LASIK at SNEC

[ahcapp]

Hi all,

I am currently looking into doing lasik. Can I find out how long is the waiting time at SNEC? I heard after my pre-lasik checkup, I will need to wait for about 2 to 3 months before I can go for my lasik.

Also, there are so many doctors at SNEC, who is good? My boyfriend's bro's lasik was done by Dr Julien. He is a consultant from SNEC.

 

[cutiekris]

Hi AhCapp

I went for my pre-lasik evaluation on 13th May 05 by Dr Wee Tze Lin. I felt that he is really a nice and accommodating doc too!
However the earliest date I manage to book for the surgery to be done by him is only mid July (2months time)!

I suppose much depends on the schedule of the doctor chosen. My collg is going for his in early June by Dr Jon Goh. He is only a day earlier than me for his pre-lasik evaluation!!

My other collg did hers 2yrs back with senior consultant: Assoc Prof Donald Tan.
There are good comments about senior consultant: Dr Chan Wing Kwong in the other forums i've came across

U may consider ur surgery to be done by either a senior or normal consultant with of course variation in pricing etc..

Perhaps you may wish to contact Ms.Cindy Lee (SNEC Executive)Tel: 63228891 to find out mre about the doc's schedule

else check out the weblink below for mre contact numbers

http://www.snec.com.sg/contact/contact.asp

 

[cutiekris]

Hi all,
If u r interested in the recent news on Lasik surgery as featured in
Straits Times on Saturday 19th March 2005, following are the news headers:
“Looking for perfect eyesight? 1 in 35 Ops goes wrong” – Home section Page 1
New analysis: “Don’t be blind to the risk of Lasik surgery” – Home section Page 2

i've only gotten hard copies of them.
Hope to be able to scan them and share with those who are interested in reading them in due course

 

[dear_dear]

Hi All,

I have make a appt on 16 June with Dr Wee Tze Lin but very early 8.30am. I am so excitied bcoz I worried I m not suitable for lasik. They told me the evaluation is 3 - 3.5hrs is it?

 

[hello88]

Hi dear,

remember to get someone to accompany u there and bring u back. The reason being that the eye drops that they used for the evaluation might cause ur vision to be affected for several hours.

 

[dear_dear]

hi celia,

thanks. i dunno if i can get someone to accompany me & bring me back. i think worst to worst take cab. no choice. so the eye drops will cause vision to be affected for several hours only not until next day rite?

 

[sharon__joseph]

dear,
the vision will only be affected for few hours and after tat its fine.. u will feel very uncomfy in the sun so remember to bring ur sunglasses ok.. if u cant get anyone to accompany u, its okay to just take a taxi home fr SNEC.. actually its not tat serious lar, just uncomfy & everything very bright but i still manage to go shopping after tat.. hehee...

 

[dear_dear]

hi sharon,

thks. wow u can still go shopping? for me i think i will take cab straight home. bcoz whenever my vision is 'blur' i will tend to get headache easily.

anyone of u pay the surgery by instalments?

 

[hello88]

Hi Sharon,

wow, u so lucky.

Hi dear,

I forgotten about SNEC reminder to have someone to bring me back home on the day of evaluation. I also did not have any sunglasses with me on that day. The eye drops affected me really badly. I could not open my eyes as everything was so bright. 1st I'm not familiar with the place, 2ndly I could not open my eyes fully to look at signboards so in the end, I struggle my way to take the shuttle service. My vision was down to about only 1m...I didnt know where the shuttle service was going and alighted at the cancer screening blk. Really felt like crying and for the 1st time, I felt I was blind. I could not get a cab as I cant even look up to flag down one. I called my friend who was working nearby and she volunteered to fetch me to her office. The problem was, I do not know where the hell I was as I wondered around the hospital. I was nearly knocked down by a car when I tried to cross over to another blk. My vision continued to be on about 1m or less than that and I could only look downwards. My eyes also could not open for long and would be wet with tears within seconds. Finally I managed to find my way to my friend's office 2 hours later. Her office is near to the police cantonment building across the way by taking the overhead bridge. I think so far, nobody experience what I had gone through. Though its already 3 years since I did my ops a week after the evaluation but I still remembered that fateful day when I became 'blind'.

oh, i paid half of it by instalment. (standard chartered). Not sure about now but they only accept standard chartered and UOB 3 years ago.

 

[sharon__joseph]

hi celia,
really so serious?? then i guess i m real lucky! i took a cab to orchard fr SNEC & start shopping.. mayb i was wearing sunglasses plus i stay in the shopping mall & keep out of the sun.. i shop until evening & wait for FH for dinner, by then the vision is clear again.

i took 12mths installment.. its interest free anyway..

i think they accept all local banks now. i m using UOB.

 

[hello88]

Hi Sharon,

yup, it was a terrible experience and I felt so helpless while trying to find my way out of the 'maze'. I could sensed that people were looking at me but none came up to offer their assistance. Could just imagine how a blind person feel when all they need is for someone to help them locate their destination, cross the road, etc. So hope every one learnt from my bad experience and bring a pair of sunglasses for the evaluation. Just a reminder, after your ops, remember to continue protecting yr eyes and get a pair of reliable sunglasses, not those cheap cheap ones.

Anyway, my ops was very successful and I didnt feel any discomfort.

 

[sharon__joseph]

hi celia,
tats the problem wi singaporean, so unhelpful! anyway good to hear tat u have perfect vision now!

btw just curious, do u feel pain 2hrs after the op? i dunno isit me only or wat coz i did my op at 3pm then fr 5-8pm the pain was extreme and i almost died! its like pouring strong detergent into ur eyes and i kept tearing! i highlighted to Dr Wee but he say usually its only mild discomfort nt as extreme as my case but he din explain much just say tat its okay..

 

[dear_dear]

hi celia,

so bad...dun scared me leh...then i think i better get someone to accompany me back home...

I dun think I can wear sunglasses because I m wear specs & if I remove my specs I can't see clearly. :-(

btw, the installment muz have credit card rite? I dun hv leh only got debit card. If I can pay by instalments then I can do my lasik asap if not guess have to wait for a while before I save enough.

One more question normally appt do we have to wait very long or its very punctual one?

 

[dear_dear]

sorry for asking so many questions. One more question, can I use someone else credit card for the installment plan?

 

[hello88]

Hi dear,

so long as payment is made to SNEC so it doesnt matter who's credit card you're using. Should be there at least 15 or 30mins so gotta be puntual as they need to give u the eye drop to prepare u for the op

 

[hello88]

Mine was done by a senior consultant and pre-op evaluation/review was on a Monday, right eye done on Wednesday and left eye on Friday. All done within a week.

 

[dear_dear]

celia,

so fast. everything done within a week? wow.

thks to all for the information

 

[hello88]

Hi Sharon,

No, I didnt have any discomfort or feel any pain after the op. I was actually worried about my op when I overheard a lady talking to the SNEC Executive on the day of my evaluation. The lady said she encountered extreme pain and had to take pain killers and was having 2nd thoughts about going thru op for her 2nd eye. So I was mentally prepared for the pain and discomfort but luckily i had none of it.

Btw, for those going for the op, don't panic when u experience 'blurness' while working on the computers even after a few months. It took me about close to a year before I kiss that 'blurness' goodbye. First 2 months after the op was quite bad...I couldnt read the wordings from my computer screen after few minutes but it gradually improved.

 

[omomom]

Hi all

Yeah, i had my op done in the morning and i did experience extreme pains in my eye after waking up from a nap in the late afternoon. I strongly believe tat its due to the dryness of the eye affecting the wound, and hence, i always have my eyedrop ready by my side. The pains went away effectively after applying the eye drops. Overall, it wasnt tat painful an experience. In fact, the entire op procedure was painless, right?

 

[cutiekris]

Hi all,
after seeing all your comments here i must really get myself mentally & physically prepared for the ops right now already although my ops date is still far away!

am wondering if any of u prepared for urselves any particular brand of wet facial wipes and eye shields ready for use after the ops?

celia,
any suggestions whr i can get myself a good pair of sunglasses besides optical shops?

Thanks in advance

 

[sharon__joseph]

hi zea,
my case was diff leh, the pain was very extreme like pouring detergent into my eyes thus i kept tearing.. cant even put eyedrop in coz busy wiping off tears leh! hehee.. mayb i too much tears liao coz 1wk after the op i dun even need to apply eyedrop anymore & i never feel dry eyes leh.. at least now i know the pain was normal..

hi cutie,
on the day of ur op, u will be given the eye shields & a box of eyedrop enuff to last u for at least 1wk so no need to buy urself. u need to put on the goggle when u sleep to prevent urself fr subconciously rubbing ur eyes. btw the goggle will make u look like mosquitoe or grasshopper..

 

[dear_dear]

hi all,

really thks to all the comments here. at least i can get myself prepared too. But me looking forward to the consulation first. Hopefully I can do my lasik very soon. Really want to get rid of my specs!!!

 

[hello88]

Hi cutiekris,

no idea cos I think optical shops still the right place to enquire and get recommended on the types of sunglasses.

 

[cutiekris]

dear

Good luck to u! Try to relax so as not to affect the tests results on ur pre-evaluation day! For homework, you can start by brainstorming a list of qns for Dr. Wee, that’s wat I did. I also ask the nurse for a copy of my test reports after consultation for my reference

Sharon

Ur description is funny!! Me gonna digged out my goggle and do a thorough cleaning then keep it aside! So for how many nights do I have to keep the goggles on? Hmm not too sure about the exact healing period if it varies for each individuals

Celia

Thanks, I will check out optical shops and those at shopping malls on the sunglasses with UV protection since GSS is on!! Gosh gonna spend $$ but it’ll be for a good cause!! ;p

For all,
Could it be due to the different type of Lasik tech that’s causing variations in the discomfort experienced? my collg is going for his Wavefornt tech this thurs and fri. i’m on the LADARVision® (“LV” for short) tech due to high myopia and average thickness of cornea as lesser cornea tissues are removed

 

[dear_dear]

hi cutiekris,

once again, i shall list down questions to ask Dr Wee when i go for my consulation. Oh can ask for a copy of test reports?

Btw, forget to ask on the actual day when i go for pre-evaluation I can know the test results or have to wait for days?

 

[hello88]

Hi dear,

for me, I got the green light from my Dr on that very day so he offered to perform on my 1st eye 2 days later.

 

[cutiekris]

dear,
the tests performed are merely for a couple of vision readings done for pre-consultation and after dilation with the eyedrops as well as readings for depth of cornea. So these results are known instantly on as they’re recorded on the patient’s file

I asked for a copy of my test results to do a comparison of my vision reading cos keeping in mind a suitable Lasik candidate should have a stable refraction (not fluctuating > 50degress per eye for past 2 yrs)

 

[cutiekris]

to add: I collated a lsit of my refractive readings for the pass 2yrs from my opticians before hand and bgt it along for my consultation

perhaps u may consider this too

 

[omomom]

Hi cutiekris, u dun have to use your own goggles. They will supply u with a pair of special goggles for sleeping. However, I did not use them at all cos i find them uncomfortable, but have to b very mindful when sleeping.

I din get myself any sunglasses too cos i hopped onto the car at the porch and went home straight after my op, took a super long nap and woke up in the evening. No direct exposure to sunlight, and the next day was fine already

 

[dear_dear]

I m really so looking forward to the pre-evaluation. 16 more days to go.

 

[cutiekris]

Zea

Thanks for highlighting the above! I’ll be extra careful not to rub my precious eyes!! haha thinking of ways to clean my face w/o hurting my eyes! Btw can share wat’s ur pre-lasik vision? Glad tt u wnt hv to undergo enhancement for perfect vision! Hmm my myopia pretty bad hence afraid of not getting perfect eyesight cos Dr Wee did emphasize on the 10% chance tt enhancement may be required for patients with high myopia!

dear

Good luck! Hope u’re one suitable candidate too!
Hmm my surgery still abt 1 mth plus to go..counting down..
haha i'll check out on my collg when he is back next Monday..guess he wld be sleeping away this whole weekend after Lasik!

 

[hello88]

Hi cutiekris,

There're cases where the doctors over or under correct the patients' vision but I believe enhancement would be cheaper. When I had my op, another lady was also there for her 2nd op after her 1st one about few years back as she became shortsighted again. Think she paid less than 1k. So we must really take care of our eyes after op and do regular eye exercises.

 

[cutiekris]

celia,
Thanks for the info. Enhancement is FOC only for the 1st yr thereafter a fee is levied. Dr Wee mentioned tt if a patient is comfortable with 50-100degrees left in the eye even after the ops then he/she may not wish to opt for enhancement. I suppose depends much on each individuals’ expectations, for me I wish/hope to achieve nil degree & astigmatism

My female collg who had Lasik 2yrs back manage to achieve “eagle vision” although a small cell grew on the surface of her cornea but subsequently disappeared after few weeks!! Scary huh! Nevertheless her advice to me was to keep really still when the ops is performed so that the outcome be mre successful! She told me becos she fidgeted during the ops on 2nd eye hence tt eye is nt as perfect compared to her other eye.

 

[omomom]

Hi cutiekris

My vision was 725 and 600 for my left & right eyes respectively. I had no astig prior to my lasik.

Both of my eyes achieved pefect vision the very next day after the ops. However, I did developed a temporary astig for sometime, but it was gone after a check during my 5 month post-op review.

Last time, i told myself tat even if i didn achieve 100% pefect vision, a residual of 50 or 100 deg shld be fine, as it wud already be much better than the 600-700 deg i had previously. Good luck yeah.

 

[dear_dear]

Hi,

I just received a mail from SNEC inside contain a VCD containing 15 minutes of information on Refractive Surgery.

 

[hello88]

yup, the VCD is to give u an idea of what to expect during the evaluation.

 

[touraco]

hi all
may i know how much is it to do lasik at snec and anyone has any good doctor to recommend?

 

[dear_dear]

I was watch the vcd & its really very good info for me...

hi touraco,

u can click ontot the link to see the prices: http://www.snec.com.sg/eye/prk_7.asp

 

[cutiekris]

celia, Zea, Sharon
How many days leave did u gals applied after the ops to rest? My ops be on Tue & Thurs hence not sure if over the weekends be sufficient to rest before I head back to work on the following Monday?

touraco,
U can read our previous posting on the consultants at SNEC

Few of us r with Dr Wee Tze Lin

 

[hello88]

Hi cutiekris,

cant remember the exact number of days but I think my MC was more than a week. I did my left eye on the same Friday after having my right eye done on Wednesday and I only went back to work on the week after the following week.

 

[touraco]

thanks gals
is Dr Wee Tze Lin a senior cosultant or consultant?

 

[cutiekris]

touraco,
Dr Wee Tze Lin is a consultant & he's under Refractive Surgery Dept headed by senior consultant: Dr Chan Wing Kwong
Both are experienced doc, u can choose either of them or else others from the listing of Refractive Surgeons, depending on ur preference or constraints

check both of them out at link below

http://www.snec.com.sg/clinical/staff_refractive.asp

 

[ahcapp]

Hi Cutiekris,

Thank you for the info. =) I will call them up and check out with them. I have actually went for a pre-op evaluation but with Optimax JB. I was recommended to go for Wavefront (Custom Lasik) because my pupils are big. Just that the price of wavefront at Optimax JB is only slighly cheaper than SNEC, thus I am currently looking into doing it at SNEC instead.

Will definately consider more before I commit to the right clinic. Thank you again =)

 

[omomom]

Hi cutiekris
I had my left eye done on tues and right eye done on thurs. I went back to work the following monday. In fact, i already went out on fri nite for new yr eve countdown. Dr Wee was quite funny and told me he couldnt believe me tat i wud stay at home on new yr eve, and told me i can go out as long as i dun get my eyes hit.

 

[dear_dear]

hi,

one more question, are we given MC or have to take our own leave when we went for lasik?

 

[omomom]

Hi dear, dear_dear, haha

MC will be given for the op day itself, and also for the day after the op day. Eg. You have op on tues and thurs, so u will have MC from tues to fri.

But it depends on whether your company is going to accept SNEC MC or not, as stated in ther FAQs.

 

[dear_dear]

hi zea,

thks for ur info...i shall check w my company...

 

[sharon__joseph]

hi cutie,
my op was on tues & thurs as well! by monday u should be able to go back to work. infact i went back to office to work halfday on Friday b4 i went to see Dr Wee! Dr was surprised but i said no choice coz the person covering for me couldnt handle & boss was furious.. i still want my job so i went back...

 

[cutiekris]

celia, Zea, Sharon
Thanks! i will get MC from tue-fri & 1 day leave on following monday to rest

better to avoid computer for those days ;p

 

[hello88]

Hi cutiekris,

yup, best to avoid computer for a couple of days. Tell your doctor that ur job require u to use the computer throughout the day and he'll most likely give u more days to rest.

Good luck to your op.