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The decision to have laser treatment LASIK Appointment with Ultralase Start of Diary Initial Consultation Treatment Day 1 Day Post-op 2 Days Post-op 3 Days Post-op 4 Days Post-op - back at work :-( 5 Days Post-op - First night drive

One Week Check-up 15th April 2001 - quick update 20 April 2001 - Two weeks Post-op MY LASIK VIEWS AT THIS POINT (2 weeks post-op) 23rd April 2001 - not a particular special date! 26th April 2001 - Three weeks Post-op 27th April 2001 29th April 2001 - vision not as good 30th April 2001 - better again! 1st May 2001 - Squash and Night driving

 

THE DECISION TO HAVE LASER TREATMENT Top of page

I first started considering laser refractive surgery in 1999. The main reason was that I was struggling with contact lenses. I found them uncomfortable, especially in air conditioned buildings and shopping centres. They only felt OK outdoors when it wasn't too windy. I never liked glasses because of the usual reasons. They are awkward for playing squash and going to the gym. They steam up when its cold outside and are a pain when its raining. At this point I decided I wanted LASIK but couldn't afford it. At the start of 2001 I decided I would start researching again. I decided I was most interested in PRK and booked an appointment with a clinic in Leeds.

I was initially a bit sceptical about PRK because of all the usual drawbacks - takes longer for good vision to return, is painful for the first few days etc. However I decided I did not mind as results are fairly similar to LASIK after 6 months.

However, I continued my research and after changing my mind several times over I decided I would rather have LASIK. The main reason was that with LASIK the epithelium is not scraped off prior to surgery. Although rare in the long term, there is a greater risk of haze due to healing problems when this layer grows back. I had also decided I wanted to have both eyes treated together. Although slightly more risky, it seems standard practice now and as I'll be travelling from Sheffield to Leeds (40 miles) I didn't want to have to go through it all twice. I also have a work colleague who had PRK and said it had been quite difficult putting up with the difference in strength between eyes. I suppose you have to out-weigh the very slim chance of complications with both eyes with the certainty of having to put up with a difference in strength in each eye.

With PRK there is a much longer period of eye drop usage compared to LASIK. LASIK only requires a week of eye drops. I believe PRK can require several months and possibly alteration of the dose to control the healing. I did read that extended use of these drops (which contain steroids) is not a good idea as it can cause glaucoma. I am talking about antibiotic and anti-inflammatory (steroid) drops here. With either procedure you should, and may have to, use false tears for 1 month or more after the procedure.

With PRK there is always a certain amount of regression as the site of the laser surgery heals. With LASIK, because the laser is used further beneath the surface, there is practically no healing involved. With LASIK it is normal to correct to a plano prescription in both eyes (unless attempting monovision) with no over correction, as no regression is expected in most cases, especially with mild prescriptions.

Based on this I cancelled my PRK appointment and booked in for LASIK at Ultralase in Leeds. I decided to go to the different clinic mainly because of the laser they use and the fact that 99% of their operations are now LASIK. The first clinic recommend PRK up to -6 D whereas Ultralase recommend LASIK for all prescriptions, only offering PRK if you really want it up to -3. Having decided on LASIK I would not want it done by a clinic who don't recommend it.

LASIK APPOINTMENT WITH ULTRALASE Top of page

Ultralase use the Technolas 217 with an eye tracking device and a 'flying spot' beam which provides a much cleaner 'polished' ablation. This sounded better to me than the NIDEK ES5000 used by the other clinic. However, I would stress that the results using the eye tracker are no better than for lasers not using it (which Ultralase admitted to me without trying to cover up). I was advised on an American bulletin board (AskLasikDocs) by a surgeon using an eye tracking laser that it would make no difference for my prescription. I still feel better about it though.

I E-mailed Ultralase and asked a few questions about the surgeon, success rates and costs.

After a week I hadn't had a reply so I rang the help line. They said that they were having problems with the E-mail and suggested I asked them the questions over the phone. They couldn't really answer them and suggested I just ask them at the consultation. They did tell me Robert Parr (who I had the consultation booked with) had performed 6000 LASIK procedures.

A couple of days later I received an E-mail reply from a senior nurse at the clinic. She answered all my questions and was very helpful in making me feel better. She told me Robert Parr was an Optician, the surgeon was Mr Annonier (a consultant surgeon) who has done 1200 procedures. I wasn't very happy with what the help line had told me about Robert Parr but at least I was getting sense from the actual clinic I was going to!

Initial prescription:
L: -2.75/-1.00 x 110 Corrected Snellen 6/4 (letters quite clear)
R: -3.25/-1.50 x 15 Corrected Snellen 6/4 -1 (1 letter missed on 6/4 line, letters quite blurry)

The rest of these pages are a diary of my experiences from the day of the initial consultation.
 

DIARY

4 April 2001 - INITIAL CONSULTATION Top of page

I had the initial consultation today. Drove to my parents house in Leeds where I left the car as my Dad was giving me a lift to the clinic. Despite the fact that I'd got stuck in bad traffic on the motorway we managed to get to the clinic in the centre at 10.00. At exactly 10.10 (the time of the appointment) I was called through.

The optician gave me a full eye test and noted down some old prescriptions I had got my optician to write out. She was very professional and explained the tests she would be performing.

The first test was the topography of the eye using the Orbscan machine. This was quite bizarre as it involved looking at a cross in the middle of the machine as orange circular lights lit up followed by lots of flashes. When this was done a colour printout of the results was produced. This showed all the contours and imperfections on the surface of the eye. She asked me how long I had had my contact lenses out (4 weeks, although they only specified you need them out a week for soft lenses) as it looked like there might be some residual imperfections. She didn't think this would be a problem but said she would tell the surgeon before tomorrow.

After this she used a pupilometer to measure the diameter of my pupils in the dark. This just involved putting the device over my eye to block out the light. It looked like it had a red light in it, I don't know if was infrared. Pupils 6mm.

She then performed the standard checks you get with a normal eye test and contact lens check-up where they shine lights in your eyes and stain them yellow. This time the staining drops had mild local anaesthetic in. This was for the next test which involved a small device with purple light coming towards the eye which she said would actually touch it. I can't remember whether this was to measure the pressure or the thickness of the cornea. I didn't feel anything at all and was surprised that the thing had touched my eye at all!

She then used a hand held device which I think was to measure the thickness of the cornea. This time when it touched the eye I could see a slight ripple, a bit like dropping a stone into a puddle, but no pain. It was not at all disturbing, especially when you are used to putting contact lenses in every day.

After all the tests were complete she said I would be suitable for the procedure but I may experience halos in the dark for a while as my pupils were 6mm diameter. Because the laser uses a 7mm ablation zone this shouldn't be a problem in the long term. I had also told her that I was slightly concerned as I got dry eyes when wearing contact lenses, particularly towards the end of the day and when I was tired. In the last month I've also noticed this just with my glasses, but not to the point where I would want to put in drops. I'm not sure when she measured it, but she said they were slightly dry, my right more than my left, which meant I would probably need to use the false tears for two months rather than a month. I don't mind this but I hope it isn't a big problem. I've read of people waking up with dry eyes with their corneas stuck to their eyelids - don't like the sound of that. Not enough to put me off though.

After this I returned to the waiting room and 15 minutes later was called through for 'counselling'. Sounds a funny term for what it was. I told Toni, the councillor, that I had done plenty of research on the Internet and had a list of questions. She said we should just work through them. The following is most of the questions I asked. The answers aren't quotes, just basically what I remember.

What happens if there is a power cut?
We have a UPS (un-interruptable power supply) and even if that failed the laser has enough backup power to finish a treatment.

What about a fire alarm?
They would finish the treatment as it would be no more than a couple of minutes. There is a fire exit in the corner of the laser room that leads straight down and out of the building.

Is there an emergency number in case of problems at home?
No, but if you came straight in the next day it should not make any difference to the eventual outcome.

What are the chances of getting a free flap?
None, the Hansatome keratome is designed such that the blade cannot physically complete the cut. Corneal abrasions are the main concern. If this happens then they would complete laser treatment on that eye and do the other one a week later as a few days of quite severe pain can be expected if this happens.

Will the eye tracker be on and does it improve results?
Yes it will and no it hasn't improved results. It doesn't really make any difference. The laser will cut out if the eye moves too far.

How does the flying spot work?
It works by 'flying' between four different positions on the cornea. This gives each spot a chance to recover before being lasered again. The treatment would occur in either four or eight stages of about ten seconds each.

Will I experience more haze/ halos etc. Because of my 6mm pupils?
Should be OK, the laser will do a 7mm ablation and can do more if necessary. Mr. Annonier will set it for the best as larger ablation zones can potentially weaken the eye.

How close is the thickness of my corneas to the limit? (I think they were about 565 microns)
They are well within the limits. The keratome cuts to 160 microns and after treatment there will be plenty of cornea left!

Will you use a new blade for each eye?
No, it's not necessary as they are designed to do many cuts. A new one is used for each patient though. If it were to be changed it would prolong the time in the treatment room which would be more uncomfortable for the patient.

Is all the equipment sterilised?
Yes, but the drops in the eye also have disinfectant in which would prevent anything being picked up anyway.

She was very knowledgeable about the procedure and the laser and keratome used and was able to answer all my questions. Apparently she was a qualified laser operator.

All in all I was there for two hours. I'll be getting the train to Leeds tomorrow for the surgery at 11.00. My Dad will then take me home afterwards. Looking forward to it now.

5 April 2001 - TREATMENT DAY Top of page

06.40am
Well today is the day. Had a shower but didn't shave as you can't use aftershave the day of the surgery as it is possible the evaporating alcohol may interfere with the laser beam. They said I could use deodorant but I haven't as I've read about other surgeries who advise you not to. I just won't do too much running around!

18.00
Well that's one of the weirdest experiences I've ever had! Arrived at the clinic at about 10.30 (appointment at 11). I wasn't really nervous at all until I sat there and had time to think about it. At 10.55 I was given the consent form to read and sign. It didn't say anything I hadn't read lots of times before but you don't really want to think about it all once you've made your decision.

It was about another half an hour before Mr. Annonier called me through. He rechecked the prescription which was the same as yesterday. He asked if I had any further questions. I mentioned about the astigmatism in the right eye that had been mentioned yesterday. He said it might have been due to dry eyes. My eyes weren't as dry today so he did the Orbscan again. This was the same as yesterday. He looked at the results more closely and said it was actually OK, it was just to do with that angle of the picture but it would not cause a problem. I went back to the waiting room.

About fifteen minutes later the nurse called me through. She explained about the routine with the eye drops for afterwards and wiped around my eyes with some kind of iodine solution to disinfect them. She also administered the local anaesthetic eye drops which take 12.3 seconds to take effect, apparently! I told her how much research I had done on the Internet and she was impressed I knew the name of the flap cutting device (keratome) as she could never remember. She told me that a third of the £2000 fee went on the blade for the keratome! Sounds unbelievable! They can't make much profit if you only get one eye done since they charge per eye. The keratome itself costs £40 000 and the laser is about a quarter of a million pounds.

She also told me she had only seen one case of corneal abrasions happen from the keratome since she'd been there. I forgot to ask how long she'd been there (did she start the day before?!).

When they were ready I was led to laser room where Mr. Annonier and two or three (can't remember) other staff were present. I lay down on the bed and my left eye was patched. I was then swung under the laser.

The nurse (Cat) had told them I had read up about the procedure and seen a video on the Internet. I was glad I had because I knew what was coming, just not what it would feel like.

Firstly, Mr. Annonier placed the lid speculum in place to prevent blinking. I was a bit worried about not being able to blink but when you tried it actually felt as if you had - very odd! It was a bit uncomfortable as the eyelids aren't anaesthetised but it wasn't too bad. The next bit was the worst.

They applied the suction ring, warned me that my vision would disappear and turned it on. This felt a bit like my eyeball was being pushed out the back of my head. Not especially painful, but not pleasant! If you've ever pushed your eyeball and noticed the vision fade, it was like this (try pushing very gently in the outside corner of your eye - through the skin, not on the actual surface - you see a blur appear on the opposite side of your field of vision, it was like this but accross the whole field of vision).

I could feel them place the keratome on the tracks and then it buzzed as it moved across my eye. I felt like I could feel the flap actually being cut. It wasn't at all painful, just a sensation, but again, not nice. Once finished the suction ring was removed.

I had been told to look at the red flashing 'blob' in the laser. Once the flap was peeled back (again, no pain at all, but you could kind of tell what was happening) the red blob looked more like the size of a football. The laser then began.

The moment it started you could smell the burning hair smell. This wasn't shocking as I knew to expect it but it was stronger than I had expected - like my eye brows had caught fire!

The laser took four bursts of about ten seconds each and then it was all over. It was quite difficult to concentrate on the red blur, especially as it was now so big. I felt my eye was moving slightly, but the laser didn't stop and I hope the eye tracker was working!

Mr. Annonier then flushed the eye surface with saline solution. This was probably the most odd moment as it was like being just under the surface of a swimming pool. I could see the red light (smaller now) and the other lights on the laser. The flap was then smoothed down. After a couple of seconds Mr. Annonier removed the eye guard and asked me blink several times. Every thing was very blurred but one of the nurses told me everything had gone very well.

A plastic eye shield was put over my right eye and the treatment repeated on my left. Before this the laser was fired a few more times. I was reassured that the laser was just resetting itself but I suspect they were testing it before the second eye. I could see shadows above me as someone was obviously putting something between me and the laser! This didn't worry me at all as the laser will not actually cause damage and would not make it through my eye lids.

As they put the suction ring on my eye the nurse told me it was often more uncomfortable on the left eye, which it was, but it only lasts twenty seconds.

After the procedure was complete on my left eye, Mr. Annonier peeled off the protective plastic that had been taped around my face. This hurt a lot more than any of the surgery. I said this, much to amusement of Mr. Annonier and the other surgical staff in the room (although I'm sure they've heard it all before!)

Afterwards I sat up and made a point of looking at the clock, since everyone else does! I could read the time but it was very blurred and not much better than my sight was to start with. It was a bit like having lard smeared accross your glasses. Even this soon afterwards the right eye wasn't quite as bad as the left as it had had a few minutes to heal. I put on my sunglasses and went back to the waiting room. There was a 'KLIX' drink machine at the end of the room and I could not read the logo on it. During the next half hour it gradually became more clear. This was pretty amazing. After about fifteen minutes my eyes began to sting quite a lot and began watering. At this point I became very light sensitive.

After half an hour I saw Mr. Annonier who said I was one of the 1 in 10 who suffered quite badly with the light sensitivity but it would subside in about 6 hours. He checked the flaps which were OK. I didn't enjoy the microscope lights in my eyes.

I then left with my Dad for the 50 minute drive back to Sheffield. Even though it was a miserable day and chucking it down with rain, I still felt like I was looking directly at the sun even with sunglasses on! My eyes continued to water quite badly throughout the journey, and when I got home. I never thought I'd be sitting in my lounge with dark sunglasses on squinting because there was too much light (not much light gets into our living room). Even so, I felt my vision was getting a lot better even in this short space of time. In the car I thought I could see as well as with my glasses, but the windscreen was covered with very heavy rain .

When I got home I put the first set of drops in. This was not fun and I could taste them down my throat. It didn't last long though.

Throughout the rest of the day I have to put them in every two hours. It's quite amazing as when I look down the street I can see more clearly than I did with my glasses! It is much hazier but definitely better vision! I checked on my eye chart I printed from the Internet which I have stuck in my garage. I don't think its very accurate but I could read the 6/9 line. The 6/6 line was a bit blurry but I could see some of it. Not bad, I could legally drive, but it would be stupid to do it!

Got to go and put more drops in now. Lets see what happens by tomorrow. Oh, the light sensitivity is now gone, as Mr. Anonnier said it would, and the streaming eyes aren't too bad. It now feels a bit like I have eyelashes stuck in my eyes, so they do water a bit, but not badly and it isn't really uncomfortable. Typing this, the keyboard is very blurry but I can read the keys and the screen.
 

6 April 2001 - 1 DAY POST-OP Top of page

15.30
Been for the one day check-up today. Last night I walked the dog when it was dark and was looking at the street lights. I didn't really see star bursts and the halos were much the same as I saw anyway (not bad). There was still quite a bit of haze. I reckon that focus wise I was seeing as well as I did with my glasses but the haze spoiled it. Still, no complaints.

Taped the plastic eye shields over my eyes last night. I hadn't been looking forward to the mutant house fly look, but at least only the wife has to see it. Well, OK then - you can see it if you want, click here - Mutant Housefly.

During the night I had been worried about getting dry eyes and them getting stuck to my eyelids. I kept waking up and opening my eyes to check and then looking around. They didn't stick.

When I woke up at 6.30 I looked at the alarm clock and I could read it!! Oh, hang on - I could always read it as its only six inches from my face and has two inch high figures on it. But it was clearer even through the plastic.

When I took the shields off in the bathroom everything looked very clear. I looked out of the bathroom window and was amazed how clear everything looked. Much better than my glasses and probably much the same as my contact lenses. I'm really hoping it stays like this! Click here for the bathroom window view.

As soon as I'd put the drops in things went a bit blurry again. It's been like that all day so I think the drops must be responsible for some of the haze. I had no problem getting the tram and the train to Leeds though.

I left the house at 07.15 and was in the clinic in Leeds at 10.15 (appointment at 10.30). At 10.45 Mr. Annonier called me through. He did a quick sight check:

Left: 6/6 -1 (missed 1 letter from the 6/6 line on the Snellen chart)
Right: 6/6

Not bad!! The letters were still quite blurry though.

He says I can drive now (driving limit is 6/12, two lines further up the chart). He then checked the surface of my eyes and said everything looked fine and to come back in a week.

So I set off back to Sheffield and got home at 13.30. A long journey for a 5 minute check-up but I don't care!

I've also noticed I'm not suffering with dry eyes which I was sure would be a problem. The nurse did give me some false tear drops yesterday because I was concerned, but Mr. Anonnier said he didn't think I'd need them, especially while using the other drops. Looks like he was right about this as well! They do still get a bit dry, but no worse than before and I don't feel like I've got to take any contact lenses out.

I must say that I've been impressed by the courtesy and professionalism of the Ultralase staff. They are very friendly, helpful and understanding. The only negative thing I've really thought it that there seem to be a lot of patients there at the same time. The waiting room has been more or less full each time I've been. Mr. Annonier seemed very busy. He seemed to be going from doing 1 day check-ups to pre-operation checks and performing the surgery very quickly. Don't get me wrong, he didn't seem stressed and you didn't loose confidence because of it but it would be a shame if it started looking as though they were just trying to process as many people as possible.

At the moment I'm still very pleased I chose LASIK and the Ultralase clinic. I believe they are the best qualified (at least in the North of England) to perform LASIK treatments. I'm really glad I didn't go for the PRK. I'm also glad I had both eyes done together. They are both now much the same, vision wise. A colleague at work who had PRK commented how she'd wished hers could have been done at the same time because the difference in vision was quite off-putting and causing her problems. Its not an option with PRK but with LASIK I guess you have to weigh that up against the risk of having complications in both eyes.

Oh, I've rung up Specsavers and cancelled my monthly lenses. Unfortunately I still owe them one more payment for my current set of lenses. I've got three unopened sets which they won't take back. Oh well. In 8 years time I'll have made back the money I've spent on the surgery!

7 April 2001 - 2 DAYS POST-OP Top of page

11.45

When I woke up I could feel something sticking to my left eye lid. I knew it would be from the eye drops. I took off the eye shields and there was a big piece of congealed eye drop sticking between my eyelashes. I used the cotton wool buds as instructed to clean around my eyes. I think in future I won't put the drops in immediately before going to bed. I'll clean my eyes with the cotton wool buds before putting on the shields.

Been to Specsavers this morning to get clear lenses cut for my old glasses. I had been wearing the cheapest, least dark sunglasses I could find but I feel a bit of an idiot as it is miserable dark weather. They're also 'Matrix' style so I feel very silly. Now I'm wearing my old glasses I can't really tell I've even had anything done. The vision is sharper than it was with my glasses but there is still this mild haze. It isn't noticeable outdoors except car headlights glare a bit. In the shopping centre it is quite noticeable on bright halogen lights but I've noticed it is worst around fluorescent lights and in shops lit by fluorescent tubes. Still, it doesn't cause any problems at all. I felt better driving than I did in my glasses because I've now got my peripheral vision back.

My eyes seem to be getting dry in exactly the same conditions and to the same degree that they did before surgery. I was convinced I was going to suffer worse. It's early days so lets hope it stays this way. If my vision stays as it is now and the haze disappears I'll consider the surgery 110% successful! Even if the haze remained I'd still be very happy with the result.

15.30

Went to Meadowhall shopping centre this afternoon. I always get dry eyes in there and today was no different. This caused the haze to be worse and I was blinking a lot (as always). The actual vision was still OK though. As soon as I got outside I was OK again. It has been a cloudy day again and the car headlights were causing the haze to be quite noticeable. Still, it didn't interfere with the driving. The actual vision was still better than my glasses.

Sitting typing this, the computer screen isn't as blurry as it was this morning.

19.00

I've just spent several hours trying to tidy up this page. I've uploaded it to my site and registered it with as many search engines as I could that were free. My eyes aren't suffering from looking at the computer screen and it seems to be getting less blurry as the hours pass.

8 April 2001 - 3 DAYS POST-OP Top of page

This morning the vision in my left eye didn't seem quite as sharp as it was yesterday. I went to the gym just to do a few weights as I don't want to suffer too much when I start back properly. I still have the haze the same as ever and the vision was less sharp than the last couple of days. I came home and had a shower (I wasn't going in the shower with goggles on at the gym!) and aftwerwards my vision seemed to improve back to how it was yesterday.

Later in the day we went to an outdoor market. It was very sunny so I wore sunglasses. I'm not light sensitive any more but I've read ultra-violet light can affect the healing process. Now my left eye seemed the sharpest and the right was slightly off. I've always had this sort of thing happening anyway and fluctuating vision is quite normal after LASIK. It didn't cause any problems though. Still better than with my glasses.

9 April 2001 - 4 DAYS POST-OP - BACK AT WORK :-( Top of page

Back at work today. Still got the haze. Not sure if it's any better than yesterday or not. Vision in the office was fairly blurry in the morning, probably because of the fluorescent lighting. When I looked out of the window I could read things on the building signs opposite which I couldn't with my glasses (I would have been able to see them with my contact lenses, after a few blinks!).

People thought it was a bit odd that I was still wearing glasses. I don't mind because when I take them off I can still see! Actually I've noticed even with a plano precription, the plastic seems to increase the haze and slightly distorts vision.

The vision seemed to improve in the afternoon but I did get a fairly bad headache. I think this may have been the computer screen as close up vision is still a little burry, but I sometimes used to get them anyway. It's funny but when I yawn the extra tears in my eyes seem to clear up the near vision so it's quite sharp, but it doesn't last very long. Maybe I'm just too tired. I have been waking up in the night quite a lot because the eye shields aren't very comfortable and I keep sleeping on them.

10 April 2001 - 5 DAYS POST-OP - FIRST NIGHT DRIVE Top of page

Haze in the office and around headlights seems much the same today. I didn't get a headache today and again the computer screen seemed to be clearer in the afternoon than the morning. Only two more days of drops left to put in so we'll see if the blurring is any better when I've finished them.

I drove about ten miles in the dark this evening. When car headlights shone straight in my eyes the haze was quite bad and I would say there was some star bursting. It wasn't bad enough that I felt I couldn't see well enough to drive. It might have been a different story if it had been an unlit country road. The street lights and dipped headlights were still fairly hazy but again, not enough to put me off. Hopefully this should get better. I think the haze will be temporary and not due to too small an ablation zone as it happens around lights in broad daylight. If it were due to pupils dilating beyond the treated area it would only happen at night.

12 April 2001 - 1 WEEK CHECK-UP Top of page

Had the one week check-up today. It only lasted about 5 minutes. The optician checked my eyes with the slit-lamp microscope and said my flaps were healing up nicely and I can stop using the drops after today. Because my eyes are fairly dry she gave me a box of false tears to use because I'll no longer get the lubricating effect from the antibiotic drops. I don't like these particular drops (I tried them for the first time last night). They seem to clog up my eyes making blinking difficult and they don't really make my eyes feel less dry. They also make my vision worse for a while. I might get some different ones from the chemist.

Vision wise I was able to read about half of the 6/5 line with my left eye but struggled with the 6/6 line with my right eye. I put this down to the fact that my eyes were quite dry after driving about 60 miles and also the fluorecent lighting and air conditioning in the room didn't help. When my eyes aren't dry I can now read the bottom line of my eye chart in the garage with both eyes, but much clearer in the left. I couldn't read this on the day after the op when I was nearly 6/6 in each eye. When not dry I reckon I'm seeing 6/5 in the left and 6/6 in the right.

Earlier in the day I had tried my Dad's reading glasses (+2 prescription). Although obviously far too strong, when my eyes adjusted the text did seem clearer. I asked the optician about this and she said I would be slightly long-sighted due to the tissue in the eye being inflamed and this would subside. I was a bit surprised by this as I was told no overcorrection is done, but I assume this isn't overcorrection, it's just healing.

Still very pleased so far. I'm looking forward to next week as I can stop wearing my glasses. Even with a plano prescription they distort my vision slightly. I also forget I've had anything done and keep getting very close to rubbing my eyes before I remember. I'm also allowed to stop wearing the eye shields at night at that point but as I always seem to sleep with at least one eye buried in a pillow, I think I'll put up with them a little longer.

I'm still getting the haze around lights during daylight but I think it may be getting slightly better.

I now don't have to go back for another check-up for six weeks. If anything of interest happens before then I'll update the diary (you know like, 'had a shower today without swimming goggles on and could see the soap!!', that type of thing)

15 April 2001 Top of page

A quick update. Left eye is very clear most of the time outside. Right eye is not so good (certainly not bad though!). I get the feeling there is a small amount of astigmatism in the right eye as vision seems fairly focussed but out of focus at the same time, if you see what I mean! I can believe this from the situation I was told about before the surgery (see the consultation and treatment day entries above). The slight haze indoors is still there but it seems to be slowly subsiding. I am using the false tears as instructed which certainly help and are good for the recovery of the eye. The computer screen is not as blurry as it has been. The haze around lights outdoors during the day is reducing. Last week there was noticable haze around all lights. Now it is less noticeable around softer lights (e.g. traffic lights, car brake lights) but is still there around brighter lights (car headlights and car indicator lights).

I'm looking forward to Thursday when I'm going to stop wearing the protective glasses. I was glad I was wearing them at my sisters the other day as my nephew and niece were jumping on me and a piece of card my nephew was holding did hit me in the glasses - glad it wasn't my eye!!

20 April 2001 (just over two weeks post-op) Top of page

A quick update. Yesterday I stopped wearing my clear lens glasses and last night was the first night without the mutant housefly eye shields! I think this is the first time I've been really amazed by my new eyesight! When I went to bed I was looking round the dark room and noticed I could read the time on the video recorder. I know I was trying to be funny earlier because I've always been able to read the alarm clock as the figures are so big, but this did surprise me. The video is at the side of the bed and I can just touch it with my toes so I guess it's about 5'9" away! The clock is a small orange display and I could read it very clearly in the pitch black of the room!!

Today was the first time I've ridden my motorbike to work since surgery (as it's been too bloody cold the last week!). This also amazed me. I was seeing everything much clearer than I've ever seen with glasses or contact lenses on my bike before. I haven't noticed this distinct improvement in the car before. I reckon the wind passing through my helmet must dry the contact lenses which isn't happening any more. The road signs were so clear it was amazing. Still, my right eye isn't quite as sharp as my left. In terms of outside vision I would rate my left eye as perfect and my right as good. I still think there is a small amount of residual astigmatism in the right eye.

In terms of indoor vision, I would say this is now about where I was with contact lenses. Computer screens are still a bit blurry, but not too bad. I can read on paper OK but it is better under tungsten light (as opposed to fluorescent light). Although I still rate my night vision as good, the haze and mild starbursts are still there around headlights and street lights. This also still happens in daylight, but not as bad as it was. I want to take some pictures and jazz them up to demonstrate how I see things but I left my digital camera at my parents house so I'll have to do that after I see them next (note - pictures now added - see main page).

The dry eyes did get worse after I stopped using the drops last week. I would say they are a bit worse than when I was wearing glasses (no where near as bad as with contact lenses). Although I was told I only had to use the artificial tears once a day I have been using them four or five times. This was because a doctor on the ASK LASIK DOCS site said they were critical to the success of the surgery, and I did have dry eyes before. I didn't really like the Visilube drops they gave me. They are very viscous and they label said they were for contact lenses. I have bought a load of Refresh drops (the preservative free ones in the individual vials) which are less viscous, more comfortable and seem to do just as much good (I can see very well in the office for about ten minutes after these, computer screen and all!)

It's all pretty amazing. I just look out of the living room window and everything seems so much clearer than it ever was with glasses or contact lenses. If the indoor vision gets this good (which hopefully it will when the dry eyes subside) I'll be well pleased! If the right improves to the standard of the left I'll be really pleased. If it doesn't, oh well. I can still see much better out of the left than ever before and the difference is not big enough to cause problems, so who cares!! I didn't want to admit it, but sometimes I've nearly started crying because I'm so happy with the result and the difference it makes.

A QUICK OBERVATION

It's funny but I still seem to be addicted to reading LASIK material on the internet. There are many places where people who have had very successful LASIK surgery just say 'HEY, GO ON, DO IT!! IT'S THE BEST THING I'VE EVER DONE!!'. Despite the fact that I'm (hopefully - its still early days) one of the success stories, I have read an awful lot of accounts from people who have had all sorts of problems. If my vision stays as it is now then YES! I think the procedure is great, but I would not recommend it without stressing how IMPORTANT it is to read about the possible complications and weigh this up against the reasons for wanting to do this in the first place. If you're happy wearing glasses or contact lenses, and they don't irritate your eyes and you don't mind the cleaning regime then DON'T DO IT!! If on the other hand, you don't like glasses because they get in the way of your daily activities (squash, gym, sailing, the rain!) and you hate wearing contacts then weigh this up against the chance of great vision without these problems AND the possibility that you may end up not being able to see as well you can now WITH GLASSES or maybe not be able to see well enough to drive at night because of blinding star bursts or halos. You might end up having to have your flap re-lifted to flush out debris. You may get an infection and the flap may degrade and disappear. You may regress and have to undergo an enhancement. The enhancement may not work. It may be painful. You may never see as well again. DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST!!!

23rd April 2001 Top of page

For the past three days I've been seeing better out of my left eye than I ever remember seeing out of it before!! Indoor vision is improving but is still worse under fluorescent light. The daytime haze around headlights and car indicator lights is much better, but seemed just as bad in the dark last night. I've noticed that first thing in the morning the vision seems much the same in each eye, i.e. a bit worse in the left and a bit better in the right, but still very good. I check this every morning by looking out of the bathroom window.

I seem to have come down with a cold today. I've got a headache and very sore throat. Normally that sort of thing makes my vision worse, but it still seems to be very good. I slept for about an hour after coming home from work. Normally it would take a while for my vision to improve after a day time sleep but it was perfect as soon as I sat up. This time both eyes seemed to be extremely clear! They've gone back to normal now. I'm hoping that the right eye may improve to the vision of the left since it obviously has the ability to. Lets hope the left doesn't get worse as the right gets better.

Another thing I've noticed is that I don't have any trouble focussing from near to far sight. When I was tired I used to find this a problem, especially at university when flicking from my notes to the white board.

26th April 2001 (3 Weeks Post-op) Top of page

I'm still off work with this bloody cold. Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow. I am still seeing really well out of the left eye. The right eye is still pretty good but does fluctuate. This is only very slightly though. It's only because I'm constantly looking at various things from one minute to the next to see if they get better or worse. I wouldn't notice otherwise! When I sit in my armchair I look out of the window and compare each eye by looking at the conifer in our front garden, a droopy tree opposite (don't know what kind it is) and a burglar alarm box on the house opposite. I can see very fine detail in the trees with my left eye. The alarm box seems very clear and I can just read the word 'ALARM' on it. I reckon my right eye is now comparable to how I saw these things before, with lenses, in each eye - but I wasn't paying as much attention then, so I'm not really sure - if only I could go back to my old eyesight to check - NOT!!!

If both eyes end up as the right is now I'd still be very pleased and would still be seeing better than I expected to after the operation. If the left stays this sharp I'll consider it an added bonus. The only offputting thing is that when there is something bright on the TV I can now see the lines that make up the screen! (It's a 28" screen and our lounge is fairly small).

A couple of weeks ago my parents asked how colours looked now. I've read lots about people loosing or gaining colour definition. At the time I couldn't really see any difference. I do think now that colours seem to be brighter than before. I'm not sure if this is because my vision is good at the moment or just because I'm thinking about it, but the green grass and trees seem greener when I'm walking the dog. Hopefully I'll get my camera back next week and take some pics so you can at least see what I am looking at (note, pictures added - see main page).

I think the haze and car headlight star bursting is getting slowly better. Not a major difference, but just slightly. When walking the dog last night I did get headlights right in the face and the star bursting went sort of vertical. I could handle this driving as you don't really need to see above and below the car opposite. Like I said before, these night vision problems don't bother me and aren't severe enough to cause problems. I just look forward to walking the dog in the dark to see if there's any change every night.

The computer screen's pretty much back to normal and reading is normal too. As I haven't been under fluorescent lighting for three days I'm not sure if I'll notice an improvement tomorrow when I go back to work (hopefully this irritating tickly cough will have gone by then).

I'd really like a refraction now, but I'll have to wait another four weeks for my check-up. Don't know if they'll want to do one but I'll make sure they do.

Oh, and I'm not really getting dry eyes much. They're dry if I wake up in the night and when I first get up (as they always were), but after five minutes they feel OK without any drops. I am going to keep using the drops 4-5 times daily until I run out anyway. I bought enough to last until two months post-op (they were on special offer at Morrisons - £1 off, so I bought six boxes!).

I was amazed to see how quickly my counter has shot up as well! I caught it at 100 a couple of nights ago and it was upto 152 last night! I really hope everyone reading this is finding it interesting and useful. I read through it all myself the other day and was glad I've spent the time typing it up. I was reading some things which, even though they only happened less than three weeks ago, seem a lot longer ago and I'd forgotten.

27th April 2001 Top of page

I've fixed the bathroom window view page now so you should see the clear picture!

Went back to work today. Vision wasn't really any better in the office since I was last there. It's no worse than it was before, but not better like the outside vision I've been describing. The daytime haze around car indicator and headlights is still there. I don't think it's really improved in the last week. It would be nice to be able to take 'snap shots' in your head so you can compare.

At night the haze and starbursts around street lights and car headlights are much the same. The thing I have noticed an improvement in is the computer screen vision. Staring at the screen makes my eyes dry (at my one week check-up the optician did say to make an effort to blink while at the computer screen as it is easy to forget - sounds weird but if you sit there now and think about it, you'll realise it's true!). Despite this I seem to be able to read the screen much better. I would say it looks pretty normal now (as with glasses or contact lenses) even with dry eyes.

I should stress that none of these side effects are causing me any problems at all. Even at night my vision is better than it was before, there's just the haze around lights that I don't remember being there from contact lenses/glasses. I only really notice it because I'm going out of my way to notice it! If I just ignore it, it doesn't bother me. I now wish I'd made an effort before surgery to remember what everything looked like with my glasses and contact lenses so I could make a better judgement. Oh well, too late now.

I've had several E-mails recently, three from people in the UK! I'm really pleased that there are lots of people visting this page and I hope it's been interesting and helpful to everyone who has read it. From all the diaries I read before surgery, only one was from a UK patient. Mind you. the procedure is exactly the same which ever side of the atlantic you happen to be on, so I guess all it's all valid!

29th April 2001Top of page

Went down to the in-laws in Coventry for the weekend. My left eye hasn't been quite as sharp the last couple of days. Still not bad, but not as good as it has been. That's especially been the case today, but I put that down to being tired after being in the pub last night and not going to bed until 1AM (that's very late for me these days!).

My vision in the pub was better than it would have been in contact lenses. It was still a bit blurry and there were star bursts around some halogen lights in the ceiling. I could read the beer pump labels quite well from where I was sitting which I don't think I would have before. I used the eye drops three times during the four hours I was there. My eyes were about as dry as they would have been before but this time I didn't have to worry about contact lenses drying up and falling out (this has happened twice in the seven years I wore them, but they would often get very dry and then go blurry as they are shaped for astigmatism (torric lenses) and would move if they got dry). The smoky atmosphere didn't help.

Oh, I forgot to mention. I've been taking flax seed oil for the last couple of weeks. I've read in several places it can help to keep tear volumes up. Do I think it's working? I've got no idea! My eyes have never really seemed any drier than they would have been before anyway. Is this the flax seed oil helping? Who knows. The other thing I've noticed is a very occasional sort of mild burning sensation. Its really very momentary (about two seconds). I don't know what it is. Maybe it's those nerves that get severed when the flap is cut growing back.

30th April 2001Top of page

My vision seems to be a lot better today! First thing I was walking the dog and the left eye was sharp again and the right was a little better. When I got to the office the indoor vision was still a bit blurry, as usual. After an hour or so things did started to improve quite a bit. The vision got quite good, especially with the left eye and my eyes didn't seem as dry as usual. The blurring I've been putting down to the fluorescent lighting seemed a lot better. I think it might be linked to the dry eyes.

I went to the pub at lunch time and even in there my left eye stayed pretty clear, a lot clearer than it was with my contact lenses. I think I'll stop worrying every time I have a 'not so clear' day now as it's all just slight fluctuations which are par for the course at this stage.

The other thing I've noticed is that when I look at things when there's a bright light behind them, they aren't as clear. This is especially noticeable in the office when the sun comes through the window. It's due to the slight haze blurring the darker image in front. It doesn't really bother me. Again, even if it stays like this I wouldn't have any regrets.

I also seem to be slightly more light sensitive when driving. I've not noticed this just walking around, even if the sun is out, but I felt better wearing sunglasses or putting the visor down to block out the sky even when the sun wasn't actually out. It's not really bad, I'm just trying to report all the small side effects. None of them have really bothered me all that much.

I'm looking forward to Saturday, the 1 month mark, so I can stop worrying about getting water in my eyes. Even though I don't normally go swimming I might just so I can dive in and open my eyes without worrying about contact lenses floating out! I'll also be able to rub my eyes, but I'm going to avoid that anyway. I've read this isn't good for your eyes, LASIK or not.

1st May 2001 Top of page

Played squash for the first time since surgery last night. I expected not to see too well as the courts are lit by fluorescent tubes. However, it was all very clear. I could see much better than before with my lenses. I wore my glasses with the prescription free lenses just in case I got a ball or racket in the eye. I've not had them on for two weeks and it felt really odd having glasses on my face again. Even though there's no prescription in the lenses they did distort my vision at the edges more I remember from before. It was good not having to worry about my lenses getting washed out of my eyes in the shower afterwards but I still kept my eyes shut as I'm not supposed to get them wet for another three days at the 1 month mark. The changing room seemed much clearer than usual as well.

The drive back home is about twenty miles from the squash courts. After a quick pint of fizzy lager in the pub I drove home along several unlit roads. I thought this was going to be a problem. At one point a car did come the other way with their full beam on for a few seconds before switching to dipped beam. Although this caused quite a lot of glare, to be honest I don't think it was any worse than it would have been with my glasses or contact lenses, or to any normally sighted person. The glare from cars approaching with dipped beam again didn't cause any problems. I could see the road lit by headlights very clearly, much better and much more in focus than with my contact lenses. My vision always used to be bad with contact lenses when night driving as my eyes always got much drier. This was especially the case after about 9PM when I started getting tired. Last night it was about 10.30PM and although my eyes were dry, it didn't cause the blurry vision I used to experience.

In areas lit by street lights I could tell the haze around the lights was worse than it used to be with lenses but it only extended about a metre around the light source and didn't interfere with my road vision at all. I was very pleased! My focus was so much better than ever before I felt safer driving than before LASIK!

The vision in the office is still getting a bit better. Computer screens are pretty clear now although I can't see them quite as well if I'm stood over someone's shoulder. I have to move a bit closer to read comfortably. I wouldn't like to guess whether I'm still slightly long sighted or not. I can read small print OK in good light.

The really clear vision continues to be with my left eye. My right is still good and I think it may be slowly getting a bit better. I don't expect it to ever get to the clarity of the left. As I've said before, if both were the same as the right is I'd still be happy. I wouldn't need glasses for anything. I'd still estimate the left at 6/5 and the right at 6/6.

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