LASIK Quest (Sydney, Australia)

Welcome to my blog about having LASIK eye surgery.

If this is your first visit to this site, start at the bottom with the oldest entry, and work your way upwards.

It is now 10 years since I had LASIK surgery. Over that time, it has been great living without glasses (as detailed below).

However, now in my late 40s, my eyes have changed yet again and I now have to use glasses for reading. It was a gradual change, with annoyance at not being able to read some small print and eventually got to the point where I couldn't read at all. I guess it's just part of getting older and this type of vision problem isn't something that can be corrected with LASIK.

Fortunately, my vision is still fine for distance and I only wear my glasses for close-up work. Don't let it distract you from having LASIK -- I'm sure the technology has improved over all these years! 

Cheers,

 -- Fabbo
  Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

The New York Times has an article about US Navy personnel receiving Laser Eye Surgery. (Free registration required to read.)

It has also been linked on Slashdot, where some people discuss their LASIK thoughts and experiences. Here's a summary:

The New York Times reports that laser eye surgery — now performed on nearly a third of every new class of midshipmen — is transforming Naval careers. Navy doctors are performing these operations with "assembly-line efficiency," allowing older pilots to continue flying, and those who might otherwise have been disqualified to pursue flight school. The number of procedures has reportedly climbed from 50 to 349 over the past five years. The Navy uses a different procedure than that used on civilians — grinding the cornea rather than cutting a flap — out of fears that the flap could come loose in supersonic combat.

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

Well, I just had my final checkup -- six months after LASIK.

It was very boring -- my eyes haven't changed since the last checkup a few months ago, which is actually the ideal result. They don't need to see me anymore.

On the way out, I passed my surgeon and told him that I'm one of his "99%ers", referring to the 99% of patients who have no complications.

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

I had my 12-week checkup today (82 days after the procedure). My eyes are pretty much back to the "almost 20-20" vision that I had with glasses.

Specifically, my right eye is very close to zero. While I still don't have vision like an eagle, it means that glasses wouldn't be able to improve my vision. My left eye is very close to the 0.2 dioptre strength that my surgeon targeted -- meaning that it'll be better than my right as I age.

I also volunteered to be a speaker on their Information Nights. I think back to when I attended the session about a year ago and am disguested with the happy images they showed of people running on a beach. That isn't the benefit of LASIK! How often do you go running on a beach?

So, I thought I'd compile my own list of LASIK benefits that I'm experiencing:

• I can see the dirt on my shower wall and spot the spiders living in the corner of the shower
• I don't have to cover my glasses when it rains (see my earlier story on that one!)
• I can lie down beside my son on his bed without having to remove glasses
• I can wear sunglasses - and believe me, I now look ultra-cool!
  (Unfortunately, while I thought I could get rid of glasses cleaning cloths, I'm now using them for the sunglasses!)
  
• I don't have to remove my glasses when putting on tight T-shirts
• My glasses don't steam up when I enter the local public swimming pool complex, or when I open the dishwasher
• I can wear fancy-dress masks
• I can clearly see underwater with goggles (but it's just as bad without goggles -- that was a disappointment!)
• I can see myself in the mirror when having a haircut
  

I'll keep adding to the list as realisation dawns!

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

Well, it has been 8 weeks since I've had LASIK and my eyes are fantastic!

While I've still got some halos around lights at night, it's nowhere near as bad as right after the procedure. I haven't noticed the "double image" problem for quite a while and I'm not having any trouble focussing in the mornings.

Ironically, while my eyes are fine, I still have 'phantom glasses'. Whenever I go to rub my eyes, I still have the habit of reaching my fingers 'under' my glasses. If something is a bit hard to see, I still 'push' my glasses back up my nose. Before a shower and before sleeping, I still reach to 'take off' my glasses. I guess there's till a bit of work to reverse 20+ years of habits!

As another example, when I wanted to look at something very closely, I used to remove my glasses and hold the object an inch away from my face. That used to allow me to see great detail, but it would take a minute to 'refocus' after replacing my glasses. Now, however, I can't focus at such a short distance, and prefer to study objects a foot (30cm) away from my face!

I mentioned my LASIK the other day at work and somebody said their wife just had LASIK the day before, at the same clinic! Her procedure didn't go so well, with what sounded like some suction problems that left one eye sore and red. After this first eye gave problems during the procedure, she didn't want to continue with the other eye, but the surgeon 'highly encouraged' her to continue -- which is good, because she probably would have lacked the courage to return. Fortunately, this second eye came through just fine, but the first was giving some pain at the 'back' of the eye.

Then somebody else chimed in about another employee who had had the procedure in Melbourne several months ago and was still experiencing dryness. I don't know if he had intraLASE, but it just shows that 'results can vary'!

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

I had my second checkup today, about three and a half weeks after the procedure. (The first check was the day after.)

I came with a list of concerns, such as:

• Halos around light sources (eg downlights in a dark room)
• Double images in my right eye (which have since lessened)
• Difficulty in near focussing compared to pre-LASIK

I met with my assigned optemetrist, who checked the strength of my eyes and inserted some dye to check how my flap is healing. My eyesight test results came out pretty similar to pre-LASIK. I can't fully see 20-20 (but I couldn't before, either!) and the line required for obtaining a drivers licence was even clearer than when I did the licence test itself!

As for all my concerns, I was reassured that this was pretty standard and that things will get better over the next few months. I had a pretty strong prescription (a bit over 6 in one eye) which means my eyes will take longer to stabilise.

I must admit, my eyes do seem to be getting better every week. I'm not suffering from focusing problems I had in the first 1-2 weeks, and the double image seems not to be as noticeable. Maybe that's it -- it's not that things get better, I just notice them less!

My next appointment has been scheduled in two months.

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

As part of the recovery from LASIK, I was given two sets of eye drops with instructions to take them three times per day.

For a bit of fun, I googled the eye drops. If you want a bit of technical language and a a queasy feeling regarding side-effects, have a look at these:

• Ciloxan
• Maxidex
  

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

I went to the motor registry today and got my drivers licence updated so that it doesn't say I need glasses.

I was a little worried, but when they turned on the eye chart I could read it pretty easily. The required line was a little blurry, but clear enough to be confident about what I was reading.

I had expected the registry to put a little sticker on the back of my licence with the updated information, as they do with address changes. However, they ended up producing a whole new licence, at no charge. Quite ironic, since it was too long ago that I had to get a new licence since my old one was disintegrating after 4.5 of its 5-year validity period. They charged me for that privilege.

I've always been sceptical about that driving condition, anyway. It says that spectacles or contacts must be worn, but how do they really know if you're wearing contacts, aside from an autopsy check if you crash & burn. I could even have been wearing contacts during my eye test and they wouldn't have known.

It reminds me of an episode of a Columbo episode where a man was killed, then put in the drivers seat of a car. The killer looked at the man's licence and saw that it specified that glasses must be worn, so he put the victim's glasses on their face. Columbo later discovered that the victim had been wearing contacts AND glasses, so knew that foul-play was involved!

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

I was walking to work today, exactly one week since the procedure, and I noticed that things were not quite in focus.

After a bit of experimenting, I found that my left eye was pretty good, but that my right eye had a double-image of everything, sort of like this:


I was worried that I might have rubbed my eye and moved my flap, so I called my assigned Optometrist. She wasn't available, but I spoke to another who, as it happens, had LASIK 6 months previously.

I explained my vision and then she asked how long it has been since my procedure. On telling her that it had been one week, she had a little giggle and told me not to worry, since the eye is still healing. This made me a little upset since I felt my problem was not getting appropriate attention. We'll have to see how it goes.

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

Yes, I've had it and it works. Well, about 85%. More about that later. For this post, let me explain the procedure...

Wave-Front
First up was a series of pictures taken of my eyes for use by the WaveFront technology. This provides custom-LASIK for each patient, based upon each patient's particular eye. Apparently this technology can only be used where there is sufficient corneal thickness, for which I qualified quite OK.

This was accompanied by the first of a countless number of eye-drops, which dilated my pupils to give me the standard owl-like appearance.

intraLASE
Next was the remarkable intraLASE, which is the reason that LASIK is so much safer these days. The biggest surprise here was the amount of physical contact involved in the procedure. All of the pictures and pretty animations I've seen of intraLASE make it look like a laser miracle. The truth is that I became Borg-like in my coupling with the machine.

I've managed to track down a number of realistic pictures and animations on the Internet to demonstrate what is involved. If you have a look at some of the pictures/animations, it's quite amazing what they seem to have some to me. I’m glad I didn’t know the truth beforehand!

Here's some links with some good pictures/animations:

• This page has an excellent video of intraLASE in WMV format.
• Here is a Quicktime Movie of intraLase in action.
• Here is a site with some amazing pictures, such as (click the pictures for a bigger view):

	It started with a paperclip-like bit of metal that keeps the eyelids open. Next came what I later realised was a "docking station", somehow attached to my eyes. It has a suction tube connected, which I suspect was used to hold my eye still during the procedure.
	Then they inserted something into the docking station that made my vision in that eye blackout. They had previously warned about a feeling of pressure and the vision blackout, but I didn't think I'd be so 'plugged-in' to the machine! After a few words about suction, I started seeing red spots (although this may have been a visual illusion). After about a minute they released everything and did the other eye.
	The result is the flap, as shown here. They didn't actually open the flap at this stage -- that was done during the LASIK procedure.

If you have a look at some of the pictures/animations, it's quite amazing what they seem to have some to me. I’m glad I didn’t know the truth beforehand!

The room with the intraLASE machine was quite cold, and I lay on the table with a blanket to stay warm. It made me feel like I was on a mortuary slab! The whole experience was like Arnold Swarzenegger in 'Sixth Day', where he inserts his eyes into a machine and it downloads his whole memory.

I was then ushered out to sit (with my eyes closed) for a few minutes prior to the LASIK procedure.

LASIK
This time I was taken to another machine which even spoke my name - no doubt one of those procedures to avoid using the wrong patient profile. Once again the paperclip held open my eyes, but then a large, opaque object was pushed towards my eyes. I asked what it was since I couldn't figure it out - it turns out it was merely some cellotape to keep my eyelids in place!

The surgeon then used some tweezers to lift the flap created by the intraLASE and everything went blurry. Next, I had to look into the machine which showed a ring of blue lights, with a red light flashing in the centre. I was asked to keep looking at the red light at all times.

Next came a sound similar to electric-arc welding, tiny splatters of water and a smell that they describe as ozone. Trying to keep my eye staring at the flashing red light was no easy feat, since it felt like it was at the extreme of my vision. I was worried that every time I moved, the machine might miss its target. However, I know that it scans my eyes an incredible number of times each second, so it wouldn't be too bad if I stay generally steady.

Interestingly, the surgeon was using his arms to keep my head in a vice grip – one hand under my chin, the other over my crown. I later asked the reason for this and was told that it was so that he could keep my head steady, within the best focal range for the laser. Everything was so automated that he only had to hold me head!

When the eye was finished, the surgeon pushed the flap back down on my eye. This was the only time I experienced any pain, feeling like a few sharp pin-pricks.

All this was then repeated with the other eye. I had earlier asked in which direction this surgeon creates his flaps. Apparently when using a microkeratome he used to create them with the pivot near the nose, but with intraLASE he creates them with the pivot at the top - using gravity to assist with a good seal.

I then sat in a comfortable chair in a darkened room and was issued with a cosmetics bag filled with goodies – my eye shades to wear at night (flexible plastic sunglasses with a head strap), eye drops to be used every three hours, lubricant since my eyes won't water as much as normal for a while and the emergency telephone number for the surgeon!

Recovery
I then went home to rest. On the way, I occasionally peaked out and I could see things reasonably clearly without glasses. However, spent most of the day in a darkened room, wearing my eye shades, with a dark scarf on top of that. Yes, I was extremely sensitive to the smallest amount of light.

I had my iPod setup with an audiobook, but after a while I had trouble concentrating. I then turned on some music, as they recommend, and this helped me keep my mind off the irritation that was welling up in my eyes. By the 3-hour mark, I had trouble opening my eyes and I was in quite a bit of pain. However, I sure wasn't going to rub my eyes -- that's the one thing I must not do for at least a week, lest I move the flap. (While writing this posting, I absent-mindedly rubbed my eye for the first time, but things seem OK.)

I’m glad to say that after the set of drops that I took at the 3-hour mark, together with some tablet they gave me, my eyes stopped their irritation. In my follow-up visit the next day, the surgeon told me that many people experience such discomfort at the 2-4 hour mark but they are not sure of the cause.

I was able to get up and walk around the house later that afternoon/evening, but I kept my wearing eyeshades. Wearing them at night is a bit uncomfortable since I enjoy sleeping on my stomach, but I’ve managed to cope.

Check-up
The next day I returned to the clinic for a check-up. A vision test showed that I had almost 20-20 vision, pretty comparable to my previous vision with glasses. However, I was noticing a halo around most lights. This should reduce after 6-8 weeks, but many people report such problems especially when driving at night.

I'm still having a little difficulty with my close-up focussing for reading, much like getting a new set of glasses or contact lenses. I'll see how that improves over time.

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

Well, today is Tuesday and I get LASIK on Thursday.

I received a reminder call from the clinic and reviewed my checklist.

Strangely, it has been so long since I decided to get the surgery that my fears and anxieties have disappeared.

One thing I'll miss during the recovery period is swimming -- now that it's summer, I've started swimming a lot with the kids, but I'll have to give it up for a few weeks to ensure no complications. After that, however, it'll be great to be able to get into the water without having to worry about glasses!

Similarly, I look forward to getting a haircut and actually being able to SEE my hair DURING the haircut! Currently, I have to wait until I put on my glasses after the haircut to see whether it's good or not.

Ah, it's the little things!

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

My most powerful memory of the trouble with glasses occurred 20 years ago...

I was visiting the Qantas jet base at Sydney Airport for an Open Day. Thousands of visitors came through the Jet Base to view maintenance hangers, flight simulators and air safety demonstrations.

Then, a sudden downpour came. People scattered for cover as a thick blanket of rain descended from the sky. My brother realised that we'd get drenched trying to return the the car, so he offered to bring the car to the front gate so that I could get in without getting too wet. So, off he went and I stayed undercover for a while.

I made a dash between two buildings. First, however, I removed my glasses and put them in my pocket. Anyone who wears glasses can tell you that they are totally useless in the rain -- water droplets make it worse to look through glasses than having blurry vision without glasses.

As I was dashing between the buildings, I felt the glasses jump out of my pocket. No longer was my priority to avoid the rain -- I had to get my glasses back! So, I stopped and looked at the ground around me, a mixture of cement path and grass patches. Being short-sighted, combined with the heavy rain, I couldn't see the glasses anywhere. Plus, other people were running around me and I didn't want my glasses broken by any people running past.

I had to go on my hands and knees to look for the glasses, but it was a passer-by who kindly pointed them out to me. Needless to say, I was 100% soaked by the time I got to the car, but at least I had my glasses.

Okay, contact lenses would also solve this situation, but the situation is a reminder to me of the legacy that glasses place on my lifestyle. It reminds me of the one football game I played when I was at school -- without my glasses I couldn't tell which way to run!

I live in anticipation...

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

One things I've noticed in life is that Anticipating something is better than Receiving something.

For example, let's say you're just about to buy a new car/toy/gadget or about to go on a date with someone you fancy. The anticipation leading up to the event is a wonderful experience as you ponder the things you'll be doing with the person or purchase. In fact, it's so good, that the reality of receiving often isn't as good as the earlier hopes.

At the moment, I'm anticipating what things will be like without having to wear glasses. For example, each night I hug my son when he goes to bed. I take off my glasses, hold them nearby, give him a long hug, then replace my glasses. Often, I drop my glasses during the hug and have to search for them in the dark.

I'm now anticipating what it would be like not to have to remove / replace / find those glasses. Will the reality live up to my anticipation??

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

One of the first things I do each morning is clean my glasses.

My wife and I have cleaning cloths stashed all around the house -- in the kitchen, in the study, in bedroom drawers, in bags and in the cars. We never like to be too far away from one, especially with the kids around since they have a habit of attacking our glasses.

The thought just struck me this morning -- once I've done LASIK, I won't need the cloths anymore -- hooray! I'll give them all to my wife, who's always claiming that I've stolen them from their resting places.

That will be worthwhile.

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

Just heard this from another person...

I had the procedure done in Melbourne (www.newvisionclinics.com.au) in July and it is the best thing I have ever done. I was scared too, but it is really nothing to worry about, though I recommend a valium or 2 beforehand to help calm you down. If you have had your eyes assessed for suitability, the clinic should be able to answer all your questions and tell you about the risks involved which depends on your eyes and how much correction is required.

The procedure takes about 10-15 minutes per eye, including preparation etc. There is no pain but some slight discomfort afterwards (like having sand in your eyes) and it only lasts a couple of hours. The next day I was able to see perfectly. I now have 20/20 vision and can't believe I waited so long to have it done. It is amazing and 2 of my friends with worse eyesight than I had have had it done in the last month with excellent results. I say go for it!!

Seems like most people are saying the same thing!

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

In my desire to be sure about my impending LASIK procedure, I've been seeking information from people who have undergone the procedure.

Contact Irritation
One person at my current workplace underwent LASIK about 4 years ago. She had a slight problem caused by many years of contact lens usage, which had caused scarring on the eye. After the procedure, this caused some irritation. Upon returning to the clinic, she got some eye drops and felt better. She went to the company Christmas party the next night, and has never looked back.

Happy Customer
I posted a request for LASIK stories this week on the electronic bulletin board at a company where I used to work. Almost immediately I started getting responses from people.

One person wrote:

My eyes were - 5.75 and -6.0 and wore contacts contantly to avoid my coke
bottle glasses.

I had lasik on both eyes in January this year at Laser Sight Centre -
Parramatta by Dr Kerry Meades, www.lasik.com.au.

I have seen prices from $2500 however Im not sure of what that covers and
how repratable they are. I paid $5200 which covers everything including a
lifetime guarantee, so as I get older should my eyes deteriorate, I can
have it fixed at no extra cost. And they came recommended.

The only regret that I have is that I waited so long to get it done.

That's comforting!

I commented that I'm not going to be cheap about my eyes, and then asked her if she had any tips about recovery. She replied:

Definitively have someone take you home afterwards, theres no way I could
drive.

They gave me the option for a vallium which I gladly took, and it helped
me relax as your awake during it and then also to help me sleep afterwards
as they told me to keep my eyes shut for 4 hours afterwards.

It was no longer gritty after that and I could see the little cricket
score on TV. My eyes were done on a Friday I was up and about Saturday
and then on Sunday I went to a BBQ, back to work on the Monday.

I'm with you on the cost. I wouldn't feel comfortable going to a cheap
place.

All the best, im sure you'll be happy with it.

So far, so good!

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

Yes, I've booked in for my LASIK now. It's scheduled for Thursday 15-Dec-05, which should give enough time before Christmas in case anything goes wrong.

I got the leave approved by my manager at work, but my conundrum was whether it was 'Sick Leave'? It's elective, so I'm not actually sick after the fact. However, I'm going to be absent from work due to a medical condition, so what to do?

I solved it by e-mailing the HR department, suggesting that it should be Annual Leave. The response came back that I should use Sick Leave if I've got it available. Fine with me!

So, I rang the clinic to book in, and had no problem with the date. I'm to turn up at 8:15am and I'll need someone to take me home. I'll then return the next day (Friday) for a check-up. There are post-operative checkups over the next few weeks, so I expect I'll get one before Christmas.

They also asked me to send back a Consent Form in which I admit that I'm aware of the dangers of having LASIK. Interestingly, the form needs a witness to sign, so they're not taking any chances! (Click the picture for a bigger view of the form.)

Here goes!

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

I was chatting to my wife today about the potential dangers of eye surgery, and what it might meant to me if something went wrong.

I think I could lead a pretty good life if I lost my legs (I'd spend all day on the Internet!). Things would be a little tough if I lost my arms (but I could still vegetate in front of the television). However, if I lost my eyesight I would be totally lost.

I'm not trying to put down those in society who cannot see (in fact, I have a computer friend from 20 years ago who is blind, and that didn't stop him from being a good online friend). It's just that I realise that so much of my life is based on sight...

• My personal 'bandwidth' to the Internet would be dramatically reduced
• I wouldn't be able to walk around where ever I liked
• I'd need assistance from other people for basic tasks
• I'd feel very disconnected from the outside world

So, I'm understandably a little cautious about this eye surgery stuff. Okay, I've got two eyes and it's unlikely both would be affected. Lots of people have had LASIK and they're okay (it's not less than 1% of people who have problems, and not all of them are permanent). However, it's still a consideration.

Just thinking about having my eye sliced open and lasered is enough to make me queasy. My wife has asked if it's okay that she doesn't have to watch the LASIK DVD because she's just as queasy. I just hope the doctors aren't too! :)

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

I mentioned to my mother-in-law that I'm considering LASIK. Her reaction was quite immediate, warning me against it. Why should I listen? Because she's a GP (doctor)!

She suggested that I speak with some long-distant relative in the USA who is an optical specialist. I agreed to do so to appease her.

I hadn't heard anything for a few days, so I asked about it again. Apparently, this guy gave LASIK a big thumbs-up, saying it's very good -- BUT -- make sure the surgeon has done it at least 500 times.

I think that's pretty good advice. I've seen the ads for LASIK on US websites, and it seems like there's a LASIK surgery in every suburb. I doubt they could get enough business to get really good at it. That actually makes me feel better about the place I'm going -- they seem to charge an awful lot more than some places but they're very busy (I saw 8 staff in the front office the other day) and they certainly churn through the patients.

Plus, I think that other doctors refer their patients to these people when they have complications. A brochure I've got says that each of their surgeons has done over 5000 procedures. So, another thumbs-up on that topic.

(Sorry if this sounds a bit like an advertisement -- I only have experience on this topic with the place that I've mentioned in my other blog postings. I'm just telling things as they are, rather than trying to 'sell'. If you're had good experiences elsewhere, feel free to post some Comments.)

-- Fabbo


Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

I did some research today on how I can make the LASIK procedure a little cheaper with the help of a tax reduction.

Laser eye surgery is not covered by normal medical insurance (eg MBF). I asked them about it some time ago, and they said it's not covered but they are considering it. You'd think it would be worthwhile for them since it would reduce future optometry bills, and they probably cover costs if anything goes horribly wrong and further operations are required. So, why don't they cover the procedure? I think it's because they don't have to -- why start paying when there's no competitive pressure to do so.

So, the next option was to look at a tax reduction. Australian tax returns allow a deduction for 'Net Medical Expenses', which are basically medical costs not otherwise reimbursed through Medicare or Health Funds. It covers things like chemist charges, gap payments, equipment and nursing.

It covers 20% of costs above $1,500. Typical families wouldn't have net expenses that high, but people on expensive drugs would easily hit that limit. In the case of my family, we carefully track our medical costs throughout the year, especially when the kids get sick during winter. It's not easy to amass enough costs to hit the $1,500 starting point, but worth a try to earn some money back from the government!

If the LASIK procedure is going to cost me $6500, then it should return 20% of $4000 -- or about $1000. That certainly makes it cheaper!

However, while I was having my initial consultation, I was told that the government had disallowed deductions for Laser Eye Surgery since the start of this financial year (1-Jul-05) -- something to do with it being a costmetic expense, which is not covered. Apparently they were quite busy towards the end of the last financial year, trying to fill the demand before the payment disappeared!

Now, I didn't like the fact that I had missed out, so I contacted the ATO. First, I visited their website and found a couple of interpretive decisions:

• ATO ID 2001/721 - Medical expenses tax offset - laser eye surgery
• ATO ID 2004/51 - GST and laser vision correction surgery

The first one, written in 2001, says that Laser Eye Surgery does qualify as a Net Medical Expense. The second, from 2004, says that it is not cosmetic in nature since the appearance of the eye does not change, and is therefore GST-free. That bit isn't so important as the argument that it is not cosmetic in nature.

I tracked down a press release from the Treasurer dated 10-May-05 explaining about the exclusion of cosmetic surgery is claiming Net medical Expenses.

I then rang the ATO, gave them these references, and asked if I could claim it. They said that the quoted decisions are still 'current', so it would be OK. I could also ask for a private ruling to be sure.

So, as far as I'm concerned, I should be able to claim the deduction.

-- Fabbo


Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

Well, I 'bit the bullet' and had my initial consultation today.

In order to save some money, I got a referral from a GP which allows me to claim back about $60 of the $170 fee. This alone was a bit of a headache, trying to find a GP to give a referral. I first tried an optometrist, but he wanted to do a full checkup. Instead, I went to a Medical Centre (there's one in Chatswood in the same building as the Eye Institute) and got it done on Medicare.

What Happened
After a short wait, I went into a room with Arnie-like equipment that reminded me of Total Recall and The Sixth Day. They took some eye measurements (totally painless) and even blew a puff of air into my eyes. The output was a couple of sheets of colourful diagrams that described the shape and health of my eyes.

I then went through a pretty normal eye examination, the same as done at an Optometrist. One of my eyes is 20/20 (meaning I can see writing of size 20 at 20 metres), while my other is not as good.

Interestly, one question they asked was:

How well do you expect to see after the procedure?

I wasn't prepared for this quesiton -- I had always assumed that I'd get vision as good as I get with glasses. Mind you, it'd be nice if I got better vision, but that isn't why I'm thinking of doing LASIK.

They then gave me me a list of potential complications that could result from the procedure. I understand that they need to do this from the legal perspective but, boy, that list is scarey! It covered things like:

• Light sensitivity
• Ghosting, especially at night
• Reduced tear production (most probably only temporary)
• General dangers of surgery
• ...and the fact that my eyesight might actually get worse
  

However, the most scarey warnings related to the flap. Things like:

• Outer layer cells regrowing under the flap (ouch!)
• Unwanted stuff getting into the eye
  
• Free cap (where it fully comes off)

Fortunately, my personal research has shown me that IntraLase is safer than the old microkeratome method of cutting the flap. In fact, this is the main reason why I'm considering LASIK -- it's just a hell of a lot safer.

They then gave me some eyedrops to dilate my pupil, and a business/marketing person came into discuss all these dangres. She asked me if I had any questions on the topics listed, but as my eyes dilated I couldn't even read the sheet any more!

For some fun, I went and had a look at my eyes in the mirror and -- wow! -- my pupils were as big as an owl's eye! The black part of my eye had grown to occupy practically the whole coloured part of my eye. It was fascinating.

The Expert
My allocated surgeon, Dr Chris Rogers, was then ushered into my room and he put on something that could only be described as a miner's hat with a lamp on top. He looked into my eyes, did some measurements and declared that my eyes were good for LASIK.

I asked him about CustomCornea, a system that can perform custom LASIK tailored for individual eyes. He said that they'll definitely use it in my case (no extra cost). I've got plenty of corneal thickness, which is important for safe shaping.

That about concluded my visit. By this stage, I was having trouble focussing on anything. When I went to pay and sign the credit card docket, I couldn't even read the amount for which I was signing! I declined to book a date for the procedure because I still wasn't 100% sure that I'd go ahead, but I got the dates that Dr Rogers operates.

It's getting close to Christmas, and I don't want that to potentially interfere with any post-procedure complications. Then again, it's a good time to sit back and avoid eye strain at work. Then again, I don't want to miss out on holiday time around then, especially going into the water with my children. So many decisions! :)

I then walked to work, having been told that I'd be unable to drive. They were sure right about that -- it was a very sunny day and I walked for the 30-minute trip with both eyes closed, only occasionally squinting out to make sure I was walking in the right direction. Luckilly, when I got to work we had to watch a 1-hour video, which gave me a chance to close my eyes and 'recover'. (I don't think I snored!)

Just that little bit of eye stress showed me the importance of having sufficient recovery time if I go ahead. The eyes seem to be a very 'connected' part of the body.

Bottom Line
So, I took the first step. Now to see if I'm willing to continue. I'll discuss it with my wife.

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

In trying to avoid LASIK, I've managed to come up with 3 excuses:

• The cost (A$6,500)
• The danger
• Whether it will be a long-term benefit

The Cost
Hey, that's expensive! I've found some places that do it cheaper than The Eye Institute. So why are they expensive?

It so happens that I went to school with a fellow 20 years ago, and he works there are an Opthalmologist. I asked him if most of the cost was due to insurance. His reply was:

The Eye Institute aims to provide a premium service. The price includes things that many of the others charge extra for. The Intralase is another expensive laser that none of the other centres have. The doctors are the leaders in the country. People who have problems with laser procedures elsewhere come to get them fixed.

Insurance always has to be factored in. I don't know how much they pay.

I always tell people that you need to research carefully who you go with. If all goes well then everyone wishes they went to the cheaper place. But if you want the assurance that your eyes are in the safest hands then price is not the underlying determinant.

Hope I don't sound too much like a salesman!!

I must admit that while I first thought they were expensive, I now think that the other places are too cheap -- it's sort of like perfume -- you equate quality with cost.

I agree that my vision is not something for which I should be cheap. Whatever I can do to improve my chances of success are worth it.

The Danger
Playing with sticks is dangerous. Shining lasers into eyes is even more dangerous! And this is just elective surgery!

I've written enough elsewhere about the dangers, but the one thought that remains is whether I'd regret doing LASIK. It's an option, not compulsory -- I don't want to get it wrong. I think everyone is entitled to their personal opinion about whether it is safe, and they shouldn't assume that just because it's getting more common that it is also safe.

There's a statistical principle called The Law of Very Large Numbers. It basically says that while something might have a low probability, it will come true over a very large number of trials. After all, lots of people win Lotto!

Long-Term benefit
When I attended the information session earlier this year, the Dr Lawless explained that he highly encourages people in their 20s to have LASIK since they've got a long life to enjoy it. However, older people will suffer eyesight problems and might not get as much benefit. (I'm paraphrasing from memory.)

However, my investigation on this topic has found that all people would start to need reading glasses from around age 45 -- including people with 'normal' eyesight and those who wear glasses. In my case, I'd either need two pairs of glasses (one for distance, one for reading) or a pair of bifocals.

I had always imagined that this old-age eye change would be beneficial for me. I'm short-sighted, meaning I can only see close (about 20cm in focus) and need glasses for distance. I had always imagined that as I got older, my eye problem would reduce, and possibly disappear when I was old. However, it appears to be the fact that my distance vision would remain just as bad, while my reading vision would worsen.

So, having LASIK means that I could do without glasses for distance, but I'd probably still need glasses for reading. This is no worse than if I kept my glasses, since I'd have to change them when reading.

So, there goes another excuse!

-- Fabbo


Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

My enthusiasm about LASIK has waned at this stage. Partially due to cost (it's expensive!) but also because I've been reading some horror stories about LASIK gone wrong.

I've added some "Anti-LASIK" links at the left so you can see some of these sites. Let me know if you find any others.

In general, most problems seem related either to flap problems (especially when done with a microkeratome) and less competant doctors, including stories of people who had corrections done repeatedly by the same doctor. I think that if my doctor did something wrong, they'd be the last person I'd want to fix it!

I guess living with glasses isn't as bad as living with the 'cost' of failed surgery.

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

I went to a LASIK information session at The Eye Institute today. I was hoping that this would be an opportunity to ask some questions about the procedure and to hear from others who have undergone it.

The evening was well organised -- a little too well. They are very good at the marketing and at presenting a professional image. I'm more interested in getting a good procedure than being "marketed at".

First there was an Optometrist who gave a typical overview of vision correction and how Laser Surgery works. They, of course, emphasised the benefits of having good vision without glasses.

Next was an Orthoptist who spoke about the Institute (which, contrary to its name, is a business, not an academic place of learning), emphasising the quality of its surgeons.

Then was had a past atient talk about her experience. This is, of course, where most of the questions fly. It's obvious that they would pick a good person to do the talk, but it certainly allayed my fears a fair bit to hear from a 'consumer' rather than the 'provider'.

Finally, they brought out Dr Michael Lawless, one of the refractive surgeons at the Institute (and, from what I gather, the most respected). He managed to answer all sorts of questions from those present.

The one that stuck most in my mind was his observations about the age of patients. If you're too young, your eyes are still changing and you shouldn't get LASIK. If you're too old, you won't get as much benefit since you'll need glasses for reading. He'd have no qualms recommending it for people in their 20s since they'd get so much benefit from it over the years.

Another interesting thing they do is cater for older patients by making one eye better for reading and the other better for distance. This can alleviate the need for reading glasses. It takes a little while for the eyes/brain to adapt, but sounds quite fascinating.

I did some mental math about how many people go through the Institute. Each surgeon does something like 500 per year, times 3 surgeons, times $6000-ish each. I guess the equipment is expensive, plus the insurance, but they're onto a good thing here!

I took great interest during the discussions when they were talking about IntraLase, which I think makes the whole of LASIK worth considering. The whole idea of a microkeratome slicing through my eyeball and all the potential complications would put me off LASIK. But Intralase seems to avoid much of the trauma.

The Results
So, what next? I'm going to do some more research, look at other clinics, read up on the Internet and see what information I can gather. I'm not convinced yet.

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

Greetings readers!

I've created this blog to follow my 'quest' to get LASIK. At this stage I don't know if I'll be doing it, but I've always thought that the most interesting blogs are those that tell of a journey, with interesting observations along the way.

I've had glasses every since I was in 6th class at school (aged 11 or 12). I had started to notice that other people could read things that I couldn't see clearly. I remember going into my parent's bedroom one morning, crying over the realisation that I might need glasses.

I went to the Optometrist (some doctor in an old house, very different to the shop-front Optometrists of today) and she put a set of lenses into a frame and asked me to look out the window. WOW! Everything looked polished and clean. I hadn't realised what I had been missing.

I didn't wear the glasses immediately, since I was used to not having them. Then, my teacher tried to reorganise the classroom, putting me at the back (I obviously wasn't a trouble-maker!) and I then had to tell him that I couldn't see from back there. So, I started wearing my glasses and it's now 26 years later.

I tried contact lenses for a while during my days at University. They were tinted slightly green and the girls used to look into my eyes and ask "Is that your real eye colour?" When I told them it wasn't they immediately lost interest. So, from then on, I only ever replied "I'm not telling" and would you believe they actuallly maintained hope!

Then, after about 6 months, my eyes started rejecting the contacts. I didn't like the irritation, so stopped using them.

Recent Events
Last month, I noticed that the Nose Pad on my glasses had come off, making my glasses rather uncomfortable to wear. I then discovered that it wouldn't be easy to fix. I went to over a dozen Optometrist shops and nobody had a Nose Pad that would fit my frame. The closest was one who offered to do a Super Glue job to stick on a non-conforming nose pad.

Then, I just happened to be passing an Optometrist at lunch, so I thought I'd try them. Guess what -- not only did they know which company produced the frames (which nobody else could tell since the writing had rubbed off over the years), but he even had one in stock -- hooray!

However, my joy was short-lived. In fitting the nose pad, he broke the frame! That meant I had NO glasses, which makes me blind as anything! So, I had to select a new frame on the spot, to which they fitted my existing lenses. I didn't realise at the time, but the new frames were smaller, which resulted in my visual range being limited to a horizontal zone, much like watching wide-screen films on a standard TV.

I've been unhappy with my glasses ever since. I even tried returning to contact lenses again, but my air-conditioned work environment meant that my eyes were getting too dry. Thus my renewed interest in LASIK.

Advice
I asked my Optometrist if LASIK was OK these days. He spoke very positively of it, and recommended two people -- a Dr Versace in the eastern suburbs of Sydney (whom he said always dresses well, haha), and The Eye Institute in the North (where I live).

So, I've signed up to attend an information session and I'll see what happens (sorry about that pun!).

-- Fabbo

Tags: LASIK Laser Eye Surgery