-- Is the Procedure Painful? --
You might expect lasik eye surgery to be painful if you are unfamiliar with the procedure. Certainly, people who have the surgery don′t seem to complain of having pain.
You may wonder how this is possible.
The first thing a doctor will do to help you to be comfortable during the surgery is to give you oral medication to take. This will help you to relax on the day of the surgery. It will keep your anxiety in check, which will make it easier for you to follow directions.
Once you are seated in the operating chair, the doctor will administer eye drops. These drops will numb your eyes throughout the procedure. You can be sure that you will not feel the next steps of the process.
When the microkeratome blade is used to create the flap in your cornea, it′s a very shallow incision. You might feel pressure, but you won′t feel any pain. The most you could say is that you would feel some discomfort.
Then, the laser will be used to reshape your cornea. You will not feel pain in your cornea while the laser is passing over it. The main part of the cornea, the part that is operated on, is the stroma. This layer of cells doesn′t have the ability to feel pain at all.
The laser is precisely guided so that it doesn′t affect any other part of your body. It is a cool laser so that it doesn′t burn anything. Your idea of a laser may be something quite different from this. However, if you understand the true nature of the laser, you′ll feel much better.
After the reshaping is concluded, the flap of corneal cells will be replaced over the cornea. With the numbing drops still working in your eyes, you will not feel this procedure either.
Through this whole operation, you will have been awake, alert, and following the directions of your doctor. No pain will accompany the surgery to make it difficult for you to do this. You will simply look at the place the doctor instructs for you to look and wait while the surgery is completed.
After the surgery is complete, and the numbing drops have worn off, you might feel some slight irritation. If you′ve worn contacts before, you might recognize the sensation. It′s like getting a little bit of dust in a contact. Don′t rub them and you′ll be fine.
Aside from a little discomfort, lasik eye surgery is virtually painless. Even if you have a low threshold for pain, you should be able to tolerate this surgery well. There′s no need to let fear of pain stop you from having lasik eye surgery.