I’m blessed with close to perfect vision and never needed to use glasses, but rif on the other hand isn’t as fortunate. I reckon it’s due to genetics and his love for computer games that his eyeglass prescription is so high (500-600). Plus, he has sensitive eyes so he’s unable to put on contact lenses which limits him to a lot of activities, especially water sports.
Optimax in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail
rif has been putting off lasik surgery for the longest time so I figured if I went for an eye check-up, he would be more inclined to come along and do the check-up with me. Plus, our friends who previously used Optimax’s services said positive things about them. We visited Optimax in Taman Tun Dr Ismail after calling to confirm an appointment slot.
The process was pretty straightforward – if you went to a government school, you’d probably remember those days where local nurses did simple eye tests for you where you’re asked to read alphabets in various sizes. Imagine that, but many times better with top-of-the-line technology and trained optometrists by your side.
We went through a series of eye examination to check on eye health, eye pressure, eye focus and also colour identification. Our optometrist guided us through the process and explained the purpose of each test so we’re better informed about the procedure.
Aced the reading test 😉
As expected, I scored perfect vision while rif didn’t do as well.
My eye test
Since we were well briefed about the services and process, he was more convinced about undergoing corrective surgery. There were two options to consider – Femto-Lasik (RM4,588) and Relex Smile (RM6,888). The former involves creating a corneal flap to correct the existing eye power while the latter is minimally invasive where a small pocket is created using the Femtosecond Laser to correct one’s vision.
His eye test
Both are painless and quick, but I just preferred the idea of a “small pocket” versus a corneal flap haha. Despite the Relex Smile being slightly pricier, rif went for it because of the “small pocket” incision. Note that Femto-Lasik takes off less corneal layer (marginally) compared to Relex Smile so your choice of treatment would depend on the thickness of your cornea.
His eye x-ray. We were told his eyes are strained from his poor vision, hence the “vein” marks.
He was scheduled for lasik surgery the following week and I tagged along to drive him home. If you’re planning to undergo lasik surgery, do ensure you bring someone along to drive as you won’t be able to do so for a day or two, to allow your eyes to recover. And you’ll need to prepare sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful rays. Otherwise, you can opt to do the surgery in the evening and go straight home to rest/sleep.
I didn’t watch the process because I can’t stomach anything “surgery related” even when there is no blood involved. Never could, which was why I dropped out of Science stream in college and opted for advertising – much to my mum’s dismay.
The process takes less than 2 minutes per eye, but prep work would take up to an hour, depending on how fast you can condition your eyes. According to rif, a suction is use to gently keep the eyes in place to allow the laser to focus and go through. It sounded scary to me but he said it was easy and painless.
We returned the following day for his post-surgery check-up and then the following week for another round of check-up. Recovery time takes between a month to three months, depending on one’s eye condition and how well you take care of them. It’s been almost a month since his surgery and so far, he mentioned he’s 80% there.
Honestly, I expected him to recover faster but that’s just me – I’m impatient that way. Though I am excited he no longer needs to wear glasses. He on the other had went out that weekend itself and splurged on sunglasses. Priorities right? *roll eyes* haha
Before lasik
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After lasik
After the third month of check-up (post lasik surgery), he only needs to go back to Optimax after a year for them to ensure everything is good with his eyes.
For more information about Optimax, check out their website . I would suggest making an appointment with them to do an eye check-up and get a proper consultation, before deciding on your lasik surgery options. It’s a better investment than a designer handbag or a watch. 😉