My (SMILE) LASIK Journey! (Pt. 2): Surgery

D-DAY! Gear yourselves up for a LONG post:

I managed to snag an appointment slot on 28/12/23 just ~1 week after my pre-assessment appointment, which fit my schedule really nicely! If you’re working do make sure you factor in sufficient rest days, especially if your work requires heavy screen usage!

REGISTRATION & BRIEFING:

Reported bright and early at 7.45 am because I was the 2nd patient for the day! The clinic required upfront payment before surgery, so that was the first thing I did. The clinic staff also took this opportunity to inform me that before the surgery could commence (in the operating theatre), they would have to ask a few questions to ascertain my identity (full name, NRIC, what surgery are you going for, for which eye(s)). Then, I was given an info sheet to read that stated out clearly line by line the entire surgery flow, so you know what to expect. I appreciated this a lot, but after reading it I also felt a bit more stressed, especially because it said “DO NOT shake or nod head” and I have a tendency to do that in response to questions 🥲.

This was quickly followed by the staff explaining about the after-surgery care procedures, i.e. the types of eyedrops, how frequently to apply them, etc. All these after-care instructions were also printed out for us. She then reiterated the surgery flow again and VERY importantly she went through what to expect for the actual laser correction bit of the surgery- they also had actual photos to show you what you would be actually seeing during the process, VERY HELPFUL. This was also the time you could ask any questions! She mentioned something interesting here: For the first eye that is operated on, you don’t really know what to expect so you don’t feel much, but for the second eye, your body expects something already so your physical senses are heightened! This was SO TRUE for me.

SURGERY PREP:

Since there was a patient before me, I had a short waiting time but the actual surgery is really quick (about 10 mins). Before I went to get gowned up, I placed my shoes and belongings into a locker and was guided to a separate room! They gave me slippers to wear! Had to put on a disposable gown over my clothes and a hair net and a staff member applied some eye drops (to numb your eyes) and helped to clean my eye area (you’re not supposed to touch your face afterwards). I had to wait a while more and was left alone in the room and because it is right next to the OT i could actually hear the patient before me being operated on HAHA. Ngl I got quite nervous at this point 🫠.

SURGERY:

The OT looked straight out of some sci-fi film!! All white and it had a machine in the centre of a raised platform. I was guided to a bed and more eye drops were given i believe following which they covered my eyes and wrapped me all up in some foil-like thing (tbh i couldn’t see but it sounded crinkly) and was asked the questions before the entire bed was swivelled over (i guess to position your head under the machine?)

They operate one eye at a time, so one eye is covered at any point in time. It’s honestly so fast and I was adrenaline filled so it’s a bit of a blur but the surgery basically consists of adjusting your position under the laser, raising the bed to the correct height and you staring at a green dot while the correction is being done. Disclaimer: This freaking green dot WILL disappear but you need to keep on staring at the same spot it was at. I think it’s about 20 s that you have to keep on staring without blinking and I freaked out a bit because AM I STARING AT THE RIGHT SPOT? WHAT IF I BLINK? but all was good. My bf mentioned that when he did his op his eyelids were clamped open but mine were not, because the surgeon will tell you ok you can blink now/close your eyes. He also gave very clear instructions, mentioned what he was doing and counted down (for eg when you’re staring at the dot) so it was very reassuring. Like what the staff mentioned during the briefing, I really didn’t feel much for the first eye! But whoa for the second eye i somehow could feel the laser making its way along my retina to create the incision (dk whether it’s my imagination or what but it felt so real). Honestly while my second eye was being operated on I was just telling myself it’ll be over very soon so just tahan a bit longer HAHA. THERE’S NO PAIN AT ALL!

The amazing thing is right after the surgery, your vision will already be partially restored!! I could see better after the surgery than before bec my degree was pretty high 🥲 Basically once you go out you rest for a while and if you’re feeling ok you can make your way home! I got a bag with all the aftercare stuff and tbh my eyes weren’t very sensitive after the surgery so I could honestly have gone without sunglasses, but better to be safe and wear them! I know some clinics give sunglasses but mine didn’t so rmb to check and bring one if necessary! Also, no pain whatsoever! It just felt normal? And i was super excited to be able to see leh HAHAH 🤗

#lasik #smilesurgery #MyLemon8Diary