Everyone can have LASIK, right? Unfortunately, that is not the case. Not all patients are good LASIK candidates for a multitude of reasons, but that does not mean there is not an alternative solution to achieve better vision. For patient, Katherine S., one of those alternative solutions changed her life. Katherine said that finding out she was not a LASIK candidate “burst her bubble”. She was under the impression that anyone could have LASIK, and never even considered the alternative scenario.
Though Katherine was upset in the moment, there was hope. Dr. Solomon’s team introduced Katherine to an alternative procedure called Visian Implantable Contact Lens, or ICL. ICL is a procedure recommended to patient with extreme nearsightedness. Like Katherine, some patients have not heard about ICL and may not know anyone else that has had the procedure. To Katherine, it “sounded really cool and interesting” and since her vision was a priority, she decided to proceed with surgery.
Katherine described almost a lifetime of vision problems, having worn glasses since she went to kindergarten. After ICL surgery, Katherine says “it is the first time in my life that I could ever remember being able to see my alarm clock in the middle of night.” Nearly a month after surgery, Katherine is still having a hard time grasping how amazing her vision is and the ease of life that comes with being glasses and contacts free. She says her family “plays hard and does outdoor activities, like swimming and hiking, all the time” and it all just “seems so much easier”. She laughs and expresses that she finally has “regular, normal eyes like other people.”
Katherine expressed extreme gratitude toward Dr. Solomon and his staff describing everything as an “awesome experience, everyone here has been super helpful and kind.” She wants to encourage others not to get discouraged if they too are not a LASIK candidate. She hopes that other patients will look into their options and they too will enjoy life not just seeing “colorful blurs” but clearly.
