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Talksurgery adheres to the Health On the Net Foundation's Code of Conduct
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My Left Eye.
Pros:
Freedom from glasses. Knowing that you are not dependent on glasses in situations were you are most liable to lose them (windsurfing in high seas). You have the choice : you have both eyes done or only one. I chose the later because I wanted to hedge my bets. There was not much history about this type of surgery in 1993 and thus not much to warn against unknowned conplications which might develop with time.
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Cons:
Not many cons when you consider you are getting your independence back. Because whatever the optometrist says, glasses are no substitute for your own eyes.
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Cost:
$2000 in 1993
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Healing time:
a few days, followed by about a month before I was completely comfortable with my renewed vision.
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Pain-o-meter: 3
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Read the above !
But seriously, the operations performed today are even better from what I have heard. Healing is both faster and produces less glare in night vision.
Sequence of events :
1. Seek information with a specialist.
2. You will get an appointment for a general eye examination and interview.
3. You will then have a digital topographical picture of your cornea.
4. On the operation day, you will need to be accompanied. Your eye will be frozen with drops. You will be asked to confirm which eye is to be operated on (the topographical picture must match the eye that is to be operated). You will lie in a chair just like at the dentist. The doctor will ask you to look at a small green light : THAT IS SHOW TIME !
5. The actual procedure takes from 5 to 10 seconds. You will hear pulses which are the echos of the photons leaving laser; they are the ones burning the proper spots on your cornea. It is just like sanding or sculpting with great precision. But you must look at the light. If you move the surgeon will lift the pedal and the laser will stop emitting. Best results are achieved if you can do it all in one shot. So concentrate for 5 to 10 seconds and it will be over. I must say that the smell for the ionized gaz and burnt tissue is like fried eggs and bad coffee in a greasy spoon. So enjoy !
I only had one eye done because :
1. I like to hedge my bets. Although today, I believe that the procedure as proven itself to be quite safe and effective.
2. I do not feel the need to do the second eye because I am fully independent with just one 20/20 eye and still like to have one eye in reserve...just in case.
3. With the advent of biotechnologies, the consequences of having a bad operation or eye injury will be minimized. I am not an expert, but from what you can read on new upcoming research, the possibility to grow a cornea in a lab from a few cells of your current cornea (or the remains of it) is going to be a reality very soon.
Here are more details:
How results differed from what I expected:
Not Specified
Biggest fears pre-procedure:
The shortage of prior data or historical results. I was about number 500 in Canada. No one new what complication might arise in the following two or more years.
Healing aids used:
Not Specified
Number of doctors consulted:
2
Number of years I thought about having the procedure:
9 years
Had an elective procedure before:
No
Complications or follow-up procedures:
NA
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This information is not to substitute for professional medical advice. You
should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or
disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please
consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have
regarding your condition.
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Gender:
Male
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Age:
28 then
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Ethnic group:
Caucasian
Education:
Post-graduate degree
Country:
Canada
State/Province:
Quebec
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Women experience greater overall weight gains and more notable weight fluctuations than men.
(Source: the Role of Weight Management in the Health of Women" by Sachiko T. St. Jeor, professor and director of Nutrition Education and Research at the University of Nevada, School of Medicine)
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