A News Anchor Finds New Vision: Maria’s Light Adjustable Lens Patient Story
Maria’s Vision History
Maria got her first pair of glasses at the age of three and struggled with poor vision throughout childhood and young adulthood. Growing up with an interest in both theater and sports, she didn’t love wearing glasses for both aesthetic and functional reasons. She was excited to get contact lenses in high school, but ended up disappointed by the way they felt as well as the less-than-perfect vision they provided.
How Maria Made the Decision to Have Vision Correction Surgery
Maria began thinking about other possibilities for vision correction when she developed an interest in journalism in college—contacts were not comfortable and she didn’t want to wear glasses on screen. She initially looked into LASIK, but discovered that she was not a candidate due to her severe farsightedness and astigmatism.
Excluded from traditional laser vision correction surgeries, Maria saw an eye doctor who suggested scleral lenses. These hard contact lenses did give her better vision correction than regular contacts, but they also caused redness and discomfort after several hours of wear. Finally, her eye doctor suggested that Maria see Dr. John Vukich to learn about other surgical vision correction options.
Why the LAL at Summit Eye Care was the Right Choice for Maria
During her consultation appointment with Dr. Vukich, Maria was impressed that he took the time to explain her options and answer all her questions thoroughly. She was interested in the Light Adjustable Lens™ from RXSight® because it offered a high level of customization and precise vision correction. The light adjustable lens, or LAL, is a type of intraocular lens (IOL) that is designed to replace the eye’s natural lens. It is the only IOL that can be adjusted after surgery for custom-tailored vision correction.
Maria’s LAL Surgery Experience
Maria was excited to improve her vision, but, like many patients, she was a bit nervous the day of her surgery. However, thanks to the supportive staff at Summit Eye Care, she felt ready. Surgery itself only took 20 minutes, during which her eyes were numbed with anesthetic drops. She was pleasantly surprised to be pain-free after surgery.
Once surgery was complete, Maria had to wait to have the non-surgical UV light treatments to adjust her LAL prescription. She had discussed the timeline with Dr. Vukich and Dr. Bruns and she knew she’d have to be patient because the adjustment treatments could help her achieve her best possible vision. Sure enough, she was amazed by the “whole new world” of better vision she experienced the day after her first adjustment appointment. She had a second adjustment treatment to improve near vision and then she was ready to lock in her ideal prescription.
Life with New Vision
Maria says that her new vision with the LAL has improved her life in many ways. She loves being able to wake up and go for a run without putting in contact lenses and she really loves that she doesn’t have to deal with the dryness and discomfort that contacts caused. She can also feel more confident at work, knowing that glasses and contacts won’t get in the way of her ability to accurately read the teleprompter or cause headaches throughout the day.
For anyone considering vision correction with the LAL, Maria advises that you do need to exercise patience during the month or two after surgery while your eyes heal and you work with your eye doctor on fine-tuning your prescription. Maria does rely on reading glasses when she is using her phone for an extended period of time or using a book. For her, adjusting to using glasses for these specific tasks was part of the process of getting used to her new vision. But she says that the vision she has been able to achieve without glasses or contacts is “mind blowing” and that the customized vision correction is worth the wait.
Contact Summit Eye Care
Maria appreciated the personalized care and advanced treatment she received at Summit Eye Care. If you are interested in achieving better vision, we can help. Contact us today to schedule your consultation appointment.