vision correction that eliminates the need for contacts.

To learn more about Toronto LASIK and its safety, call Clearview Vision Institute in Toronto at 647-493-6196 or contact us here.