Laser Eye Surgery is Pure Magic and Totally Changed My Life
I recently had laser eye surgery and wanted to share my experience. It’s pretty long and detailed but I hope it’s helpful to anyone who is curious about this procedure!
Life Before Laser Eye Surgery
In high school, I had a hard time reading the board and would get headaches. That’s when I found out I needed glasses. While I had the option to wear contacts, I didn’t enjoy the sensation of sticking something into my eyes every day.
Glasses improved my vision and let me experiment with fashion in a fun way.
Left to right: black frames (high school), cat eye glasses (high school – I had a retro fashion phase), and the red frames I wore for most of my adult years
However, there have been some annoying aspects with wearing glasses for the past 15-16 years:
- They fog up when you drink or eat something hot. Now with COVID, they also fog up when you wear a mask
- There’s a border in your field of vision
- The lenses get smudged easily
- If you have long hair, it’ll probably get caught in them
- You can’t lay down and rest while wearing them
- You can’t see well when it rains
- Wearing a VR headset or 3D glasses is uncomfortable
When I wasn’t wearing glasses, it was also difficult to do things like put on eye make up. Who knows how many times I’ve jabbed my eyes with a mascara wand.
I recognize that in the grand scheme of things, these aren’t big problems. But if you’ve ever worn glasses, you’ll totally relate.
Laser Eye Surgery – The Consultation
I’ve been dreaming about getting laser eye surgery for years. I wanted to wake up and be able to see. Once I finished paying off my student loans, I decided it was time to get laser eye surgery!
I went to the Lasik Vision Institute for my consultation, which consisted of an in-depth eye exam. There were different machines that took detailed scans of my eyes. These scans captured information on various eye measurements, such as the thickness of my corneas and the shape and surface of my eyes. Surgeons use these scans to determine which laser eye surgery procedure is best for you.
The next part of the consultation involved talking to the office manager about the cost and financing options. I had already set up a flexible spending account through work, so I had no issue paying the cost upfront. There were also options to set up a payment plan.
The total cost for my procedure was $3,500. While my vision insurance didn’t cover the cost, I received a discount because the Lasik Vision Institute was in their provider network. The cost varies depending on things like your prescription, location, procedure type, and surgeon’s experience.
Once I finished with the payment logistics, I scheduled my procedure. The staff gave me a folder that included consent forms and information about my procedure, such as what to expect and the recovery process. My folder included a prescription for Valium and medicated eye drops. The staff instructed me to bring the Valium the day of my procedure.
The final part of the consultation involved a dilated eye exam where the surgeon checked for any eye diseases.
Laser Eye Surgery – The Procedure
The surgeon determined PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) was the safest option for my eyes. With Lasik, the surgeon creates a flap in the top layer of your cornea. With PRK, they don’t create a flap and instead burn off the top layer of your cornea with a laser.
The day of my procedure, I signed my final paperwork, looked through one of the scanning machines again, and waited until they called me into the procedure room. I remember feeling a little anxious – was I really willingly getting lasers shot at my eyes?!
I took a Valium twenty minutes before my procedure. Once the Valium kicked in, I remember feeling incredibly calm. The staff asked me to put my hair up in a net and wear booties over my shoes. They also handed me a “care kit” – a little pouch with some sunglasses, an eye shield to wear while sleeping, and my eye drops. The assistant described what I should expect after the procedure and the after care logistics.
I confirmed my name and birthday at least 3 different times before my procedure. I felt reassured that the staff thoroughly reviewed and checked all my files and the laser machine to ensure it was correctly configured to my specific measurements.
The surgeon checked my eyes one final time with the slit lamp (it’s a microscope with a very bright light), and explained the procedure again. He asked me if I had any final questions or concerns before the procedure.
I wasn’t able to take any pictures of my surgery but this video shows a very similar room and procedure:
The surgeon used this plastic-like shield to keep my eyes open and prevent me from blinking. The surgeon placed it on my right eye first and put numbing drops into my eye. I remember thinking these worked pretty well because I didn’t feel anything except slight pressure when he brushed my eye.
The laser part of the procedure was pretty straightforward. There was a countdown and I was asked to look up at a green light. I didn’t feel anything but could smell the laser burning my eye. The smell was similar to burnt hair.
Then, the surgeon put medicated eye drops in my eye. He waited for about 30 seconds and then put in a soft bandage (non-prescription contact lens to protect your eyes while they heal), took off the plastic shield, and covered my eye.
Then the surgeon did the same thing with my left eye. After my procedure, an assistant helped me up and put my sunglasses on. I walked back to the waiting room to schedule my one day and one week post-op appointments.
Laser Eye Surgery – Recovery
With PRK, there’s a longer recovery time compared to Lasik. With Lasik, you can see clearly the next day. With PRK, it takes about 3-5 days to start seeing clearly. During this time, you might get headaches and feel slight discomfort, like itchy or watery eyes. It’s recommended that you don’t drive because your vision will be inconsistent the first week.
Day 1 – Day of Procedure:
When I got home, I took another Valium and took a 3-4 hour nap. After I woke up, my eyes didn’t hurt but my eyes were a little watery. It also felt like there was something in my eyes but I couldn’t rub them. I took 800mg of Ibuprofen to help.
There wasn’t much I could really do because my eyes were so sensitive. Aside from the time I had dinner, I spent most of my time in a dark room with blackout curtains.
I woke up sometime in the middle of the night because my eyes were incredibly watery. I dabbed at them with some tissue but had a hard time falling asleep because they were leaking.
Day 2:
My eyes were still incredibly watery. This day was the most uncomfortable. I could barely open my eyes and my eyes were constantly tearing up. I also had a runny nose. I was so thirsty and I wondered if my body was trying to compensate for all the liquids I was leaking, haha.
At my post-op check up, the doctor explained my eyes were still a little swollen. He also explained that my vision would get worse before it improved, and that I shouldn’t be alarmed by blurry vision because it’s completely normal. This was because the top layer of my cornea would be growing back.
Toward the end of the day, my eyes weren’t as watery. However, they were sensitive to light and I had a hard time keeping them open. I had about 800mg with every meal to help with the inflammation. I also had a sleeping eye mask with a cold gel insert. This was such a lifesaver.
I spent most of the day napping because there wasn’t much else I could really do. I whined a lot about how I just wanted to see already, haha!
Day 3:
My vision was blurry pretty much throughout the whole day. I wasn’t feeling as much discomfort but wasn’t able to enjoy my vision yet. I was still sensitive to light. I remember trying to watch movies with sunglasses on but it wasn’t particularly enjoyable.
Days 4-7:
My vision started improving! I didn’t feel as much discomfort, aside from the annoying feeling of the soft bandages in my eyes. I was completely blown away with how clearly I could see compared to before, too.
I noticed that my eyes were incredibly dry, especially after staring at my computer or phone for a while. I did my best to take periodic breaks from screens and put artificial tears in my eye.
At my one week check up, the doctor told me I was way ahead of schedule in terms of healing. I had 20/20 vision, whereas most patients have 20/40 or 20/50 vision after a week. He explained that over the next 3 weeks my vision would continue to improve and stabilize. I was so excited that I could potentially have better than 20/20 vision in a month!
The doctor also took out the soft bandages, which I noticed made a big difference. I didn’t have the sensation of something being in my eyes anymore.
Life After Laser Eye Surgery
I’m amazed at how much my vision has improved. I can’t describe the sheer joy of waking up and being able to see unencumbered. I am in awe of tiny details like the veins in tree leaves or individual blades of grass.
I also laugh when I notice things like how dusty certain areas of the house are or how much pet hair is on my belongings. I had never worn my glasses in the shower and noticed how the grout lines were a little dirty.
I can lay down on the couch and watch movies. I can wear a mask and no longer have to deal with foggy glasses. These are little things that make such a huge difference for me.
If you’ve been considering laser eye surgery, I highly recommend it. It’s totally life changing.
Laser Eye Surgery Tips
If you’re getting laser eye surgery, I recommend you do the following:
- Download a bunch of podcasts or audiobooks to listen to while your eyes heal
- Set up a dark room to rest and recover
- Prep some post-op meals or ask someone to help with the cooking
- Buy a quality and comfortable sleeping mask
- Take some time off work to recover (especially if you’re having PRK)
- Store your eye drops in the fridge – it feels so soothing!
- Have someone available to help you the day of your surgery (you’ll need a ride to and from the clinic)
- Adjust your phone and other devices: dark mode, reduced brightness, and enlarged text are incredibly helpful those first few days when your eyes are sensitive to light
- Invest in some nice polarized sunglasses – you’ll need to wear sunglasses every time you’re outside for the first 6 weeks. You should also continue to wear them regularly after that to protect your eyes.
