Real Laser Patients Tell Their Stories

JR: Surgery December 2009

It has been 1 year since I had LASIK surgery and I just had my annual check up. I see 20/20 together and 20/20 in one eye, 20/25 in the other. I just wanted to say I'm very happy with my vision and I can honestly say this was the best money I ever spent. It has given me freedom. It has made everything I do just a little more enjoyable. I am now referring all my friends to you.

We'll be sure to take good care of them!

LD: Surgery February 2011

I know it's still early-on but I wanted to say thank you for all you've done for me. Your personal approach and support after my surgery helped me get over those first jitters - especially the phone call afterward to see how I was feeling. I was seeing 20/40 on the first morning but now, at one week, I am thrilled to say I see 20/15. As my husband says, my cheeks will soon get sore because of the "cat who caught the canary" grin I have all the time.

GL: Surgery September 2010

Thank you for a job well done. I do have a bone to pick with you, though...Now, when I look in the mirror and there's no glasses covering my eyes, I see so many wrinkles I didn't know I had! Any chance of fixing those as well as you fixed my vision?

Dr. Chow should be able to help you out with that.

SP: Surgery March, 2010

Thank you for giving me a whole new lease on life. Your staff was extremely patient with my many questions. They were professional and knowledgeable which made my surgery a very positive experience. My new vision has provided me with improvement in quality of life. I wish I had done it earlier!

DZ: Surgery, January 2011

My thanks to everyone - especially the receptionists. Your assistance with paperwork and answering questions with a positive attitude made me feel very comfortable at each visit. Thank you for making my experience with your office so enjoyable. And by the way, I love my new vision every single day.

VK: Surgery, May 2011

I felt very comfortable at the Surgery Centre: the staff obviously knew their jobs and everything was done quickly and efficiently. Also, I was very impressed with the warmth and calmness they showed me. Just a couple of things I wanted to mention that surprized me...While my distance vision is really good (and now I can shave my legs in the shower and actually SEE what I'm doing), my near vision isn't as good. I have trouble putting on my makeup right now but I am hoping that will improve. It's a bit worrying to think that the surgery might have caused a problem with my reading vision. One other thing I've noticed is that my eyes see differently - I mean one eye seems to be slightly better than the other one. Is this normal?

We expect near vision to recover slower than distant vision and usually suggest using over-the-counter readers to magnify the things you need to see if it is bothersome. For younger people, this effect is transient and usually dissipates in 4 - 6 weeks. In those approaching 40, however, it is likely related to natural aging of the crystalline lens inside the eye. The surgery does not cause this but it is possible the aging changes were "masked" by nearsightedness. Once the nearsightedness is corrected, the changes are revealed. The solution, of course, is to use reading glasses and we do discuss that at the time of the initial consultation.

It is normal for the vision through each eye to be slightly different. In fact, most people experience that prior to surgery but are not as acutely aware of it. After surgery, many people check the eyes individually by closing one at a time and checking to see if the other is as good! The solution is simple: use both eyes to view your world, just as you did prior to surgery. You will find that if there's only slight variation, your body will adjust. If however, there is a major discrepancy between the two eyes, and it is creating difficulties in functional vision, an enhancement of one eye to rebalance vision may be recommended once vision has fully stabilized (usually after 6 months of recovery).