Four Ways to Relax Before Your LASIK Procedure
Posted by: Dakota Eye Institute in Uncategorized on March 4, 2023
Dakota Eye Institute strives to provide a relaxing atmosphere for our patients. From your consultation to the day of surgery, we want to help our patients feel confident in their LASIK procedure as we provide all the necessary answers to your questions to give you peace of mind. Having some anxiety about LASIK is not uncommon so know that you are not alone. LASIK offers the extraordinary benefit of significantly improved visual clarity, with most patients achieving 20/20 vision. But before you get to the happy ending, you have to begin with surgery. With that, we have detailed below four 4 ways to relax before your LASIK procedure.
Be honest with your surgeon. Likely you have chosen your surgeon in part because of the level of trust and care you felt during your initial appointment. Discuss with your doctor your concerns that are causing you to feel nervous. Sometimes a simple conversation wherein the surgeon explains the procedure and helps rule out all the what-ifs can help a patient to feel more relaxed. Knowing that each eye takes under a minute to complete helps alleviate the fear factor. Empowering yourself with knowledge including the precision and accuracy of the laser will likely provide some comfort. Although generally the only anesthetic used is numbing eye drops, your surgeon may offer to prescribe an anti-anxiety medication to help you remain calm during LASIK surgery.
Breathing and meditation techniques have proven beneficial to help the mind and body relax. Inhaling deeply for five 5 seconds, holding the breath for five 5 seconds, and slowly exhaling for five 5 seconds, and repeating this technique, has proven to reduce stress levels by reducing CO2 levels, slowing down the heart rate, releasing tension, calming the body, and focusing the brain. Visualization techniques work for some patients too; as you focus solely on the outcome of improved vision without glasses or contacts, you can be distracted from the worry during LASIK.
Music is the universal language that puts people in a better mood. Most surgeons are willing to allow you to listen to songs of your choice so you can focus on the beat or lyrics to relax during your procedure. Soothing music is usually played during spa treatments as a way to help patients sink into a deeper state of relaxation and can be just as useful in a surgery as an elective treatment.
Bring support. In fact, you will already be required to have someone drive you home and take care of you initially, you want to be sure it is someone who will provide you with emotional encouragement as well as physical support. A friendly face or a hand to hold can go a long way to helping you feel more at ease for LASIK.
For more information on LASIK, visit WEBSITE. To schedule your appointment at Dakota Eye Institute to determine if LASIK is right for you, call today at 701-222-3937.
