My experience having LASIK laser eye surgery

When I told people, “I’m having laser eye surgery,” many friends told me that they’d also like to have it done but they were afraid. They asked me to let them know what it was like. So, this is my laser eye surgery experience.

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***For answers about the safety, expected outcomes, and the pros and cons of laser eye surgery, talk to an eye specialist. This does not constitute an endorsement for having laser eye surgery. This does not constitute an endorsement nor deterrent for any particular eye clinic. This is solely an expression of my experiences, having made the decision to have laser surgery for myself. This is not a paid article. Rather, it is the answer to every person who has asked me what it was like for me.***

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The decision to have laser eye surgery

For years I’d been afraid to have laser eye surgery. I didn’t want to risk a miniscule chance that I might lose my vision. And I was worried about potential long-term side effects that we might not yet know about. So, I decided to let other people pave the way before me.

Fast forward a decade and it has now been more than 20 years since the procedure was first performed. Thousands of people have had the procedure done successfully and I felt more confident about the outcome. I had also reached the point where I was thoroughly sick of wearing glasses. I hated playing sports in them because they made the area behind my ears throb. My eyes no longer tolerated contact lenses well. I also felt braver and, probably just as importantly, money was a little less tight. So, I thought I’d at least check it out.

I chose VISTA eyes. They seemed a bit more expensive but general reviews suggested less complications and happier customers.

My complimentary first appointment

I booked my first appointment for 8 am, so I could get it done before work. The clinic was across the other side of the city and I headed off with plenty of time. But my progress was slowed considerably by a burst water main preventing traffic from getting onto the freeway and a crash on the West Gate Bridge. Traffic was bumper-to-bumper in all directions. When I turned on the radio, the advice was, “If you’re heading into the city from the southwest, don’t even think about it. You’re not going anywhere.” Great! I rang VISTA to tell them I was running late. “How late? Five minutes?” “I don’t know. It’s taken me 30 minutes to drive 10 metres and I’m not near the freeway yet.” But they were nice about it. “Don’t rush. We’ll see you when you get here.” I got there at 10 am for my 8 am appointment. Understandably, I had to wait an hour for an appointment. But the waiting room was nice enough.

VISTA is in a converted tram depot building and is conveniently located just down from Maccas, which met my latte cravings. But if you don’t need a barista-made coffee, they have a great coffee-pod machine in the waiting area, where you can also make hot chocolate or tea and help yourself to chocolate biscuits. The waiting room is stylish and welcoming, with many great statues and pieces of artwork. I especially loved the main coffee table, with a marble top sitting on an old cart of some sort. While I loved the feel, I did spend a fair amount of time wondering how much of customers’ fees supports their fine arts fund.

The staff were lovely. When it came to my turn, I was taken into a room where the treatment was explained. Then I was left to watch a video. The video explained the different types of procedure available, LASIK or ASLA. LASIK was the procedure of choice from a pain and recovery point of view but my suitability depended on the surface of my eye (cornea) being thick enough. The video mentioned the risks of wearing glasses, which left me amused while contemplating possible dangerous circumstances in which your glasses might happen to fall off in a critical situation, like driving(?). (I guess you are excluded from some roles in the military if you wear glasses.)

I then had a chance to ask questions. I had quite a few questions going into the appointment but most questions and concerns were answered during that information session. Additional questions I had were a bit complicated and I was advised to save them for the laser eye surgeon, Dr Rick Wolfe.

I was led out into the waiting room for a short wait until a lady called me into a series of rooms with lots of equipment. I sat at different machines while the lady took measurements. I also had a vision test, my glasses were measured, and various dyes were put into my eyes to assess them. After all the tests, I was given the conclusion, “Congratulations, your eyes are suitable for LASIK eye surgery.” I did, however, have slight “dry eye”. This increased my risk of post-operative dryness and discomfort. So, I would need to see Dr Wolfe, who might decide to start treatment prior to surgery.

I was escorted back to the reception desk, where I was provided with an estimate: $5500 for both eyes by direct debit or $6000 if paying by visa or payment plan. I was told that, after I saw Dr Wolfe, this estimate would likely be reduced by $200. I made an appointment to see the surgeon the following week.

I came away feeling confident in the procedure and the place and that this was something I wanted to do. However, I did not make it into work until 1:30 pm.

My appointment with Dr Wolfe

My time with Dr Wolfe was brief (about 15 minutes) but I had an opportunity to marvel at the artwork again. My eyes were mildly dry but the tear film was of good quality. Dr Wolfe determined the condition was not severe enough to warrant pre-treatment and I could proceed with LASIK. I was escorted back to the reception desk and given a revised quote for the cost of laser surgery. Both eyes for $5300 upfront direct debit. There was no additional fee for that day’s appointment. I was also provided with a folder that contained a consent form, about four pages long, listing potential complications. I was relieved to see that this did not include vision loss.

I was pretty determined to go ahead with surgery while I still had the nerve to do it. So, I quite quickly found a suitable date and transferred the money before I could back out! I could have had the procedure done within two weeks of my initial appointments except that conferences and life got in the way.

Leading up to the surgery

In the week leading up to the surgery, surprisingly, I was not nervous. I had plenty of times where my glasses were dirty or fell off at inconvenient times that I just wanted to be rid of them. I’m a veterinarian and my glasses did fall off once when I was performing surgery on an animal – they just missed the open abdomen!

My eldest daughter was the one I had to comfort. Because she had only ever known me with glasses, she saw them as a part of me. She didn’t want me to have the surgery done. She was also concerned that I might not see again. It hadn’t helped that when I had sat down with her to explain the procedure, my husband had cut in seriously with, “You only need one eye…” “NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. We are NOT GOING THERE! I wouldn’t be doing this if I thought I would lose my vision!!!!”

Instead, I drew a woeful diagram and explained how a laser makes a tiny cut through the top surface of my eyeball, which is then peeled back to make a flap. Another laser then makes infinitesimally small changes to the shape of my cornea to change how the light reflects to the back of my eye, so that objects in the distance will be focused correctly. The procedure will take about 15 minutes and each laser operates on my eye for approximately eight seconds. I also explained how the lasers have protective features, so that if I accidentally sneeze or move, they stop virtually instantaneously. The biggest risks were infection after the procedure, the flap not healing properly at the edges, and that I might be in the 5% of people who did not achieve perfect 20/20 vision the first time. Complications would be monitored closely by appointments 1 day, 10 days, 1 month, and 4 months following surgery. If I was in the 5% that did not achieve perfect vision the first time, it would be repeated at no additional cost. There was also a 5-year guarantee on the surgery, in which I could have the surgery again at no additional cost if there were any changes to my vision during that time.

I reassured my daughter on the day of surgery and it helped when I said she could keep my glasses afterwards.

The night before surgery

The night before surgery I went to bed early to get a good night's sleep. This was after a brief period of panic when I couldn’t find any non-prescription sunglasses I would need for the next day. The only pair I could initially find were a novelty pair given to me on my birthday by the kids. Kind of embarrassing. I finally found a normal pair. I also took a 24-hour anti-histamine tablet as I was terrified my eyes would choose this week to swell up from an allergy to my cat, Sam, as they did from time to time.

The day of surgery - Friday

On the day of surgery, a Friday morning (when the surgeries are usually performed), I ate breakfast and was driven by my family to VISTA for a 9:30 am arrival time. My family was more nervous than I. I was trying to keep relaxed. Upon arrival, I handed over my consent form and signed the pages in front of the receptionist. Then the payment was confirmed and I was given a receipt. The receptionist also provided a sick leave certificate for my husband. Follow-up appointments were made for the next morning and in 10 days’ time. I was invited to take a seat, once again marvelling at the artwork. I also noted that the large surgery area, which had been open to view on previous visits, was now screened off.

It is best not to have children in the waiting room since patients are trying to relax. Thus, my husband took our girls away for a couple of hours. As they were leaving, one of the staff called me in to one of the rooms with lots of equipment, where a machine took measurements of my eyeballs again. From there I was escorted into a room to discuss aftercare. I was shown a bag with three different eye drops: antibiotic, cortisone, and lubricating eye solution. I was given an instruction sheet that explained I would need to apply all 3 drops every hour for the first day (except overnight) and then four times a day for the rest of the week. I was advised that I should sleep after the surgery but that I should also set an alarm every hour to wake up so that I could administer the drops. I was also shown two plastic eye shields that I would need to tape over my eyes for sleeping after the surgery and for the first four nights.

As my eyes were itchy from allergies (thanks to my cat and despite the anti-histamine), a quick consult with Dr Wolfe was scheduled to check that my eyes were still ok for surgery. After another brief stint in the waiting room, Dr Wolfe checked my eyes and declared they were still healthy to go ahead. I went back to the previous room where I was offered Panadeine (for pain relief following surgery) and a mild sedative (temazepam). The lady also instilled all three of the drops I would take home with me. I was taken back to the waiting room again.

The time for my surgery was 11 am. A lady invited me into a small room adjoining the surgery area. She placed local anaesthetic drops in my eyes and we discussed the fact that the drops sting, which I made a mental note of for my veterinary patients. I also had to put a cap on (I think – I actually was nervous at this point!) and put covers on my shoes. I was promptly moved into the surgery area, where I was asked to lay down on my back on a chair-bed, with my head lying on a donut-shaped head rest and a pillow under my knees. A set of headphones was placed over my ears. No going back now.

My head was moved under a machine that lay to the left of me. Dr Wolfe spoke into the headphones reassuringly and explained each step. I think at this point a paper drape was placed over my face and holes were made in the drape where my eyes were (Like I said, I was nervous!). Something was placed on my eyelids to keep them open. It was uncomfortable but not painful. I then had to look up and focus on the laser light above while Dr Wolfe held my head still. Each eye was done separately. I think he then manually flipped back the flaps made by the laser on the surface of my eye in a couple of quick manoeuvres.

The bed was moved once again so that this time my head was underneath the machine to the right. Dr Wolfe then placed what felt like a suction device on one of my eyeballs. This, actually, was quite uncomfortable, bordering on painful. I was asked again to stare at a green or red light above. The next eight seconds of the laser treatment continued to be uncomfortable but not excruciating. After one eye, there was the brief anxiety of having the other eye left to go. But Dr Wolfe was reassuring. And quickly enough, it was all over.

My bed was swung away from the machine and I was asked to get up slowly. I could see quite clearly immediately. I was asked to sit down at an eye machine in the same room, where Dr Wolfe checked that everything looked all right.

I collected my bag, my eye drops, put my sunglasses on, and I was good to go. My eyes felt a bit sore as I was driven home and I preferred to keep them closed.

At home on the day of the surgery

By the time I got home, my eyes felt very gritty and sore. I just wanted to keep them closed. So, I placed the drops in them and covered my eyes with the sleep shields. I could have slept all afternoon, except that I had to wake up every hour to put the eye drops in. Not being allowed to sleep through this painful part completely was probably the hardest part. But by about 3 or 4 hours, my eyes felt much more comfortable. I got up to watch some television (without wearing glasses!) about 6 pm. I continued with the hourly eye drops until about 8:30 pm, at which point I decided it was time for overnight bed.

The day following surgery - Saturday

The morning after surgery, my eyes felt only slightly gritty. My vision was good – good clarity but like looking through an ever so slightly foggy windscreen or like wearing dirty contact lenses. After putting eye drops in, I could shower. I just had to not get my eyes wet, which wasn’t too hard. My family drove me to my appointment at VISTA. During a 10-minute appointment with Dr Wolfe, he checked my vision in both eyes and it was good enough for driving without glasses. Yay!!! He also used a slit-lamp (optometrist equipment) to look at my eyes. He was teaching one of the other staff about the appearance of eyes on the day after surgery. There was some technical talk between the two of them. Because of my dry eyes, apparently my right eye proved a very good example of something, so Dr Wolfe kindly asked if this learner could look at my eyes. I drove the family home, stopping via Maccas for a latte of course. We were back home by 10 am.

I continued putting the drops in my eyes every 4-5 hours, whenever they started to feel dry or gritty. I did miss my eyes on many attempts though!

I think I was more nervous following surgery than I was at any time before. Mainly because the critical phase for allowing the flap to heal is the first three days, then the first 1-2 weeks. You must not rub your eyes for the first week, swim for the first week, or do any contact sports for the first two weeks. This provided a good excuse to go out and buy a better pair of sunglasses, rather than the cheap plastic ones I had, since I was going to need to wear sunglasses over the next few days to protect my eyes from kids’ flailing arms. I also needed to protect my eyes long-term from the sun. So off I went to the shops. It was so good to be able to see how the glasses looked on my face before buying them!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t wearing my new sunglasses the moment my second daughter rushed up to say goodbye to me on her way to a party in the afternoon. That one is full of bouncing beans and she managed to spit while talking through the new gap in her teeth. Her spit landed right in the middle of my left eye. I promptly instilled the lubricating eye drops to flush it out. Crisis averted!

The first week

On Monday, I went back to work as usual. I was quite a bit nervous, because claws, tails, hairs, and all kinds of secretions can go flying in a veterinary clinic. When I told Dr Wolfe that I am a veterinarian and asked if I needed to keep wearing the sunglasses, he said, “No,” and told me to carry on as normal and just pretend I’d never had the surgery. However, my first consult involved removing a gazillion stitches from the thigh of an excited dog with an excessively waggly tail. Normally, I get up close and personal with my eyes near the stitches but the tail was within eyeball reach. I asked a nurse to hold the tail for me. There was no great risk after that initial consult and my eyes felt and worked just fine. It was lucky I wasn’t doing any teeth cleaning because I notoriously splatter the toothpaste everywhere with those! I continued to apply the drops every 4-5 hours.

I was required to sleep with the eye shields on for the first four nights. Any longer than this and I may have had issues because on the fourth night I ripped them off at some point during my sleep. However, everything seemed ok in the morning.

At four days out, my eyes still felt a bit dry every few hours but the drops alleviated that. My vision kept fluctuating and became less clear sometimes, especially when tired. I also found my eyes got tired more easily. It was like how they feel at the end of a long day of wearing contact lenses. A few times I went to take the “contacts” out, only to realise I didn’t have any in. I had to go to bed to let my eyes rest by about 9 pm each night. But, all was good by the end of that first week and the comfort and vision continually improved. No regrets.

My biggest challenge was my poor aim with the eye drops. I ran out of all three kinds half way through and needed to get a prescription from the doctor for more! I realised a few weeks afterwards that it was because I was too afraid to put my hands anywhere near my eyes for fear of rubbing them. Thus, I was not using my second hand for stabilisation. Essentially, I was trying to hit the target using only the dropper-bottle hovering mid-air.

The ten-day appointment

Ten days after the surgery, I had another short appointment with one of the optometrists. She checked my vision and looked at my eyes in one of the consulting rooms. Apparently, all was progressing well. Not 20/20 vision yet but close. My eyes were quite dry so I needed to apply a different lubricating drop into the eyes regularly for the next 10 days. Although my eyes were dry, they didn’t feel that way. Apparently, the surgery reduces sensation to the cornea. So, my eyes felt quite good at this point and it was difficult to remember to put the lubricating drops in. My next visit was at the one-month mark.

The one-month appointment

At the one-month appointment my vision was tested again. It had improved more. There was no longer a problem with dryness. It was fine to rub my eyes. I didn’t need to come back for another three months.

The four-month appointment

The four month appointment was quick. My vision was assessed. I had greater than 20/20 vision! My eyes were also examined and determined to be healthy. I was officially discharged from VISTA's care. From there on, I was to have routine appointments every two years with my normal optometrist, just like everybody else.

Overview

I still find it hard to believe that I no longer need to wear glasses. There are many moments throughout the day where I am reminded that I don’t need them anymore and I feel grateful. First thing when I wake up in the morning, I still initially go to reach for a pair of glasses from my bedside table. And every time I need to look down the microscope, I still spontaneously go to move my “glasses” to the top of my head. I’ve even poked myself in the eyes a couple of times doing so.

My eyes feel normal, like I never had surgery. It all seems so simple now and I think, “Why didn’t I get the surgery done years ago?” But I wasn’t ready back then. Complications, while very rare, do happen. And only now was I in the right headspace to do it. I don’t regret it one bit. No, I lie. I can no longer hide the tired bags under my eyes behind the rims of my glasses when I haven’t had enough sleep. But that’s a small price to pay!