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Tag: LASIK

Posted on by Dr. Sherman Tung

Interested in Refractive Eye Surgery?

Photo credit: iris.ca

In the case of nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, or presbyopia refractive surgery can help either reduce or eliminate the need for glasses/contacts and improve vision. Good candidates include:

  • Patients with stable unchanging refractive errors
  • Patients with thick healthy corneas and good overall ocular health
  • Patients whose lifestyle/expectations match the surgery they choose

Candidates may have limited options or should avoid refractive surgery if they have:

  • thin corneas
  • severe dry eye
  • extreme levels of myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism
  • corneal scars
  • cataracts
  • history of eye infections or an active eye infection
  • diabetes
  • glaucoma

What to expect with refractive eye surgery

Before your surgery, your optometrist will:

  • Discuss options and expectations associated with the different types of refractive eye surgery
  • Test your vision
  • Measure the surface and thickness of your cornea
  • Double check if any other existing conditions may complicate or prevent a successful outcome

During your surgery, your doctor will:

  • Instill numbing eye drops
  • Instill devices around your eyelids to prevent blinking
  • Have the patient will stare at a target light to prevent from moving
  • Clicking sounds, duration, other details may vary between different types of surgeries

After your surgery, you will:

  • Use a see through shield to protect your eye while it heals for a few days
  • Apply eye drops to reduce dryness and promote healing
  • Experience varying amounts of scratchy/burning sensations temporarily

Be sure to discuss with your eye care provider about the varying types of refractive surgery options and if they are right for you. Some of these include: LASIK, PRK, ICL, LRI, SMILE etc.

Posted on by Dr. Sherman Tung

My PRK Laser Eye Surgery Experience

At the end of 2014, I had my PRK laser eye surgery at Pacific Eyecare Laser Center. My original prescription was -7.50 -1.50 x 180 for both eyes and after years of having contacts and glasses, I finally decided to have the surgery.

I first had a pre-operative assessment to ensure that my prescription was stable and that my eyes were healthy enough for the procedure.

I was given relaxant medication before the surgery and the procedure only lasted 5-8 seconds for each eye. I experienced no pain during the entire process and at the end, contact lens bandages were placed on my eyes to heal. I was given anti-inflammatory eye drops which I had to use hourly and was instructed not to drive for the next two weeks.

I returned the next day for my 1-day post follow-up to make sure my healing process was progressing well. In the following days, I found that it was hard to open my eyes as it felt like there was sand in my eyes and had to constantly put in eye drops.

Five days after the first follow-up, I had my contact lenses removed and my vision was now at 20/50.

After 2 weeks, I was able to drive and my vision was at 20/40 but I still had to use eye drops almost every hour. After 5 weeks, my vision was at 20/20 and at 8 weeks, my vision was at 20/15.

If you are interested in laser eye surgery, please book a consult with us and we can explore your options.