Sharing Success

Before my LASIK surgery, I couldn't do anything without contacts or glasses. The TV across the room was nothing but a blur. Trying to take notes in class, even sitting in the front row was impossible. I was constantly breaking my glasses and losing my contacts. The rare occasion I was able to find my contacts, putting them in was a disaster. There was always a speck of dirt, or they were in wrong, or they just didn't sit on my eye right.

I met with the LASIK specialists at TLC in late February of 2004. After receiving my free consultation, they determined I was an ideal candidate for LASIK surgery. A few weeks later, I had the surgery. The people at the center couldn't have been nicer and more accommodating. At no point in time did I ever feel I wasn't in the best hands. In fact, the surgery was over before I knew it.

The next morning, after removing the plastic shields, I blinked my eyes a few times and realized... I could see!!! No glasses, no contacts, perfect vision! Here I am, a year later, and I couldn't be happier with my decision. Every time I wake up, I open my eyes and smile, knowing I can see without assistance. My vision is currently 20/15, better than normal. In fact, if it weren't for the surgery, I wouldn't be able to apply for the job I'm currently applying for, the NYPD. For the NYPD, you need to have at least 20/30 uncorrected vision. Before my surgery, I was way over that limit. This surgery has opened new doors for me.

Thank you, TLC, for changing my life!

Thomas Geraghty

Ukrainian Sheds Second Pair of Eyes With LASIK Surgery

Everyday activities most people take for granted didn't come easy for 27-year-old Ukrainian Andriy Blazhievskiy. Getting behind the wheel of a car was more of a chore than a pleasure, and luxuries like swimming a grueling struggle. Highly complex math equations like hybrid integral transforms were simple to the mathematician and University professor, but seeing far more of a challenge. His eyeglasses and contacts caused frequent headaches and irritability. His problem was severe myopia. The one solution was refractive surgery. So Blazhievskiy packed his belongings and boarded a plane to New York City searching for something he could not find in his native homeland: "new eyes."

His hunt for a solution began while cruising the Internet one evening. He learned that TLC Laser Eye Centers in North America 'halfway around the globe' provides eye laser procedures to improve nearsightedness and astigmatism.

According to Blazhievskiy, eye surgeries exist in the Ukraine, but LASIK is not available. "To my knowledge, doctors in Europe even, did not have the expertise to perform this procedure safely and effectively as it is done in the United States," Blazhievskiy says.

On impulse, he sent an email message to TLC explaining his dilemma. Fortunately for him, TLC considered him an excellent candidate for LASIK. Blazhievskiy admits his excitement to discover TLC on the World Wide Web. To him, the Internet gave a young Ukrainian a chance to improve his eyesight. Such an opportunity may not have been possible for Blazhievskiy just a few short years ago if it were not for the advancement of global Internet communication.

So arriving at the TLC in Garden City, New York in February, he met with his physician, Dr. Eric Donnenfeld, who is the Medical Director of in Garden City TLC, and had LASIK performed the next day.

"Andriy has remarkably improved vision. In fact, the vast majority of my patients now do without glasses or contacts virtually all of the time," Donnenfeld says.

Dr. Lori Landrio Had LASIK

I'm Dr. Lori Landrio, and I am a true believer in laser vision correction. I can tell you that nothing makes me feel better than when one of my patients, who literally couldn't count the fingers on my hand from a few feet away before the procedure, sits up after the procedure has been completed, looks at me from across the room and starts smiling. That exciting and fulfilling sensation never goes away -- even with all the procedures I've seen!

Yes, I'm a strong believer in laser vision correction. I had LASIK performed on my own eyes this past winter and can now see wonderfully. My original prescription was -7.75 -2.00 x 005 in the right eye and -8.50 -1.75 x 180 in the left eye - now I see 20/20 with no glasses or contact lenses.

If you have questions about laser vision correction or if you would like to schedule a complimentary consultation or patient seminar, contact your own TLC-affiliated eye doctor. He or she knows your eyes better than anyone else and our affiliates have the training to help you decide if you are a candidate for laser vision correction.