Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
It is finally time to bring the LASIK narrative to a close.
I continued to need the artificial tears for another four months, but stopped using them entirely after that. Soon after my surgery, my eyes had trouble focusing when I tried to read a computer monitor from a distance. Words would slowly come into focus if I stared at them or closed my left eye, but I don’t think that my brain fully figured out how to use my reshaped corneas until the fourth or fifth month.
A little over six months following my surgery, I returned to Dr. Dello Russo’s office for my appointment. Results from the vision chart were great—20/20 in my left eye, 20/15 in my right, and no astigmatism. Unfortunately, my eyes were still a bit sensitive to bright lights at night. Headlights and street lights could occasionally blur my vision, especially when my eyes were tired. I had really noticed this when I drove up and back from the Montreal Jazz Festival in July.
I mentioned this to the doctor (Dr. Dello Russo, Jr.), so he brought his dad over, and they decided to scan my corneas with the Zyoptix system again. This time the printout of my scan was much less colorful because the procedure in January had corrected most of the aberrations. However, there still is a slight spherical aberration in both eyes. My abnormally large pupils make my eyes much more sensitive to these aberrations.
While most people have pupils that are around six to six and a half millimeters in diameter under normal light, mine are around eight millimeters. (Who knew?) …and you know what they say about guys with large pupils…NO, not that. Apparently, there is actually a science know as pupillometrics started by a Dr. Eckhard Hess. Pupillometric studies demonstrated that large pupils were consistently more alluring to members of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, I really can’t say that I have ever noticed or benefited from any first-hand proof of this particular pupil-related phenomenon. (BTW, there’s no way in hell that I am revealing the title of the book in which I found the above factoid.)
Anyway, the elder Dello Russo said that he can retreat me if I am not one hundred percent satisfied with the quality of my vision. Approximately 5 to 7 percent of LASIK patients require retreatment to attain perfect vision.
Such is the decision that I now have before me. I have already paid the $4600 for retreatment. The only additional cost that I would incur would be the price of more Vigamox and Lotemax and the cost of another overnight stay at the inn. Additionally, I would have to put up with another few months of recovery time.
I will make the final decision in a month or so, but I am strongly leaning toward going under the laser one last time. This time, though, they will give me an adequate dosage of Valium.
Wow. Surgical Eyes scared me away from LASIK permanently. But that was in about ‘99. I’m amazed about several things: Your bravery in doing it at all after reading Surgical Eyes; the advances that have taken place since I researched it; and most of all the clarity and detail of your blog report. I still want to leave my eyeballs untouched, but just from your blog I feel I can make a much more well-informed decision about it, if I ever were to reconsider. (I’ve been wearing glasses since age 8, contacts since age 16, and have no real problems with either.) Thanks!
Nan, SurgicalEyes.com definitely scared me away from the “bargain basement” strip-mall surgeons, but the doctor I chose had done hundreds, and hundreds, and hundreds of these procedures with no serious complications. The “all laser” part (no metal blades) was what really helped me to overcome my apprehension.
The technology is always moving forward. Who knows what the next 5-10 years will bring. Improved tools and methods are allowing for safer “idiot-proof” procedures, and the ability to correct beyond 20/20 is becoming more common. Dr. Dello Russo had mentioned during my consultation that one industry goal is to have correction to 20/10 be commonplace by 2010.
Hi Mike,
I came across your site thru google. By chance I have an appt. with Dr. Dello Russo this Friday in Brooklyn. Thanks for your post - I know I’m ready to do this procedure (if a candidate). I have been waiting for 42 yrs. now for this :)
How did your retreatment go? Does the bright lights still bother you at night?
Would love to hear your updates!
Thank you so much,
Annie
Annie,
Good luck with your procedure. As soon as you do it, you will wonder why you waited so long.
I am not really sure about my retreatment. My eyes are still sensitive to headlights and streetlights at night. It is very hard to tell or remember whether it was better, worse, or about the same before my second treatment. I do find that my eyes tend to get rather tired and blurry toward the end of a long day staring at a computer screen. Drops sometimes help. Again, I am not sure if that was a side effect of the second treatment; however, in hindsight I probably would have stuck with just the first treatment.