What It’s Like to Have Laser Eye Surgery… Twice! My Experience with LASIK and PRK

*Collaborative Post

When my eyesight began to deteriorate at the age of 9, I thought the idea of wearing glasses was pretty cool. However, over the coming years, with my eyes worsening and my lenses getting thicker with each prescription change, my view drastically altered. We all know that school in the 90s was tough, but add thick rimmed glasses into the mix and you are immediately seen as a good target for jokes (you know the ones, the classic four-eyes and so on). By the age of 15, I was begging my Mum for contact lenses and even though she was reluctant at first, she did finally agree, which brought me so much joy. I could now look how I had always wanted, I could do sports without any worry, I had fewer headaches because I had peripheral vision – no more fuzzy edges when looking through the side of glasses – and of course, kids couldn’t make jokes anymore. I didn’t ever want to go back to being a full-time glasses wearer…

Unfortunately, my eyes had other plans. At the age of 25, I was told that my contact lenses were restricting oxygen flow to both eyes, causing damage. In order to protect them, I was advised that I would need to wear my glasses all the time and to only wear my contacts for special occasions (just to add that contact lenses have come a long way since this and are now made more breathable). I was devastated, I absolutely hated my glasses and how they made me look and feel. There was only one other option left – laser eye surgery.

Laser Eye Surgery – LASIK

I went for it. I called up, booked the appointment and before I knew it (because private healthcare is a dream!) I was in and being assessed. Now, I can’t remember what my prescription was at this time, but to give you an idea of how short-sighted I was, I couldn’t see a thing unless it was literally right up in front of my eyes – it was bad. In fact, it was so bad I wasn’t sure if they would be able to help, but thankfully, after all of their tests, I was told I was just on the cusp, and they agreed that LASIK would be the best type of laser eye surgery for me.

Having LASIK

Less than 2 weeks later, I was in for my procedure – they could have easily done it sooner but I needed to arrange time off work for the recovery stages. The staff were all so friendly, calming and informative throughout my stay. It is natural to feel nervous for any type of medical procedure, but with laser eye surgery, you ARE awake, so it is very easy for those nerves to take over. However, I was reassured along the way and I also had my sister with me for support.

To begin with, anaesthetic eye drops were administered into both eyes several times to ensure that I wouldn’t be able to feel anything during my surgery. Once the staff were happy, I was led into the theatre wearing a hair net, covers on my shoes, plus my coat as the room had to be kept at low temperatures for the laser (note this was back in November 2008, so technology has since changed). Once on the bed, my eyelids were taped open and the laser performed an iris check, which enables the machine to detect if you move at any time. If you do, it will automatically switch off. Once this is done, your eye is ready for the first stage – creating the flap. Another machine was used to slice through the top layer of my cornea (I promise I didn’t feel a thing!) which the surgeon lifts back in order for the laser to pass through to the underlying corneal tissue – the area that requires reshaping. You can smell a little burning, but this is completely normal. Then before you know it, the flap is laid back down and the other eye is started on. My entire procedure took around 14 minutes.

Aftercare

You have to be very careful with your eyes after having laser surgery – you cannot rub them (this may dislodge the flap), you cannot get them wet, you need to use eye drops to keep them lubricated and prevent infection and you have to sleep wearing eye shields (which basically make you look like a bug!!) By taking it easy and following all of these steps, you shouldn’t have any issues at all. I healed really quickly and painlessly after my LASIK surgery.

Results

With LASIK, the results are immediate. I sat up and I could see!! At first, it’s a bit like seeing in a steam room, but as this dissipates, the eyesight just gets better and better. I literally couldn’t believe how well I could see, and after my check-up a couple of days later, I was informed that I had 20/20 vision.

Picture 1: Me (with glasses) and my sister in 1996. Picture 2: Me in 2008 after laser eye surgery

Side Effects

The only side effect I had was much drier eyes. At first, I would use eye drops to combat this, but over the years, I just got used to how they felt. It was worth it for the amazing results.

What Happened Next?

Well, I had brilliant vision for around 10 years, but what with age and two babies (hormonal changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding can affect eyesight), I began to notice that my right eye wasn’t seeing quite as far as it used to. So, I had no choice but to go back to the optician’s to find out what was going on, and unfortunately, I was told that I did need glasses again (but thankfully only for working, driving and watching TV). For a few years, this was fine, but as I entered my 40’s my eyesight was noticeably altering, and even though my optician put it down to being natural due to my age, I still wasn’t ready to wear glasses full time again. On top of this, my migraines were back with a vengeance – something that had improved after my first laser eye surgery. So, after some careful consideration, I booked in for another consultation with a laser eye specialist.

Laser Eye Surgery Take 2! – PRK

Just like before (even though I went with a different company), my eyesight and eye health were fully assessed before talking through my options and it was agreed that my right eye would benefit from laser surgery. Now, having had LASIK in the past meant that this wasn’t going to be right for me this time due to the risks involved when creating another corneal flap. I was quite disappointed because I knew this procedure and I knew how well it worked, but my surgeon took some time to talk about PRK, what it involved and how it would give me the best results. This form of treatment works in the same way as LASIK, but instead of creating that pathway for the laser with the flap, it instead passes through this top layer of the cornea, meaning it has to repair and grow back afterwards. After a lot of talking through it all and a lot of reassurance from him, I agreed to go ahead.

Having PRK

My nerves this time around were much greater than the first time. I think having children and being older were both big factors in this and I have to admit I did consider cancelling the op the day before (something my surgeon said does happen a lot). But I made it, fully supported by my husband. Just like before, my eye was numbed with drops and once ready, I was shown into the theatre. The difference from the first time I had this done was huge. It was clear that technology had come a long way and everything felt a lot more advanced. I laid down on a bed under the laser and just as before, it performed its iris recognition, then, once ready, my surgeon began inputting all the necessary data into the machine. The laser started up and even though I could really smell burning this time around, I didn’t feel a thing, and it was all over within minutes.

My eye straight out of surgery and the next morning wearing the eye shield:

Aftercare

The aftercare with PRK is much more intense than with Lasik because there is a higher risk of infection. I had a list of drops I had to apply 4 times a day with a tick sheet to help me keep track (some lasted for two weeks, others for the first few days). Just like with LASIK, you have to keep your eye/eyes dry, clean and not rub them. Oh, and wear the bug eyes to bed!

Results

The results of this type of laser eye surgery take much longer, which was a harder journey for me having had immediate results from my first experience. I was glad I only had to have one eye done as I’m not sure how I would have managed being a mum of 2 with both eyes out of action. I was in bed for the first couple of days as I could barely use my eye, and the healing process was very tiring. Even though I had anaesthetic drops to help numb the pain, my body knew there was intense damage there. It probably took a good two to three weeks to finally have the results I had wanted, and after my final checkup, I was indeed told I had 20/20 vision in that eye again.

Side Effects

Once my eye fully healed and the pain subsided, the only side effect was dryness as before.

Would I Recommend Laser Eye Surgery?

I really would. Not only does laser eye surgery give you the freedom from glasses and contact lenses, but it also allows you to live your life more freely. You don’t have to worry when being active or when you want to swim, you can see the moment you wake up, and it can help to reduce headaches and migraines. It really is a life-changing experience.

*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.

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