Style :: Life
LASIK :: Why did I wait so long?
by Jason Salzenstein EDGE National Style & Travel Editor Thursday Mar 12, 2009 It’s amazing how much your life can change in a few months. Reading that, you probably imagine that I lost a leg, moved to Uzbekistan, or came back from fighting in Iraq; I’ve done none of these things. What’s changed for me in the last six months may seem trivial to some, but for me it was life altering. Four months ago I got laser eye surgery. Like I said, it’s not world peace and it’s admittedly very egocentric; nonetheless, having my vision corrected through laser surgery changed my life. Much more than I thought it would in fact. And to make matters worse, this time last year I was one of those people (as you may be now) who tended to scoff a bit or roll their eyes at "the converts" who’d had the procedure before me and wouldn’t shut up about how happy they were. Of course now I’m one of them. "I mean, how much can getting rid of your glasses change your life," I thought? Sure, it’d be nice to be able to see right when I wake up, I’d love to not have to spend money buying (designer) glasses and sunglasses for the rest of my life, and given that I didn’t need glasses to help me look older and more respectable, I wouldn’t have complained about possibly looking younger. But life-changing? Really? Of course it turns out that I couldn’t have been more wrong. Most of the changes are fairly run-of-the-mill, and I’ve already taken some of them for granted, but getting rid of my glasses has changed my world in ways I hadn’t even considered- and in fact in many ways that I can’t even describe. The only reference I have with which to compare it is the way people with depression talk about starting on a medication. One day, out of the blue, they just feel better. Words can’t put the benefits of being sans spectacles in proper perspective, so you’ll have to do what I was never quite able to do with others- just trust me. If you’re wondering, yes; that’s me in the picture, about five months after my laser eye surgery, and wearing a $140,000 diamond and topaz necklace from Gucci. That’s how much my life changed. (OK, so I was just trying it on at a party, but it could happen!)
Of course there are many benefits of laser eye surgery that I can put into words, which is why I wrote this piece. As with many things in my life, once I discovered the joy, benefits, and freedom of being able to see well without glasses, the first thing I wanted to do was to share it with everyone I know- including EDGE readers. And while I’m the last person to proselytize, the short version of this story is that if you wear glasses and have even an inkling of disdain for them, you should look into laser eye surgery. Of course hindsight is 20/20 (sorry, bad reference...), but if I’d known then what I do now... I’ve worn glasses since I was in high school. Given that I graduated in ’94, that’s more than a few years spent dealing with annual checkups, not to mention daily annoyances like not being able to see well in the shower, at the spa, etc. What happens when you want to go in the ocean in Cannes? Well, you either go in the water "blind," or you take your glasses, and risk losing a $600 pair of Prada frames. (I speak from experience.) Speaking of expenses, buying lenses, frames, and prescription sunglasses each year isn’t cheap either. In the 14 years I’ve worn glasses I’ve spent at least $8,000 on lenses, frames, and accessories, and that’s being conservative. For a long time I actually wanted to wear glasses, mostly because I thought they made me look more intellectual, and they definitely made me look a few years older. At the time I was working as a Manager at Banana Republic (and later at Dolce & Gabbana), and since most of my salespeople were older than I was, I figured it gave me more credibility. Now that I’ve hit 30, I’ve got the credibility under control, and I was perfectly fine giving up those few years. Obviously I’d heard of laser eye surgery before, and had always been impressed with the results. Honestly, the only thing that kept me from having it done earlier was the thought of having a scalpel near my eye. Having researched the procedures- and seen it on video- I knew that it was safe, quick, and easy, but I was still a little bit trepidatious. It turns out that there were two things I didn’t realize- first, you don’t actually see a blade, and obviously you don’t feel any pain. Second, there’s a type of laser eye surgery that doesn’t require a blade- it’s called PRK, and fortunately I fit the profile just fine. (More on that in a minute.) Pictured :: Me, before surgery. Cute to be sure, but a bit dowdy, and looking older than I actually was.
Before I get into the actual procedure, there are a few things I have to tell you. This is where I could go into a big ole’ legal disclaimer, but instead I’m just going to tell you that this is my story, about my personal experience and procedure with laser eye surgery and vision correction. Obviously everyone is different, and while technically the basic procedure is similar across the board, every doctor and office will do things slightly differently. In fact, that was one of the main reasons why I got my procedure done at the New England Eye Center: it was one of the few places that I found where the doctors customize the procedure for every person. There are a ton of laser vision correction places out there, and most of them are probably good. When it comes to my eyes however, "good" isn’t good enough. I wanted the best, and I feel like I got it. A lot of the strip-mall offices do pretty much the same procedure on every patient- that doesn’t work for me. As annoying as it was to sit in a chair pushing my forehead against a strip while they shined lights in my eyes, took pictures of my retinas, and made measurements of my lenses, I knew they were doing it so that they could customize the procedure down to the micrometer. This dedication to perfection carries over to more than just tests and procedures though; I felt extremely comfortable and confident in them from the first time I met with a doctor to discuss my candidacy for the procedure through to the follow-up appointments months afterwards. To get back to the point, this is the story of my procedure. If you want a similar experience- and I highly recommend it- then you should do your homework, and seek out the best doctor and surgery center- not the least expensive. This isn’t the time to try to save a couple hundred dollars, and in fact what I paid for what I consider to be the best in the Boston area was extremely competitive, and by no means the most expensive in town. If you do live in Massachusetts, I highly recommend you check out the New England Eye Center. They’ve got offices in Boston, Wellesley and Leominster, and I truly can’t say enough good things about them. Next :: types of laser eye surgery, the procedure itself, and Valium!
Before I get into the details of the procedure, how excruciatingly painful the surgery was (kidding!), or why I’ve become the unofficial spokesperson for laser eye surgery, I need to explain a few things, starting with the reason why there’s a little asterisk (you know, this: *) after the word LASIK in the title of this feature. As I learned from the fabulous folks at the New England Eye Center during my initial consultation, although most people refer to all laser eye surgery as "LASIK," in fact there are a few major/common procedures that use a laser to correct vision. LASIK (laser-assisted in situ Keratomileusis) is the most well known procedure, and involves making a very small, thin flap in the eye’s surface, which is lifted so that the laser can reshape the eye beneath it. The flap is then put back in place, and acts like a natural bandage, while the eye heals. Within this category are LASEK (where the flap is moved to the side by being floated off the eye in an alcohol solution) or Epi-LASIK (the flap is lifted using a special tool, for patients who may react to the alcohol), as well as Bladeless, Blade-Free, or All Laser LASIK (rather than the tool making the flap it’s done using another laser). The second major type of laser vision correction procedure is called Photorefractive Keratectomy, or PRK (also sometimes referred to as Surface Ablation), which is what I had. In PRK, rather than make a flap before they ablate (that’s the technical medical term for "remove") the tissue, they simply remove the tissue directly from the eye’s surface, thereby changing the curvature of the cornea, and correcting vision. You may have also heard about Wavefront LASIK or PRK (also known as wavefront-guided, wavefront-assisted, or custom LASIK/PRK), which essentially incorporates a super-modern analysis, measuring how light moves through your eye in order to correct vision errors even more precisely. (And just to make things more complicated, there’s also a procedure that involve the surgical insertion of artificial lenses to correct eyesight, but that’s another story altogether.) All laser vision correction procedures remove some tissue from your eye in very specific areas of in order to change the shape of your cornea, to improve vision. The major difference is the fact that LASIK, LASEK, Epi-LASIK, and Bladeless, Blade-Free, or All-Laser LASIK involve creating a flap, then applying a laser to the exposed tissue, while PRK involves applying the laser directly to the surface of the eye. Keep in mind that these descriptions are the very abbreviated versions of the procedures, explained in a way that I- and hopefully you- can easily understand. Obviously you’re going to want to get more detailed info from your doctor- or not; I didn’t want to know every detail of the procedure, choosing instead to get the basics, make sure it wouldn’t be too uncomfortable, and then focus on the fact that it would make my vision better! Of course reading this, you’re probably thinking, "Why the hell would I want to have them make a flap in my eye if I can get PRK, which doesn’t involve a flap?" (At least that’s what I thought when I first read about it.) Well, it turns out that not everyone’s eyes are the same- surprise!- and just as we’re not all meant to wear spandex, not everyone is a good candidate for PRK. (Luckily, unlike spandex, the majority of people are a good candidate for some type of laser vision correction.) Various factors come into play when deciding which procedure is best, including your age, current vision, type of correction needed, the shape of your eye, and even your job and extra-curricular activities. (Sports that put you at risk of a detached retina are not good following LASIK, and if you work in a dusty or dirty environment, PRK is likely not a good idea, as it leaves the surface of your eye exposed while it heals.) Deciding which procedure is best for each person can be a tricky thing, which is why it’s important to go to an excellent doctor. I’ll be honest: I watched a LASIK procedure on TV and was a bit trepidatious to have it done because I’m afraid of blades. When I went in for my consultation at the New England Eye Center, I was dead-set on getting All-laser LASIK, because I was ok with the thought of a laser making a flap, but not a blade. As it turns out, after meeting with my doctor, we decided that due to the shape of my cornea and because I have a strong astigmatism -and a "weird" astigmatism- I would be a better candidate for Custom PRK. And since I’m speaking of her, I have to give a shout-out to Dr. Helen Wu at New England Eye Center. Not only is she incredibly brilliant and well respected in her field, she’s also extremely funny, very straightforward, and easy to talk to. It was clear throughout my entire experience that the folks there run an extremely tight ship and are at the forefront of the industry. Aside from that though- and just as important in my opinion- I felt like everyone genuinely cared about both correcting my vision, and my general well being and happiness. To me that’s as important as anything else. Still to come :: the procedure, the outcome, and the cost...
Preparation for "the big day" is extremely easy, although it takes a little bit of time for all of the tests and measurements. Forget any pain; the worst part of it for me was the monotony. I have no patience, so having to hold my head still as I pushed my forehead and chin against plastic straps of various machines so they could measure my eyes, my vision, my beauty, grace, charm... well, I found that a bit boring. Then there’s the familiar, "Which is better, one or two? Two or three? Three or four? Now which is better, one or two? Two? Is there a difference? Two or three? Three or four..." Oh. My. God. Listening to it made me crazy; I can’t imagine being the doctor that has to say it to patients five times a day! Seriously though, the pre-procedure prep is a cakewalk. Usually your doctor will put you on a few supplements (I took flaxseed oil and vitamin C) and start you using eye drops a few times a day for a couple months before the procedure, in order to get your eyes all lubricated and moist to counteract the dryness that often follows the procedure. You’ll also get a ton of information on the procedure itself, what they’ll be doing, and what you can expect afterwards. When it comes down to the actual day-of pre-procedure stuff, it really couldn’t be easier... or more fun! (Because in my case, Valium was involved!) I arrived at the office around 8am, sat down with a nurse to discuss aftercare, and met with the surgeon’s assistant to verify which eye was getting treated (they put a dot in permanent ink above that eye; a small -and temporary- sacrifice to make sure that the correct eye is getting zapped). Many places -including the NEEC- like to do one eye at a time so that you’re never without one "good" eye. My procedures were scheduled four weeks apart, although I could have done the second eye a week sooner. I already knew what was expected of me following surgery (various medicated drops every few hours for the next five days, then "tears, tears, tears, tears, tears" -regular eye drops- for the next couple months), but to make it easier, I got a cute little dopp kit in which to store my drops, along with the pain medicine that I’d pick up on the way home. (Vicodin? Yes please!) It also contained a glamorous crystal clear eye patch (more on that in a minute), and a ’cheat-sheet’ with instructions on how often to use each kind of drop for the first few days. (And trust me, it was a bit complicated; I was thankful to have this a few hours after I got home!) After the rundown, I was given a drop of something to dilate my pupil; I put on my sterile booties and hat (necessary to keep dust and hair off the laser- and very fashionable!), and was then given a fabulous little Valium for being such a good boy... and to help me relax for the procedure. Then I sat back, and relaxed!
After letting "mama’s little helper" work its magic for about 20 minutes or so (it could have been hours; I wouldn’t have noticed!), I was lead into the actual room where the procedure is done. (Although officially surgery, it’s not really an operating room by standard definition; in fact it looks more like a dentist’s office.) An assistant settled me into the chair, putting weighted pillows around my head to make sure I didn’t move during the procedure. Next, the chair is moved into position under the laser (which also looks like something from a dentist’s office, although it’s stationary rather than being on the end of a giant arm), and the doctor and an assistant triple-verify the procedure being done, the eye being treated, and the settings of the machine. Then they check them again just to be sure. (Meanwhile, the Valium is making me quite calm, and I was more interested in the chair, the machines, and the ceiling tiles.) The machine that actually ’does the work’ is only on for a few seconds- someone told me 15, but I’d have said five or six. It wasn’t anything at all like I was expecting- in fact it was super boring. There’s no bright beam of light like the phasers on Star Trek, no cool spacey sounds, and no drama at all. In fact, all I saw was a circle of red lights, which actually track your pupil so that any microscopic movements of your eye are matched exactly by the laser- something I found totally fascinating and very cool. After the (imagine air-quotes here) "laser" was done doing its thing, they put a ’bandage contact’ onto my eye, which is basically a standard soft contact on steroids- it was huge! The contact is left on your eye for five days; the laser leaves the surface of your eye a bit uneven, and the contact helps to protect the inside of your eyelid from getting scratched- and also helps protect the fresh cells from infection. Before I knew it we were done and I was brought back to my friend the Valium keeper to make sure I understood what to do over the next few days. Unfortunately she wouldn’t give me any more "candy," but she did give me a pair of uber-fashionable plastic sunglasses that looked like something I’ve seen on old ladies at flea markets. (Luckily I brought a pair of super dark oversized Fendi wraparounds.) I left the office that day surprised at how easy the procedure was, and with very little discomfort- in fact I was feeling fabulous. (Aren’t drugs wonderful!?!) Next :: after the drugs wear off... and the fabulous results!
Note: that’s not me in the picture... I remember the next four or five days being, well; let’s just say "less than fun." Of course having said that, I’d also do it again in a heartbeat considering the fact that I’m writing this having been without glasses for three months, and just tested as having 20/15 vision- which is better than I ever saw with my glasses on. The first few days after my PRK/laser eye surgery were uncomfortable to say the least. No, it’s not as painful as having a baby (I’m guessing), and I’ll admit that I can be a bit of a baby when it comes to pain, but it wasn’t fun. However, since I had my eyes done at separate times, I learned a few things. First, if you have it done, plan a bunch of things for the following few days that will distract you. I did this for one of my eyes and it made it MUCH easier than when I planned "relaxing alone time" for the other. Second, get very, very, very dark sunglasses (and plan on wearing them inside)- your eyes will be super sensitive to the light. Two days following my first eye we threw a 50th wedding anniversary for my S.O.’s parents. Basically, I went home from the doctor, took a nap, woke up and ate dinner, went back to sleep (thanks Vicodin!), and woke up the next day. Easy! I spent that entire day and the next overseeing decorations, assembling gift bags, tasting food and wine, and generally running around my house, the restaurant where we threw the party, and the greater Boston metropolitan area (never when I was taking pain pills, I’m not stupid) like a chicken with my head cut off. Of course I felt some discomfort, but as long as I followed my instructions (which included using numbing eye drops, lots of Tylenol, and occasional stronger pain pills) and kept distracted, I was fine. Mostly it was annoying, because of the scratchiness in my eye (and not being able to rub it), the sensitivity to light, and because I could already see much better in the eye that was ’zapped,’ but still had bad vision in the untreated one. (I had one lens in a pair of my Rx glasses taken out and replaced with clear glass, which helped, although it was a bit odd.) As long as I kept on top of the drops and Tylenol, it was OK. Following the second eye I thought I’d be "sensible" and take some time off, relax, do my own thing. Not so much. In fact not having anything to do to distract me made it worse, because all I did was focus on- and bitch about- the pain, the scratchiness, how much I wanted to rub it... if I were my boyfriend, I think that would have been the end of it. Anyway, lesson learned: plan distractions. (Of course you don’t want plan anything that you absolutely can’t reschedule, and you also have to keep in mind the fact that you can’t shower, bathe, sweat, workout, or be exposed to dirt, dust, sand, etc. for the first three days... so no marathons on the beach!) For the first five days, while I had the giant contact/bandage on my eye, I had to tape a gorgeous plastic eye patch over my eye to wear while I was sleeping. This might be annoying to some, but luckily I fall asleep easily and it didn’t really bother me. (In fact I got up two mornings and didn’t think to take it off until my boyfriend reminded me... but that could be because I’m blond.) If you get your laser eye correction done at the NEEC, you go back to see a doctor one day, five days, and 12 days following your procedure, so that they can make sure everything is healing properly, ensure you’re following your aftercare instructions, and monitor the healing. Every time I went I was impressed not only by their skill and thoroughness, but at the fact that I felt like they all generally cared about how I was doing- which was great. Last page: the cost, and some final thoughts...
OK, I know what you’re thinking: "This is too good to be true. Surely it must cost $100,000 or even $150,000." Wrong! If you act now, you can get laser eye surgery for just four easy payments of $10,000 each! I’m kidding of course; in fact, the cost of laser eye surgery has gone down dramatically in the past few years, as the procedure has become more popular- and even as the technology has improved by leaps and bounds. Yes, it’s going to cost you more than your monthly latté bill, but it also allows you to see better, all the time, including when you get up in the morning (and in the middle of the night)- when’s the last time your Starbucks let you do that? Before I had the procedure done I was told that it was one of the top things that most alters your life- and I totally laughed. I mean, yeah- it’d be nice to be able to see all the time, I thought, but life altering? That’s stretching it a bit, no? In fact, it wasn’t. Although I wasn’t one of those people who was essentially blind without my glasses (I could get up and make it to the bathroom just fine- in fact, I could drive a car without my glasses if I needed to, although it was never much fun), not being dependent on them has completely changed my life and left me feeling free in ways I hadn’t thought possible. Of course my only regret is waiting so long to do it. But back to the cost. You’ll see and hear ads offering laser eye surgery for as little as $500 an eye, and that sounds great. In fact, it sounds too good to be true- usually because it is. Once you go in to these mega-eye-surgery-centers you’ll likely find that along with the handful of extra charges they throw it, you’re also likely to be getting a standard procedure (rather than something custom designed to your eye) by a surgeon who may or may not have extensive training in the most modern technology and procedures. None of my friends in LA would trust their boob jobs or tummy tucks to hack-job surgeons; and I wouldn’t trust my eyes to them either. Do your research, talk to people you know, and find a doctor -and a center- that has a good reputation, and that you feel comfortable at. With tax time in full swing, it’s the perfect time to get it done; most people’s refunds are enough to cover the cost. You should also check into your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) if you have one; most will allow you to use the funds for laser eye surgery. Finally, if you’re one of the tiny minority of people who are actually getting a bonus from 2008, make good use of it. (And know that you’re hated by 99% of the rest of us!)
As I said, I couldn’t have been happier with the people and the procedure at the New England Eye Center; I would highly recommend them to anyone in eastern Mass who’s thinking of having laser eye surgery. From their staff to their offices, top to bottom, they’re top-notch. If you live in the area and you’re considering it, give them a call. (Even if you live outside of New England, check out their site- you’ll learn a lot about the various procedures and be able to ask your own doctor informed questions.) You can check them out online at www.MyLasikDoc.com Twitter :: JasonSalz Jason Salzenstein is a Senior Editor for EDGE Publications, overseeing Lifestyle and Travel. He is a design, image, and marketing consultant, a professional shopper, and a contributor for national and international publications. For more information, go to www.JasonSalzenstein.com You can also send questions, comments, and concerns to jsalzenstein@EDGEPublications.com |
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