LASIK: Hunter, 42

August 17, 1999
Web posted at: 11:44 a.m. EDT (1544 GMT)

Name: Hunter

Age: 42

Residence: Atlanta

Procedure: LASIK

Which eyes: Both eyes. Is returning for enhancements in both eyes.

Cost: $5,000, which includes a year of follow-up. The doctor who performed his surgery will do the follow-up.

When done: June 7, 1999

Why did you do it?

Hunter described himself as formerly being "blind as a bat." He had been wearing contacts since 1969 and said it was a nuisance.

Would you call it successful?

"Yeah, I will have an enhancement, but short of that, I would say that the range they have corrected me to is astounding.

What was your vision before the procedure?

-10.5 and -11

After:

Now -.75 and -1.25. His vision is now 20/25. He is currently not wearing corrective lenses but might start wearing lenses until he has the enhancement. He says the only time he is inconvenienced now is when he is trying to see distances, for instance at a baseball game, or when traveling and sightseeing.

Did this procedure meet your expectations?

Hunter said he is right where he hoped to be. "I can't scientifically explain the risk in overdoing it, but it is better to underdo it and go back for enhancement," he said.

He pointed out that his eyes are healthier now. Contact lenses made his eyes very bloodshot from the moment he put them in in the morning.

Would you do it again?

"Oh yeah, absolutely."

Any pain?

None

How would you describe the experience?

He said the experience was just like any other surgical experience, a nuisance. "I don't enjoy any surgical experience. Given that, it wasn't too bad."

He said it was a bit difficult to go home and close his eyes for three hours. He had to place plastic lenses over his eyes so that he didn't inadvertently scratch them, and that was a little uncomfortable.

What risks were you made aware of ahead of time?

He did some consumer research on his own before the procedure. He looked more into RK, which he said seemed "terribly invasive." He steered away from that.

He heard a lot about people having LASIK.

Did you seek out the treatment, or was it suggested to you by a doctor?

He asked his doctor about the procedure. A woman in his office had LASIK and really championed it. Hunter said he was encouraged by her case, as her eyes were in worse shape than his and the procedure was able to help her.

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