I made the print!!

[Dotanne]

Here is a link to an article about my dry eye that was written in a student newspaper by my son's girlfriend who is doing a journalism course.

http://www.tewahanui.info/news/070601_lasereye.shtml

I thought she did a good job. It will be read by many students in Auckland.
I hope I have put this link in the right way so you can access it.
Cheers all
Dot

[brd888]

Works

Hi Dotanne,
Interesting article (link worked okay). Dr Gray seems on the ball - pity about the other chap. Interesting how he said some people get Dry eye without surgery (me).
Bruce

[Natalie06]

hmmmm

Allowing Lasik surgeons to determine what risk factors that they share or don't share with their patients is a lot like asking a fox to design the hen house.

[dianat]

This is great, Dot!

[Rebecca Petris]

WOW! Great job!

I am sure that article must be making a great impact - particularly with the glaring inconsistencies that the interviews with the two surgeons brought out:

[Dr. Gray] says some patients are more susceptible to dry eye following Lasik, including older people, females, those taking certain medications such as birth control pills and anti-depressants, and those undergoing hormone replacement therapy.

Simpson says she was not warned of her increased risk, which existed because of her age, gender and post-menopausal state.

Dr Gray says he definitely warns patients of these risks in pre-surgery consultations.

His colleague, Dr Peter Ring, performed Simpson’s surgery.

He says if she came to him for Lasik today with the same pre-existing circumstances, he would still not give her specific warning for chronic dry eye risk because he believes her results to be unique.

Your surgeon's colleague clearly states you're in a higher risk group - yet your surgeon still maintains that he would NOT warn someone like you even today.

Your surgeon's colleague also states that ~5% of patients can be expected to have a longer term dry eye problem - yet your surgeon maintains that your results are "unique".

That ought to give pause to anyone reading the article that values their eye health.

[Guest]

Great job Dot.

Clearly the two colleagues don't spend a lot of time comparing notes??

Regards

Ian

[Silverlady]

Really interesting

Dot,
This really raised some questions for me. My daughter-in-law had the lasik surgery a couple of years ago, but she was only 28 and no existing problems to begin with. My son has been considering it, he is now 36. I've sent him this link. With our family history (autoimmune illnesses), I seriously don't think he should do it. This should give him more to think about. Thanks for posting it.

Billye

[Dotanne]

Thanks for all the interesting comments. Ange (the author) has mild dry eye from contacts so has some understanding of what dry eye is. I am so pleased she did such a good article.
Apparently this paper has quite a wide circulation including the Prime Minister!!!!
I have been in touch with Dr Gray and he has arranged for me to see a Prof McGhee from Auckland University Opthalmology Dept. Appointment tomorrow morning so that will be interesting. He is a tear specialist. Maybe I will at last know if there is any other cause for my dry eye apart from Lasik!!!
All my Lasik Dr could offer me was cauterisation at first (I refused and had plugs instead) and Omega 3 later, which I was already taking thanks to this bulletin board! Just says I am his worst case ever!!!
I am so grateful to have found this site a couple of years ago. Rebecca and co helped me climb out of a ghastly situation. God bless you all.
Cheers
Dot

[brd888]

sucks

All my Lasik Dr could offer me was cauterisation at first (I refused and had plugs instead) Dot

Hey that really sucks. Cauterisation is a permanent treatment for those whom plugs are troublesome. Why on earth would he offer this first?

[Caroline]

Hi

Thank you for this. I am sorry to hear you were not told your true risks, its appalling. The article sums up LASIK dry eye quite well, especially the " increased risk" factor. I too was at an "increased risk" of dry eye post LASIK because I could not wear contact lenses without severe dry eye problems. In 2004 I warned my surgeon I thought i had dry eye and queried if this could put me at risk of getting the so called "dry eye" mentioned in small print on the consent form and he just told me dry eye with contacts did not mean I had dry eye and told me I was okay to have surgery as he had looked at my eyes under flourestent stain and they did not look dry. I now have had dry eyes for 3.5 years post surgery. Schmir result of 2mm. Also I suffer with bad sinusitus pain in dry atmospheres and lost a job over this where i worked in an air conditioned office. I now work in a small office that I humidify and I am considered disabled. I am only 33 years old. I wear wrap around glasses and use eye drops when I really have to (they make my eyes burn more with frequent use as I have no natural tears to dilute chemicals). I have been told by other surgeons that my surgeon was neglegant and that he should have cautioned me against LASIK surgery. I argued that I should have been told I was at higher risk of dry eye because I already had dry eyes. It is not enough surgeons tell people they have 5% risk of ongoing dry eye (although i I was not even told this, i was told there have been a "few" reported cases of people having ongoing dry eye but usually everyone's eyes get back to normal). People like me who have existing dry eye (or borderline dry eye) before surgery have pretty much 100% chance of getting post LASIK dry eye! Because we are the 5%!!! It is not enough the surgeons say dry eye tests results vary too much against people's symptoms. It is still an indication and it should be done in conjunction with asking people many questions about their history, especially if they go for LASIK because of contact lense intollerance. Its clearly a copout by the LASIK industry because they do not want to put off potential money making candidates. I worry about the future, if things are bad for me now when I reach the menopause I have been told that it will get worse. None of my friends, work colleagues or family understand just how bad dry eye/ dry sinus is and think I should just get on with it. So now i suffer in silence when all i want is understanding so i won't be subjected to torturious over heated rooms or air condtioning in friend's cars. I believe that many people who have had LASIK in their 20s or 30s and have not developed dry eye may well do so when their eyes become naturally dryer (upto 60% between age 20 to 60!) as they are dryer to start with than they would have been. It is the reason I think LASIK should be banned.
I am really grateful for sites like these, they are so useful and the support is invaluable. Thank you very much.

[Natalie06]

Caroline

This is one of the most eloquent posts I have ever read about Lasik and dry eye. I know exactly what you are going through and I pray that you (and I and everyone) find some relief. And that somehow, we can get the FDA, the AMA and out own states to pay attention to this.

Natalie
Lasik induced severe dry eye 7/14/06

I just realized that you are in the UK. Prattstar (one of our members) was featured in an article in the UK about Lasik and dry eye. I can't put my hands on it yet but when I do I'll post it for you. The Royal Academy of Ohthalmology (I think that's the right name) stated in the article that they were instituting a formal retraining of Lasik surgeons due to the rise of post Lasik complications like dry eye.

[Caroline]

Natalie

Thank you! I've just joined here and its great to have a reply. Sorry to hear of your suffering.

This site is great, I had LASIK three and a half years ago and to find a site like this offering good advice and support is reassuring. About a year after having LASIK i was at my worst with schmir of 0 mm in both eyes but now i have made some changes and managed to reduced the symptoms (largely insisting on being moved to a smaller office at work in which i could humidify the air (large offices you can't humidify with a standard humidifier). I have to keep humidity above 45% and temperature below 22C for my eyes not too burn and I also wear normal glasses indoors which are non prescription, that makes a big difference). My schmir is now 2 and 3 mm. I still have bad days like today with sudden onset of intense irritation and feeling I want to pull my eye out but its shorter lived than before.

If you come across that article would be interested in reading it. Thanks.

Hope you are having a good week.

[Natalie06]

Caroline

I just sent you a private message with the text of the article. I wasn't 100% sure if due to copywrite laws if I could post it and I don't want Rebecca to get in trouble so...If you want to research it on-line it's from the Scotland Sunday Post.

I'd like your permission to use your post in a potential article I am writing and/or send it to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. I have been saving some of the best and most compelling quotes so people know just how serious this is and how badly improper Lasik procedures can affect someone's quality of life. And your post says it so well. The lies and promises, the deliberate downplaying of side effects and the taking risks with people's eyes.

I am so glad you've at least gotten some relief. I am still at the Zero Schirmer point and I can't change my job or office. But I keep hoping that things will improve. I know exactly what you mean about the temp/humidity...I can now predict the weather based on how my eyes are feeling.

Today was so much better than last week that I am giddy. I know it won't last but I try and enjoy every "good" day as much as possible.

Hang in there. I am so sorry you had to join "the club" but hope that coming here helps you as much as it has helped me.

Natalie

[Guest]

Caroline

I remember that someone placed a copy of the article here on the BB, I will hunt around for it and post a link if I can find it.

The Sunday Post only keeps articles on their website for 1 week until the next paper is published.

It was a well written article by a very concerned reporter.

Regards

Prattstar

Found it. You can follow this link. http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showthread.php?t=3433 not the most flattering picture of myself but had it certainly had an impact.

Cheers

Ian (Prattstar)

[Caroline]

Natalie/ Prattstar

Hi Natalie!
Thanks for your email, I have sent you a private one concerning my article. I am glad you are having a good week. The last couple of days have been better for me, I think because the air is colder perhaps. Anyway WELL DONE for finding the strength to collate articles to submit to the academy of Opthalmology, what a great idea!!!
Thanks for the welcome and hope to have lots of correspondence with you in the future.



Prattstar,

Many thanks for forwarding your newspaper article. I didn't even know the UK were aware/ concerned there was an issue with laser surgery. I am very sorry to hear about your situation with your eyes and losing your job. Are you working at the moment or can you receive disability benefits? I don't know what options I would have if i lose my job in the UK, which i came very close to doing. I had to fight disability rights to be able to stay and work in humidified conditions otherwise i would have to had to give up work and become unemployable i guess.

Regarding the article, it is hopeful they acknowlegde it but also the bureaucracy maddens me with all their "pilot schemes". How long will it take for them to just simply enforce that LASIK consultations warn people the most common side affect of LASIK is Dry Eye Syndrome and that if patients have had any dry eye issues they are at a greater risk of developing this. Also enforced should be all consultations are tape recorded to make sure (large money making) surgeons clearly warn their patients of the very real risks rather than down play them. From the article it said LASIK companies say they explain the side affects and screen for dry eye. This clearly is not working and from my own experience I know why; first of all people are sometimes just told there is a small risk (between 1 and 5%) of getting dry eye. This is abuse of statistics and misleading; most surgeons do not emphasise you could have up to 100% risk of dry eye if you have existing borderline/ mild dry eyes. Secondly, current screening for current dry eye is useless. It just involves looking at fluorescent stain under miscroscope. I know it is useless because i have recently been to the eye hospital (years after LASIK) and they tell me my eyes look ok under fluorscent staining even though i have severe dry eye problems and a schmir of 2mm. Staining alone only shows current dry spots on the eyes. When I went to my pre surgery consultation it was before work, mid morning and on a April rainy day. Why would i have had dry spots on the eyes? If he had looked at them on a hot summers day after a long day of looking at a computer screen in an air conditioned office I expect he would have seen many dry eye spots. Even if I showed no dry eye spots pre surgery that does not mean I do not have "borderline" dry eye and therefore Schmir test and Tear break up time tests are a must. The current system of testing for dry eyes is not through enough and it maddens me that the LASIK industry trys to suggest that they have the power to "screen" for it in this article when at the same time I have asked la eading LASIK surgeon why none of them record dry eye test results in consultation notes and have been told that is because test results vary too much from symptoms. Therefore it has been admitted to me that they can not tell from dry eye testing whether or not someone will experience dry eye problems.

Sorry to rant on but just felt so strongly from this article. It is good it is being recognised and with more feedback of our own experiences perhaps they will understand a bit better why the current system is letting too many victims fall through the net.

I too find the morning the most difficult with dry eye. Most mornings it is really difficult to open the eyes for longer than a split second for the first few minutes. I wear a mask over night (like the sort you get on a plane) which I find makes a difference in helping to keep in the moisture. I do not rub my eyes when I wake up as I do not think this can do much good when eyes are so dry. I just warm eyes with the palms of my hands for a few minutes and blink a lot. I am surprised that soft eyelids can scratch the eyes when very dry, this is worrying. Have your scratched eyes healed now?

Best wishes and hope you are finding relief from your symptoms.
Caroline