An excellent report on your experience! This will be very helpful for
others who are considering or have a surface ablation technique like
PRK, LASEK, or Epi-Lasik.

Keep up your regimen of artificial tears, especially while you are
working at the computer. Computer users are notorious for not blinking
enough and not resting their eyes. This delays healing.

Fluctuations in vision quality should be expected for the next few
weeks.

Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
USAEyes.org
Patient Advocacy Surgeon Certification

"Consider and Choose With Confidence"

Email to glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org

http://www.USAEyes.org
http://www.ComplicatedEyes.org

I am not a doctor.

Copyright 2006
All Rights Reserved

OK, here is my post op report (unbiased and fresh from the patient). Sorry
for the delay, its due to my being busy rather than being sick or in pain.

First some history :

I went for a consultation in 2002 - pupils were too big and they couldn't
treat me. I went again in 2005 and laser has improved but pupils still
borderline but I decided to wait.

Went again in October and finally they have a new laser which means pupil
size is not a problem so decide to take the plunge. I went with 'The Eye
Clinic' who are now a part of Optical Express. I went with these guys only
as my optitian suggested they seemed to be a bit better than the rest in
2002. I guess it is a bit of a factory, but I tend to work on the basis that
anyone with seriously bad outcomes would be stopped from operating by the
regulartors (naive perhaps I don't know).

Anyway, my prescription was -2.0 in both eyes - so short sighted with a
stygmatism (?spelling). I had to wear torric lenses when using a computer (I
am a programmer by trade) but seldom did and used my specs most of the time.

My motives were mostly that for activities I hated specs, glasses when
skydiving is a pain as they push your goggles off your face causing problems
in freefall. Glasses on a motorbike always get bent when you forget to
remove them before removing your helmet. When swimming I could never see the
clock to time laps etc. Also my little girls were always pulling my glasses
off and making them filthy and bent. Also, I am a bit of an early adopter
with technology and partly I was curious (mad as i am sure that seems).

So, the Op!

I thought I wasn't nervous - but I clearly must have been as I didn't sleep
much the night before. I was second of the day (about 8 were done that
morning) and was happy not to be first (although I did see them calibrate
the laser while I was waiting). The clicking noise was a familiar sound by
the end of the day (and made all those in the waiting room cringe each time
it went off).

I had to have LASEK treatment as my corneas are not very thick (so no LASIK
for me), however talking to the surgeon and reading up a bit it seems that
although there is more discomfort and a slower healing process, its a much
less risky procedure with the same outcome. So - no permenant flap in my eye
which may be dislodged during sport, no dry eyes from severed nerves, no
crinkles in my flap!

The procedure was pain free and over very quickly although I suspect I left
some imprints in the chair from the clenched fists. Much like a dentist
visit but more weird and a bit more scarey. I walked out with blurred vision
and a little shell shocked (no real pain or discomfort just odd). It was
hard when all the Lasik patients came out with perfect vision and mine was
far from perfect, that is by far the scariest bit - not knowing your
outcome.

The day of the ops was predictable - home for a sleep and lots of drops to
remember to take. Not really painful if I remember, just discomfort and a
nuisance. Quite boring and a lot of tears. Took pain killers though so I
guess I was feeling something.

The following day I got a lift into the clinic for my check up. No pain (the
drops were helping here) and I remember being able to see fairly well from
my left eye but very blurred in my right. I concluded that morning that if
my left eye stayed like that, I wouldn't be too unhappy, it wasn't ideal but
it was ok for driving and TV. The right eye was all over the place and
inconsistent.

In the checkup I did 20/20 on the test! Not bad for day 2. Coming home I
went a bit down hill and ended up not getting the train all the way and paid
for a taxi as I was tired, sore and exhausted. Off to bed with sore eyes
again. No great pain, no pain at all with eyes closed, just a bit bored and
fed up.

After day 2 starting so well, day 3 was a real backward step. Got up with
the kids but couldn't keep my eyes open for more than 5-10 seconds. It
wasn't bright lights that did it - it was just looking at stuff. This
spooked me a bit as day 2 had been OK to start with. A call to the clinic
soon put my mind at rest. The muscles in my eye would be full of water and I
just had to rest apparently. It would wear off in a couple of days. Day 3
was long and very very dull. Didn't open my eyes hardly the whole day.

Day 4 - vision really clearing up in left eye, better again than day 2 and
again , would be pretty damn happy to have both like this. I can already see
better than my dad in my left eye when he is wearing his glasses. Right eye
improving but still a long way off. I am starting to worry if they got this
one right - but have re-read all my leaflets and re-assured myself I need to
just wait and keep using the drops etc. Anything on the PC that has a white
background is desperately hard work today so not using the PC.

Day 5, decide to work today. Had to switch my monitor resolution to 1024x as
I couldn't read it in 1280 due to the right eye. Its odd, I can see OK with
the right eye now when I look out of the window but not so good when using
the computer - I think its because one eye is better than the other. Its a
hard day at my desk but no pain or discomfort at all now as my protective
lenses came out this morning (gritty eyes for an hour but then pretty much
fine). The eye test today showed I was 'on target' for a LASEK patient
whatever that means.

Day 6, right eye really getting its act together today. Put my monitor back
to 1280x as its starting to look quite good like this. When out of the house
or watching TV, its seems as though my sight is as good as when I wore
glasses, its looking like a good outcome now - and still some way to go.

Day 7, the odd minute or two of cloudy vision today for some reason but
largely it looks like left and right are about the same at last. Did a full
day at my desk (10hrs) and no problem at all. Looking forward to dropping
the antibiotic drops out of my list of stuff to do and looking forward to
not wearing the silly goggles at night after tonight.

All in all, considering the rubbish weekend I had, its a huge success, it
hasn't really sunk in that I am no longer a glasses wearer. The hassles of
the last few days are largely forgotten and I am glad I didn't have LASIK
now as I am flap free. Chances are I still have some improvement to get yet
too - anything more than I currently have is a bonus and I would be pretty
happy if I get nothing further.

I will report back in a week or two.


Comments more than welcome.


JJ

Hey slow down, its only Wednesday , I am not having it until tomorrow ;-)

I will update the group as soon as I get sight good enough to use my screen
and I can stand the bright light, the longer it takes to get a response from
me, the worse it is I guess hee hee.

I am reasonably prepared mentally I think. Quite looking forward to getting
it out of the way now the decision is made.

Thanks to those who responded to my query, I will let you know if my
experiences match up.

BFN.

JJ

PS. I am having it done in the UK by Optical Express in Leeds.



"The guy" <nopmail[at]nomail.com> wrote in message
news:6On4h.3945$0r.1298[at]newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...
- quote -

So J,
Did you have the LASEK done? If you don't mind my asking, how did it go?
And where did you have it done?
The reason I ask is, I'm planning on having it done in a week or so, at the
Unversity of Washington in Seattle. And I'm more than a little nervous.
Thanks,
__Birm




"JJ" <John[at]dontSpamMeAirspeed.co.uk> wrote in message
news:eildek$e9n$1$830fa7b3[at]news.demon.co.uk...
- quote -

"JJ" <John[at]dontSpamMeAirspeed.co.uk> wrote in message
news:eildek$e9n$1$830fa7b3[at]news.demon.co.uk...
- quote -

I had LasIk so my experience might not directly relate but I found my
eyes felt gritty for about 24-36 hours afterwards (more so when I had an
enhancement) and the pain was quite strong for the first 6 or so - a bit
of a stabbing when the eyes moved or if I tried to open them. However,
it was by no means excruciating and I managed to sleep with it fine. I
took some paracetomol and that really did make a difference to the
discomfort.

Having spoken to a couple of people with LasEk then they said that the 6
hour period I had lasted about 24 hours for them but at no point was it
unbearable. I think if you pop a couple of painkillers then you will be
fine. It would be naive to think that there will be no pain but I really
don't think you'll be in agony.

There is commonly more discomfort with LASEK than with Lasik. Your
doctor will probably provide eye drops and oral medicine to help with
the pain. IMO the best treatment is to sleep. Keeping the eyes closed
creates a nice protected and moist environment to promote healing, and
the pain is not likely to be enough to wake you.

I also recommend having someone with you for the first 1-3 days to
drive you around, make sure you take your meds on time, prepare or
provide meals, and make sure you are taking the right meds. You may be
absolutely fine after LASEK and be able to do just about everything
yourself, but it is best to have that backup just in case.

We have a detailed article on LASEK at
http://www.usaeyes.org/lasik/faq/lasek.htm

Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
USAEyes.org
Patient Advocacy Surgeon Certification

"Consider and Choose With Confidence"

Email to glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org

http://www.USAEyes.org
http://www.ComplicatedEyes.org

I am not a doctor.

Copyright 2006
All Rights Reserved

Am having LASEK on thursday (not lasik - I am having the one where they
loosen the cells with dilute alcohol, push the cells aside zap you and then
push them back - ie. no flap no cutting and a better healing process).

BUT

It hurts apparently. But for how long, what kind of pain (constant or in
bright lights or periodical??) What can I expect ?

Do pain killers help ? How long it last ?

I don't do pain, am I gonna be in hell for a while ?

J

PS. Ace need not reply (nor need any other trolls).