Two weeks before I actually had the operation done I had started checking into
laser eye surgery. Whitten Laser Eye was the first place I went to. They
told me what to expect before my exam, dilation, mapping of my cornea, etc.
Well, this type of treatment is what I expected from the other 4 places I
checked with. I was wrong; other places were more interested in how I was
going to pay for it than for the questions I had. After the 5th place I
decided that TLC was the best choice.
Day of the Sugery
It was Friday the 13th and I was somewhat skeptical about the date I chose. A
friend drove me to the center in Fairfax. The waiting room had free beverages
and beagles and was nicely furnished.
They did another mapping of my eye and Dr. Whitten checked my vision again to
ensure accuracy. They've explained the procedure so many times by now that
there wasn't a doubt in my mind as to what was going to happen. I was still
nervous though.
After the exam I was given a surgeons cap and instructed to wait in a separate
waiting area in the back.
I had butterflies when they called me in and put me under the laser. They put
drops in each eye and a patch over my left as he worked on my right. I felt
pressure as the micokerotone (?spelling?) created the flap, but I felt no
pain. I heard the ticking of the laser as it vaporized vision-distorting
portions of my cornea. It took 19 seconds for my right eye and 18 seconds for
my left. They escorted me to a recliner in a dark room in the far back.
Right away I was able to read the numbers on the clock without my glasses.
Everything was hazy but crisper than before without glasses.
Post-Op
I sat in the recliner for 15 minutes with my eyes closed. They gave me a
Tylenol PM to help me sleep. After 15 minutes the examined my eyes again to
ensure the flap had reattached. A clean bill of health and my friend were
able to take me home. For the first day after the surgery my eyes were VERY
light sensitive. The ride home was uncomfortable but I ended up sleeping most
of the way. My eyes itched like crazy, but I was under specific instructions
not to rub my eyes them. It felt like a dry dirt contact in my eye. (Just
like they said it would)
Next day follow-up
The next morning I had a follow up appointment. My vision was 20/20 and I was
free of corrective lenses. I was in and out in 20 minutes.
One week follow-up
I had some concerns about my night vision. I was seeing three lights when I
should have only been seeing one. They said that this was most likely from
the swelling but if the problem persisted they would do an enhancement. Again
I was in and out in 20 minutes.
My one-month follow-up is next week. This was the best thing I have ever done
for myself. It has improved my life tremendously; I would recommend Dr.
Whitten to anyone who is seriously considering this procedure.
Rodney Burks
