Scott
Why I had the surgery
I was 60 years old, retiring, and had been wearing contact lenses for 40 years. I had found out that I was myopic when I entered high school. I was too vain to wear glasses throughout high school, so I chose to be fitted with hard contact lenses as I began my college years. Fortunately, I was able to wear hard contact lenses successfully, and continued to wear them for approximately 10 years. When gas permeable lenses came about, I was switched to them. Again, I was able to wear them quite comfortably, and they provided me about 20-30 vision. My right eye, was dominant, and afforded me better vision than my left over the course of 40 years, but I continued to become more and more myopic and I also developed astigmatism.


By the time R K became the rage, I was at the top of the range and not a candidate (fortunately). Therefore, my option was to wait until LASIK was approved in the U.S., to consider any correction other than wearing contacts. It was concerning to me that without contact lenses, my vision was so poor. I was truly non functional. Glasses were not an option for me, as they were bulky and distorted my vision. In all the material that I read at that time, LASIK sounded like the thing for me. However, the fact that I had to discontinue wearing lenses for an extended period of time prior to LASIK surgery, discouraged me from considering LASIK until I retired. I knew that it would be hard for me to endure the time period of not wearing contacts in order for my corneas to adjust, but dreamed of the day when I could throw away my contact lenses.


I had been fortunate that I was able to wear contact lenses without a need for reading glasses until I was 56 years old. Maybe it was because my eyes were changing, but in addition to having to wear reading glasses, at this time in my life, I was also finding contact lenses to be more uncomfortable, particularly in my left the eye during these latter years.


LASIK surgery
I discontinued wearing contact lenses right after Thanksgiving in 1997. I was scheduled for LASIK surgery on December 16, 1997. My choice was to have the surgery on both eyes. My pre- conditions was right equal -12 plus 4.75 at 85 , left -11 plus 3.5 at 92. The only other conditions affecting my eyes was that I had been taking drops for Glaucoma for six months, but was assured that this should have no affect on the LASIK surgery itself. I was scheduled the day before the planned LASIK surgery for all the pre testing, and spent almost a full day going through many tests. On the following day, when I arrived at the laser facility, we experienced delays because the refrigeration system had failed in the facility, and the laser required re calibration. My surgeon, in examining my eyes, noted that they were still dilated and suggested that we delay the surgery. I was then rescheduled to return in three days and have the surgery on December 19, 1997. The surgery went as planned. I was examined following the surgery with the Dr. (also my surgeon), and he was quite pleased with the appearance of my flaps. Also, the following day, I was re-examined in the follow-up with my Dr. and he was still pleased with the appearance of my flaps, but stated disappointment in the fact that I seemed to be so under corrected, far more than he had planned.


My unaided vision, while greatly improved, was far from the level of my vision with contacts prior to LASIK. My doctor now stated that we would probably have to do an enhancement, however would have to wait for at least six weeks. This was my first big DISAPPOINTMENT. I then requested that he provide me with a refraction such that I could obtain glasses in order to see well enough to drive and read. After obtaining the glasses and finding that they did absolutely nothing to help my eyesight, this was my SECOND MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT and was horrifying to me to now realize that I may never be able to see properly again.


I immediately called the Dr. to explain the situation and found little consoling or explanation as to why the glasses did nothing to aid my vision. He insisted that I wait for two weeks and then we would try again. This left me in a horrible state of being non functional, and just waiting for time to go by, and in the meantime, worrying that I may never see properly again, but hoping that each day, improvements would occur. Only those of us who have experienced these situations, can understand the feelings. It can not be properly stated in words.


Over the course of the next six weeks, we tried two more other refractions for glasses and the doctor also attempted to fit me with contacts in order to determine my refraction. But none of them worked. It then began being very difficult to get any reasonable amount of explanation from the doctor as he was quite non conversant, always seemed to be in such a rush that he had no time to explain or answer my many questions, and exuded a secretive attitude, as if the information was above my ability to comprehend, or my questioning was irrelevant and he was not obligated to respond. He continued to pass my situation off, saying we will just wait, lift the flap, then smooth the surface of my cornea. He explained in very little detail, that my double and triple images were being caused by a central island induced by swelling in my eye, and that his experience was that it would dissipate in time, therefore we should be in no hurry to consider an enhancement. However, as time went on and there was no improvement in my condition, the doctors attitude changed from being highly optimistic about a simple enhancement .to an attitude of apprehension and a lack of confidence in knowing what to do. He could not, or would not, explain to me how he was going to be able to smooth the surface of my cornea while also determining the amount of additional ablation which would be required to further correct my myopia.


So as we arrived at the three month time period, I insisted that there be a review and opinion by another doctor. This was arranged, and this second doctors opinion was also that I had central islands, and suspected that swelling may indeed still be inducing the situation. His advice was that at this time, we should not attempt an enhancement. He suggested that I go to a doctor, of which he knew of, and who had a reputation of being able to fit contacts on LASIK patients. The arrangements were made, topographies were provided, and I went directly to have RGP contact lenses fitted. Life began anew. I was now able to see again, well enough to drive and function. What a horrible time of this I had been through. But here I was, right back to wearing contact lenses again. But at least, I could see once again.


Today's situation
I have now been wearing contact lenses following LASIK for one year. I have had one minor prescription change and I can read the chart at 20/25 with my right eye and 20/40 with my left. My night vision however, is quite poor, and I hardly dare drive at night. The glare around lights, and some double vision at night, makes it too difficult and intimidating. Unfortunately, my major hobbies are hunting and fishing, both of which usually requires traveling to and from my favorite locations in the dark. I wish for my night vision again.


I have not been seen by my LASIK doctor for about nine months. I have called his office for information, sent him e-mails, and have had no response. My contact lens doctor, who knows him quite well, suggests to me that there are many other doctors who can perform LASIK surgery if I should ever consider enhancement in the future. This I recognize, as a professional way for him to inform me that I am probably better off with a new doctor.


I have arranged to meet with another local doctor, who has a good reputation, for a current evaluation. I am not currently considering anything other than a full evaluation of the condition of my eyes. I would like to have a current typography and have a comparison against the topography taken at three months to see what kind of changes, if any, have occurred in the past year. My unaided vision seems to be a little sharper, however the double images do not seem to have changed.


What I hope for
For right now, I am committed to wearing contact lenses. From the research I have done, I truly believe that I have central islands, and probably some irregular astigmatism, which is not going to dissipate on its own. I am going to continue to work with my contact lens doctor to try to further improve the sharpness of my vision, to improve my daytime vision and hopefully, this will also improve my vision at night. I also will work with him to attempt to give me glasses so that on occasions when my eyes get tired and/or my contacts get uncomfortable, I will be able to wear them. He has been able to fit me with glasses which provides me with vision well enough to drive during the daytime, and for watching TV at night. It may be, that he can further improve on the elimination of the astigmatism effect, and provide me with a prescription that will allow me to see better at night also, through the utilization of anti glare properties in the glasses.


I will continue, also, to stay abreast of the technology advancements, which hopefully someday may be able to provide me proper correction for my LASIK eyes. Of course, there is going to have to be an extremely high degree of confidence, like 100%, before I would ever want to have further LASIK surgery on my eyes. Hopefully this effort by Ron Link can begin to promote accelerated advancements in the technology, leading to a solution for all of us who have ended with horrible results.


This is the highlights of my story, but very inadequately expresses the frustration, fear, anger, and even hope that I went through and have continued to go through every day, since my LASIK operation.


Sincerely,

Scott