Laser Vision Correction: the results

Created: Fri, Aug 27, 1999, 8:30 PM

If you haven't yet, you may want to read the Laser Vision Correction article I wrote up, which goes into more detail on what LASIK is.

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8/27/99

Well, I bit the bullet.  I had my pre-op for the LASIK laser eye 
corrective surgery on this past Wednesday, and fast-tracked my way to 
have the actual surgery done today (Friday).  Obviously, I can still see, 
so it wasn't a complete failure, but I'll get to those sordid details 
later.  Read on!

The pre-op was just a bunch of tests -- they nail your prescription, 
check your eye for various imperfections/possible problems, and put drops 
in your eyes that dilate them to the point of making a Deadhead jealous 
(if you know what I mean by this, don't bother running for political 
office).  They also mapped my eyes with this cool topographical laser -- 
it was like looking down a tunnel of glowing green rings, each of which 
maps a circular section of your eye.  The resulting images were pretty 
interesting to look at, although I was concerned I had Mt. Shasta growing 
on my left eye, but I was assured that this is normal.

Finally, they tested the thickness of my cornea by tapping it with this 
strange pen-like instrument; they had mercifully anesthetized my eye 
prior to doing it.  This kind of thing bugs me out: I don't like things 
being poked and prodded in my eye (as you can imagine, this made the rest 
of the ordeal very interesting for me).  That was about it -- they sent 
me home after about 2-3 hours of tests, most of which was just waiting, 
sipping my cup-melting black coffee.

Today was the day of reckoning.  I was up extremely late last night 
(about 4:30am) working on releasing a game (it's called Cythera -- we're 
always extremely busy just before a game makes it out the door), so I 
didn't wake up at 10:30 easily, but 6 hours is enough for me.  The 
surgery was scheduled for 11:15am, and my morning routine was abbreviated 
by the fact that they don't want you to wear any colognes, hair sprays, 
or even wash your face the morning of the surgery.  Hey, it's their nose. 
 I just rolled out of bed, dunked my head in the sink, and said "Take me 
to the dance, baby!"  Apparently the oils from various skin/soap products 
can produce a film on the laser's lens, which would be bad (but oils from 
your skin are OK -- go figure).

For me, having this surgery done took a lot of intestinal fortitude, and 
a little bit of Valium.  As I've mentioned before, I do not deal well 
with my eyes being prodded at, so I gladly scarfed down the 5mg of mercy 
they gave to me in the form of a Valium pill.  To be honest, I didn't 
really notice the effects from it, but I figured it couldn't hurt; the 
dentist gives me lollipops, the eye surgeon gives me Valium.  Seems fair.

The first thing they had me do was sign the 8 page consent form, in which 
I essentially signed my life away.  2-3 pages listed things that could go 
wrong with the surgery; it wasn't exactly a pep-talk, but this is 
America, and they have to cover their legal butts the best they can.  
Next on the list was to put little scruff booties on my feet, and a 
shower cap on my head, to help keep the laser surgery room clean, I was 
informed.  "Well hell, if they'd let me shower!!" I thought... Then I was 
reclined into a dentist-like chair, and the fun began.

The headrest turns out to double as a head vise, to keep you steady for 
the operation -- it was actually rather comfortable to be cradled that 
way.  Too bad the chair didn't have a massage setting.  Ah well, I'll put 
that in as a feature request.  As we went along through the procedure, 
the doctor would tell me what he was doing next, which was a mixed 
blessing.  It's nice to know what is coming next, but some of the 
descriptions sounded menacing enough that I had a few seconds with which 
to terrorize myself before the event came.  Sometimes having a vivid 
imagination is a detriment; but I digress.  I'm sure this account isn't 
technically accurate, but it's they way it seemed to me, the humble 
patient.

First, my eyelashes (top and bottom) were taped to my face, to keep them 
out of the way.  Next comes everyone's friend, Mr. Eye Speculum (if 
you've seen the movie "A Clockwork Orange", then you know exactly what 
this little device is), which sits on your eyeball, pushing your eyelids 
open with some determination.  I didn't like Mr. Eye Speculum.  Next a 
tube-like thing is pressed against your eyeball, with suction applied to 
it, to make your cornea bow out a bit -- enough pressure is applied to 
this so that your vision slowly fades to black, like an old television 
that's had its plug pulled.

That was by far the most uncomfortable part of the procedure... it wasn't 
painful, but it was disconcerting, and... "icky", for lack of a better 
word.  Then they brought in the surgical knife, which sounded like a tiny 
chainsaw, and cut part of the cornea -- at this point, my vision was 
returning, so I could sort of see them peel the flap of my eye open, then 
my vision went crazy -- like a posterization effect, and they applied the 
laser.  For a few seconds, I knew what it was like to be blind.

The laser was entirely anticlimactic -- the incision didn't hurt at all 
(though it was weird to semi-see and know that part of my eye was being 
folded like clean laundry), and the laser part of our show lasted a mere 
8 seconds (this was no Pink Floyd show), and was entirely painless as 
well.  Afterwards, there was the faint but distinct smell of burning 
flesh (which brought me back to the days of my youth, when my brother's 
attempt to light his own farts, well, "backfired").  They then flipped my 
eye back into place, applied some drops to it, and smoothed it all back 
into position.

After a brief rest period, it was time for the other eye -- same exact 
procedure.  I was dreading the second eye more, because I knew exactly 
what was to come, including a return visit of the dreaded Mr. Eye 
Speculum.  Start to finish, everything took about an hour (this includes 
my post-op checkup).  Just after the surgery, everything was very blurry; 
it was like opening your eyes underwater in terms of how everything 
looked.  As the anesthetic wore off, my eyes got a little irritated (it 
feels like you have an eyelash in your eyes), and it still feels that way 
now.  Things are still a bit blurry and irritated, but I'm told this is 
par of the course -- and a mere 8 hours after my surgery, I have eyesight 
better than I've had since I was 12, even if it is rough around the edges.

Even though I'm still recovering, the world is an extremely clear place, 
without glasses.  It's really remarkable, almost miraculous.  I am able 
to read billboards at Frontier Field (a stadium here in Rochester) from 
the window of my office -- they'd just be a blur to me without my glasses 
previously.

Assuming I recover fully from this, I have to say that despite my 
trepidation, this has to be one of the best decisions I've made in my 
life.  No, the procedure was not fun at all -- but it wasn't painful, and 
it was relatively quick.  Having vision like this without glasses is a 
dream come true for me.

.....

8/28/99

I woke up today, opened my eyes, and I could see clear as day.  For 
someone who usually blurrily searches for his glasses in the morning, 
this is quite a pleasant and welcome surprise.  I'd actually gotten to 
the point where I'd put my glasses in the same place every day, just so 
that I wouldn't have a problem finding them the next morning -- well, no 
more!

I had my post-op checkup, during which favorite doctor, Dr. Viola (I'm no 
longer holding a grudge against him for Mr. Eye Speculum), informed me 
that I now have 20/20 uncorrected vision!  On the drive to his office 
this morning, I was looking around like a little kid, testing myself by 
reading off signs that were far away, and just generally reveling in the 
fact that the world was crisp and clear once again.

For the next 5 days, I need to put two different sets of eye drops in my 
eyes, four times a day -- one is a steroid to promote healing, the other 
is... hmm, I don't know what the other one is, but I do what I'm told 
like a good patient.  I also will need to aid my body in keeping my eyes 
moist by using plain old eye drops whenever they feel dry, as my eyes 
recover.  During the surgery, a nerve that connects the cornea to the 
rest of your eye is severed, so your body doesn't know when your eye 
needs more moisture, so you need to help it a bit.  As it heals over 
time, I'll have to use the drops less and less.

The good doctor informed me that of the 5 patients they had on Friday, I 
was doing the best out of all of them.  I don't know whether he says that 
to all the girls, but I will say that I still can't believe how 
incredible the experience of having perfect vision without glasses or 
contact lenses is.  Somebody pinch me -- actually, I take that back; if 
I'm dreaming, let me be, I'm enjoying it far too much.

There are still things that can go wrong; it's possible my eyes may 
become inflamed (this happens to 1 out of 5000 or so people), but this 
usually happens 2-4 days after the surgery, if it happens at all.  Dr. 
Viola also told me that everything is looking very good on the surface of 
my eyes, except for a bit of swelling, which is to be expected.

I was told that my vision may get even better than it is now, which would 
be downright frightening -- I feel like the bionic man already!  In a 
nutshell: if you're thinking about this surgery, bite the bullet and do 
it.  No, it's not a fun procedure, but at least in my experience thus 
far, the results are infinitely worth any risk or temporary discomfort.

I still can't get over the fact that a mere 24 hours ago, I had poor 
eyesight.  Hell, I don't mind paying a little money to improve on the 
genetics my parents gave me!

.....

3/24/2000

I figured it was about time I updated this page with a more long-term
review of the surgery.  Looking back on it now, I can't imagine ever NOT
going through with the surgery.  The best thing I can say about the
whole experience is that I don't even notice it -- I have great
eyesight, and zero problems.

I've done scuba diving, hiking, running, weight training, and numerous
other stenuous activities with zero ill effects.  As part of my job, I
stare at a computer screen for hours on end, and I don't notice any
fatiguing or problems at all.

To quote the shoe company with the Swoosh, "Just do it."  You will not
regret it; if you can afford $120 a month to pay it off in 3 years, you
owe it to yourself to get this process done.

.....


If you haven't yet, you may want to read the Laser Vision Correction article I wrote up, which goes into more detail on what LASIK is.

Other strange adventures, stories, and pictures can be found here. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at: andrew@AmbrosiaSW.com

Andrew Welch / el Presidente / Ambrosia Software, Inc.