Bringing Focus to her World
Jennifer Stewart explains how her life improved after a-35 second, laser eye surgery by an Ottawa doctor considered a leader in the field
By Jennifer Stewart, Ottawa Citizen
Less than 24 hours since my laser eye surgery, I am back at Focus Eye Centre in Ottawa for one of several post-operation appointments. My eyes look droopy and are bloodshot, but my vision has never been better. I read the chart on the wall, and learn that my eyesight has improved seven lines since the surgery and will continue to get better throughout the healing process. In the mere 35 seconds it took the lasers to treat my eyes, my quality of life is forever changed.
The decision to finally “bite the bullet” and get laser eye surgery was a long time in the making. As a writer, my livelihood rests in my ability to see — a sense heightened by glasses since the age of 14. On days I would forget or misplace my glasses, focusing on a computer screen was a huge struggle that usually ended with a pounding headache and an early night to bed. With a fear of touching my eyes, contacts were never an option.
Deciding enough was enough, I booked a consultation in October. My nerves were eased knowing that technological advancements in laser eye surgery have made the procedure safer with reduced recovery times than ever before. At my consultation, I meet with Dr. David Edmison, medical director of Focus Eye Centre who has performed more than 30,000 laser vision correction procedures, and learn about two surgery options — PRK (photo-refractive keratectomy) and SBK (sub-Bowman’s keratomileusis). While both are forms of advanced laser vision correction, SBK is a relatively new technology that is changing the face of laser eye surgery in Canada and abroad.
“This is very exciting,” said Edmison, an Ottawa-born surgeon and early adopter of laser vision correction in Canada. “We are doing an extremely safe procedure that has patients back to their normal routine in a matter of hours versus days.”
So what is it exactly? Intralase SBK uses an infrared beam of light to make a thin flap on the eye by a process called photo-disruption.
Using focused and quick laser pulses, a beam of laser light creates a microscopic bubble of carbon dioxide and water vapour. Thousands of these bubbles are precisely positioned to define the dimensions of the flap and hinge location, which the surgeon can then lift for treatment by the laser. After treatment, the flap is snugly repositioned. Given my need for a quick recovery, I decide that SBK is my best option and book my appointment.
Surgery cost varies depending on where you have it done and what surgery you choose, with prices ranging from around $2,000 to $5,500. For SBK, the cost is approximately $5,000. Laser eye surgery for correcting nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism is considered cosmetic surgery and is not covered by OHIP, although some extended health insurance plans may provide partial coverage. The surgery is considered a deductible medical expense for income tax.
As with any surgery, there are also some risks. Although very rare with new technologies, some patients experience decreased night vision because of halos and glares and have persistently dry eyes.
Surgery day is finally here and despite knowing the risks, I’m surprisingly not nervous. I am excited. I arrive with my cameraman (and husband) in tow. We are greeted by Jenifer Cash, a surgical processor at Focus Eye, who walks me through what to expect and answers any questions. Looking for reassurance, I ask her if she’s had laser eye surgery. To my surprise, her eyes well up with tears and she tells me she’s not usually asked that question. “It sounds cliche, but it (laser eye surgery) changed my life. When I got up from the operating chair and could see my sister’s face in the waiting room, something that before was a blur from that distance. I was amazed,” said Cash.
She takes me into the operating room, where I am met by Edmison and a team of assistants. Preparation for the procedure begins. My eyes feel fine, but are frozen by several eye drops and are propped open by a speculum. From here, it is a blur. I feel no pain, but a slight pressure on my eye. I can see things passing in front of me. From my research, I have an idea of what is happening, but there is no discomfort or even sensation of my eyes being touched. Within 20 minutes, the procedure is done and I am sitting up. For a girl who couldn’t put in contacts, I am pretty proud of myself and relieved at the ease of the surgery.
Tired — that is the word I would use to describe how I felt following the surgery.
In what seems like survival mode, my eyes feel like they are closing without my consent. For the next 24 hours, I transition between sleeping on the couch and my bed. By Sunday, less than 48 hours since my surgery, I am back to watching television and working on my laptop.
As I type away on my computer, I instinctively reach for my glasses and put them on. Everything becomes a blur. I breathe a sigh of relief and put my glasses back down on my desk. For the first time since the surgery, it hits me: I don’t need them anymore. I can see perfectly well without glasses for the first time in more than a decade.
It’s been five weeks since the surgery and I have only one regret — that I didn’t do this sooner.
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