Ask a hundred people if they would consider having laser eye surgery to correct vision problems, and there’s a pretty good chance that twenty-five or more would say “I don’t know – I don’t like the idea of a laser pointing at my eye.” To be fair, it is easy to see their point. We’re used to seeing lasers in films, after all, and their use on the big screen is almost invariably destructive. Although it may not be a hundred per cent rational – health and safety have to be observed, and laser eye surgery passes those tests – a fear of the concept is natural.

Of course, science has managed to stay almost entirely out of the hands of rogue madmen, and the power of laser beams has been harnessed for positive reasons, rather than enslaving the human race. And it does what it does very effectively. For the most part, people who undergo laser eye surgery come out with their vision problems corrected and their supposed “gamble” a winning endeavour. Undoubtedly there are some for whom it fails to pass muster – but this is almost entirely due to the fact that, for one reason or another, they were unsuitable candidates for the treatment.

One thing that is essential with respect to laser eye surgery is that you see your doctor before having it carried out. Any reputable laser eye surgery clinic will insist on this anyway – apart from anything else it is incredibly bad for business if people leave their surgery dissatisfied with the results or with their vision significantly worsened. Your doctor will be able to tell you if there is any reason you should not have the treatment.

It is also important to separate fact from fiction where laser eye surgery is concerned. You may well see advertisements on television or in the papers telling you that you can throw away your glasses or contact lenses forever, because the wonders of laser eye surgery will render them unnecessary. While this may be the case on some occasions, it is not always true that your vision will be so significantly improved that you will be spectacle-free forever.