LASIK Operation

Entrance
Originally uploaded by urbanmalebitch.

After much research on the LASIK centers available in Singapore and Malaysia, I have decided to stick to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, for two reasons:

1)They have the latest LASIK equipment available, the other being Vista
2)The eye surgeon, Dr. Lee Hong Ming, was highly recommended by an ex colleague.

And so on Thursday, I sat outside TTSH, waiting for my turn to be operated on. You can tell that the center is doing well, from the furnishings. Got even free internet access. Complete with iMacs.

iMac
Originally uploaded by urbanmalebitch.

First stop, to the refraction test room. To test if my eyesight has deteriorated. A sweet and pretty optician tested my eyesight. Which of course, made it harder for me to concentrate on the refractive test. With such pretty optician, how to concentrate? Anyone guy with perfect eyesight also have problem, see letters wait all become figures. Liddat how?

Waited for about half an hour, before I was called in to the operating theatre.

Nurses put a series of anaesthetic eyedrops . The eye doc was brimming with confidence and was all smiles. Too confident in fact, that I felt uneasy. But then again, he has a huge reputation. Waiting queue for other doctors, 2 weeks. For him, it’s at least 1 month.

From the holding area, I saw the sight saviour machines. A million dollar Intralase machine and Bausch & Lomb’s Zyoptix 100.

Operating theatre
Originally uploaded by urbanmalebitch.

A closer shot of the intralase machine.

intralase machine
Originally uploaded by urbanmalebitch.

First my eyelids were plastered wide open. A spring like device was used hold the eyelids apart. A suction device was attached to the eyeball. It created a pressure on the eyeball, somewhat like a mini vacuum cleaner sucking onto a pingpong ball. All while I’m still conscious, seeing it right in from of my eye.

The Intralase machine’s laser was then extended down to the eye. With me fully conscious.

“I am going to create a flap in your cornea now”

“Pressure On”

And I saw a host of octagonal yellow lights lighting up

“Counting down , 50 seconds”

And I still saw the same host of octagonal yellow lights.

“5 more seconds”

And the pressure was still on. I felt nothing at all.

“Pressure Off”

And thus, the cornea was cut to create a flap. Painless.

“There are no bubbles formed during the flap creation. We will now proceed with the LASIK”

The bed shifted, and I am now in full view of the Zyoptix 100 machine. I saw a series of green lights and red lights emitting from the machine.

The doctor then used a device to flip up the flap, and all of a sudden, my vision was blurred.

“Concentrate on the red blinking lights, not the red one. Remember, stay still, and do not talk”

He held my forehead down tightly against the headrest, whilst I gazed intently at the series of red blinking lights.

“The laser is in position now. Phase 1 of operation now begins”

Keeping still, I continued staring at the blinking red lights, as instructed.

“5 more seconds remaining, begin of Phase 2”

The operation was done in 5 phases, and it took only about 40 seconds.

“Congratulations, the operation is successful.”

He flipped back the cut flap. And my vision cleared up instantly. I could see the world around me.

A tiny brush was then used to wipe and seal the flap back in. He then applied some sort of a lotion on the cornea. It was a pretty strange sensation, as you could see him wiping away at your cornea, very much like the petrol station guy wiping the windscreen whilst you are in the driver’s seat.

I had a photo taken during the post check up 20 mins after the operation.

Dr Lee Hong Ming
Originally uploaded by urbanmalebitch.

Vision? I felt like I was in dreamland, with halos surrounding objects. Two days later, after much rest, it improved tremendously. The last time I tested, it was 6/6.