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Lasik procedure has advanced in last 10 to 20 years
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Dr. George Boozalis
WHO IS LASIK FOR?
People who want to reduce or eliminate their dependence on glasses or contacts.
Are at least 18 years of age.
Have had a stable eye prescription for at least one year.
Have ...
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WHO IS LASIK FOR?
People who want to reduce or eliminate their dependence on glasses or contacts.
Are at least 18 years of age.
Have had a stable eye prescription for at least one year.
Have no health issues affecting their eyes.
Have no signs of glaucoma or cataracts.
Source: Victoria Eye Center
John Handley has worn glasses since he was in junior high.
From there, he slowly transitioned to contact lenses.
They were good transitions, he says, but it wasn't until that one bad day that it finally took him over the edge.
"I'm going to get Lasik," said Handley, a senior financial advisor for Wells Fargo investments and senior vice president investment advisor.
It's not uncommon for Lasik surgery shoppers to be wary of receiving the quick, relatively inexpensive procedure, said Dr. George Boozalis, an ophthalmologist at the Victoria Eye Center.
The two main reasons people stay on the brink of the decision: fear and finances, Boozalis said.
"You're not in control for those 15 minutes," Boozalis said as he sat outside the IntraLase Lasik surgery room.
Most people wait for about two years to make a decision, he added.
Handley may be considered one of those.
"There have been lots of my friends who have had it," Handley said. "I'm probably the longest hold-out of most of my friends that have already done it."
Handley has been comfortable with his contacts for the past six years, but said he, and probably most people who decide to follow through with the procedure, reached a tipping point.
"I was comfortable," he said about life with glasses and contacts. "I felt like if we were going to go into the procedure there had to be a real motivation to do it."
Handley, 36, said it may be more cost-effective for a younger person to consider Lasik.
In a lifetime, buying glasses, contacts and getting re-prescriptions seems more costly, Handley said.
In the last 10 to 20 years, the 15-minute procedure has become cheaper, at $1,995 per eye, but the technology has also advanced, Boozalis said.
"The changes in lasers, software and upgrades have made the procedure easier and safer," he said.
Boozalis has seen people enter the procedure for all different reasons, he said.
Some are new moms who are tired of fumbling around at night looking for their glasses to go take care of their crying child, and some are like Handley: They've reached a tipping point, Boozalis said.
"It's usually a precipitating event that causes for them to decide to have the surgery," he said.
It's not just a matter of having the surgery, though.
Tests before surgery check the roundness of the eye, thickness of the eye and make sure the eye has leveled out.
The eye usually stops growing between the age of 18 and 20, but may keep growing after those ages.
The surgery is not effective if the eye is still leveling itself out.
Patients about to undergo Lasik are given a sedative to relax, Boozalis said.
Once in the surgery room, anesthetic eye drops are used to numb the eye. Then an eyelid holder is placed to prevent the patient from blinking during the procedure, he said.
One laser will then create a thin corneal tissue flap, he said.
There is pressure, but no pain, he said.
The table rotates and then a second laser reshapes the cornea.
The only nerves going through Handley's body were spending the day at home to rest his eyes, he said.
"I'm pretty active, and I'm a guy who needs to be up and around," he said.
Handley had his surgery Friday and the procedure went well, he said.
He grew a little bit nervous prior to the surgery, but it was well worth the 15 minutes, he said.
"It worked out fine," he said about the procedure.
Handley did not have any side effects to the procedure and spent the entire day at home, which was difficult for him, he said.
To help pass the time at home, he purchased an audiobook since he needed to rest his eyes.
It worked, he said.
"I've never done that before," he said. "I got through Chapter 1 and then fell to sleep."
It helped pass the time, he added.
The very next day, he was back to his routine including going to a movie. He returned to work on Modnay.
Now that Handley has made one of his last transitions, he's glad he had the procedure.
"Go see somebody who does a lot of the these procedures," he advised people considering having the surgery. "It's a pretty routine procedure, and as long as you follow all pre-surgery and post-surgery procedures, then it should go fine."
Comments
What Hadley did not say is at age 36 he does not need glasses for the bifocal range. Lasiks or whatever surgery cannot compensate for that and when that time arrives, you still have to wear glasses.
On of my previous bosses decided on lasiks. She ended up being on of those that one of her eyes constantly tears up and it will never go away. They forgot to tell her that could be a problem.
Then she got vain and would not wear benji's to read reports and such in a meeting. I would laugh and tease her later.
People should ask about all the possible complications and be prepared. 5 years later and her eye still crys all day.
November 18, 2009 at 7:23 p.m.