Friday, August 08, 2008

The Bride wore Botox and so did the Groom

These are interesting times. We are not easily satisfied anymore. Our expectations have grown to such a level that we take the initiative to better ourselves and this is not limited anymore to just our financial situation or our surroundings.

A visit to the doctor used to be dreaded and was undertaken only when one was seriously ill. But then came preventive medicine. We started visiting doctors for our vaccinations and our flu-shots. As well as regular checkups for managing a host of illnesses like diabetes or hypertension; or for preventing the risk of future maladies to which we may be genetically predisposed.

The twentieth century saw the rise of plastic surgery, which was targeted largely at women wishing to improve their appearance, and was generally classified as vanity surgery. But this is not limited to women anymore.

How would you classify someone who wishes to improve his vision by taking advantage of the advances in ophthalmic surgical techniques and equipment? I have been heavily dependent on my glasses for the last 41 years and visited a couple of specialists to find out my options. The specialist initially suggested multifocal IOL implants, but I was not happy with that, so it is going to be C-Lasik. This will correct my distant vision but will not help with my age-induced presbyopia, so I will still need reading glasses. The IOL implants would have given me perfect vision according to the doctor, but it is a much more invasive procedure and I guess I will wait a few more years and let the quality of the implants and the surgical techniques improve and become more common.

Am I being vain? Someone who has been in a similar predicament would perhaps say no and support me in my quest to reduce my dependence on glasses which verges on the border of disability. Others would say I should just accept what fate has given me and not undertake the risk of surgery. But I have already made the decision and am going for the procedure tomorrow.

1 comment:

Santhosh said...

If you stand a chance then why not? All the very best pal.