Laser eye surgery is one of the most popular treatments for nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Although the surgery lasts up to 20 minutes and is painless, and the treatment results allow you to forget about eyeglasses or contact lenses for a lifetime, patients with poor vision often delay taking the first step and coming to the consultation.
The poet Indrė Valantinaitė began to think about laser vision correction when she felt her eyesight was worsening. A few other factors also led her to decide on the operation.
“I realized my vision was worse than other children when I was still sitting on the first bench in elementary school. My vision was gradually deteriorating, I didn’t want to wear glasses, and eye exercises didn’t help anymore,” remembers I. Valantinaitė.
Inconvenience at work
The woman hurried to check her vision when she felt that her eyeglasses or contact lenses were no longer sufficient for good-quality vision. Unfortunately, the results of the vision analysis weren’t gratifying – the previously constant vision of 2.5 diopters and slight astigmatism deteriorated to -3.5 diopters.
“As a journalist, I constantly meet new people, have a lot of communication, and participate in various events. The deteriorated vision led to several situations when I didn’t greet another person or a stranger, so whenever I met new people, I had to warn them that I couldn’t recognize them and ask them not to meet new people. I had to warn them that I couldn’t recognize them and ask them don’t be offended,” I. Valantinaitė shares her experience.
The environment-induced to decide
The writer didn’t get used to wearing glasses daily, and contact lenses caused dry eyes and tiredness. I. Valantinaitė has been considering laser vision surgery for several years.
“I kept asking my friends interested in vision correction, but no one around me decided to do this operation. A few months ago, my good friend Simona had laser eye surgery and was happy that the operation went smoothly. My friend was tired of my endless questions about it, so she gave me a coupon for a consultation,” remembers I. Valantinaitė.
According to Vaiva Stankevičūtė, an ophthalmologist and microsurgeon at the Lirema Eye Clinic, during the consultation, all the patient’s questions are answered, and a detailed eyes analysis is performed, which allows them to predict possible postoperative results.
“During the consultation, a thorough eye analysis of the patient’s health history and expectations are discussed. If the surgeon thinks the operation won’t be safe, it won’t be performed, no matter how sad the patient is about it,” says V. Stankevičiūtė.
The writer I. Valantinaitė was also induced by the recommendation of specialists to perform the surgery before the age of 40.
„During the consultation, the doctor mentioned that laser vision surgery is recommended for people aged 18-45, so the earlier the procedure is performed, the longer you can enjoy excellent vision,” remembers I. Valantinaitė.
It went very smoothly
The woman is glad that when she arrived for the consultation, she was greeted by a very kind staff at the clinic, the doctor answered all her questions, and the treatment process was smooth.
„During the initial consultation and laser eye surgery procedure, the doctor tells the patient about the operation process, what the patient will feel at the time, and what can be expected during the healing period,” says I. Valantinaitė.
Sharing her experience, the writer confirms that the surgery went smoothly and so quickly that she didn’t even realize what was happening.
“The doctor didn’t allow me to fantasize or fear and explained in detail the entire process of eye correction. The pain wasn’t what I imagined, and I was willing to endure,” remembers the writer.
According to the woman, the first three days after the procedure was more difficult – her eyes were more sensitive, so she wanted to leave the curtains closed when spending time at home. The surgeon had warned her of this, so Indrė felt calm.
“Each person’s organism reacts differently to laser eye surgery, just like any other procedure, but usually, patients feel better a few days after it. Increased sensitivity of the eyes and tingling may be felt for a while, and the patient may also see a blurred view – all this indicates that the eyes are healing. The organism is trying to adapt to the changed angle of refraction of the light ray,” the microsurgeon asserts.
As if nothing had happened
I. Valantinaitė remembers the laser vision surgery as if it had been done a long time ago and says that perhaps the biggest challenge was to find a few days in the agenda.
According to the microsurgeon V. Stankevičiūtė, one of the most significant advantages of laser vision correction is that the operation is performed quickly, the patient can go home immediately after it, and the effect is long-lasting, allowing the patient to forget the tiring daily routine of wearing glasses or contact lenses. The doctor also notices that many patients regret not deciding on a laser eye surgery procedure earlier, so she encourages them don’t doubt and come to a consultation, where specialists will individually evaluate the possible results of the procedure.
“In a common case, patients delay laser eye correction for a long time because they lack information about the process of surgery or fear pain. Still, they recommend it to their relatives after going through the whole process.” V. Stankevičiūtė shares her insights.
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I. Valantinaitės’ experience after the procedure: