Personal Testimonial of Richard L. Simmons, M.D.

When I was much younger, I saw well at distance and up close without glasses and didn't give much thought to things being any other way. In my early 40's, my world began to change. I could no longer read the paper without glasses. I bought reading glasses - many pairs, in fact. I left them wherever I thought I might need them and carried a pair with me. Somehow - time and again - I found myself without my glasses trying to read a menu in a romantic restaurant or a map at dusk.

Dr. Simmons

Frustration drove me to try monovision with contact lenses - I put a contact lens on one eye for reading and used the other eye for distance. Suddenly I was 10 years younger! I wore the extended wear lenses for a week or two at a time and could see well. I was very happy. Unfortunately my eyes became dryer with age making it difficult to wear the lenses for very long. Finally, I had to go back to glasses. By my early 50's, I needed glasses for distance as well as for reading so I wore progressive bifocal glasses full time and could see well. Nonetheless, I kept looking for a way to avoid the hassles of glasses. As an eye surgeon, I had difficulty with my glasses fogging up in cold operating rooms or just sliding down my nose when my gloved hands couldn't adjust them. Voila! LASIK to the rescue!

I had been doing refractive surgery since 1983 - starting off with radial keratotomy, then moving on to the next generation with PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) when the Excimer laser became available. When LASIK was introduced in the United States for nearsightedness correction, I could see many advantages to the nearly painless procedure including a rapid recovery time and excellent post-operative vision. When the Federal Drug Administration cleared LASIK correction for farsightedness, I looked very carefully at the studies - the surgeons, the results, the risks. Needless to say, as a surgeon I needed to see well for a long time to come, be off work for as short a time as possible, and enjoy my new vision with comfort.

Dr. Shmunes

Fortunately, my partner - Neil T. Shmunes, M.D. - is the best LASIK surgeon I know (next to me). I work with him every day, I see how well he performs surgery, and I see his patients' results. Nobody is in a better position to evaluate a surgeon than one of his partners. He was my choice to do the surgery. In addition, Atlantic Eye Institute has a finely tuned system with excellent technology and staff. I have now been on both sides of the laser and appreciate even more the trust one places in his surgeon and assistants.

My experience was fine - the way you want it to be. The procedure was done in our surgery suite tailored specifically for LASIK. I lay down on my back on the surgical table and numbing eye drops were placed on my right eye. A lid holder was put in place to ensure that I did not blink during the procedure. The first eye was done painlessly in just 10 to 15 minutes! The other eye was a repeat performance. I went home and fell asleep. When I awoke a few hours later, my vision was a little blurry and my eyes felt gritty. The next day the sight was good and my eyes were relatively comfortable.

Now I rarely use glasses. When I awaken in the morning I can see the clock. In the shower, I can tell which bottle is shampoo and which is conditioner. I weigh in at my local gym without getting my glasses out of my locker. The other day my wife asked me to fix the clasp on her necklace, I had no glasses. . . and no difficulty. I play golf in the rain without wiping my glasses. I sail without the fear I will lose my glasses and my sense of where the shore is. The list goes on and on.

People ask me, "Is LASIK safe?", "Does it work?". For me, the answer is an emphatic YES!

LASIK is very safe.

Richard L. Simmons, M.D.