Gangnam Bright Eye Ophthalmology Myopia Laser Surgery SMILE Pro
ChenLihsuan
a year ago
#Creatrip #Creatrip_Ophthalmology #EyeSurgeryExperience
1. Reasons to Choose Mingmu Ophthalmology - Discounts/Professionalism/Hospital Size
I have always been very interested in LASIK eye surgery, but I was hesitant to take action due to the cost and recovery time. One day, I found out that a friend had a successful LASIK surgery in Korea with a short recovery period. I also discovered that Creatrip is offering a special promotion in collaboration with Bright Eye Clinic. Knowing that it's the largest eye clinic in Korea, having completed 110,000 Smile LASIK procedures, and being one of the four certified 'Zeiss 100,000 Case Achievement Hospitals' in the world, I felt very reassured. Since I already planned a trip to Korea on 113.10, I immediately paid the deposit (refundable if canceled in advance) and made a reservation.
After making the appointment, because the originally scheduled time was not suitable for the check-up and surgery (11 AM), Creatrip immediately notified me by email, suggesting that the appointment time could be scheduled for 10 AM or 2 PM. This way, it avoids the ophthalmologist's lunch break, and they assisted in changing the time, which was very considerate.
Additionally, it is important to stop wearing soft contact lenses seven days before the surgery, and on the day of the surgery, do not wear makeup or sunscreen.
Quick response from clinic customer service: On the morning of the procedure, I also had an appointment at a Gangnam cosmetic clinic for forehead and glabellar Botox injections. I suddenly wondered if it would affect the afternoon's vision surgery, so I consulted the ophthalmology Chinese customer service via LINE. Thank you for their prompt response to this question, and the answer was that it would not affect it. Additionally, before the ophthalmology surgery in the afternoon, the face needs to be disinfected, and the cosmetic clinic doctor also assured me that it would not affect the minor facial wounds.
2. Preoperative Examination
On the day of the surgery, I had an appointment for a check-up at 2 PM. The check-up location is on the 15th floor of Building A, Kyobo Tower, Gangnam, very easy to find as it's right at Exit 8 of Sinnonhyeon Station on Subway Line 9.
During the examination process, there was a Chinese interpreter accompanying me throughout, who was friendly and gentle. The pre-surgery examination took about 2 hours. Due to my personal nearsightedness + astigmatism, the overall degree was about 700-800, meaning a lot of cornea needed to be removed. The consultant suggested adding the corneal strengthening procedure for an additional fee. I also had less tear secretion, worried about dry eye issues later. I finally chose the SMILE Quattro Pro surgery (after completing the standard surgery, corneal strengthening is done using vitamins and collagen, followed by warm eye massage and HELON eye drops for dry eye care). At this point, the health education staff provided postoperative precautions, eye drops, artificial tears, and an eye mask for sleeping. The eye mask resembled swimming goggles with adjustable elastic bands. Next was waiting for the surgery, which was on the 17th floor.
3. Surgical Process and Post-Operation
The surgical procedure was very quick, with the doctor explaining each step. A Chinese interpreter accompanied the patient into the operating room to translate every instruction from the doctor (the task is to keep your eyes on the light point without drifting, and don't chase after the light point if it disappears). The operating room was quite noisy (including the sound of machines, the doctor's instructions, and the interpreter's voice). A doll was provided to hold onto to ease tension, and it was completed very swiftly!! It ended around 4:40 PM.
After surgery, vision will be temporarily blurred. From others' experiences, there is usually a sensation of pain and tearing after anesthesia wears off. Personally, I experienced eye soreness without pain or tearing. After resting at the hotel for 3 hours, I went out for dinner and visited a beauty store.
Additionally, due to heavy traffic in Gangnam during rush hour, the original plan to take a taxi back to Hongdae was changed to the subway because the estimated time was over 1.5 hours. Also, Line 9 during rush hour is extremely crowded. I personally suggest that those planning to make a reservation consider booking a hotel in Gangnam or scheduling the procedure in the morning to leave Gangnam smoothly.
On the day of the surgery, avoid getting water above the neck. Remember to wear an eye mask while sleeping. However, because I didn't adjust the tightness well, the first day I wore it too tight and developed a blister around the eye area. Later, I evaluated my sleeping habits and realized I don't rub my eyes much, so I stopped wearing the eye mask to sleep.
Post-surgery, you need to apply the eye drops regularly (make sure to finish them all)
Eye care supplements provided by the clinic
Approximately the next morning after the surgery, I went for a follow-up appointment at Building B, 15th floor (actually, you can take the elevator from either Building A or B to get there, as both buildings are connected). Since it hadn't been 24 hours yet, my post-surgery vision was about 0.7/0.8. Although it wasn't like other people's experiences where it reaches 1.0 the next day, the doctor said the surgery was very successful, so there was no need to worry, and the blurriness would improve. I continued to enjoy my trip in South Korea with peace of mind.
It is now the 15th day after the surgery, and my vision is becoming clearer. There is still a little bit of blurriness, and I need to be cautious of glare at night when riding (I was informed about this before the surgery, and I can accept it). Overall, I am very satisfied with the surgery. Thank you to 明目眼科 and CREATRIP.
