Lasik Tips

ParisB pinged me early this morning with this news: Centre stops all Lasik Ops. Moosey over to her blog to read the full article she reproduced if you can't open the link.

What scary news! I did my Lasik about 2.5 years ago and actually encouraged Paris to do it as well. Before I did it, however, I did lots of research and talked to a lot of people to find out more. Some advice to all of you out there who are considering this is:

1. Understand the potential side-effects and risks that come with it. Personally, I didn't have much problems with haloes, starbursts (porcupine lights) or impaired night vision but I do know of some who did. However, I did have quite a bit of trouble with dry eyes.
2. Talk to people who've done it before. It sometimes helps to know the procedure so you're well-prepared for the cold room and the operating table which can be pretty scary.
3. Ask around for recommendations. Paris and I did ours at Optimax, the pioneer in Malaysian eye care industry, and we were both very happy with the services and treatments they provided.
4. Talk to the eye doctor about your fears before you commit to doing it. If the doctor can't even bother to spare some time to explain and reassure you of the procedure, I suggest you make a quick getaway!
5. Follow their advice after the procedure - drop the antibiotics and eyedrops at the prescribed time and take the allocated MC they give you to rest your eyes. Don't run to the TV or computer immediately after your operation!
6. Don't forget your sunnies as your eyes may be a little more sensitive to sunlight after that. Invest in a good pair with adequate protection. I personally like my polarized lenses which cut out most of the glare.

The fun I get out of wearing sunglasses (vain me!) and the thrill of not having to fumble with glasses and unwieldy contacts makes me glad I did mine!