Brand New You - August 2007
Author: Liana Voisey

It’s funny how times change. I had some rather trendy designer specs that I actually did want to wear - the very 50s secretary look that Marilyn Monroe’s character so famously shunned.

They were great glasses, but they remained for the most part in their case, only to be dug out at home for watching television or brought out as the lights went down at the cinema. I felt glasses were essentially a barrier between me and the world and I felt self-conscious with them on.

I didn’t enjoy using contact lenses either, though they were a necessity. Keeping the lenses clean meant maintaining a twice-daily miniature science experiment every day. They were time consuming to put in and out, and made my eyes feel uncomfortable in smoky bars, or at the end of a long, tiring day in the office. When I was wearing neither glasses or lenses I was living life in a blur, but I soon realised that it didn’t have to be like that. I had known about laser eye surgery for a few years, but figured I would wait until more research had been carried out.

However, it sparked my interest again when friends who had had the surgery done were pleased with the result and reported no side-effects. And it appears they were just of the few of the people opting for laser eye surgery. Statistics show that around 100,000 people in Britain are having laser eye surgery every year and celebrities such as Friends star Courtney Cox-Arquette, Nicole Kidman, Tiger Woods, Elton John and Newlyweds star Jessica Simpson are just a few of the success stories.

Deciding to take the plunge, I booked an assessment for myself at Optical Express, which lays claims to being the UK’s number one laser eye surgery provider. My consultation took no more than a couple of hours, during which time I had several tests and my eyes were measured. As a result of the drops they put in, my eyesight was a little blurred and I needed to wear sunglasses to protect my eyes from the glare of the sun for a few hours.

Afterwards, I was told that my astigmatism in both eyes would not be a problem and the thickness of my corneas would make me an ideal candidate for laser eye surgery. My consultant also recommended Wavefront LASIK with IntraLase, which cost £2,490, and I was given background information about my surgeon, Joanna McGraw - I was impressed. She had performed more than 22,000 procedures before, was a spokesperson about laser eye surgery and had treated well-known athletes, celebrities and film stars. It was enough for me!

Despite my nerves, I was immediately put at my ease come surgery day. More tests were carried out to confirm results of my initial consultation and to provide my surgeon with an accurate prescription and optical map of my eyes. Once this had been done, I met my surgeon, who explained what she would do.

Using a laser, she said, she would create a flap, like a small door, through the top layer of the cornea, which is the transparent of the eye covering the pupil. This would be folded back and the cornea would be reshaped with the laser to correct my vision. The surgeon would then align the flap to its original position, so that it can heal naturally and securely. The procedure would take around 10-15 minutes.

When the time was ready, a nurse put local anesthetic and antibiotic drops into my eyes before I was taken to the laser room. As I lay on the bed, with the machinery above my eyes, a plastic suction ring was placed over my eye to hold it open - I felt some pressure on my eye - then the operation was ready to begin.

I was told to keep my head very still and focus on a fuzzy, pulsing red light. Thank goodness for the comforting words of the surgical nurses, holding my hand throughout! When all was done, my eye was cleaned and the suction ring removed. The same was done for the other eye. I honestly felt no pain, although it was uncomfortable, and while it felt like forever, actually, the whole procedure took under ten minutes. I was then taken to a dimly lit room where I could relax my eyes and one of the team brought me a cup of tea.

I was given some goggles to wear at night to protect my eyes and told to wear these for a week. I was also given antibiotic drops, anti-inflammatory drops and some moisturising drops and advised as to their application. My eyes felt a little irritated and watery after treatment and it felt more comfortable to keep my eyelids closed, but as promised, I was to find that this discomfort would subside over the next day or so.

When I left the clinic, I was advised to bring sunglasses with me as my eyes would be sensitive to glare. Finally, I was able to wear those fashionable Gucci sunglasses that I bought in a sale a couple of years prior but which could not be changed to my prescription!

The next morning, the impact was incredible when I first opened my eyes. I looked out of the window and could see fantastically. There was some red bruising on my eyes but it wasn’t particularly noticeable.

When I went for my follow-up appointment later that day, I was given an eye test. To my surprise, I could read the whole of the vision chart without problem. I was back at work the following day. When I went for another follow-up the next month, I was told my eyesight was better than 20/20. This means I can read smaller letters than those at the bottom of the eye chart.

Laser eye surgery has really opened up my world - I feel liberated that I can make out detail and see people’s faces from afar. If only I had benefited from it sooner!

Brand New You - August 2007

Liana Voisey,  Journalist, Brand New You