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Eye
Experience
Jittery about lasik? Find out how
it is from a lasik patient
Jacqueline
Geraldine Png, an avid water
sports fan underwent Lasik surgery with Dr Tony Ho that allowed
her to do away with contact lens. Reports on possible
long-term complications of Lasik in December last year doesn’t bother Png. She
hadher Lasik operation on 2 Nov
the same year. “Unlike Britain, Lasik surgeries in Singapore are only done by
certified ophthalmologists,” says Png.
Why
Lasik
With a wedding to attend and
swimming tests to take for her Bronze Medallion Certification, Png wanted to
get it done before 5 Nov. After researching online and consulting friends who
underwent Lasik, most recommended the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC),
which is the largest provider of the operation in the island-state.
But
the problem was that she would have to wait at least a month at SNEC, depending
on the cost, seniority and the availability of the ophthalmologist. She didn’t
want that.
During
the checkup at Clearvision Eye Clinic, Dr Ho took measurements of her cornea to
assess the shape and thickness, and scheduled the operation for the following
day.
“Having
seen operations via Web sites and heard stories of bad outcomes, I had many
questions,” says Png. However, she felt reassured by Dr Ho’s experience and
expertise.
And
with a prescription degree of less than 350 on both eyes, Dr Ho expected Lasik
operation for Png to have a 99% success rate.
The
operation
Png was given Valium to
relax herself and local anaesthetic on her eye which blurred her vision.
Throughout the operation, she could only make out lights and shadows but was
conscious.
The
major discomfort she felt was the equipment used to stretch the eye. Throughout
the procedure, she was instructed to focus on a red dot and avoid squeezing her
eye as this could crumple the corneal flap.
“Dr
Ho was reassuring,” says Png, “but I could not ignore the sounds of the laser
cutting the corneal flap, not to mention the burnt smell emitted!”
The
procedure lasted no longer than 20 minutes for both eyes and she was made to
wear transparent eye shields for the next two days and at night for one and a
half weeks. To avoid direct sunlight, she wore shades on the first day.
“Post-operative
care was crucial to prevent unwanted infections and for the next two weeks, I
made sure water did not get into my eyes,” says Png. To prevent infection or
crumpling her corneal flap, she avoided rubbing her eyes.
Fortunately,
she did not experience any haloes at night except for double vision when doing
computer work. The doctor attributed it to dry eyes and gave her lubricant eye
drops to use. She was also given antibiotic eye drops to apply for a week–every
hourly for the first day, once every few hours for the rest of the week; but
that was not to be used in conjunction with the former.
She
is amazed by the results.
“For the first few weeks, it felt
so unbelievable that I pinched my eyes to try removing my contact lens [which
isn’t there]!” •
Possible
Lasik Complications
The
Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) has performed 18,288 Lasik procedures
since 1998 and it says it has very good track record of safety and success
rates.
However,
as in any surgical procedure, there are certain risks involved in refractive
surgery to correct short sightedness, adds SNEC.
All SNEC
patients will be evaluated for suitability of the procedure. Those with high
degrees of myopia falling outside the treatment range, or with too thin corneas
or not meeting other treatment criteria, will not be accepted for treatment.
This is in
line with the National Institute of Clinical Excellence’s (NICE) report that
Lasik has been shown to be “effective and predictable in patients with low to
moderate myopia” but more variable with “moderate to high myopia”.
At SNEC,
around 10% of patients are screened out after careful evaluation and advised
not to proceed with the procedure.
Interested parties should discuss
with their doctor the benefits and risks involved before going ahead with the
procedure.
The
Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) has performed 18,288 Lasik procedures
since 1998 and it says it has very good track record of safety and success
rates.
However,
as in any surgical procedure, there are certain risks involved in refractive
surgery to correct short sightedness, adds SNEC.
All SNEC
patients will be evaluated for suitability of the procedure. Those with high
degrees of myopia falling outside the treatment range, or with too thin corneas
or not meeting other treatment criteria, will not be accepted for treatment.
This is in
line with the National Institute of Clinical Excellence’s (NICE) report that
Lasik has been shown to be “effective and predictable in patients with low to
moderate myopia” but more variable with “moderate to high myopia”.
At SNEC,
around 10% of patients are screened out after careful evaluation and advised
not to proceed with the procedure.
Interested parties should discuss
with their doctor the benefits and risks involved before going ahead with the
procedure.
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