I was scheduled to have lasik on my two eyes on 16 Aug 07. My right eye went on smoothly with the bearable stretching sensation when the lid-holder and the suction ring were placed in. The problem (til now I still don't know whether it is a problem) began when the doc attempted to put the suction ring into my left eye. I felt a sharp pain and I believe my eye involuntary moved. The doc ordered the nurse to apply the suction pressure and once, the ring didn't fix nicely and the suction was released and then retried. The doc tried about four times trying to let the ring has a firm grip without success (meaning my eye ball was sucked up and down that many times). Then he commented, "Your eye is too small. All rings are designed for the caucasians and many Asians with smaller eyes may have problems with the ring size" I was in pain on the bed and couldn't answer him though I felt he was talking crap. He then ordered for a change to a smaller ring to have one more try but it was still unsuccessful. I guessed my eye was then at the most fatigue state and the operation had to be postponed.

I went home with one thousand and one questions in my mind, together with a blood-shot left eye (that is still blood shot until now though my right eye is recovering well).

Even though the doc later explained that it is common for doctors to try to use the biggest ring size possible to get the optimal flap size for use, in my mind there is this strong thought that eye size should be pre-measured and then the correct ring size be chosen for use. The sharp pain in my eye is not normal, taking into consideration that my right eye went on smoothly. I tried to comb the net for information about how a doctor determines the ring size but I can't find any relevant ones. Can someone advise me on this? Now I am in a dilemma to whether allow the same doc to do my left eye as now I am with one eye with perfect vision and the other eye with a -600 power. I am very disheartened with the lasik experience. The doc who attended to me is technical and mechanical and care very little about the trauma which I’d been through (minimal patient care = doc maybe high in IQ but low in EQ).

Can someone help me if you have the answer of how does the size of suction ring be determined? Is it really true that a doc will use the biggest possible size before using the smaller one for optimal results (I am highly skeptical about this piece of information by the doc and it is unhealthy if I cannot trust what my doc say.

I can't really address you question but I can tell you I had Lasik this past Monday and the when the doc did the first eye he couldn't get the suction he needed for me! So I heard him tell the tech to get "so and so" - he removed what was in there and tried again and all worked well. As a matter of fact, that troublesome eye sees better than the second eye that seemed to go flawlessly ( it has halos and ghost images).

I understand your feeling sright now. I'm not one of those who jumps oout the chair and sees 20/20. I'm having a lot of adjustment and questions and I am not seeing as well as I did with my glasses! I've known my doc for 8 years and I have confidence in him, but most docs think so routinely they have little bedside manner.

And, they DON'T tell you the emotional toll this surgery takes on you....OR the extent of the recovery!!!!!

I wish you the best. As far as your questions - I'm writing mine down and taking them with me next post op ( Tues) and he WILL answer them! LOL.

Keep us posted on your progress.