LASIK Update
Wow, it's been over ten months since my last update, which means it's been over a year since I had the procedure done.
The best news is that my visual acuity has remained stable. Still about 20/20, still able to see the names on street signs much further away than I ever could with contacts, so still enjoying amazing daytime vision. Dryness has improved to the point where it's only an issue when my body is abnormally dehydrated due to drunkenness, being sick, etc.
What could be better, and really my only remaining issue, are the halos (or "light effects" as I called them in my last update) which surround light sources in extremely low light conditions. I couldn't care less about them when I'm walking about town at night, they don't occur while sitting in front of my computer (because my face is too close to the screen), and they're nowhere near disruptive enough to prevent me from driving at night (not that I drive that often anymore), but they are slightly irritating whenever I want to watch TV at home or see a movie in the theater. During dark scenes, objects on screen have slight ghost images around them. Not unbearable, but it could be better.
Yesterday morning, after months of trying different do-it-yourself, take-home, diagnostic tests, my doctor finally confirmed the cause of the halos, which I actually figured out last summer. They only occur when my pupils dilate large enough to cross the perimeter of the treated area. When my pupils are forced to remain small (which is possible for hours with these special eyedrops), the halos never appear. Halos have a greater probability of occurring as a post-op symptom when the patient has a really high prescription. I was definitely that person, with eyesight so bad I couldn't recognize faces of people several feet away from me without contacts. Basically, the more correction that must be done to the cornea, the more dramatic the transition between the treated and untreated areas, and that dramatic transition manifests as an optical distortion, i.e. halos.
Fortunately, I have two options:1. Live with the halos most of the time, but use the aforementioned eyedrops whenever I want to watch TV or a movie. Primarily for use by glaucoma patients but of no harm to me, one drop of 0.1% "brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic solution" in each eye will keep my pupils small for an entire evening of halo-free viewing. Effective and non-invasive, but not permanent, and with frequent usage the drops can be stinging and drying to the eyes. (The doctor told me to try storing them in the refrigerator, though.)
2. Have a second LASIK procedure performed, one which is specifically designed to decrease or eliminate the halos by smoothing the transition area. I had LASIK once, and I'm not scared to do it again, but this specific procedure hasn't been approved by the FDA yet and probably won't be for several years, so if I want it sooner, I would have to go to Canada or Norway. My doctor would pay for the surgery, as all future care is covered for anything necessary, so I would only be on the hook for the plane ticket. Norway's been ranked the "best country to live in" and the "most peaceful country in the world," and I wouldn't mind vacationing there anyway.
Decisions, decisions! Mine won't be a hasty one. I'm going to take the time to gauge how important a permanent, hassle-free solution is to me, as well as the effectiveness of the corrective procedure.
The question pops up often: if I could go back in time and undo the LASIK, would I? I think the answer is "no." I've grown far too accustomed to being able to see my bedroom when I wake up and not having to deal with the many hassles of contact lenses or the distorted vision of the world through glasses. Having LASIK done, like most big life decisions, is nothing more than trading one set of compromises for another that you hope you won't mind as much.
The best news is that my visual acuity has remained stable. Still about 20/20, still able to see the names on street signs much further away than I ever could with contacts, so still enjoying amazing daytime vision. Dryness has improved to the point where it's only an issue when my body is abnormally dehydrated due to drunkenness, being sick, etc.
What could be better, and really my only remaining issue, are the halos (or "light effects" as I called them in my last update) which surround light sources in extremely low light conditions. I couldn't care less about them when I'm walking about town at night, they don't occur while sitting in front of my computer (because my face is too close to the screen), and they're nowhere near disruptive enough to prevent me from driving at night (not that I drive that often anymore), but they are slightly irritating whenever I want to watch TV at home or see a movie in the theater. During dark scenes, objects on screen have slight ghost images around them. Not unbearable, but it could be better.
Yesterday morning, after months of trying different do-it-yourself, take-home, diagnostic tests, my doctor finally confirmed the cause of the halos, which I actually figured out last summer. They only occur when my pupils dilate large enough to cross the perimeter of the treated area. When my pupils are forced to remain small (which is possible for hours with these special eyedrops), the halos never appear. Halos have a greater probability of occurring as a post-op symptom when the patient has a really high prescription. I was definitely that person, with eyesight so bad I couldn't recognize faces of people several feet away from me without contacts. Basically, the more correction that must be done to the cornea, the more dramatic the transition between the treated and untreated areas, and that dramatic transition manifests as an optical distortion, i.e. halos.
Fortunately, I have two options:1. Live with the halos most of the time, but use the aforementioned eyedrops whenever I want to watch TV or a movie. Primarily for use by glaucoma patients but of no harm to me, one drop of 0.1% "brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic solution" in each eye will keep my pupils small for an entire evening of halo-free viewing. Effective and non-invasive, but not permanent, and with frequent usage the drops can be stinging and drying to the eyes. (The doctor told me to try storing them in the refrigerator, though.)
2. Have a second LASIK procedure performed, one which is specifically designed to decrease or eliminate the halos by smoothing the transition area. I had LASIK once, and I'm not scared to do it again, but this specific procedure hasn't been approved by the FDA yet and probably won't be for several years, so if I want it sooner, I would have to go to Canada or Norway. My doctor would pay for the surgery, as all future care is covered for anything necessary, so I would only be on the hook for the plane ticket. Norway's been ranked the "best country to live in" and the "most peaceful country in the world," and I wouldn't mind vacationing there anyway.
Decisions, decisions! Mine won't be a hasty one. I'm going to take the time to gauge how important a permanent, hassle-free solution is to me, as well as the effectiveness of the corrective procedure.
The question pops up often: if I could go back in time and undo the LASIK, would I? I think the answer is "no." I've grown far too accustomed to being able to see my bedroom when I wake up and not having to deal with the many hassles of contact lenses or the distorted vision of the world through glasses. Having LASIK done, like most big life decisions, is nothing more than trading one set of compromises for another that you hope you won't mind as much.