Wandering Reflections

My Vision Quest: Correcting Astigmatism – My Surgery Experience in China

Jul 20, 2025

One of the things I cherish most about my life is the opportunity to live overseas. I've called China home for quite a few years now, embracing the vibrant culture and unique experiences that come with it. But alongside the adventures of expat life, I've also carried a very personal, long-standing challenge: my astigmatism.

For those unfamiliar, astigmatism is a common vision condition that causes blurred vision due to an imperfectly curved cornea or lens. For me, it's been a part of my life since birth. My parents even tried patching my eye as a baby, a common practice back then. Later, glasses became a necessity, but they often brought on debilitating headaches, so I rarely wore them. Instead, I diligently performed eye exercises, hoping to find some relief.

As soon as I was old enough and earning my own money, I started looking into surgical solutions. This was nearly 30 years ago, and while my eyes were deemed "perfect candidates" for Lasik, the technology simply wasn't advanced enough to correct my specific type of astigmatism. It wouldn't have improved my vision, so I held off. Every five or ten years or so, I'd visit an eye doctor, always with the same hopeful question: "Is there anything new that can fix my astigmatism?" And for decades, the answer was always no.

Until now.

My recent visit to an eye doctor here in China brought incredible news. There is a procedure that can finally correct my astigmatism, and it's a type of cataract surgery. The doctor explained that virtually everyone over 50 develops cataracts, and at 52 this year, while mine wouldn't likely bother me for another 10 or 15 years, this surgery offers a dual benefit. Not only will it fix my lifelong astigmatism, but the new lens I'll receive means I'll never have to worry about cataracts or the fuzzy vision that often comes with aging. The thought of finally seeing clearly, without glasses or headaches, is incredibly exciting!

The surgeon who will be performing my procedure is truly remarkable. She's been doing this for over 20 years, performing about 30 such surgeries a month. That's an incredible level of experience! She's renowned throughout China and even trained in Germany, and the lenses I'll be receiving are German-made, adding another layer of confidence.

It's a strange feeling, though. If someone had told me years ago that I'd be having eye surgery in a foreign country where I don't even speak the language, I wouldn't have believed them. But honestly, the sheer volume of eye surgeries performed by doctors here in China means they gain an unparalleled level of experience that might be hard to find back home in America. It's a little frightening, stepping into the unknown of a Chinese hospital, but the prospect of clear vision outweighs the apprehension.

I've never been an overnight patient in a Chinese hospital before, and that's exactly what I'll be doing. I'm sure that experience will be a whole other story, and I'll definitely be sharing all the details in my next blog post!

 

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