Rani (not her real name) wore glasses all through primary school. In secondary school, her parents let her wear contact lenses. It only took her a few days to learn to put them in and take them out again without any effort.
As she transitioned from high school to university, she wore her glasses again whenever she was at home so her eyes could rest and “breathe”. If she wore contact lenses for too many hours, her eyes would turn red and feel uncomfortable – even painful.
Eventually, wearing glasses started to bother her, particularly when driving at night. She also grew increasingly conscious of the fact that she had them on, and knew something had to change. Rani decided to have her vision corrected.
She started searching online for information, and came across a laser eye centre specialising in ReLEx SMILE, a new laser-surgery technique she hadn’t heard of, offered only by a few clinics.
It was a no-brainer. The surgery is less invasive and the recovery time faster than the more well-known Lasik procedure, as it is an all-laser treatment that does not involve a blade.
There is no need for a large part of the cornea to be removed, or to make a flap. Only a tiny part of the cornea tissue – known as the lenticule – is removed, which corrects the shape of the cornea, thereby improving vision. It’s great for those with dry eyes as both Lasik and PRK/Lasek are known to make the eyes drier for months after surgery.
The only downside is that ReLEx SMILE is the most expensive procedure, but Rani believed her eye health was worth it.
She made an appointment for a preliminary checkup, which wasn’t just a simple test of her eyesight – it was an in-depth examination to see which treatment would be most suitable for her. The specialist thoroughly explained her options, including how recovery would go, how many visits were required, and what costs would be incurred.
On the day of the surgery, her husband drove her to the laser eye centre. She was led into the operating room, where she received drops to anesthetise her eyes.
A sterile towel was placed over her face with a hole allowing access only to her eye, which was taped open before a clamp was put between her eyelids to stop her from blinking. Thanks to the eye drops, she didn’t feel a thing.
Then the laser was placed over her eye. All she had to do was focus on a green light and, when it went out after 25 seconds, keep looking at the same point in the dark. This was when the laser was turned on and she didn’t feel anything.
After the treatment was done to both eyes, Rani could walk out of the operation room by herself. She thought everything would be blurry, but she could see clearly after just 10 minutes. The whole procedure took under an hour.
She had no problem seeing the road and cars while her husband drove them home. When she returned to the centre the next day, she was able to drive herself as her vision was back to almost 100%.
Rani is sharing her story so those who have issues with glasses or contact lenses can learn about the ReLEx SMILE treatment to correct their vision.
TELEME Healing Life Stories is a collection of inspirational stories of how ordinary people triumph over their health conditions and recover to lead a healthier life after that. Feel free to email [email protected] to share your story.
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