My LASIK Experience

In my glasses before LASIK

BEFORE LASIK

Having worn glasses or contacts all of every day since the third grade, I always thought the idea of LASIK surgery was kind of miraculous. My first week of working at Carolina Ophthalmology, I heard countless examples of ways LASIK had improved patients lives: People could see to get up in the middle of the night, could swim in the ocean without dealing with salty contacts, and could travel without messing with all the accoutrements required for vision correction.

So, I had a consultation and it turned out I was a great candidate for LASIK surgery. I waited about ten months to decide to go for it (I was nervous and it just never seemed like the right time.) Now that I’m on the other side looking back, I can’t believe it took me

that long to go for it. I’m thrilled with the results and wish I had been enjoying the freedom all along.

HAVING LASIK

The morning of my LASIK surgery, I was split between nervousness and excitement. The first step was the WaveScan measurements. I sat in front of a machine that mapped my eye and produced the numbers that would be plugged into the laser.

At the WaveScan with Jeanette

Once I got into the OR, Dr. Bryan explained everything that was about to happen. After he got me prepped, the IntraLase laser cut the flaps in my corneas that would be lifted up, corrected under, and placed back down. Dr. Bryan put a suction ring on my eye and I felt some pressure. It was the same feeling as pressing the heel of your palm against your eyelid -- dark and sort of speckled vision, but no pain. Each flap was cut in 20 seconds and all I had to do was lie still.

Next, Dr. Bryan lifted my flaps up one at a time. During this part there were bright lights and I could tell that he was moving something on my eye, but I felt nothing and it wasn’t painful or unpleasant, just strange.

The laser that actually does the correction came next. Everything was dark except for a flashing orange light for me to look at. When it was time to start the surgery, they told me exactly how many seconds it would be, 24 for my right and 25 for my left, so I would know how long to expect it to last. I couldn’t see or feel the laser, but I could hear it ticking the whole time. It was over before I knew it.

All the things I was worried about went fine: My lids were held open so I couldn’t possibly blink, my eyes were numb so I didn’t feel like I needed to blink anyway, I felt no pain, and I knew that the cameras tracking me would shut the laser off if I moved at all.

Twenty-five minutes later, I was walking out of the O.R. My vision wasn’t perfect, but it was much better than it had been before surgery. It was sort of like I was looking through Saran Wrap. I was ready go home and take a nap.

Dr. Bryan and me after surgery

AFTER LASIK 
When I got home the main thing that I noticed what that I was very light sensitive and my eyes were watering a lot. They didn’t hurt or feel scratchy at all.

After I slept for about an hour, my eyes were feeling better. I put drops in every two hours and spent the rest of the afternoon resting.

By that night I was back to normal except for some dryness and some redness. I slept in the plastic goggles so I wouldn’t accidently rub my eyes in the night, but I had no problem falling asleep.

The day after my surgery I was 20/20 in both eyes and I had no trouble coming to work. By six days out from my surgery, I was 20/15.

If you’re thinking about having LASIK, please call to ask questions and to schedule a free consultation appointment. What do you have to lose? Start living your post-LASIK life now, I know I’m enjoying mine.

—Laura, Refractive Surgery Coordinator 919.945.3937

Understanding your Glasses Prescription

When you leave Carolina Ophthalmology with a new glasses prescription, it can be helpful to understand what the numbers indicate about the glasses you need and about your eyesight. When you look at the prescription, you will see two sets of numbers under the headings of OD and OS. They are abbreviations from the Latin forms of right and left eye.

OD (Oculus Dextrus) means right eye

OS (Oculus Sinister) means left eye

Without Astigmatism:

  

For people who have no astigmatism (spherical eyes), there will be one number for each eye. This number is known as the sphere portion of the prescription. The farther away from zero this number is, the worse your eyesight is, and the more correction your lenses will employ. A plus sign in front of this number indicates you are farsighted (need glasses to see up close) and a minus sign in front of the number indicates you are nearsighted (need glasses to see far away). The number shows how many diopters, units that measure correction, your lens requires.

  

For example, if your glasses prescription read:

OD: -1.50

OS: -2.75

  

That would mean that your right eye has 1.50 diopters of nearsightedness and your left eye has 2.75. Another way to say it is that your right eye requires -1.50 diopters of correction and your left requires -2.75.

  

This indicates that you are nearsighted, and that your left eye requires more correction than your right.

With Astigmatism:

For people who have astigmatism (non-spherical eyes), there will be three numbers for each eye in your prescription.

The first number is the sphere, which is the number discussed above. This is the degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness.

The second number is the cylinder. This represents the amount of astigmatism measured in diopters. This can be a positive or negative number based on which type of measurement system your doctor uses. At Carolina Ophthalmology, we measure in plus cylinder, so it will have a plus sign in front of it. The bigger the number, the more astigmatism your eye has.

  

The third number is the axis. This number will be somewhere between 0 and 180 and is measured in degrees. It represents the orientation of your astigmatism.

For example, if your glasses prescription read:

                                OD: -3.00 +1.50 x 045

                                OS: -3.50 +2.00 x 105

That would mean that your right eye has 3.00 diopters of nearsightedness with 1.50 diopters of astigmatism at an axis of 45 degrees. Your left eye has 3.50 diopters of nearsightedness with 2.00 diopters of astigmatism at 105 degrees.

Your left eye would require more correction than your right. It has both more nearsightedness and more astigmatism.

Call us today to schedule an appointment to come in and get a new glasses prescription! 

LASIK Consultation

Schedule a free LASIK consultation today!

Why Do We Dilate?

Lots of people dread getting their eyes dilated at eye exams. The dilating drops often make patients light sensitive, can cause difficulty focusing up close, and require a ten to fifteen minute wait to take effect. However, dilation is an important part of a complete eye exam.

Dilation drops temporarily make the pupil larger. This gives the doctor the ability to see more of the inside of the eye. The doctor is able to view the retina, optic disk, and blood vessels. The effects of the dilation drops usually wear off after about three hours.

Having access to the back of the eye helps the doctor diagnose diseases and eye conditions such as retinal detachment, macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma. Even high cholesterol and diabetes can be seen with a dilated eye exam. Early detection is an essential part of successful treatment for these conditions, making dilated exams very important to eye health.

Light sensitivity and difficulty reading for a few hours is a small price to pay when it comes to maintaining healthy eyes. Schedule a complete eye exam (with dilation!) with Dr. Scroggs or Dr. Bryan today.

Medical Savings Plans and LASIK

At CarolinaOphthalmology, we are proud to offer patients the opportunity to improve their vision and their lives. We also want to offer you the information you need to make the best overall decision for your eyes and your expectations, including ways to save on the cost of LASIK.

Many people have medical savings plans like Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRA), and Health Savings Accounts (HAS) which are great ways to save money on LASIK by using tax-free dollars.

If you have a Flex Spending Account, you are able to set aside pre-tax dollars from your gross income to cover medical expenses. The money in these accounts does not roll over to the next period, so if you do not spend it, you lose it. LASIK is a great way to spend the money you already have set aside in these accounts, and LASIK is a great reason to put money into an FSA if you have not done so already. By using pre-tax dollars to pay for your procedure, you will save money.

If your FSA expires in June, you only have a couple of months left to spend that money. Why not invest it in your vision? Imagine starting your summer out by getting rid of your glasses and contact lenses. Even if your FSA money isn’t close to its expiration date, why not take advantage of the chance for clear, precise vision as soon as possible?

We offer several options for paying for your LASIK. Patients can use money from their FSAs to pay in part, and pay for the rest with a check, credit card, or multiple forms. We also have a relationship with a company called Care Credit to offer payment plans to our patients. You can use this financing option to pay for part of all of your surgery. Through Care Credit, you can choose among interest free payment plan options up to two years after your surgery. Whether you are using an FSA to pay for part of your procedure or not, you have options available to you to pay for this amazing procedure.   

Call us today at 919.945.3937 to schedule a free LASIK consultation. You’ll meet Dr.Bryan, find out if you’re a good candidate, and learn more about LASIK to find out if it’s a good option for you. Start enjoying your clear, precise vision!

Love Yourself, Love Your Health

Check out our ad in the Love Yourself, Love Your Health issue of the Daily Tar Heel coming out today! Call us to schedule a free LASIK consultation to find out how this procedure can improve your vision and your life.  

Enjoy every spectacular detail of March Madness after LASIK

Check out our ad in the Daily Tar Heel today! After LASIK, you'll be able to see every moment of exciting basketball this season! Call us today to schedule an appointment at 919.945.3937.