LASIK - I've got my eyes peeled. Literally.
May 19 '06 (Updated Apr 21 '09)
The Bottom Line I recommend! It was quick and completely painless. My vision is perfect now. There are risks and you need to find a good surgeon and ask lots of questions.
Two things you should know about me before you read this:
1. I have a dark sense of humor;
2. I am terrified of any kind of medical procedure done to my own body. I can watch you have something done or watch a complete autopsy, just don’t try to do anything to MY body or I’ll totally flip out. Not even a shot. Not even ripping a band aid off. Just step off!
Yes, those traits do kind of contradict, but I think they will help you understand why the LASIK procedure is so fascinating to me, yet fairly frightening as well. Having said that though, I got thru the procedure with flying colors and am thrilled to tell you about my great experience.
My history
I started wearing contacts in my early 20s when I started working a lot with computers. I noticed while driving that signs and details in the distance used to be a lot more clear. I started with a very light prescription to correct nearsightedness that changed over the course of about 12 years to be about -2.75. I tried soft contacts in daily wear, extended wear, disposables, you name it and hated them from day one. I was young and partying a lot so they cramped my style a lot because I always had to be thinking about how smoke, makeup, lack of sleep, etc would affect my contacts. And glasses just looked bad on me and gave me a headache from the constant pressure on the tops of my ears and nose. It was all such a huge hassle.
I first heard about LASIK when I was about 25 and a friend at work had it done with great results. That was back in the day when they actually used a blade and the thought of it fascinated me yet repelled me. Why would someone want to do that to their eyes? Yikes!
Well my tune changed about 10 years later after having lived with the hassle of contacts and glasses for 15 years and having met more and more people who had had the procedure done themselves. The one who put me over the edge was my cousin. He has the same sick sense of humor and revulsion to medical procedures but managed to get thru the procedure well and told me it wasn’t bad. So knowing that he was OK afterward made me feel better about looking into it for myself. I had also just received a big bonus from work and was seriously thinking of spending it on LASIK so the timing of the conversation with my cousin was perfect. We were at my uncle's funeral at the time and were pretty buzzed from too much wine so donating my eyeballs to science probably would have sounded OK too.
Choosing my doc
So I started looking for a doctor that I felt comfortable with in January, 2005. There are tons of laser eye clinics in this area so I made appointments with three of them. Two were close to home/work and one was way on the other side of the county, about 20 miles away. I really wanted to find a clinic that was close to home and had a good price but most importantly I wanted a reputable surgeon with a clean office. The first two clinics I was not impressed with. I felt like a number with a credit card. Like it was just an assembly line of patients coming in and out and the staff was not friendly. They both performed lots of crazy tests on my eyes that they couldn’t even explain the purpose of.
The surgeon I did choose is Dr. Robert Beitman of the Beitman Laser Eye Institute in Bloomfield Hills, MI (www.beitman.com). His office is about 25 miles from my house but he has a terrific reputation in the area and I felt very comfortable with his staff and the way I was treated when I visited. The Beitman Laser Eye Institute, established in 1981, is Michigan's preeminent custom vision correction center. Dr. Beitman is a world renowned, board-certified expert in the field of laser refractive surgery and cataracts. He holds a Medical Degree from Wayne State University and received his ophthalmology residency training at Detroit's Sinai Hospital, which pioneered the use of lasers in vision correction surgery. In 1996, Dr. Beitman had the distinction of performing the first LASIK procedure in Michigan and has performed more than 25,000 vision correction procedures in his career with a degree of success that surpasses already impressive LASIK industry standards.
I went to his office twice before I made up my mind to go thru with the surgery. During the first visit my eyes went thru a series of tests to make sure that I a good candidate for LASIK. The nurses and ophthalmologist explained every test and its purpose beforehand. The office was very clean and comfortable. There is a main waiting room, and then a smaller waiting room deeper within the facility where patients go after the preliminary exam but before seeing the ophthalmologist. There were always at least 3 other patients in there waiting so I asked them lots of questions about their experiences as they were all thrilled with their results and couldn’t wait to help me make the decision. All had already had the surgery and were back for follow up and all were very happy with the results and assured me that the BLEI was the right choice. During the second visit, more extensive eye tests were performed and I learned more about what to expect should I decide to have the surgery. I had to stop wearing contacts two weeks prior to this visit. I never felt rushed or brushed off although I asked a million questions. All questions were answered thoughtfully and with great care about my physical and mental health. No question was left unanswered. I scheduled the surgery that day for two weeks later on a Thursday morning in March, 2005 at 10AM.
Preparation for Surgery
Two weeks prior to surgery - I was not allowed to wear contacts during the 2 week period prior to surgery. I was instructed to use antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops twice a day as well as moistening drops to keep my eyes well hydrated.
Day before surgery – no eye makeup. Had to wash my face and neck with antibacterial soap before bed.
Day of surgery – no makeup at all, no moisturizers, acne lotion or anything on the face, thoroughly wash face and neck with antibacterial soap, pulled hair back off of face with a rubberband, I could shampoo but use no additional hair conditioner, gel, mousse, or spray. I was instructed to wear warm, comfortable clothing and that the top should be easy to open without having to pull it over the head (i.e., zipper, button, or snap front shirt). I was also instructed to eat a light breakfast prior to leaving the house. I woke up at about 7am and got ready to leave. I tried to eat a small bowl of Cheerios with milk but I was so nervous that I couldn’t get much down.
Pre-Surgery - As instructed, I arrived at the BLEI 1.5 hours prior to the scheduled surgery. I spent the first half hour completing forms and answering questions and generally being nervous and fidgety, trying to concentrate on the magazine I was reading but not having much luck. At 9:30 the receptionist called me up and gave me a 5mg Valium tablet. Being the medical procedure freak that I am, I was nervous about taking the Valium and didn’t really feel it taking effect. I did start to feel it about 20 minutes later when a feeling of calm and peace came about me and I slid down out of the chair and sat on the floor. My husband thought that was kind of weird but I was quiet and stopped fidgeting finally so he was happy. I remember thinking that whatever show was on the TV in the waiting room was absolutely hilarious although it probably wasn’t. I think it was CNN and not funny in the least. At 10AM they brought me back into the pre-surgical area where they wiped my face and eyelids with an anti-bacterial wipe, put a hair net on me, and made me eat a granola bar and some orange juice. I was so relaxed and compliant that the nervous stomach I had all morning seemed to have disappeared. The nurse applied various types of drops to my eyes, including 2 doses of a topical anesthetic which totally numbed my eyes and felt kind of freaky at first but then I got used to it.
The Surgery -
I was led into the operating room (OR) about 20 minutes later. This is the first time I had actually met Dr. Beitman. Up until this point I had met only the nurses and the ophthalmologist. There is a big picture window in the room where family members could stand outside and watch the procedure. My husband was way too squeamish to watch though so he waved at me thru the window and headed out into the main waiting room until the procedure was finished. He’s no fun. I wanted to know what it looked like when they peeled my eyes.
The nurse helped me to lie down on the comfortable table in the OR. She placed a pillow under my knees to help stabilize my body and make me comfortable so I wouldn’t feel the need to move. She also covered me with a light blanket as the OR was slightly chilly. A great deal of effort was made to make sure that I was warm, comfortable, and totally ready to proceed.
The LASIK procedure was incredibly fast, accurate, and completely painless. It took only one minute per eye. I believe I was only in the OR for about 20 minutes total. The first thing they did was apply an eyelid holder to my eyes which kept my eyelids from blinking during the procedure. This was the only part of the procedure that made me slightly uncomfortable. The clamp caused some pressure. There was no pain at all, just the pressure on my orbital bones which felt strange and uncomfortable, but not painful. I was happy when it was removed. This may be TMI for you men out there, but the pressure was similar to the pressure of the speculum during a pelvic exam – not necessarily painful or horrible, but uncomfortable. And in your eye, not your pelvis. Sorry, it’s the only thing I can compare it to!
Next, suction was applied and a hinged flap was made in my cornea to reveal the inner corneal tissue. During this process, I felt some pressure but no pain or discomfort at all. This is where things got a little weird as everything went completely black. I imagined that this is what it must feel like to be abducted by aliens and have them perform little experiments on me with little tools. I think I said that out loud because I remember the nurses and Dr. Beitman laughing. I was told to focus on the circle of lights so the laser could do its job. This was odd because I couldn’t see Dr. Beitman or anything else but I could see the lights. While the laser was re-shaping my corneas there was a clicking sound that sounded like someone was frantically clicking the end of a ballpoint pen in and out and many times louder. I did not smell anything burning like other people have mentioned. After the shaping was finished I remember Dr. Beitman folding my flap back over my eye and pushing it back into place with something that looked like a chopstick and then it was all over.
After surgery
It was over quickly and before I knew it I was led out of the room. Loopy on Valium, I made more comments about alien abduction and asked Dr. Beitman if I could keep my corneas (what can I say? I’m a freak.) to which he just chuckled and left the OR, shaking his head all the way. I was led into an exam room where Dr. Beitman and the ophthalmologist were waiting to test my vision. Five minutes after the surgery I could already see better!
The doctors left the room and the nurse applied clear plastic shields over my eyes and affixed them to my cheeks and forehead with surgical tape for the ride home. She and my husband led me to the car where I had to ride in the backseat due to the risk of blindness if there was an accident and I was hit in the face by the airbag. We stopped at Burger King on the way home and went thru the drive thru where I proceeded to make goony alien faces at the people working the drive thru who gave me a BK crown without even asking!
At home
I was home and back in bed by noon. When I got home I had to lay in bed flat on my back until the next day with eyes closed at all times unless I was applying antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eyedrops every half hour and moistening drops every hour and when I needed to eat or use the bathroom. I laid there all afternoon listening to the TV for noise and company. I had to listen only because I was instructed to keep eyes closed, no TV, reading or computer until the following morning after my exam. I admit to a tiny bit of cheating with this. When my husband brought dinner up to me about about 7:30PM, Jeopardy was on the TV and when I glanced up I was amazed that I could clearly read all of the answers displayed on the screen! It was incredible and I had to force myself to lay down and close my eyes. It was so exciting! I also looked at my eyes in the mirror a few times when I got up to use the bathroom and they were really swollen. I looked like I had been crying non-stop for about a week. Hideous! That night I slept on my back with eyeshields in place. They gave me some Ambien to help me sleep but I didn't need it because I stayed up super late the night before because I was nervous. The only discomfort I had during the night was waking up every half hour for applying drops. Also, as the night wore on there was a bit of stinging in my eyes from the drops but it was nothing major. Just sort of like the stinging you'd feel after a day of swimming in chlorinated pool water but not as bad as if you got salty ocean water in your eyes.
Follow up
The next morning I had a 9AM follow up appointment. My vision was so clear that I could have driven myself but my husband insisted on taking me. The exam showed that I was seeing 20/15 the next day. I was instructed to continue the antibiotic and anti inflammatory drops for 2 weeks, no eye makeup for one week, and to return in one month.
The following week
It was hard to not wear makeup for a week because I feel like I look totally hideous without it. I’m one of those girls that will not leave the house without eye makeup and lip gloss as a bare minimum so this was a challenge for me. It wasn’t so bad on the weekend but when I returned to work on Monday, I got some strange looks because my eyes were puffy, I had no makeup on, and I was wearing a baseball cap pulled down low on my forehead to help with glare from the fluorescent lights in the office. The whites of my eyes were also terribly bloodshot either from the clamp, the suction or the actual cutting of the flap. In retrospect, it probably wouldn’t have been as noticeable if I wasn’t wearing a big pink baseball cap and just looked down a lot instead. I counteracted my uneasiness about my appearance by freaking out my co-workers by opening my eyes really wide so they could see the bloody whites and making weird monster noises or by telling people I went on a major bender which was why I was off of work on Thursday and Friday.
OMG WHAT HAVE I DONE TO MYSELF???
The first week after surgery was hard for me not only because of my appearance. For that first week I went from being on top of the world that I could see perfectly without correction to thinking I had made a huge mistake and ruined my eyes for life. I work on a computer all day so the close up focusing and reading was painful and I got terrible headaches within an hour of beginning work every day. It was so painful that I’d take Tylenol every 3 hours at work but by 2PM I’d be crying from the pain. I’d go home directly after work, take massive Tylenol and go to bed. When I tried to read or use the computer, it felt like my eyes were fighting against the pull of magnets or rubber bands and it was quite painful and exhausting. I just wanted to lay down and close my eyes. Thankfully it got better each day and by Friday the weird rubber band feeling and pain were nearly gone.
The other issue I had was when I tried to drive at night the Monday after surgery and had trouble because of starbursts and halos around headlights, streetlamps, holiday lights, as well as double vision. That really bummed me out and I was terrified that it would never get better and I'd never be able to drive comfortably at night or enjoy Christmas lights again. The first three times I met with the ophthalmologist after surgery I brought it up and he told me it might go away but it might not and only time would tell as the swelling takes months to go down. Well I'm happy to report that he was right and my night vision is very clear but it took about six months for it to clear up completely.
The Cost
I paid $3400 to have both eyes peeled. This covered everything (surgery, pre surgical exams, follow up exams, drops, drugs) the only thing it didn't cover was the moistening drops I used for about 3 months after surgery but I was able to buy loads of them cheap at Costco. And I also had to pay for the 2 prescription eye drops used for the first 2 weeks after surgery but my prescription drug coverage covered all but about $15 of that cost.
Potential Risks (from Beitman.com)
As with any medical procedure, there are some risks associated with vision correction surgery. However, the risk of a serious infection or vision-threatening complication is rare, well under 1% of all cases.
To date, there are no reported cases of blindness resulting from laser vision correction procedures.
Undercorrection of your prescription is when there is a mild residue of nearsightedness or farsightedness.
Overcorrection of your prescription is when the correction has gone too far, sometimes resulting in a patient going from nearsighted vision to farsighted vision, and vice versa.
Infection is the greatest risk during the first 2-3 days following the procedure. Although extremely rare, the chance of infection in LASIK is 1 in 5,000.
Corneal haze is the development of collagen protein on the surface of your eye after surgery. Haze usually clears gradually on its own. The incidence of serious haze with PRK is 1 in 100 and 1 in 1,000 with LASIK.
Regression refers to the tendency of the eye to retreat somewhat to its original prescription.
Night glare is the experience of haloes or starbursting at night. Night glare is common immediately after vision correction procedures and can last up to six months. Although night glare decreases for most patients, you may still need glasses for night driving. Incidence of significant night glare is 1 in 50.
Loss of best-corrected vision is a slight loss of visual clarity or sharpness following vision correction procedures. If you experience this, you will lose the ability to read the lower part of an eye chart. In some cases, clarity returns during the first year. In a few cases, patients actually gain sharpness of vision, meaning their vision is clearer than when wearing corrective lenses.
My long term results Updated 13-Feb-2007
Long term – I am THRILLED with the result. I had LASIK done in March, 2005. It is now February, 2007 and I am still thrilled with the results. I absolutely love getting out of bed in the morning and not having to grab for glasses and then fight to put contact lenses in. I love being able to travel and not have to pack a whole bag of eye products. It’s wonderful to not even really think of about it anymore. I have no starbursts, halos, or double vision, I have no dryness of the eye. In fact, I don’t even think about my eyes much anymore. The only slightly negative thing that resulted is that my eyes are more sensitive to light so I need to wear sunglasses more often than I used to, but it’s good to wear sunglasses anyway so it doesn’t bother me much. I also sometimes have issues with backlighting. When someone is standing with their back to the light source, I occasionally have a difficult time seeing their facial expressions. If I am very tired my eyesight will occasionally become a bit blurry but it’s not any worse than when I had contacts so it is not bothersome.
I usually hate to hear someone say “if I can do it, anyone can do it” but in this case, I have to say the same thing. I know flu shots don’t hurt but the thought of the needle going in and foreign things going into my body freaks me out and whip myself into a state of panic every year. And don’t even talk to me about having to give blood or get an IV! Yikes! But the thought of the benefits of LASIK outweighed the fear for me and I was able to go thru with it with very little fear and absolutely no pain. I’m sure Prince Valium had a bit to do with that, but really, it was a very quick and painless procedure that wasn’t bad at all. If it’s pain that worries you about this procedure, I can assure you that there is no pain. I would not be afraid to have it done again. If I can do it, anyone can.
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