A Father’s Dedication: Dr. Gregory Parkhurst and his son, Isaac’s Journey to Clear Vision with EVO-ICL

By: Abby Roper

 

At Parkhurst NuVision, Dr. Gregory Parkhurst prepared meticulously for a surgery that would  bridge the professional with the deeply personal. He would perform EVO ICL surgery on his own seventeen year old son, Isaac.

When asked why he chose EVO ICL for Isaac, Dr. Parkhurst was quick to respond “I’ve been doing this procedure for a long time and I’ve found that the quality of vision that it produces is as good or better than any of the surgical and definitely non-surgical options out there. I’ve done a lot of research with this procedure and found that people usually see better with it than they did with their glasses or contacts. And I really like it because it leaves all his options open for the future when he gets older, someday develops presbyopia, etc.”

Isaac, now 17, had worn glasses since childhood, finding them inconvenient when participating in sports and outdoor activities. “Glasses were annoying,” Isaac reflected on his years in track and cross-country. “They’d slide down when I ran, and in water sports, I couldn’t see a thing without them.”

EVO ICL surgery is a big step for someone who has had vision problems, especially at Issac’s age, so without a doubt Dr. Parkhurst knew he was the one who would conduct it,  “well, he told me that he trusted the surgeon, which was me, so I really thought I should take the responsibility to make sure that it was done exactly right. There’s a lot of nuances to not just picking the power correctly, but especially sizing it, especially for somebody his age that required a lot of special expertise that we’ve been developing for the last 15 -plus years. There aren’t a lot of places out there that have been doing it for this long and with this many cases under their belt,” said Dr. Parkhurst.

The decision for surgery came after Isaac’s vision stabilized, a careful monitoring process overseen by his father. Dr. Parkhurst explained,”He didn’t like his glasses. He didn’t see well with them. They were constantly getting sweaty, dirty, foggy and in the way. And his vision prescription had stabilized for two years, so we’ve been monitoring it very closely. It hasn’t changed for two years and so we determined he was ready and we wanted to get it done before family vacation in Africa this summer.” Issac turns 18 next week so he was ready for the next step toward seeing clearly.

For Isaac, the prospect of clear vision was exciting. “I can’t wait to go swimming and see underwater without glasses,” he said. “I also really want to go tubing again with my dad pulling me behind the boat. When I did watersports before, I would just take them off. So I couldn’t really see anyone and what I would have to do is, say we went to Schllitterbahn or something like that I would have to memorize what all of my friends bathing suits looks like wo when I took my glasses off, I would know who I know who I was looking for.”

The surgery itself was swift, a testament to Dr. Parkhurst’s skill and Isaac’s trust in his father’s hands. “The EVO ICL procedure went pretty quickly,” Isaac recalled, his voice carrying a sense of wonder. “They said, ‘Okay, we’re gonna get started.’ And then it felt like about a second later, ‘okay, we’re done’. I was like, ‘Oh, okay’!”

Dr. Parkhurst, spoke to the unique challenges of operating on his own son, “You do think about the fact that you’re going to be in the house with him and wondering what he’s going to think,” he admitted. “I called him from work the next morning and asked him how his eyes were feeling and if he could see anything yet. And he just kind of nonchalantly told me that he can see everything. He’s going to be in these lenses for a very long time, so I definitely wanted to make sure he was going to be happy with him.”

As Isaac adjusted to life without glasses, the benefits became clear. “Flying planes and helicopters will be easier now,” Isaac said, contemplating his future pursuits. “And sunglasses without prescriptions? Game changer.”

Looking ahead, Dr. Parkhurst sees a bright future for Isaac, both personally and professionally. “This procedure isn’t just about correcting vision,” he emphasized. “It’s about opening doors for Isaac, ensuring he sees every opportunity clearly.”