When choosing to undergo any surgical procedure, it is understandable that some people are anxious about how the operation will go. Eye surgery especially can make patients squeamish – after all, we only have one pair of eyes – what if something goes wrong?
Thankfully, the statistics show that the risk of complications is very low and the vast majority of people are very happy with the end result!
Patient Fear
Often a high degree of anxiety is caused by a lack of pre-operative information. Scientific studies show that people who received the least amount of information about surgical procedures were often the most fearful. This is why it is important to choose an established and well-respected Laser Eye Surgery clinic which invests time into thoroughly explaining the procedure and the likely outcomes.
Choosing cut-price surgery abroad may seem like a good idea initially, but a lack of pre and post-operative consultations can increase the likelihood of patients experiencing anxiety. A significant interaction has also been found between the level of preoperative fear and patients experiencing the least favourable recovery period.
Basically, the more information and preoperative care a clinic delivers to a patient, the better the patient recovery as the patient knows what to expect and why.
Safety Statistics
In order to reduce patient fears, it is essential to discuss the safety statistics and complication rates in an open and honest manner. At AVC, we find that our patient-first approach significantly allays any worries they may have.
Here are a few reassuring Laser Eye Surgery facts:
- Laser eye surgery is now the safest surgery in the UK that has been established for more than 25 years
- Long term studies reveal high level of patient satisfaction, safety and stability
- Over 120,000 patients undergo laser eye surgery every year in the UK
- 99% of patients achieve 20/20 vision or better
- 100% of patients achieve driving standard in only 1-2 days
- The procedure is quick, and takes less than 10 minutes per eye
- It’s a painless surgery – your eyes are numbed using eye drops
- Your vision may be over or under-corrected in 1% of cases due to improper healing; this can usually be resolved by another laser fine tuning
- Dry eyes are common after laser eye surgery and can be treated with eye drops. They will settle in 2-3 months. Chronic dry eyes persist in just 0.8% of patients
- Eye infections are very rare, and can be treated with antibiotics
Surgeon Selection
Of course, one of the best ways to gain confidence before Laser Eye Surgery is to choose a highly-qualified and experienced surgeon. Clinics with a large number of positive patient reviews are likely to provide excellent care and be a source of reassurance.
As Laser Eye Surgery is in most cases a one-off procedure, choosing the best clinic possible is the wisest choice. Laser eye surgery costs should not be the deciding factor, but the experience of surgeons and high quality aftercare.
For more information on laser eye surgery, please visit Advanced Vision Care’s website. The surgeons at AVC are industry pioneers with combined experience of 75 years . Based at our prestigious Harley Street location, their thorough pre-operative consultations and 1 year aftercare promise can reassure even the most anxious of patients.
