I began to seriously consider the possibility of gaining freedom from spectacles and contact lenses during my second year as an ophthalmology trainee in the late 90s. However, in those formative years of refractive surgery, it took only an evening on-call and a distressed patient who had undergone PRK earlier that day for me to dismiss it as a personal option.

Years later, while working in a corneal/anterior segment clinic, my interest in undergoing surgery was rekindled after speaking with a LASIK patient. Many literature searches and discussions with LASIK practitioners ensued. I was more convinced by the potential benefits of LASIK than PRK, but the risk of a dreaded buttonhole not only compromising my vision but potentially halting my career made me reluctant to undergo surgery. I chose to closely monitor the progression of technology, paying extra attention to the experiences and accounts of those who had taken the leap of undergoing LASIK. This personal interest in laser vision correction expanded into an interest in all things cornea and, in turn, became a natural area for my own subspecialty focus.

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Author Information

Authored by Sheraz Daya MD FACP FACS FRCS(Ed) FRCOphth, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon & Medical Director, June 2019.

Net review due June 2026