Considering Lasik Eye Surgery?
Read more articles on Let Me Share With You.July 28, 2006
Posted by Karen Amato Schwartz
July 28, 2006
Posted by Karen Amato Schwartz
720 Views
My Lasik eye surgery was 5 years in the planning. I checked into every web site and blog I could find, and called many local doctors, hospitals, and facilities. After all that, I decided on a “chain” clinic, figuring it had to have high, uniform standards. Now, 19 months later, I have had 3 surgeries and am still receiving treatment.
My myopia, or nearsightedness, existed since 8 years of age, with a prescription of 20/500. (Tiger Wood’s was about 20/1200, and supposedly he couldn’t see the ball on the tee without corrective lenses.) Except for slight astigmatism, there was no other problem, and I seemed an ideal candidate. However, all potential patients over 35 are advised to consider monovision, where one eye is slightly under-corrected, in order to accommodate the future need for reading glasses. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Patients are offered a choice of lasers, ranging from simple to high tech, as reflected in the price. (Why wouldn’t it be up to the professionals to choose what would be best for patient needs?) I chose a Bausch and Lomb medium version, since I had no special needs. Even though this laser is computer driven and automatically set for 20/20, the surgeon can over-ride the settings. In my case, the surgeon was too conservative and I ended up with 20/30 in one eye and 20/150 in the other! This difference was most unsettling, and knowing that I could not have a corrective enhancement for 5 months did not improve the situation! I developed a whole new respect for people who have lost vision in one eye.
The biggest problem was that I could not drive at night, due to the inability to see in dusk and dark. I later discovered that I should not have been driving even in the day, since my vision was worse than 20/40, the legal cutoff. (The office never told me this, but I read it in my chart.) Since there was a chance my eyes hadn’t stabilized, it would have been wasteful to order glasses or contacts and have them no longer be applicable within days. I therefore had no relief for this particular situation.
My second surgery seemed to do the trick-for about a month. I then developed extreme eye dryness which caused the cornea to “crinkle” up, causing a film and vision loss that neither over the counter nor prescription drops could repair. Plus, my vision regressed slightly in both eyes, so a third enhancement was scheduled. I was told that patients rarely required more than 2 “touch ups”. (Why then, do they sell a lifetime insurance package?)
It’s been 5 months since the last surgery, and still the dryness remains, even with plugs in my tear duct, 3 kinds of eye drops, and steroids. It may take up to another year for my eyes to resume normal tear production and retention.
The most annoying part of this experience has been the facility personnel. The majority of technicians have been unfriendly, if not outright cold, and comments about their poor attitude have been unacknowledged. The doctors are more patient-focused, but differ widely in their protocol and opinions and appear to question each other’s methods. Many aspects of Lasik are still a crap-shoot, so there are not a lot of assurances about outcomes, since “everyone’s eyes are different”. If I had it to do over, I would choose a hospital or private practioner over a chain!
But my vision is now close to 20/20 in both eyes, and that is truly a miracle! After a lifetime of glasses and contacts, it’s still odd to get up in the morning and be able to see, and to not have to plan my day around contact lens wear is a unique type of freedom.
Lasik eye surgery does not have the kinks worked out yet, and it is impossible to judge the reaction and results an individual may have. However, doctors do work at reaching a patient’s optimum vision, which is, after all, the reason for having Lasik to begin with. Good luck!
Copyright © 2006
Terms & Conditions
