ment for Nov. 19, 2007, and began the process, which included a thor- ough eye exam by her optometrist, Dr. Mason Smith. She had to give up her contact lenses forever and wear her old glasses for two weeks prior to the surgery. The morning of the Lasik proce-


dure, Sam was nervous but ready to move forward. I picked her up for the drive to the Magill Vision Center in Mount Pleasant. “It’s a really pretty place,” she told


me. “It’s all wood and marble and very elegant.” She was right. The office was


grand but comfortable and profes- sional. The front office staff was courteous and efficient in taking care of the last-minute details.


“I think I look different.” As Sam relaxed in a recliner–the


first stop–Clarissa explained the procedure and gave her a kit with eye drops, detailed instructions and a pair of very cool shades that must be worn following the operation. Then it was time to meet Dr.


Kerry Solomon for a final pre-op exam. Everything looked perfect, he said, and asked if we had questions.


“How many of these surgeries


have you performed?” I asked. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Probably


about 10,000 or maybe 20,000.” No doubt. Dr. Solomon was one


of the first to bring the Excimer laser to the Lowcountry well over a decade ago. “Have you had a good day?”


Sam asked. He laughed and said he was hav-


ing a great day. Sam was ushered into the surgical


suite, while her brother and I waited outside. A short time later–perhaps 15 or 20 minutes–it was all over. A final check and she was released and told to go home for a nap. “I can already see better, even with


all the drops in my eyes,” she told us. The next morning, during her first


post-op exam, Dr. Solomon gave her the good news. Her eyes looked great and her vision was now 20/15, vastly improved from 20/400.


The Magill Vision Center offers a variety of corrective surgeries. Samantha’s procedure was custom Lasik, using the latest bladeless tech- nology. For more information about the Magill Vision Center, visit www. MagillVision.com.


KERRY SOLOMON, MD D


uring a career that has spanned more than 20 years, Dr. Solomon


has been ranked as one of the country’s best ophthalmic surgeons and has been the recipient of dozens of awards. He was also listed among “America’s Best Doctors” for cataract and refractive surgery in 2004 and 2005. Dr. Solomon is currently a professor


of ophthalmology as well as director of cataract, refractive and cornea services at the Storm Eye Institute. He is also director of the Magill Research Center and medical director of the Magill Vision Center for Vision Correction. According to Kerry Solomon’s bio


on the Medical University of South Carolina Web site, “Practicing medicine is about loving what you do, treating every patient like family and knowing that if you do your best, you can change people’s lives for the better.” He should know. He changes lives


every day.


No more glasses, contact lenses and messy solutions. Samantha Millen, a therapeutic assistant at MUSC’s Institute of Psychiatry, couldn’t be happier with the results of her custom Lasik procedure.


— Barbara Patrick Char lestonPhysicians.com | MountPleasantPhysicians.com | Char lestonDoctors.net


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