Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
Even though my consultation had been way back in October of 2003, I waited until January for my operation so that I could take advantage of two benefits offered by my employer. The first, Vision Service Plan (VSP) costs me $12 per month throughout 2004, but it discounted the laser surgery by $1000 because Dr. Dello Russo is part of VSP’s network of doctors. The second was a medical expense account, where I set aside a portion of my 2004 income ($4600) that would not be subject to federal income tax, and I could use that money to pay for my operation.
So, on Friday, January 16, I made the ninety minute drive up to Bergenfield. My surgery appointment was scheduled for 10 AM. After the operation, I would stay overnight at a nearby inn, and return the next morning for a follow-up. While laser surgery is an outpatient procedure, driving oneself home immediately after is not a wise course of action.
When I arrived at the doctor’s office, I received about a dozen pages that I had to read, initial, and sign. In addition, I had to copy a number of ass-covering statements in my own handwriting such as, “I am fully aware that I may experience a corneal abrasion.” A doctor then answered any remaining questions I had.
I was giving one Valium tablet to calm me down. Then I sat and waited a bit. Someone led me into the next room, and my eyes were marked and dilated. This one was weird; the doctor actually wrote on my eyeballs with some kind of marker. I then leaned forward and placed my head in the Zyoptix machine, which performed the detailed scan of the surface of my corneas. I peeked a bit at the scans, the rainbow colors of which reminding me of a weather map; reddish areas indicating serious irregularities, and so on.
I then waited again. The duration of this wait was uncomfortably long. I got the impression that they were a bit overbooked for the day. It was freezing in the waiting area even though I had on a sweatshirt and a long-sleeve shirt. Someone finally led me into a room where I would have the corneal flaps lased.
This part of the operation did not go smoothly. Thanks to a combination of the shivering cold, and the dosage of Valium being inadequate for someone my size, I had to endure a few failed attempts. After cleaning and prepping of the eyes, topical anesthetic was administered to my eyeballs. They then applied a speculum to prevent me from blinking. Finally, a suction device tried to hold my eyeball still, while the IntraLase laser cut the corneal flap. Each time my eyeball moved, the suction broke and a safety mechanism shut off the laser. Because of the inadequate Valium dosage, my eyeballs were jumping all over, especially when I started to feel a bit of pain. Each time the suction broke, a few more capillaries in the surface of my eyeball burst. We repeated this increasingly uncomfortable procedure a few more times until the doctor decided that it would be best to try again after I rested for fifteen minutes.
For the repeat attempt, they brought out Dr. Dello Russo. (I guess he normally only does the last part.) This time they also finally gave me enough Valium. I went back in the chair, they applied the speculum and the suction, zapped one eye for ninety seconds, did the same for the other eye — two perfect flaps — no fuss, no muss.
They led me into the next room and applied more anesthetic to my eyes. A speculum again held my eyelids open, and they lifted up a flap with a thin spatula. I then had to stare at a blinking red light. Dr. Dello Russo operated the laser, and a computerized female voice updated me on the progress of the surgery. Each eye took just over a minute. Upon completion of the treatment, they doctor reseated the flaps and placed a protective contact lens over each eye.
I rested a bit in the post op area, then a doctor gave me some final instructions about not rubbing my eyes, putting in medicated drops, and getting plenty of rest. A woman drove my over to CVS pharmacy so that I could pick up my prescription for the drops (Lotemax and Vigamox). I really wish, though, that they would have remembered to mention this added expense ahead of time. Granted, my prescription plan knocked the price of these from $188 down to $116, but had I known prior, I would have adjusted the amount of my medical expense account accordingly.
Anyway, the same person then drove me to the inn so that I could try to get some sleep and begin my recovery.
To be continued…
Leave a comment