NO COKE-BOTTLE GLASSES OR CONTACTS

To anyone considering getting LASIK and/or working with Dr. Wallace (LA Sight): I’ve read other “patient letters” like you’re doing now, and did lots of research, as I’m sure you are too. But after all that, at some point making that decision (should I, shouldn’t I?) becomes a leap of faith. I can’t think of any other doctor, any other person, I’d take that leap of faith with than Dr. Wallace. Other physicians, like Dr. Wallace, also have the technical expertise, the know-how and all the state-of-the-art medical equipment. In my mind that’s all a given. There has to be some additional reason I trusted and continue to trust Dr. Wallace with my eyes. For me it’s simple: every time I meet with him, it’s so very apparent by not just what he says, but the way he interacts and works with me (and I’m sure all his patients) that he cares about my well-being. He cares about me as a person and wants what’s best for me. Period.

Before coming to Dr Wallace, I had had my first round of LASIK in both eyes way back in the olden days of LASIK – 1998 – with a different physician. The technology wasn’t quite as incredible as is today, and I had some of the complications that don’t occur today because of the improvements in the procedure. I felt like the poster child of LASIK. It seemed like every problem that ever existed, I got it. But even with the number of re-treatments I had to get in each eye over the next few years, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. The way I look at it, I haven’t worn coke-bottle glasses or contact lenses since 1998. I never would have gotten into adventure racing, or SCUBA diving, skydiving or triathlons (the swimming!) without it.

And yet even after LASIK and re-treatments, I still had never experienced 20/20 in either eye. My eyes were “good enough” to get by on, but over the years they started getting weaker. So when I moved to LA, I found Dr. Wallace and came to him intent on getting enhancements in both eyes. To my surprise, he said “no.” Then he went on to explain that the technology wasn’t advanced enough yet (at that time) to enhance my vision without potentially compromising the corneal thickness, which had been effected by all the previous treatments. He promised new advancements were in the works, so we stayed in close contact for the next couple of years until a solution was available that would not jeopardize the health of my eyes.

Dr. Wallace performed the LASIK treatment on my right eye in January 06 (with whatever the latest & greatest technology is), and for the first time in my life I have 20/15 vision in that eye! He referred me to another world expert in Vancouver (British Columbia) for specialized treatment of my left eye that is not yet available in the US (due to FDA issues). Dr. Wallace is doing the follow up. That eye is still healing, but even so, I can see clearer out of my left eye now than I ever had in the past. And my vision improves daily as it continues to heal.

Dr. Wallace and his staff will take excellent care of you! For me, I can’t thank them enough.

–

Susan M.

Doctor Wallace says:
Susan was a very challenging case indeed. She had received prior laser treatment in the mid-90’s, and in part due to the older technology then available, experienced a less-than-perfect outcome. She may have healed imperfectly as well, but the bottom line was that her vision was uncomfortably blurry. Her prior surgeon did perform enhancement care for “central islands” in both eyes and this helped, but only a little.

I first saw her in about November ’04. I advised her that her right eye would likely benefit from enhancement with our laser, and that her left eye would benefit more from a special treatment not yet available in the US, called “topography-guided” treatment. We performed her enhancement care in early ’06, and she is thrilled with the result. I referred her to a surgeon in Canada with possibly more experience doing topography-guided treatment than anyone else in the world. Her vision in this eye is now substantially better, and though not *perfect,* she has much less glare, halo, drop-shadow and ghosting than she had before.

Susan is rather modest about her accomplishments in regard to her endurance challenge races. She has now secured sponsorship from several major sources for a very big race this spring. Check out her notes and progress at Eco PrimalQuest.com. We wish her luck!

Dr. Wallace