Is Laser Eye Surgery Painful?
August 19, 2010 by Eyes Upgrade
Filed under laser eye surgery procedure
One of the most common questions asked when people get laser eye surgery is if it is going to hurt or not. The bottom line is that everyone’s experience is going to be different. Some people are going to go in, feel nothing during the procedure and yet have a little discomfort for a day or two. Others are not going to feel anything at all at any time. The procedure itself is not going to hurt. The eyes are numbed to insure this. Some of the most commonly asked questions when it comes to the pain factor are:
1. Is the procedure going to hurt? No, this procedure is going to be pain free. As explained above, they eyes themselves are numbed to make sure that there is no pain for the patient. There may be some discomfort when the eyes are held open, but this is only going to last for a few minutes and it is not enough to really be considered painful.
2. Can I be knocked out during the procedure? While this may be easier on the patient, anesthesia comes with its own set of risks. Since this procedure is considered an outpatient surgery, there is no anesthesia involved. Another reason why anesthesia is not an option is because the physician is going to need the patient to look at a certain point during the procedure. If the patient is put under, their eyes are not going to be in the correct position for laser eye surgery.
3. Is there pain when the procedure is over? In most cases no. There may be a bit of discomfort, but it is not going to last long in most cases. If there is a great deal of pain, then the doctor should be alerted to this so they can check out the surgery area and make sure there are no other issues involved. Only the doctor can do this so make sure there is phone call when there is a great deal of pain as this is highly unusual.
4. How long does it take to heal? In most cases, it is only going to take a day or two for the patient to feel normal again. Their eyesight is going to be good and they are not going to have any lasting effects from the surgery. In some rare cases, the time of healing can be longer. Also, the type of procedure performed is going to make a difference in the healing times. Some procedures can take up to two weeks to heal. It is important to ask your doctor how long the average person takes to heal from the procedure that you are having.




