Never wear eyeglasses again!
Written: Nov 04 '99
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Great vision, no pain
Cons: May need glasses for reading, cost
|
|
|
| Amana97's Full Review: LASIK Eye Surgery |
Having worn glasses or contacts since the 5th grade, those words were music to my ears.
"Laser Assisted Intrastromal Keratomileusis" (LASIK)is a surgical procedure which attempts to correct farsightedness, nearsightedness, and/or astigmatism. The surgery uses a laser to reshape the cornea of the eye and is a significant technical advancement being used around the world.
After researching the mostly positive results of this type of eye surgery, I visited a local eye clinic to get preliminary testing. Following a brief eye test, I was informed that I was a wonderful candidate for LASIK (not everyone is), so I made an appointment to have this elective surgery.
I have been nearsighted with some astigmatism for years. Although I am over 40, I do not need reading glasses. My eye surgeon suggested that I try what is called monovision. This meant the surgery would be done on one eye only. One of the outcomes of having both eyes corrected for nearsightedness would be that I would probably need glasses for reading. Since my objective was to rid myself of glasses completely, the suggestion of trying monovision appealed to me. I would use my right eye for distance vision and my left eye (unoperated on)for reading. This does not mean I cannot see distance with both eyes...I can and do...but the right eye is dominant and vice versa when reading. My surgeon believes I will never need glasses again.
On the day of surgery, I arrived at the clinic at 7:15 a.m. and was given a mild sedative and ibuprofen. After a brief wait for the sedative to take effect, the surgeon explained the entire procedure to me and I was ushered into the operating room. My left eye was covered with a shield and my eyelashes were taped down. The doctor put numbing eyedrops (novocaine) in my eye and then inserted some sort of apparatus that held my eye open so I would not blink. All I had to do was stare at a blinking light overhead in the laser machine...focusing on the light for a few seconds when instructed while the laser did it's thing to reshape my cornea. Although it was a strange sensation, I really didn't feel much of anything. The doctor spoke to me about everything she was doing and within 7 minutes, I was out the door into recovery. That was it...short, simple, and completely painless.
My vision going into the surgery was about 20/300. For those of you who have 20/20 vision, that means you can stand 300 feet away from an object and see it as well as I can when I am 20 feet away from it. Many patients have much, much worse vision than I have and the results for them are equally positive. Immediately following surgery my eyes were tested and my vision was 20/70....quite an improvement.
When I left the clinic to go home, I was instructed to take a prescription sleeping pill which was provided and to go to bed for the rest of the day and that night. Your eyes heal much faster when they are closed, so plan to take a day or two off from work if you decide to have this procedure done.
By the next day, my vision was 20/25 and it has now improved to 20/20. I was able to drive my car within 3 days of surgery and the recovery was simple. Insert antibiotic eyedrops for a few days, follow a few precautions to keep yourself from injury or from getting any foreign substance in your eye and the healing is fast.
Unfortunately, insurance does not cover this type of surgery because it is elective. The cost is somewhat prohibitive, but I feel it will become more reasonable as more and more doctors and patients take advantage of the technology. There is no risk of blindness during this surgery. It affects the cornea, where your eye refracts the light, not the retina. Major complications can result if the patient is negligent about care and develops an eye infection.
I now love trying on a pair of sunglasses and actually seeing what they look like in the mirror. I found myself hunting for my glasses each morning after the surgery and then thinking, "I don't need them anymore!" It is a wonderful feeling. Don't be afraid to do it. Just make sure you find a reputable surgeon.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
Amana97
|
|
Member: Bev Clow
Location: Dallas, Texas
Reviews written: 25
Trusted by: 209 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.