My LASIK experience at Bochner Eye Institute (Toronto, Canada)

Hi friends, welcome back! In today's post, I'll be going through my entire laser eye surgery process, from the consultation, to the surgery, follow-up appointments and recovery which took place at the Bochner Eye Institute in Toronto, Canada. All pictures can be found at the bottom of this post.

Background + Why power

I first got identified as a candidate for nearsightedness when I was in Grade 6 (2008) but I didn't start wearing them full-time until Grade 7/8. I hated my glasses, I hated the way I looked in them even though every time I went to choose a new frame, I thought to myself, "See? These ones good look on you"

But nope - every time it came to wearing them, I felt so self-confident. Needless to say, when I started wearing contacts in Grade 11, it was such a confidence boost. I could see clearly without any frames in my vision and things were great again.

Don't get me wrong, contact lenses helped me grow immensely but there were times when I felt like one blink and my contact might fall out, or getting into bed bone-tired but realizing I still had my lenses in. Not to mention the hassle of remembering to bring my contacts, spares, solution, and glasses every time I was packing for a trip.

Both my parents, as well as my aunts had gotten LASIK when they were in their 20s and I couldn't wait to be in their shoes - a life of just waking up and seeing seemed perfect. However, every time I went I went for my annual eye test, I just knew my eyes had gotten worse. Even if it was just by another -0.25, the recommendation for laser eye surgery is generally 2 years of stable vision. Needless to say, I really didn't think my turn would come anytime soon.

Fast forward to December 2020, I was heading in for my annual eye exam, sure to hear the same "only slightly worse, an extra -0.25 will make everything much crisper". I was SHOCKED, literally shocked when my doctor concluded with "No changes for the past 2 years". It was as if the gateway to LASIK suddenly burst open after being locked up and forgotten.

My doctor had gotten LASIK recently too so we spoke about that although I had done so much of my research that I didn't have too many questions. I excitedly called my parents and told them I was going to get LASIK ASAP. I just couldn't believe something I had wanted for so long was finally possible.

Clinic choice

There's so many clinics offering to do laser eye surgery, from the sketchy LASIK MD to the more prestigious ones in Toronto: Bochner, Hertzig and TLC (probably others too). I highly recommend doing your research before committing to a doctor, or perhaps even going for a few consultations (usually free) to make sure that you're getting consistent information. Remember, the cheaper option is not always the best option, we're talking about our eyes here, and perfection and precision is key.

For me, since I had a lot of family members that had gone to Bochner, we already trusted the institute as well as the doctors so it was a no-brainer for me. Again, the cost wasn't an issue for me because I wanted to get the best procedure for my eyes.

Consultation

Due to COVID, my consultation was split into two parts. I went into the office (40 Prince Arthur in Toronto) for 10 minutes worth of tests and received a phone call a few days later to go through the test results and course of action.

Tests: The tests they did were honestly really cool.

One machine measured the best possible vision that your eyes can see (not all of us have the ability to see 20/20, so even by getting laser eye surgery, your vision might not be 20/20, but rather, the best that your eye can see).

Another measured the thickness of your cornea (LASIK is for thick corneas and I believe PRK is for thins, but don't quote me on that!) and another shot puffs of air in your eye (hated this one).

The last was a machine that could read the prescription of your glasses, so don't bother bringing your prescription like I did.

Phone-call debrief: I had an hour-long call with a lady named Kristin who was the sweetest human ever. She was so upbeat and excited for me, and that only made me feel safe and reassured that I had made the right choice.

My test results came back great, I have thick 🍑 corneas so LASIK was the best choice for me. Kristin went on to explain what to do before the procedure, what happens during it, the aftercare, and common concerns people have. As I mentioned before, I had already done my research and read all the Bochner brochures so I really didn't have many fears/concerns/questions other than to ask when was the earliest I could book myself in for.

My procedure was booked for Friday February 26 - I recommend a Thursday or Friday so that you can have the weekend to recover and can use minimal vacation days. A week before, I got a reminder email to stop wearing my contacts and let me tell you, those 6 days of only glasses made me SO excited to get LASIK. This was the longest I had worn glasses for in probably 7 years, and all my insecurities came flooding right back, but I soldiered through.

Day-of surgery

My procedure was for 11AM but I had to arrive there at 10AM for the pre-tests, re-tests and discussions with the various doctors/nurses. Let me break it down into bullets so it's easier to follow what happened:

I was given a disposable mask, hairnet/shower cap, a medical gown and shoe caps (unnecessary but please enjoy the selfie)
Testing was performed again - all the same tests as the consultation to verify that nothing had changed and that all the measurements were accurate
A nurse then walks you through all the aftercare, the eyedrop regime, and gives you a sedative (Valium!!), then you wait. They put all these items in a reusable tote-like bag so it's super easy to carry everything around.
I then met with Dr. Stein (the same doctor that did my mom's eyes!) who reviewed the test results and said that my corneas were thick and clear 🥰
Another assistant then double checks (or are we at triple checks?) the results, makes you read the eye chart and takes you downstairs (where the operating rooms is)
I was taken into another little office where I paid for the procedure, and also booked my 1 day follow up appointment for the next day
Then I waited for my turn. From where I was sitting, I could see the procedures being performed on the patients before me on the large TV in the glass operating room. It was fascinating to see the eye magnified to that level, and Dr. Stein smoothing out the flap so gently - I couldn't wait for my turn! I was also feeling super calm at this point - not sure if it was the Valium or just the fact that I was so at peace with my decision.
Finally my turn! I was first taken into a room where the first laser was used to created the flap on my eye. No pain, just some pressure on the eyelid and the nurses were counting down (15 second on right, 13 seconds on left) so it wasn't bad at all.
Then I was taken to the glass operating room, and placed under the second laser. You're told to focus on the green light at all times and something is placed in your eye to keep it open, so it's really hard to not look at it. It gets blurry when the flap is lifted up, but no pain. Again, there's the same countdown as the first room, and this time I was able to smell the laser burning - it honestly smelt like popcorn until I reminded myself that these were my eye cells.
After the laser corrects your vision, the flap is put back into place and smoothed out and you're done. They put these big black sunglasses on you an you're off.
The nurse led me to the recovery area saying "watch your step" and my clumsy self still tripped LOL
I sat there for maybe about 10-15 minutes? It felt really long and everything seemed really bright (even with the sunglasses) so I just kept my eyes closed and hoped no one forget about me
The same assistant that led me downstairs checked my eyes to see how the flap was healing (he said great), gave me a Toronto Maples Leafs x Bochner toque, a reusable face mask and said I was good to go!
I discarded my scrubs, grabbed my jacket and exited through the side door where my dad was waiting for me and we went home. I left just before noon, so be prepared to be there for around two hours.

Recovery

Everything was super bright, and I couldn't keep my eyes open for long so I slept as soon as I got home. I ate a big meal before I went because I knew I would just want to sleep when I got home.

The eyedrop schedule is pretty rigorous for the first few days so I recommend making a schedule with a checklist and enlisting someone in your family to take over. I spent the majority of Friday and Saturday just sleeping, except for a few hours where I would listen to audiobooks or eat. Trust me, you'll just want to sleep and rest in your bed.

1 Day follow-up

My follow-up appointment on Saturday was super quick, 5 minutes max. My vision was still blurry (or so I thought) but when I read the chart, I was reading 20/20. My flaps were healing well, the nurse advised me to keep up with the lubricating drops, I booked my 1 week follow-up and that was it.

Things were looking less bright, so I didn't have to wear my sunglasses indoors but I didn't go for walks or exercise until Monday.

1 Week follow-up

The 1 week follow-up was even shorter - 4 minutes. Dr. Black checked my eyes and again I read off the chart and I was seeing 20/20, although this time the letters looked much clearer than my 1 day follow-up.

Current status

At the time of writing this, it's been 1 week and 1 day since my procedure. Both my long range and short range vision are back, and I put the lubricating drops probably 8-9 times per day or whenever my eyes feel dry. I'm back to exercising and walking and things are back to normal, if not better.

Pros

Convenience: Dealing with contacts, solution, and glasses was such a drag, and it's so liberating to not have to worry about any of that anymore. The only thing I'll need now (at least for the short-term), are my eyedrops.
Crisp vision: My vision now is better than it was with contacts or glasses. Text and images are clearer, crisper and the colours even seem more vibrant.
Recovery time: You're cleared to drive 2 days after your procedure, and by the Monday after my surgery, I was back to my normal routines. The recovery time is super low for the scale of the procedure you're going for.
Free touch-ups: In the event that your vision declines from 20/20, Bochner provides free touch-ups, although only 2% of all patients have required this.

Cons

Cost: The procedure at Bochner is $2,700 per eye, regardless of prescription. I understand that this is not cheap but depending on how much you spend annually on contacts and glasses, your payback period might be quite attractive. In my eyes, all the pros outweighed the cost.
Reading glasses: Laser eye surgery only fixes your long-range vision so as you age and you lose your ability to read close up, you'll still need reading glasses as there isn't a surgery for that (yet).

Concluding thoughts

I get that for some people, thinking about a surgery like this is so scary. I mean, it's your eyes and what happens if they mess up?

For me, I was never really scared because the success rate is SO high, and having family members that went through the experience, I saw that nothing went wrong. The rational part of me was also good at separating the emotions from the benefits and logical sense that LASIK made.

That being said, this was one of the best investments I made in myself. The freedom of just waking up and seeing, or going to sleep without seeing the world as a blur has made such a difference. I'm so happy and I just feel like the possibilities in life have opened up even more (as cheesy as that sounds).

I hope this helped, but if you have any questions, let me know and I'll try to help out.

Sending you lots of love, light and clear vision!

-Reina xo