Eye Surgery Life Changing for Laurie Lavigne

Dr. Sheth Makes A Dream Come True

Words can’t explain the feeling of being able to see without glasses!!!! What a major improvement to my overall quality of life.

I have worn glasses since I was 3 years old. I am now in my forties and am finally free from relying on glasses. I can see my children while swimming. I can see the players on the field at a football game, even see the numbers on their shirts. I can see while doing other sports and activities and as a martial artist, I can’t stress the importance of being able to see.

At an early age I was diagnosed with amblyopia, also known as a lazy eye. I underwent surgery to align the eye, but my left eye remained weaker than my right and even with glasses could not be corrected to 20/20. I never had success with contacts so had to rely on glasses for my entire life. For years I had inquired about LASIK surgery but was always told by my doctors that I was not a candidate.

My frustration peaked when in November of 2007 I tested for my black belt in karate. Wearing my glasses was just not an option. The test was physically and mentally challenging, having poor vision made it much more difficult. I passed the test and receive my black belt but was motivated even more to improve the situation.

With all the advancements in the field in the last several years, I decided to go for a consultation. After an evaluation, once again I was told that based on my situation, I was not a candidate. I was heartbroken but was given hope when I was told that there may be other alternatives and was given Dr. Nilesh Sheth’s name.

Dr. Sheth is the greatest. He spent time going over all the options, and identified which option would be the best fit for my individual situation. He helped me identify what was most important to me in terms of distance vision or close up vision. He informed me of all the benefits and risks. I rely on my sight for my livelihood, being a controller I spend a great deal of time on a computer and reading small print, so I really had to access any risk. With Dr. Sheth’s recommendation I was confident of success.

I had a lens exchange, or replacement, in each eye. Several months later, I had LASIK surgery on both eyes to make final corrections. I had my oh-wow moment days later when my husband, my two sons and I went on vacation. We went to an amusement park. It was a bright, sunny day. Everything was absolutely clear. I could actually see the faces and expressions of people coming off of the rollercoaster that was a distance away. I am so grateful that I had this opportunity to improve my vision and my life.

The vision in my right eye is better than it was corrected with eyeglasses. The vision in the left eye without glasses is phenomenal. For very, very small print, or if I’m doing a lot of computer work and my eyes get tired, I’ll wear glasses. But they’re the $20 off-the-shelf ones. Much better than my $500 to $600 progressives.

Having eye surgery was a life-changing experience. I can’t even tell you how happy I am. My 10-year-old unfortunately inherited my eyesight, but now there’s hope for him. We now know he can have a life without glasses when he’s older.

– Laurie Lavigne, Amesbury, MA