LASIK corrective eye surgery has been around for decades, and so many people have experienced restored vision because of it. Yet, in spite of the popularity of this procedure, there are still a lot of myths floating around about it. If you are seriously considering LASIK, you deserve to know the truth -- so don't get swayed by these myths!

Myth: LASIK is safe for everyone.

Although there are a large number of people who are candidates for LASIK, the surgery is not safe for everyone. If your corneas are thin -- and some people just have naturally thin corneas -- your doctor will not be able to safely perform LASIK. You must also be in good overall health to undergo LASIK. If you have an underlying health condition like diabetes or lupus, your eye doctor will have to consult with your general physician before performing LASIK. There's a pretty good chance your GP will recommend against the surgery due to poor healing associated with these condition.

Myth: LASIK only lasts a few years.

You may know people who had LASIK surgery and then had to get reading glasses a few years later. This is not because the LASIK surgery "wore off." The effects of the surgery are typically long-lasting, usually for the rest of the person's life. However, LASIK does not stop the natural aging process that results in many people needing reading glasses in their later years. Chances are, those who undergo LASIK and later need reading glasses would have needed those glasses anyways. What they no longer need is glasses for their nearsightedness!

Myth: LASIK is painful.

Shining a laser into your eye does sound painful, but amazingly, you won't feel a thing during LASIK. Your doctor will first administer eye drops to completely numb your eyes. You will see the laser working, but you won't feel it. Even the recovery is not painful! Your eyes may itch for a few hours, but this is very bearable and will fade away faster than you think.

Myth: LASIK is expensive.

A few decades ago, LASIK did cost a few thousand dollars per eye. But the costs have come down significantly. Although the procedure is not cheap, you can now have it performed for a few hundred dollars per eye in most places. More and more health insurance plans have begun to cover it, too, so you might only need to pay a copay.