Newman Lasik review/experience

[windhorny]

Yesterday I anxiously got through my lasik procedure. As I write this I am less than 24 hours from op. The reason I feel like writing this is because I am totally unbiased or affiliated with anyone and was as nervous as anyone would be messing with your own eyes.

Friday I went in and they dilated my eyes, which was the worst part as it makes you feel tired trying to focus muscles that are chemically relaxed.

They test for glaucoma which is very simple. Nothing had any pain.

Next thing is an eye exam that you would normally get if you were to get a prescription. On after this the do the wavefront which is really cool and amazing to say the least. They scan your eye with a light that essentially maps your eye.

They do these tests with your eye normal and dilated. Then test the thickness of your cornea and the surface of your retina. All done with non-invasive procedures that are fun to watch.

Thats it for the exam. Assuming you are a good candidate which most people seem to be, you get your pre-op handbook, tells you the procedures, machines, techniques and of course the potetnial worst case scenarios that scare the hell out of all of us.

Saturday, went in and the gave me some optional valium-15mg. They do the wavefront one more time to verify everything. Then you go into the OR. The walls of the OR are glass as everyone can see how simple the procedure really is and dont freak out what the hell is going on behind a closed door. yet you can opt to have the blinds closed if you want a more private 10 minute session.

They put a shower cap on you, lay you down on the chair. Clean your surrounding eye areas with a swab and some goop. They then drop some numbing drops. They then swing you under the machine where you see a few orifices where light comes out-presumably lasers. But mainluy the only thing you actually see is a focusing light which just helps you keep track in one place. The newer lasik machines can track your eye so movement doesnt matter but keeping still seems to be the logical choice. The surgeon then places a eye holder that holds you eyes open for the rest of the oprocedure, but you dont feel it at all, nor is trying to hold your eye open difficult at all. I dont know why this is but there is nothing remotely close to painful during the whole experience other than what your mind conceives itself. The keratome(blade) is motorized and very quiet, gentle and quick. Your vision temporarily goes blurry but now enough that you cant see him swab the flap over. I think the biggest misconception of the procedure is how large this flap is. It is 130 microons thick thats less than 5 thousands of an inch and the diameter of your smallest pupil diameter. If you watch someone else having it done you can see the video screen on the machine itself and it looks much bigger than it really is as it is obviously zoomed in quite a bit. Anyways, the surgeon positions the laser exactl where it needs to be and guides the machine through its program which is amazingly quick, 30 seconds probably. He genlty flips the flap over and irrigates the eye and Voila, that is literally it. Once both eyes are done I was given a pair of shades and told i would be seen tmorrow for a follow up. Thats it.

That evening the burning everyone talked about was the same as a getting soap in your eyes. But because you know this is normal it is easy to ignore it. Today my vision is as good as it was with glasses and i am only a day into healing, which can take from 3 to 6 months for full cure.

They say you can go back in the water 2-3 weeks after. You put drops in your eyes 4 times a day for 5 days. The stinging is gone the next day. there are small halos that are expected. Simply put this is a miracle. Which is of course why I am writing this-for anyone who has to go through contacts in the water like me and constantly losing them or dealing with permeation of bacteria. Hope this helps and if anyone out there reading this has any personal questions I would answer what I can.

Everyone who gets this done always insists on the surgeon who they used, so I am no different. I went to Newman lasik, he is a local kiter(when he has time for this I dont know.) The offices are in sacramento and hercules.


Yuri

SEE you on the water soon!