LASIK SURGERY; MY EXPERIENCE!!

Here is my own first hand experience of going through the LASIK Custom Wavefront surgery! Lot of you wanted to know the details so you can make your own decisions to go thru' this surgery as well. I must say here that what I write here is just my experience, with photos I found on the internet and some links to great websites to further read about LASIK. LASIK procedures must be done by a qualified and experienced Ophthalmologist who is trained in LASIK and operating for few yrs.Make sure to ask lot of questions and take your time in decided whether to have it or not.For me, it was a bliss not to wear specs after 25yrs and suffer frequent headaches.So read my experience, educate yourself with links I have provided and more before you make your own decision.I highly recommend it if you are a good candidate for LASIK, it has been the best for me personally, with very little discomfort.


Here I go with step by step as I experienced with my LASIK surgery! http://www.trustedlasiksurgeons.com/greensboro_lasik_surgeon_karl_stonecipher_md.htm

"For General Lasik Requirements and Evaluation with an Ophthalmologist" info,please click here and above photo is from this site as well.

My journey to the bright and clearer Universe:
I have been wearing Myopic specs(couldn't see at all far more than about 2 feet infront of me although I could read fine) for 25yrs,since I was 17yrs old.My left eyesight was -7.5 and my right eye was -9.75!! It was way beyond the normal vision.LASIK was a necessity for me, much more than cosmetic improvement!! Although I didn't have any major problems,it was very inconvenient and always gave me a slight headache whenever I focused on too much like reading, which is my life line!:D

When I decided to have the LASIK done few years back, FDA(US) had just approved the procedure and my husband who is a Internist, asked me to wait for few more years just in case. And this year,it just felt that it's time for LASIK and I consulted my regular eye doctor and he recommended me to a Surgeon who has been a pioneer in the area of LASIK and ICL, has been operating for many yrs with great success.

I made a appointment with him. They checked me for all the requirements(above) and my medical history which went well.I have been as healthy as a horse all these yrs,never been to the hospital for anything before except of course to have my two babies!
After going thru' many tests and measuring the depth etc,he decided that I am not a candidate for Intraoccular Lens(insert a soft contact inside the eye which is the latest procedure) but he will try his best with LASIK to fix my problem 100% which he said was not easy bcos of very poor sight on the right eye! Being a doctor's family, we always get a tiny little more special attention than the usual by other docs(birds of the same feather!):)

He gave me a date for the op, a bottle each of Anti-Inflammatory liquid and Anti-biotic liquid and asked me to put the drops in my eyes 3 days before the op and 4 times day but not on the day of the procedure.I did it religiously of course! I was little nervous but not very bcos I chose the best Surgeon in town! Being a positive person also helps a lot in the attitude and healing process as well!:)


D Day!! These show you what they do to cut the Corneal flap to reach in and thin the tissue by laser!!



LASIK was scheduled at 8am, so I got ready,ate my cereal, kissed and hugged the kids and made sure they are fed,clean, their homework packed and went to school on time.Arvind took me to the clinic. I was called in,eyes checked again and the nurse gave me a anti-biotic pill and a calming pill which makes you drugged up. I didn't really want to take it bcos I was too happy to get the surgery done but Arvind insisted that I should take it anyway. Then I was asked to sit inside for 15-20 mins while they got ready.I was surgeon's first patient that day which is always great!





Making the Corneal Flap:
Photos from here and here.



Of the whole procedure,this is the hardest 20 seconds of discomfort they say but not bad at all for me! I was laid down,covered with blanket,numbing lotion was put in both eyes.Then he pressed in a suction ring on my eyeball which makes the eye bulge to get the Cornea raised.Then that machine comes over your eyes,count down begins while it cuts the Corneal flap as you see in the picture above.




Final step before you see the World bright and clear!!:D

How did I feel When the machine goes on your Cornea cutting the flap? Lot of pressure!! The same feeling as when you go at the top of Roaster coaster and they plunge you down and you feel a strange sensation in the pit of your stomach!! Thank GOD, it takes only 20 seconds!:D
After both eyes are done,I was taken to the other room,covered in a blanket and the good doctor lasered my thick tissue to correct my vision back to "normal", you can smell the acrid smell of burning but you will not feel a thing!! He cleaned both eyes,smoothens the flap back and I was asked sit and read the clock. Boy, I read the exact time in mins and seconds in 25yrs without my glasses, which I donated to the charity of course.They have kept the basket there!!They gave me a sleeping pill and kit to go home and sleep it off wearing eye guards taped on my eyes so I don't rub off the still freshly cut flaps!I was told to use the lotions as long as they last,atleast for 7 days.For Questions and answers,check here.

The kit and the Kaboodle to go home with:

After that, I didn't feel any burning,(feeling of Tobasco in your eyes as they told me!),itching and pain.I can see bright and clear, so good that I am looking at lot of imperfections in my kitchen I didn't see before and now I want a brand new kitchen!! Can you hear Arvind saying #@#@#$$?!!!Hahaha!

Was it all so perfect for me?
NOPE!! While I gained a perfect 20/20 vision with far away objects,I can't focus on reading, Laptop or anything which is a foot from my eyes! My vision is still adjusting everyday.Doctor has told me that I need to rest the eyes for 7-10 days and eyes heal completely in 3 months.I wear plastic guards every night until the 8th day, then I don't have to. Today is the 6th day after the op,I can see the nearer objects lot better than last week but still see doubles and haze around the letters and sensitive to bright Sunlight which is normal after the LASIK. I wake up in the morning and still feel the top of the bedside table for my glasses but then I realize, hey! I don't need it anymore!!:D

That is it so far! I am so glad I went for the LASIK procedure, no regrets.Life is bright and oh so colorful! I see my kids smiles from half a mile away so easily now, a joy itself and worth every penny!That reminds me it cost about $4000 for my Lasik.Usually it costs from $1600 to $4000 for both eyes depending on the condition of your eye sight.I hope reading about my experience will help some of you to decide to try LASIK!:)

Post Op check up update as it happens:
Goal for next 3 months is to heal the cut flap as fast as we can ,so there are no further complications and infection. Got to follow the Doctor's orders meticulously as the days goes by.

2 week check up: my Lasik update; I had a 2 week check up with the eye doctor.Good news is everything is healing well so far but my eyes are little dry,need to use more artificial tear liquid for few more weeks and need to wear Eye guard in the night.

1 month check up: The flap which they cut to do the surgery has healed and sealed only at the bottom part which is great news and both upper parts are still not sealed.So, eye drops and eye guards use continue!

2 months check up: Just got back from the 2nd check up. My right eye flap is completely sealed and left flap is 90& healed and I am instructed to continue with Antibiotic liquid and artificial tears until the next appointment and continue to wear eye guard at night!:)

3 months check up: Great news! Both of my flaps are healed and sealed 100%!! Hurray!!! No more eye guards at night and I am free and clear. I do have one more 6 month's appointment in March and that's the end of it, can't wait!!:))

Again, this is my own experience of having gone through the LASIK surgery.I am not saying it will be this smooth sailing for everybody.Decide for yourself,choose a good reputable doctor and enjoy the experience. People who never suffered Myopia will NEVER understand the joy of looking at the World clearly without that specs perched on your nose!!:P

Thank you, Dr.Karl G.Stonecipher of TLC, Greensboro, NC!:)