The Starting Line
I have to admit, when you begin to research Visian ICL surgery, the risks sound pretty terrifying... retinal detachment, cataracts, vision loss to name just a few. So why go through with this?
I have asked myself that question quite a few times. I can’t say that I don’t have doubts. Although the chance of experiencing these side effects are slim, the ramifications are significant. However, being legally blind without contacts or glasses for the majority of my life has also been no picnic. I’ve lived with not being able to see my alarm clock or any other objects that are not 2 inches from my face for a very long time. I can’t see much of anything without my contacts or glasses. What upsets me most though, is not being able to recognize the faces of my own children across a table from me without corrective lenses. Ultimately, this is the greatest factor in my decision to move forward with the surgery.
I chose my eye surgeon based on the recommendation of my regular eye doctor, as well as many reviews online. They have performed the second highest number of Visian surgeries in the country, with the military being the highest. I knew I wanted my surgeon to be as experienced as possible in this specific type of surgery.
Prior to my consultation for Visian on July 16th, I had really done my homework and had many questions for the doctor. When I arrived for my appointment, the technicians, nurses and optometrists put me through another long series of tests to determine whether or not I was eligible for the procedure. Once that was completed, I met with the surgeon. I was expecting him to tell me I was a great candidate and that Visian was the right surgery for me, but it didn’t end up being that simple. Because of my age (41), he shared that I would immediately need reading glasses after surgery. I guess 41 is old in the eye world! 🤦♀️ I was also quite taken aback when he shared that there was also an alternative option available - refractive lens exchange. He put the ball in my court and since I wasn’t prepared to hear that, I really wasn’t sure what to do. I peppered him with my Visian questions, even asking him how many of his surgeries had resulted in serious complications, such as retinal detachment and vision loss. I was hoping to hear none, but his answer was two. Realistically, that’s a great number, considering he’s performed so many of these surgeries, but for those two, I’m sure the statistics don’t matter.
When my interrogation of the poor doctor ended, I was led to another room to discuss the cost of both of the potential surgeries. Refractive lens exchange costs more than Visian, but this was not my deciding factor. After thinking it through for many days and conducting more research, I still didn’t have clarity so I called the doctor and asked him to determine what he felt was best. As you can probably guess, we came to the conclusion that Visian was my best option.
I have asked myself that question quite a few times. I can’t say that I don’t have doubts. Although the chance of experiencing these side effects are slim, the ramifications are significant. However, being legally blind without contacts or glasses for the majority of my life has also been no picnic. I’ve lived with not being able to see my alarm clock or any other objects that are not 2 inches from my face for a very long time. I can’t see much of anything without my contacts or glasses. What upsets me most though, is not being able to recognize the faces of my own children across a table from me without corrective lenses. Ultimately, this is the greatest factor in my decision to move forward with the surgery.
I chose my eye surgeon based on the recommendation of my regular eye doctor, as well as many reviews online. They have performed the second highest number of Visian surgeries in the country, with the military being the highest. I knew I wanted my surgeon to be as experienced as possible in this specific type of surgery.
Prior to my consultation for Visian on July 16th, I had really done my homework and had many questions for the doctor. When I arrived for my appointment, the technicians, nurses and optometrists put me through another long series of tests to determine whether or not I was eligible for the procedure. Once that was completed, I met with the surgeon. I was expecting him to tell me I was a great candidate and that Visian was the right surgery for me, but it didn’t end up being that simple. Because of my age (41), he shared that I would immediately need reading glasses after surgery. I guess 41 is old in the eye world! 🤦♀️ I was also quite taken aback when he shared that there was also an alternative option available - refractive lens exchange. He put the ball in my court and since I wasn’t prepared to hear that, I really wasn’t sure what to do. I peppered him with my Visian questions, even asking him how many of his surgeries had resulted in serious complications, such as retinal detachment and vision loss. I was hoping to hear none, but his answer was two. Realistically, that’s a great number, considering he’s performed so many of these surgeries, but for those two, I’m sure the statistics don’t matter.
When my interrogation of the poor doctor ended, I was led to another room to discuss the cost of both of the potential surgeries. Refractive lens exchange costs more than Visian, but this was not my deciding factor. After thinking it through for many days and conducting more research, I still didn’t have clarity so I called the doctor and asked him to determine what he felt was best. As you can probably guess, we came to the conclusion that Visian was my best option.
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