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Sometime in Jr. High, I was fitted for my first pair of prescription glasses. It wasn’t very strong and I could get through the day mostly without them. Mainly I needed them because I had a habit of sitting in the very back row in class and the chalkboard was a little fuzzy. But I was one of the resident whipping boys, and the last thing I needed was one more excuse to get picked on. So I didn’t wear them all the time. Also, I tend to resent using any kind of aid to do things at an average level. I feel too much pride at the fact that whatever I’m good at, I’m good at it through natural ability and developing skill without “cheating”. For instance, I prefer to be able to hit my mark when I’m shooting a rifle without using a telescopic sight or laser sights. I know, it’s silly, but I still do it.
As I got older, my prescription didn’t increase very much. My very first driving test was passed (just barely) without the “prescription lenses required” mark. But by the end of high school, I was not comfortable existing without them and I was unable to complete my next driver’s eye exam without the glasses. I’m so sensitive to my vision being “perfect” that I can tell the instant my prescription changes, even when the eye doctors’ instruments have trouble recording the very minimal changes and often don’t recommend new lenses for such small changes.
When I turned 18, I tried contact lenses, but those took a minimum of 30 minutes per eye to get them in. No one could really figure out why because I didn’t have any unusual complications with my eyes, I could touch my eyeball with no problems, and the lenses themselves seemed normal. But it was such a hassle that I only wore the contacts when I went to the nightclubs because my glasses interfered with my comfort in dancing. When my prescription changed the next time, I gave up on a separate pair of contacts and just bought a new pair of glasses, resigned to my fate.
I have never liked my glasses, I doubt anyone really does. Halfway through my first time in college, I changed my major from the more mundane sociology (marriage & family counseling) to the more dynamic film major. I was specializing in cinematography and my absolutely favorite thing to do was to run a handheld camera for a live band and for exciting action-based sequences. My glasses interfered with the eyepiece of the camera and every time my prescription changed even a little bit, I had trouble telling if my camera was in focus.
Then I heard about Lasik. The first horror stories that usually come about when a new medical technology is made available didn’t deter me. I simply decided to wait several years until it became as routine as an appendectomy and all the kinks were worked out. But I’ve been dreaming of having the procedure ever since I first heard of it oh so many years ago.
This year was a rather serendipitous year. As I prepared my 2007 taxes, I realized that I made more money last year than I have since I quit doing computer work and got into the entertainment industry full time. This should have been a cause for concern because making more money means paying more taxes. And, since I had more money coming in, I ended up spending more money last year too, so I still didn’t have any cash. But my tax write-offs also increased proportionately, giving me the biggest tax refund I’ve ever received since I started paying income taxes at age 12 (not counting that bullshit “economic aid” tax refund)!
At the same time, I heard a radio ad claiming to offer Lasik procedures for as little as $300 per eye! Now, I know they only offer those kinds of deals for the easiest procedure that very few people qualify for, but I figured if Lasik had gone down in price from the $3,000 per eye I had last heard to $300 per eye, surely whatever procedure I ended up with would be close in price to my rather hefty tax refund!
So I decided that Lasik is what I was going to spend it on.
I went down for an evaluation on March 13, 2008. I was told that I was a very good candidate, having a very low prescription with no unusual complications. My prescription was myopic with only -1 in one eye and -1.25 in the other with only a very slight astigmatism in one eye, and Lasik *can* handle astigmatisms.
I opted for Custom Lasik instead of the Traditional. Traditional Lasik takes the patient’s prescription and performs the procedure based on that alone. Traditional Lasik covers Lower Order Aberrations only (myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism) and for many people this is sufficient. Through the use of WaveScan® technology, CustomVue creates a map of your vision that customizes the laser treatment for your exact optical correction. Wavefront™ was originally designed for use in astrophysics to help detect and reduce visual aberrations in telescope lenses. When used in laser vision correction, Wavefront™ analyzes how light waves travel through your eyes, mapping out the distortions and imperfections unique to your vision. This 3D map is then saved. The computer-guided Excimer laser will correct the surface of your eyes based on the information on the 3D map.
The Custom procedure is capable of cutting a larger hole, thereby reducing the possibility of large pupils extending past the hole and causing these Higher Order Aberrations. I was told my pupils were of the proper size for the Traditional procedure. However, my job entails me sitting in a dark room and looking at bright lights. I need a high level of precision in my eyesight under those conditions which are the most likely to be affected by Higher Order Aberrations. So I opted for the Custom procedure which decreases the chances of causing Higher Order Aberrations and also is designed to treat any pre-existing Higher Order Aberrations. It’s also twice as expensive.
The Lasik Procedure
Here are 2 videos that illustrate what the procedure is like. The first video explains what the procedure is and how it works. The second video shows a computer simulation of the laser correcting aberrations on a surface.
(if you have trouble viewing this, the direct url is http://vidego.multicastmedia.com/player.php?p=2296zbh6)
(if you have trouble viewing this, the direct url is http://www.ocalaeye.com/swf/lasik.swf)
I was given dark wrap-around sunglasses and I sat in a chair just outside the operating room for about 10 minutes, then I was driven home. I was instructed to sleep for at least 3-4 hours to give my eyes a chance to rest. My vision was pretty blurry and very light-sensitive, so I kept my eyes closed and squinted through my eyelashes when I had to open them. But my vision was blurry in the sense of having something in my eye, not the previous blurry that was just how I focused. It was if my vision was sharp but I had just woken up and had morning gunk in my eyes that artificially blurred things, if that makes any sense.
So, it’s been a week now since the surgery. My eyes are very dry (as I was told would happen) and I have to use artificial tears every 2 hours (as instructed) for a long time. This is expected to abate in a few months. I was, however, quite disturbed to find Higher Order Aberrations after the procedure. I was told I could go back to work the next day. I went back to work 2 days later. I could see very clearly almost immediately when I woke up from my nap immediately following the procedure. My vision was good and under normal conditions I noticed nothing unusual, and I couldn’t be happier about it. But the Aberrations had me quite upset.
The first day I tried to focus a projector is when I noticed it. I dimmed the lights and put a grid up on the screen so I could focus. Unfortunately, what I saw were 2 grids, slightly overlapping each other. This is called “ghosting”.
This is what I’m supposed to see:
Later that night, driving home, I noticed the halos around the streetlights.
This is what I’m supposed to see:
So, naturally, I was concerned, but I hoped this was simply because I had just had surgery a mere 3 days before. So I waited until my 1-week Checkup to ask. The doctors all assured me this was normal and would fade as my eyes heal. I was also told that I had perfect 20/20 vision with absolutely no “prescription” (meaning my corneas are a perfect sphere with absolutely no detectible aberrations or flattening or steepness or astigmatism). They were actually so excited at my perfect numbers that their machines spit out, that I could hear them gloating about it through the closed door while I waited in the exam room for the doctor’s final OK. The technician even bragged about it to my sweetie![[info]](https://stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
zen_shooter when he came in for his appointment the next day.
As I got older, my prescription didn’t increase very much. My very first driving test was passed (just barely) without the “prescription lenses required” mark. But by the end of high school, I was not comfortable existing without them and I was unable to complete my next driver’s eye exam without the glasses. I’m so sensitive to my vision being “perfect” that I can tell the instant my prescription changes, even when the eye doctors’ instruments have trouble recording the very minimal changes and often don’t recommend new lenses for such small changes.
When I turned 18, I tried contact lenses, but those took a minimum of 30 minutes per eye to get them in. No one could really figure out why because I didn’t have any unusual complications with my eyes, I could touch my eyeball with no problems, and the lenses themselves seemed normal. But it was such a hassle that I only wore the contacts when I went to the nightclubs because my glasses interfered with my comfort in dancing. When my prescription changed the next time, I gave up on a separate pair of contacts and just bought a new pair of glasses, resigned to my fate.
I have never liked my glasses, I doubt anyone really does. Halfway through my first time in college, I changed my major from the more mundane sociology (marriage & family counseling) to the more dynamic film major. I was specializing in cinematography and my absolutely favorite thing to do was to run a handheld camera for a live band and for exciting action-based sequences. My glasses interfered with the eyepiece of the camera and every time my prescription changed even a little bit, I had trouble telling if my camera was in focus.
Then I heard about Lasik. The first horror stories that usually come about when a new medical technology is made available didn’t deter me. I simply decided to wait several years until it became as routine as an appendectomy and all the kinks were worked out. But I’ve been dreaming of having the procedure ever since I first heard of it oh so many years ago.
This year was a rather serendipitous year. As I prepared my 2007 taxes, I realized that I made more money last year than I have since I quit doing computer work and got into the entertainment industry full time. This should have been a cause for concern because making more money means paying more taxes. And, since I had more money coming in, I ended up spending more money last year too, so I still didn’t have any cash. But my tax write-offs also increased proportionately, giving me the biggest tax refund I’ve ever received since I started paying income taxes at age 12 (not counting that bullshit “economic aid” tax refund)!
At the same time, I heard a radio ad claiming to offer Lasik procedures for as little as $300 per eye! Now, I know they only offer those kinds of deals for the easiest procedure that very few people qualify for, but I figured if Lasik had gone down in price from the $3,000 per eye I had last heard to $300 per eye, surely whatever procedure I ended up with would be close in price to my rather hefty tax refund!
So I decided that Lasik is what I was going to spend it on.
I went down for an evaluation on March 13, 2008. I was told that I was a very good candidate, having a very low prescription with no unusual complications. My prescription was myopic with only -1 in one eye and -1.25 in the other with only a very slight astigmatism in one eye, and Lasik *can* handle astigmatisms.
 Nearsightedness, or myopia, is the condition in which patients see nearby objects clearly, but have difficulty focusing on distant objects. Myopia is normally caused when the eye is too long or the cornea is too steep. This condition causes light rays entering the eye to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on the retina. |
 Farsightedness, or hyperopia, is a condition that results in blurry close vision and, sometimes, blurry distance vision as well. Hyperopia is normally caused when the eye is too short or the cornea is too flat. In this case, light rays focus behind the retina instead of directly on it. |
 Most patients with astigmatism are also nearsighted or farsighted. Astigmatism is normally caused when the eye has an irregular curvature of the cornea. In other words, while most people have corneas that are round, or shaped like a basketball, many people with astigmatism have corneas which are shaped like a football. This causes light to focus in more than one point. |
I opted for Custom Lasik instead of the Traditional. Traditional Lasik takes the patient’s prescription and performs the procedure based on that alone. Traditional Lasik covers Lower Order Aberrations only (myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism) and for many people this is sufficient. Through the use of WaveScan® technology, CustomVue creates a map of your vision that customizes the laser treatment for your exact optical correction. Wavefront™ was originally designed for use in astrophysics to help detect and reduce visual aberrations in telescope lenses. When used in laser vision correction, Wavefront™ analyzes how light waves travel through your eyes, mapping out the distortions and imperfections unique to your vision. This 3D map is then saved. The computer-guided Excimer laser will correct the surface of your eyes based on the information on the 3D map.
The Custom procedure is capable of cutting a larger hole, thereby reducing the possibility of large pupils extending past the hole and causing these Higher Order Aberrations. I was told my pupils were of the proper size for the Traditional procedure. However, my job entails me sitting in a dark room and looking at bright lights. I need a high level of precision in my eyesight under those conditions which are the most likely to be affected by Higher Order Aberrations. So I opted for the Custom procedure which decreases the chances of causing Higher Order Aberrations and also is designed to treat any pre-existing Higher Order Aberrations. It’s also twice as expensive.
The Lasik Procedure
|
During LASIK the surgeon first applies anesthetic eye drops to numb the eye for surgery. The cornea is then marked with water-soluble ink to guide replacement of the flap. Next a suction ring is applied that is designed to hold the eye steady and also confirms the pressure of the eye. The surgeon then creates a thin corneal flap using a device called a microkeratome or the newer intralace procedure. The microkeratome is a computer-controlled highly accurate mechanical scalpel. The intralace is a laser that basically puts little air bubbles under the cornea that then push the flap up. It is supposedly more precise, but the microkeratome is pretty damn precise itself. The surgeon tests for laser alignment and walks the patient through the fixation process. The corneal flap is lifted up, and the laser beam is applied to the exposed interior surface of the cornea to reshape the tissue. Here are 2 videos that illustrate what the procedure is like. The first video explains what the procedure is and how it works. The second video shows a computer simulation of the laser correcting aberrations on a surface.
(if you have trouble viewing this, the direct url is http://vidego.multicastmedia.com/player.php?p=2296zbh6)
(if you have trouble viewing this, the direct url is http://www.ocalaeye.com/swf/lasik.swf)
On April 11, 2008, I had my procedure. I was in the office for 2 hours, but the actual procedure took less than 10 minutes, and that includes sitting down in the chair, getting the numbing drops, having my eyelids taped open, and having a clamp (a la Clockwork Orange) inserted into my eye socket. The surgery itself was less than a minute for each eye and was totally painless. The clamp, however, was quite uncomfortable.
It was actually quite cool. They do one eye at a time and they cover up the other eye during each one. First, my vision tunneled down into blackness (expected). After about 10 seconds, it returned and things were a little blurry. I was supposed to stare at this little red blinking light and the numbing drops and clamps and suction ring held my eye in place without any strain that I noticed – I felt no desire or need to blink as my eye just relaxed and sat still. Then, something passed in front of my eye and I could actually see a clear flap being lifted and folded out of the way. Everything got extremely blurry at this point. A series of very fast pinpoint lights flashed at me. It was as if I was looking at a “starfield wall”, a wall that has lights poking through at random places to simulate a night sky, and those lights flashed in a random pattern. This took place for a few seconds and there were loud clicks accompanying each flash. As the time elapsed, I could smell the burning of my cornea (I knew about that from other accounts of the procedure). This really didn’t bother me, it smelled like a chemical or electrical burn, not like burning meat or flesh or other more disturbing smells. Then the lights flashed, something passed in front again, folding the clear flap back down. My vision got less blurry, but not perfectly sharp. Something else passed in front of my eye that made me think of a scalpel or triangular clay sculpting knife and what looked like a clear gel was rubbed over the flap. I don’t know if this is what the doctor was actually doing, that’s just what it *looked* like he was doing. Then he released the clamp and untapped my eyelids, unpatched the left eye and patched the right eye and started again.I was given dark wrap-around sunglasses and I sat in a chair just outside the operating room for about 10 minutes, then I was driven home. I was instructed to sleep for at least 3-4 hours to give my eyes a chance to rest. My vision was pretty blurry and very light-sensitive, so I kept my eyes closed and squinted through my eyelashes when I had to open them. But my vision was blurry in the sense of having something in my eye, not the previous blurry that was just how I focused. It was if my vision was sharp but I had just woken up and had morning gunk in my eyes that artificially blurred things, if that makes any sense.
So, it’s been a week now since the surgery. My eyes are very dry (as I was told would happen) and I have to use artificial tears every 2 hours (as instructed) for a long time. This is expected to abate in a few months. I was, however, quite disturbed to find Higher Order Aberrations after the procedure. I was told I could go back to work the next day. I went back to work 2 days later. I could see very clearly almost immediately when I woke up from my nap immediately following the procedure. My vision was good and under normal conditions I noticed nothing unusual, and I couldn’t be happier about it. But the Aberrations had me quite upset.
The first day I tried to focus a projector is when I noticed it. I dimmed the lights and put a grid up on the screen so I could focus. Unfortunately, what I saw were 2 grids, slightly overlapping each other. This is called “ghosting”.
This is what I’m supposed to see:
This is what I actually see:
Later that night, driving home, I noticed the halos around the streetlights.
This is what I’m supposed to see:
So, naturally, I was concerned, but I hoped this was simply because I had just had surgery a mere 3 days before. So I waited until my 1-week Checkup to ask. The doctors all assured me this was normal and would fade as my eyes heal. I was also told that I had perfect 20/20 vision with absolutely no “prescription” (meaning my corneas are a perfect sphere with absolutely no detectible aberrations or flattening or steepness or astigmatism). They were actually so excited at my perfect numbers that their machines spit out, that I could hear them gloating about it through the closed door while I waited in the exam room for the doctor’s final OK. The technician even bragged about it to my sweetie
zen_shooter when he came in for his appointment the next day. So I am very reassured, if still impatient for the healing to finish. Choosing the Custom procedure was more of an expense than I budgeted for (fortunately, they offered financing with 0 interest for 18 months for the balance), and I am testy about the temporary ghosting and halos and the no-weight-lifting restriction for 2 weeks. Plus, I feel really silly wearing the safety goggles during sex (required for the first 2 weeks) and they’re not the most comfortable during sleeping. But overall, I’m quite pleased at the freedom from glasses and the thought that I no longer have to rely on something outside of myself to do the things I want to do.
**UPDATE** It has been 2 years now and my vision is still perfect. The out of focus problem with the grid image above is completely gone. The fog around streetlights is still there, but so light that I don't even notice it anymore. It's not even as bad as when my old glasses were smudged or scratched. Not all lights have that fog around it, and the ones that do, don't give me any problems. I am extremely pleased that I had the surgery and I am loving life without glasses or lenses.
