LASIK Eye Surgery

by Adrienne Kay | illustrations by Julia Norman

I wonder if I must give credit to Mom's persistent sitting-too-close-to-the-television lecture. Maybe the heart-racing, nail-biting nights I spent finishing Goosebumps by flashlight sealed my fate. Or perhaps the great measures I took to avoid eating carrots are at the root of this problem. Whatever the cause, I have found myself joining the ranks of my fellow frog-eyed friends and have begun to contemplate various vision enhancement options.

Humankind has progressed a long way since the mile-thick binoculars that rest on Gramp's nose, magnifying his already googly eyes to fly-face proportions. From the slick, thin glasses that morph into chic shades outside to the teal-tinted contacts that draw extra attention to your less-than-perfect peepers, many people find eye glasses and contact lenses another way to manifest their unique style. But for those of us searching for more hassle-free vision, LASIK, today's most popular laser eye surgery, may be the answer.

Students want LASIK to liberate their eyes from lenses for all sorts of reasons. It's embarrassing, not to mention dangerous, when our glasses fly off at flag football practice. Fishing through book bag pockets every time a squeaky marker hits the whiteboard annoys us. And dragging ourselves out of bed for that early morning class proves tortuous enough without having to pry our eyes open to shove in a contact lens. For whatever reason, we chase the 20/20 vision that LASIK can provide.

According to www.visionww.org, U.S. optometrists define 20/20 as what "normal" humans can see from twenty feet away. If you have 20/60 vision, you see from twenty feet away what a "normal" person can see from sixty feet away. If you are blessed with 20/200 vision, the threshold of being legally blind, you see from twenty feet away what a "normal" person can see from 200 feet away. Several vision centers feel LASIK will bring you close to, equal to, or even superior to 20/20 vision.

Now that we are all psyched to undergo laser eye surgery, let's find out what exactly LASIK means. LASIK is an acronym that stands for Laser - Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis.

LASIK corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism through a combination of two techniques described in pre - operation pamphlets. After desensitizing the eyes with anesthetic drops and clamping the eyelids open, a tiny automated instrument called the microkeratome cuts a protective flap of corneal tissue, leaving a hinge. The surgeon peels back this flap and will later replace it over the area he or she has sculpted with the laser.

An alternative procedure, called Intralase, eliminates the microkeratome, replacing the blade with a more advanced, $300,000 to $400,000 laser. With only 250 of these lasers worldwide, they are literally at the cutting edge of refractive surgery. Athen's own Blue Laser Group replaced LASIK with the closely related Intralase because they prefer the safest technology when cutting the corneal flap.

The second part of the procedure involves a computer-controlled laser called an eximer laser. This cold, invisible, ultraviolet laser reshapes the part of the cornea called the stroma by burning away some cells and etching the cornea into a prescribed shape. The ophthalmologist then folds back the protective flap, smoothing the area out with what some patients describe as a tiny rake-like tool. The procedure may vary from one center to another.

In less than thirty minutes and with little to no discomfort during surgery, patients begin a quick recovery. Some describe "itchy and dry" eyes for a few days. Patients may see halos or be sensitive to light. (Sounds like most UGA students post-football game weekend.) Patients also must remember to administer eye medication including anti-inflammatory eye drops, antibiotic eye drops and artificial tears. After only one to three days, people generally return to their normal activities. However, most ophthalmologists strictly prohibit vigorously rubbing the eyes, poking them with various make-up instruments, plunging into chlorinated pools or, everyone's favorite activity, operating heavy machinery for about three days.

From recovery time onward, it's freedom from frog-eyes; it's sayonara to those specs; it's life, crystal clear from the moment you open your sleepy eyes! But, my fellow students, weigh the risks carefully. Tampering with your window to the world is a huge gamble. The FDA website warns us that there is a slim but existent possibility of permanent vision loss. It also warns that LASIK does not halt the aging of eyes, sometimes necessitating additional treatment later in life. Adjustments may be necessary after surgery, not to mention treatment for any infections that may develop. Rest easy, however, on the fact that a CNN.com study reported a less than one-half percent post surgery complication rate.

The FDA cautions against particular patients trying LASIK. Those who have yet to sail through the big one eight birthday may not legally undergo the procedure. Some jobs prohibit certain refractive surgeries so check with your current employer and professional society regulations. For example, Army Regulation 40-501 imposes restrictions on soldiers and cadets who have had refractive surgery; that means some R.O.T.C. students may not be eligible. If you've required a change in you contact lens or glasses prescription within the past year or have a disease with medications that affect wound healing, LASIK may not be for you. Finally, you must be a risk taker; not necessarily a roller coaster-loving, sky diving maniac, but definitely someone who realizes that LASIK is a newly developed procedure whose long-term effects remain unknown.

The inevitable next question is how much does LASIK cost? All eye surgeons are not created equal, rendering investigation crucial. Be suspicious! Be inquisitive! A doctor with years of practice who has performed LASIK surgery and has FDA's "thumb's up" on his equipment will charge more than the less reputable. InView, a vision correction center located off Ashford Dunwoody Road in Atlanta, charges $2,400 per eye. Nestled between Milledge's Greek houses, Blue Laser Group, Inc. charges $2,450 per eye for their Interlase procedure. Wherever you choose to go, it is crucial to drill the doctor on his or her qualifications to perform the surgery.

Convinced yet? If you're nervous about going under the knife, consider all our favorite celebrities who added laser eye surgery to their sometimes long list of expensive enhancements: Michael Bolton, Drew Carey, Courtney Cox, Nicole Kidman, Tiger Woods, and Weird Al Yankovic. And girls, if Jessica Simpson braved through LASIK on Newlyweds, we can too.

In this zapping, enlarging, peeling, tucking, plucking, pill-popping swirl of life, LASIK throws in one more way to combat our imperfections. So if you sat too close to the television, read Goosebumps in the dark and didn't eat all your carrots, there may still be a chance to deter your optical destiny and progress towards perfect vision.