Case Study: How Laser Eye Surgery can change someone’s life

Our Auckland Eye patient came in for a free assessment, because she’d been interested in whether laser eye surgery could be a solution for her small but annoying focusing error.

She was 31 years old and her prescription was: -1.25 in the left eye and -0.75 in the right eye (with a slight astigmatism). She didn’t wear glasses or contact lenses on a permanent basis and whilst this focusing error didn’t impact her life dramatically, she felt that by getting her eyes corrected to perfect vision the difference she would experience in day to day situations could result in a better quality of life.

The main struggles our patient complained of was not being able to see the faces of people across the street, watch a movie in definition, see concert performers on stage or recognise road signs while driving.

Our patient was given the good news that she was suitable for laser vision correction and that there was a high chance of improving her vision to 20/20 or better. Based on the information gathered at her assessment she was advised that our Lasik procedure was her most suitable option and the date for the surgery was set.

On the day of the procedure, the patient had her final consultation with Dr David Pendergrast where he confirmed that her cornea was suitable for Lasik and she could prepare for surgery. When asked how she felt, she told us that she was excited to see how the procedure would impact her life in a positive way, and because of  that she was far more excited that nervous.

Before going into the theatre our staff explained carefully what she could expect during the procedure and also advised on aftercare. Dr Pendergrast arrived and spoke in more detail about the procedure and asked our patient if she had any questions.

She was then taken into the theatre where nursing staff settled her in and made sure she was comfortable on the bed before the Lasik procedure started. It took approximately 10 minutes per eye for the correction surgery to be completed and our patient was surprised when we told her it was all over. Our patient was then taken into a recovery room where protective goggles were put on her eyes and the after care advice was recapped.  She was then able to be driven home to rest with instructions to come back the next day for a check up.

…..It has been a number of weeks since our patient’s laser eye surgery and she is loving her new eyes. Both eyes are now better than 20/20 and she can finally see details of everything in the distance.

She has said the best improvement she had experienced so far has been enjoying a movie in the cinema, and seeing every detail.  She has also told us that the general feeling of clarity around her instead of blurriness is indeed life changing.

The patient shares: “I was lucky enough to go to a show at NZ Fashion Week and I could not believe that I could see everything in high definition: people’s faces across the cat walk and every detail of their clothing as well as what the models were showcasing. It was amazing to feel like you’re participating in the moment and not just sitting in the corner and trying to see through the blurriness. Getting laser vision correction was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and I am now loving the quality of life it has given me!”

Interested in Laser Eye Surgery? Visit www.aucklandeyelaser.co.nz for more details.