My LASIK Experience

Dr. Oster, LASIK surgeon extraordinaire

I was horrified just now to realize that my last blog post was before Thanksgiving!  As it so happens, it was also before I went “under the laser,” as it were, for my LASIK procedure.   

As an eye doctor, I have co-managed a few dozen patients for LASIK and PRK (defined and compared in my page on laser vision correction).  I have also visited several laser vision surgery centers and observed surgeries, and I really thought I knew what the LASIK experience entailed for my patients. 

Turns out, I was wrong.  Which is not to say that I think I was an awful doctor to my patients before, or that doctors who haven’t had LASIK shouldn’t be trusted with LASIK patients.  However, I do feel that going through LASIK myself made me a 100% better resource for patients who are wondering what to expect with the procedure.

I suppose since the post is entitled “My LASIK Experience,” I should at least comment on  my personal LASIK journey.  I am not one of those people who spent years pining for LASIK before they could actually have it done.  By nature, I’m somewhat conservative; and the idea of having elective surgery that could in any way impair my vision if gone amiss was unappealing to me for a long time.  Finally, after seeing so many perfect patients and so many amazing advances in the surgical technology, my stance on the issue softened somewhat. 

The final straw for me was my absolute inability to wear contact lenses consistently and comfortably here in the dry, thin air of Colorado.  If I ever got greedy and wore my contacts two days in a row (gasp!), or even just for an entire day (the nerve!), I paid for it with red and irritated eyes the next day.  I convinced myself I didn’t mind wearing glasses all the time, and I tried to embrace my new reality by building up a collection of four or five cool frames that I mixed and matched with the day’s outfit.  Eventually, my nose got tired of supporting glasses 24/7, and I was pushed even closer to my LASIK.

My surgery was performed at TLC Laser Eye Center in Denver, and I have nothing but good things to say about them.  My consult was great and actually a lot of fun with the cool instruments, the people there were and are great, and the surgery went off without a hitch.  They tell you exactly what to expect, and they are right on.  There are certainly some mildly uncomfortable or inconvenient aspects of laser eye surgery and its recovery, but the trade-off of a few mildly uncomfortable days for years and years of great vision is a no-brainer for me. 

 

Of course, hindsight is 20/20 – or in my case, 20/15 😉