While I was researching before deciding if, when, and where I wanted to have my vision permanently corrected, I wanted to find information from a source other than a doctor who performed the procedures. Call me a 'Doubting Thomas' if you will, but I wanted to be sure I was doing the right thing. While some of the following text may be really close to rambling, I wanted to include as much (or more) information as possible. Good luck.
Originally, Both of my eyes were -5.5 (quite nearsighted, in my opinion). As of my 6 month check-up, my left eye is 20/25 and my right is is 20/20. There is some minor light dispersions at night, or when I am looking at a brightly lit area while I am in a darkened area. To me, it is a mild inconvenience compared to what I used to deal with. It's similar to the haloes I experienced right after the surgery, but not exactly.
I have thought about having my vision
corrected for quite some time. The two factors that most affected me were 1)
Risk, and 2) Cost. Both seemed a bit too high for me to actually go through
with this originally. My wife and I are expecting our second child in July, and
we decided that now would probably be the best opportunity I'll have.
I checked out four different clinics (One for PRK surgery, the other three for
LASIK). Even though all four boast performing thousands of procedures each
year, and each was very thorough about making sure that they conveyed all of
the risks and problems surrounding these procedures, nobody could remember a
single time that a patient was unhappy. That seemed rather unbelievable, since
there are literally pages of forms to sign explaining the potential
risks.
One of the main sources of information that I used to determine which doctor to go with was my optometrist. I have known him and his brothers for years now, and I trust him. He does outpatient work for the surgeon I chose, so he does get something out of it, but he wouldn't be working with this doctor if he didn't believe all that he told me.
A quick background on PRK: After they prep
you, they blast the outside layer of your eye(s) with the laser to reshape the
cornea to improve your vision. There is a long period (a few weeks up to 6
months of recuperating), and some people actually experience sever discomfort
(I assume this is also known as pain). This didn't really appeal to me.
With the LASIK procedure, a circular flap is cut in the eye's cornea, the flap
is peeled back, and then the eye is blasted with the laser. After the
laser is done, the flap is folded back in place, and then the healing starts.
There is supposedly no pain, but some discomfort for a little as a few days.
On the pain scale alone, LASIK appealed to me greatly. And, both procedures
cost close to the same amount.
Once deciding on LASIK, there are two parts to this procedure. The first is the
cutting of the corneal flap. Complications can arise with the cut or with
infections following the operation. Since the instrument used to cut the flap
has been around for decades (I'm sure there has been some refinement over the
years), it would be beneficial to choose someone who has had years of
experience performing eye surgery. LASIK surgery hasn't been available for more
than a few years in the U.S., but eye operations have. The second part is the
laser correction. I was told that since the laser is computerized, even I could
operate the laser after a few days of training (now there's something that
isn't on my list of 'things to do'). I don't mean to underrate anyone skilled
in this respect, but if this is even partly true, then whether someone has been
performing LASIK procedures for 1 year or 4 years didn't really impress me. It
was the cutting experience I was more concerned with.
The day of surgery, I was much calmer than I thought I was going to be. That calm feeling didn't last very long after I checked in with the front desk. They informed me that all the release forms I had previously filled out were missing. It first I thought that filling the forms out again was not a big deal, but reading again about all the potential problems that could arise did nothing for my nerves. By the time I was done signing everything, I was quite on edge. Granted, I already knew of the risks and hazards, but I really didn't need to read about them the morning of surgery! I was assured that I would be given something to calm me down before surgery. The preparation for the procedure consisted of washing the skin around the eyes with a disinfectant (Betadine, I believe), putting on the shower cap, and ingesting a tablet of Xanex. They said the Xanex would take about 15 minutes to take affect, but I don't think it took even five minutes before I was asleep. They managed to wake me up and half-carry me to the operating room. (If the Xanex had hit me any harder, I don't think I would have been able to stay awake.) Once in the operating room, I remember very little (thank you, XANEX!). I do remember that they had me stare at a red light that had a green light in the center. I recall asking when they were going to start, and I was told that they were actually beginning the procedure on the second eye already! After it was over, they taped clear plastic shields over my eyes to protect them. Two of the technicians helped me outside and into my car, which my wife had pulled up in front of the building. I thanked them (I think). I was able to see rather clearly, even though the shields were over my face. The surgery had taken place around noon, so I am missing most of my memory regarding the drive home (my wife was driving, of course) and the walk from the car to my bed. The next thing I clearly remember was waking up in bed around at 6:30 p.m. exactly. I distinctly remember the time, because I was able to read the alarm clock without stuffing my face against the clock! I left the shields on, ate dinner, took one half of a Xanex tablet (a full tablet had been almost too much), and went back to sleep. I slept quite soundly all evening with the help of the Xanex.
When I woke up in the morning (I still can't get over being able to see the alarm clock), I got ready for my trip to the optometrist. I had someone drive me to his office, where he removed the plastic shields. The optometrist checked my vision, studied my eyes with a magnifier, and explained the regimen of eye drops I needed to follow for the next week. I left wearing sunglasses, and was told I could go back to work now! (Yeah, right!). I made it home, did some work on the computer for a short time, and took a nap (my idea of a perfect day!). The computer screen seemed just a little out of focus, but it wasn't too bad. Later I sat outside for a while, but the weather was warm and sunny, and the sun was too bright for me to stay out for too long. At this time, I started noticing that all the colors seemed sharper than I had remembered them. I don't know if I just never paid close attention to colors before or not, but they do seem brighter. Physically, my eyes feel as though I have been wearing my contacts all day. It doesn't hurt, but there is about the same discomfort that used to make me look forward to removing my contacts - I used to feel this way nearly every day, so I can put up with this. We stayed in that night and watched TV. I can focus just fine on the screen. Before going to bed, I taped the shields back to my face (to protect me from rolling over or rubbing my eyes in my sleep). I'll be wearing the shields for at least a week.
Driving during the day was no problem. I had no difficulty at all seeing. I still have that nagging feeling that I am ready to take my contacts out, but my eyes don't feel fatigued at all. That evening, I noticed very distinct haloes around all lights outside- the green and red traffic lights, the street lights, head and tail lights - but the colors in the lights themselves were quite bright. The green seemed greener than ever, the red was redder, and the white was much more intense. I am enjoying this entire experience so far. The halo affect is supposed to diminish over time, but even if it doesn't, I am still willing to call this a success at this time. And I have learned something new about human anatomy. The tear ducts are clearly linked to the mouth somehow. A few minutes after using the eye drops, I can taste them in my mouth - YUCK! If my vision stays this wonderful, and if the sensation of having a foreign object in my eyes goes away, I'll need to kick myself for not trying this sooner!
I went back to work and had no problems. By the time I get used to taking the drops at regular intervals it will be time to quit taking them. When I got home from work, there was a plant basket waiting for me from the eye surgeon's office! It was a very nice touch, indeed. Of course, now I have the challenge of not letting these plants die from the same neglect that some of my other houseplants have succumbed to over the years.
After I got to work, I started noticing my left eye was not seeing as clearly for long distances as my right eye (the titles on books in the case on the far wall were slightly more blurry with the left eye.). Objects seem to be a bit blurrier than they were when I woke up. My left eye is also bloodshot more than it has been since I stopped wearing my contacts, but this might be due to the fact that I didn't sleep as long as I have been sleeping other nights this past week. I went to my optometrist for my one-week follow-up appointment, and everything is going well. He checked my eyes, and my left eye is a bit off from perfect, but very close. The right eye is 20/20. I no longer need to wear the shields at night, but I probably will continue using them for a few days. I can also stop using the prescription eye drops. He recommended using wetting solution drops a few times a day at least, or whenever my eyes feel dry.
This is great! They talked about discomfort for a while after, and I suppose I am experiencing some of that. But, the discomfort is absolutely no worse than a bad day with contacts used to be for me. It feels as though I have had the contacts in all day. So, this is quite tolerable for me, since I experience this same sensation often with contacts. Every day, it becomes a bit less noticeable, though.
It's now July 5th. We had quite a big celebration last night, complete with fireworks. This is the first time that I can ever remember that my eyes were NOT dying after being near all the smoke from the fireworks! I never had to think about it twice! My vision is quite clear. The haloes have been gone for a while now. They have been replaced with minor star patterns on traffic lights and streetlights, but I used to have those anyway when I had corrective lenses. I don't even notice these 'stars' unless someone asks me about my eyes.
I also had gone water skiing several weeks ago. That weekend the air temperature was around 110 degrees F. I always had problems with the hot wind drying out my contacts and causing extreme discomfort while skiing or riding in the boat. Not this time! While the hot wind was uncomfortable in general, it had no affect on my vision whatsoever. This alone is a great benefit!
For my situation, LASIK already seems to be a great investment. I still love being able to see the alarm clock, which is a great way to start off my day. We go water skiing often enough that the problems I faced with contacts while skiing or in the boat make the procedure and money spent well worth it. We haven't been camping yet, but I look forward to having the last thing I see before I drift off to sleep the star-filled sky.
The only bad affect I have noticed at this time is that sometimes it is uncomfortable reading close up. This is easily fixed by moving a little farther away from whatever I am reading, whether it is a newspaper or the computer screen. If this is as 'bad' as it gets, I can live with this quite easily! I have had dozens of e-mails from other people who have had the surgery, and only one person has had any sort of bad experience. His vision was finally corrected, and now he is also glad he went through it all. All the others are incredibly satisified with their vision.
The optometrist I (still) use is very good, and I highly recommend his
services.
JOSEPH VANSUCH, O.D. Optometrist, of Orange, CA Phone: (714)997-0510
The surgeon has his own web site, with a great deal of useful information. His
link is:
Dr Tooma, Newport Beach, CA
Another site of interest is http://www.AskLasikDocs.com.