Dr. Mark Whitten has
performed LASIK
eye surgery on
more than 30 PGA
Tour pros,
including Tiger Woods — twice.
Here's how Whitten recalls
his latest eye-to-eye with the world's No. 1.
On cutting open the corneas of the world's best golfer
I got over being nervous a long time ago. Just like Tiger isn't overly nervous when he steps up to the first tee at Augusta.
On Tiger's sense of humor
When he sat up from the laser he feigned blindness, and then he smiled. I looked at him and said, "You're kidding, right?"
On Tiger's sight before the operations
He couldn't see the "E" on the chart. He couldn't even see the chart!
On Tiger's play after the second operation
A month later he won the Wachovia. He said the cup looked bigger (laughs). Imagine how everybody else felt about that!
IS LASIK SURGERY RIGHT FOR YOU?
1. Are you healthy?
LASIK candidates must be in good general health, and have no eye diseases such as cataracts. You must also be 18 years or older.
2. Have you done your research?
Ask your doctor how many of his patients have 20/20 vision after the surgery, and how many, like Woods, come back for a second surgery. It should be below 10 percent.
3. Can you afford it?
LASIK isn't cheap — about $2,000 per eye — and there's no guarantee how long the correction will last.
On cutting open the corneas of the world's best golfer
I got over being nervous a long time ago. Just like Tiger isn't overly nervous when he steps up to the first tee at Augusta.
On Tiger's sense of humor
When he sat up from the laser he feigned blindness, and then he smiled. I looked at him and said, "You're kidding, right?"
On Tiger's sight before the operations
He couldn't see the "E" on the chart. He couldn't even see the chart!
On Tiger's play after the second operation
A month later he won the Wachovia. He said the cup looked bigger (laughs). Imagine how everybody else felt about that!
IS LASIK SURGERY RIGHT FOR YOU?
1. Are you healthy?
LASIK candidates must be in good general health, and have no eye diseases such as cataracts. You must also be 18 years or older.
2. Have you done your research?
Ask your doctor how many of his patients have 20/20 vision after the surgery, and how many, like Woods, come back for a second surgery. It should be below 10 percent.
3. Can you afford it?
LASIK isn't cheap — about $2,000 per eye — and there's no guarantee how long the correction will last.
