'LASIK' by Nertila Asani

Since elementary school, I've been dependent on glasses (due to my nearsightedness), and at 14, I got my first contact lenses. Anyone who has ever had contact with glasses or contact lenses knows how uncomfortable both can be (wearing glasses when entering a heated room in winter, or falling asleep with contact lenses leading to dry eyes the next day, or even conjunctivitis).

My situation is more specific because my father is an ophthalmologist, and I've seen firsthand how easy it is to get rid of both glasses and contact lenses in a matter of seconds. I still had concerns, though, because I was simply scared and couldn't imagine what it would be like to have my eye "operated on," or how I would be expected to lie still, keep my eyes open, and remain calm when an instrument came toward me. For this reason, I kept putting it off, even though I saw how many successful LASIK surgeries my father performs every day and how happy people leave the clinic. On my 22nd birthday, I finally gathered up the courage to stop running away and finally go for it. One of my best friends from Zurich also decided to have the surgery at the same time, and we both had the LASIK surgery on the same day.

The day of surgery itself:

Before the operation, I was given a sedative because I was very nervous. After a bit of a wait, my eye was first anesthetized with local eye drops, and I was given shoe covers and hair covers. The operation itself went so quickly, and every time I think back to how nervous I was, I can only laugh at myself. I would lie back on the operating table anytime and have LASIK surgery without any concerns or anxiety (without a sedative). The only slightly "uncomfortable" thing was inserting the eyelid clamp (to keep the eye open) and docking it onto the eye. After about 15-20 minutes, both eyes were ready, and everything went smoothly. I still remember like yesterday the moment I got into the car and how excited I was to tell my mom that I could read every single sign... an incredible feeling, and hard to describe without experiencing it yourself. I felt like a new person, and even though nothing about me had changed physically, since I wore contact lenses anyway, it still seemed as if everyone noticed my change. After about four days, I flew to Los Angeles, as I was starting my semester abroad there, and I had absolutely no complaints at all. The same was true for my friend from Switzerland. She flew back after two days and, to this day, she still sees exactly the same as me.

It's been six years now, and I wouldn't have a problem doing it again tomorrow. I infected everyone with my enthusiasm, so other friends also had the surgery. My best friend had the same concerns as me and was simply terrified of the procedure, but she flew from Munich to Dortmund specifically to have the LASIK procedure, arguing that my father had performed the procedure on his own daughter, proving it was 100% successful. She, too, is still happy and, after four years, still has perfect vision.

I can only recommend the LASIK surgery because it has made me a new person and I wish I could even relive the experience, the moment after leaving the operating room and the excitement of being able to see and read the clock, street signs and everything - an indescribable feeling and unique!

Nertila Asani