Lasik Surgery??

[ladyluck]

Next week I'm about to have lasik surgery...I'm still a little scared of getting it, so I might change my mind and not go through with it. If you'd had it or know someone who has...any advise or information will be very helpful.

or what do u think of it...

[Nija]

I've known 2 or 3 people who have had the surgery and declared it a resounding success.

One day I hope to have it. The only reason I don't is monetary, not financial.

[BigJon]

I heard it isn't a permanant fix. Most of the time your eyes will go back to the way they were after a long period of time.... :shrug:

That's just what I heard...

[ramazank2]

I had it done 6-7 years ago right when I graduated college. Best thing I ever did. My eyes are great and I have perfect vision. Since my sugery I have talked about 15 ppl into doing it and all of them are extremely happy with it. Only complaint is if you are older your close up vision gets worse. I did not experience this. Most people that I talk to are happy wearing reading glasses when necessary over always wearing far sighted glasses.

Any detailed questions feel free to PM me.

[Nija]

I heard it isn't a permanant fix. Most of the time your eyes will go back to the way they were after a long period of time.... :shrug:

That's just what I heard...

I think that's mostly attributed to aging, and that detriotration of your eyes, not something that the surgery does/doesn't do...

[Grimm]

I had it done several years ago, 4 or 5. One eye is just as good as it was when it finished healing, maybe a bit better. The other has went down a bit, not so much, I can drive without correction. It's wonderful waking up in the morning and being able to see without trying ot find my glasses.

I highly reccomend it.

[Nanotech9]

what are the different types of procedues you guys have had?... one they cut the lense off manually, the other they slice it off with a lazer now right?

[ladyluck]

thanks everyone for your feedback...i appreciate it :) lasik surgery it is then

[ramazank2]

Since I had it done so long ago I had the blade on a rail mechanism. Worked fine but if I had the chance I would have opted for the laser.

[Maarchk]

now they have a sonic method. they dont cut, but they reshape. its more expensive, but it allows for them to redo if somethingn doesn't go right. versus a cut that is once and done even if its not quite right. I dont know all the details but i think i'm gonna go for the sonic thing next year when i get out of schol.

[Hopper1]

I had PRK done 2 months ago and it is wonderful. It was quite painful though for the first 4 days and I had to take a week off work but the results are excellent now. It took about three weeks to get the night vision bakc to acceptable levels and it was expensive but I got it financed with no interest for 12 months.

[faither]

It's got to be 4 years now...best surgery you could ever have. Fret not!!!

[cheapie]

just got my eyes mapped this morning to see if they could do it. it looks like i'm a decent candidate. i'll be getting the custom lasik and it will be around $3200. i have $1500 in my medical savings plan.

i could go to canada and have it done for about 1/2 that but....:shrug:

[LegendKiller]

I have been thinking about this more and more lately. I am at -4.5. Contacts are out for me since my eyes are always too dry. Glasses are getting annoying, especially after my $400 titanium no-frame glasses decided to break mid-work and I had to use some of my wife's -2.25 contacts.

Anybody experience increased dryness?

[cheapie]

the lady this morning said that if you have a problem with dry eyes this will make it worse.

[LegendKiller]

Hrm...thats my biggest worry.

It wasn't until ~3 years ago I had a problem with dry eyes. When we lived in Miami I would go from an AC/Dry apartment walking around in humidity to an AC/Dry car, walking in humidity around campus, to an AC/Dry classroom, and then reverse.

At the time I was wearing contacts and my eyes constantly looked like I had just smoked 3 joints while downing a bottle of Wild Turkey. I decided to stop that foolishness and go back to glasses.

Lasik was/is my only hope of getting rid of glasses...

[ramazank2]

Just do it. Go and get your free consultation. They will tell you if your dry eyes will be a problem. I dont know much about dry eyes, do they get dry only when you are wearing contacts? My eyes were always itchy when I wore contacts, but after lasik I never have needed to rub my eyes.

[Hopper1]

They can insert permanent punctal plugs that will slow the drainage of the eyes which will help. But the best bet is a consultation and go to multiple places to get the most information on the different options.

[Houdini]

I had PRK done 2 months ago and it is wonderful. It was quite painful though for the first 4 days and I had to take a week off work but the results are excellent now. It took about three weeks to get the night vision bakc to acceptable levels and it was expensive but I got it financed with no interest for 12 months.

Nifty.

I've had friends who have had it done and have loved it. As far as I know, it's still done with a microtome to cut the eye, and then the cornea is reshaped. Afterward, the flap falls into place and almost immediately heals. I've only had one friend who had a bad experience. His flap had a wrinkle when it fell down, so he had distorted vision/halos, etc. He had it re-cut and fixed, but still has some problems.

All-in-all, the eye is pretty resilient. You probably will still get farsighted as you age (typical presbyopia) but that's not usually a big deal. LASEK is supposed to be the next greatest thing, as it doesn't remove as much eye tissue before shaping with the laser. I wanted RK years ago before lasers came into general use. I'd love to have a procedure that makes my vision better, as I'm sick of glasses and have worn contacts since 6th grade or so.

Also, Hopper1, you don't happen to have a past history in Columbus, MS, do you?

[Hopper1]

Nifty.

I've had friends who have had it done and have loved it. As far as I know, it's still done with a microtome to cut the eye, and then the cornea is reshaped. Afterward, the flap falls into place and almost immediately heals. I've only had one friend who had a bad experience. His flap had a wrinkle when it fell down, so he had distorted vision/halos, etc. He had it re-cut and fixed, but still has some problems.

All-in-all, the eye is pretty resilient. You probably will still get farsighted as you age (typical presbyopia) but that's not usually a big deal. LASEK is supposed to be the next greatest thing, as it doesn't remove as much eye tissue before shaping with the laser. I wanted RK years ago before lasers came into general use. I'd love to have a procedure that makes my vision better, as I'm sick of glasses and have worn contacts since 6th grade or so.

Also, Hopper1, you don't happen to have a past history in Columbus, MS, do you?
Never been to Columbus, MS in my limited travels.
http://www.prk.com/
http://www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery/prk.htm
Just a couple sites I looked at before getting it done. In short in PRK they use a chemical to remove the epitheal(sp?) layer over the cornea then reshape the cornea itself. Since this is where the most nerve endings are it is much more painful. There is no flap and no microkeratone. It was recommended for me because i had a lower prescription and this gave the best possible results. Currently I have dry eyes occasionally and just use moisture eye drops when needed.
I had the procedure done at www.lasikvisioninstitute.com in Bellevue

[ufcrusher]

Hrm...thats my biggest worry.

It wasn't until ~3 years ago I had a problem with dry eyes. When we lived in Miami I would go from an AC/Dry apartment walking around in humidity to an AC/Dry car, walking in humidity around campus, to an AC/Dry classroom, and then reverse.

At the time I was wearing contacts and my eyes constantly looked like I had just smoked 3 joints while downing a bottle of Wild Turkey. I decided to stop that foolishness and go back to glasses.

Lasik was/is my only hope of getting rid of glasses...

Just so you know...they have special contacts that are designed for those with drier eyes. They are a bit more expensive than standard disposables but they are quite comfortable and definitely dont cause as many problems. I think the one brand is called "Proclear" and I have the "Proclear compatibles". Honestly I wore standard accuviews for a long time without any problem but my doctor noticed that my eyes had started being dry and so suggested the switch as a way to help prevent the recurrence of problems I was having. I have been using them for over a year and never once have I had the dry eye issues I was having before. The only complaint I have about them is that only the eye doctor can sell them and as such they are expensive relative to other disposables.

[LegendKiller]

Just so you know...they have special contacts that are designed for those with drier eyes. They are a bit more expensive than standard disposables but they are quite comfortable and definitely dont cause as many problems. I think the one brand is called "Proclear" and I have the "Proclear compatibles". Honestly I wore standard accuviews for a long time without any problem but my doctor noticed that my eyes had started being dry and so suggested the switch as a way to help prevent the recurrence of problems I was having. I have been using them for over a year and never once have I had the dry eye issues I was having before. The only complaint I have about them is that only the eye doctor can sell them and as such they are expensive relative to other disposables.


Not a bad suggestion. I was on accuview when my eyes started getting really dry. Perhaps I will start looking into the ones you suggested. My wife likes me better with glasses, but contacts are so nice...

[WhiskeyPapa]

I just found out that due to my new job (morning DJ), I may get free lasik surgery. A new eye clinic just opened in our city and are big advertisers. They are interested in having me be their "spokesman" for a few months. In exchange, I get free surgery. Now if I can only get them to include my wife's lasik surgery in the package, life would be really good.

[cheapie]

I just found out that due to my new job (morning DJ), I may get free lasik surgery. A new eye clinic just opened in our city and are big advertisers. They are interested in having me be their "spokesman" for a few months. In exchange, I get free surgery. Now if I can only get them to include my wife's lasik surgery in the package, life would be really good.



how in the world would you schedule hers between deliveries?



:heh: jk mang!

[speedracer120]

:heh: As if you're one to talk, aren't you nipping at his heels with your silver bullets?

[cheapie]

hey....there's a big difference between three and ummmm......17? is that right papa?

[cheapie]

anyhow...i'm going under the laser friday morning. i'll let you know what happens and how it turned out.

[Daedalus]

So's my fiancee. She has her pre-op this afternoon. She's looking (!) forward to no more contacts/glasses.

[ramazank2]

anyhow...i'm going under the laser friday morning. i'll let you know what happens and how it turned out.

Good for you!

[Houdini]

anyhow...i'm going under the laser friday morning. i'll let you know what happens and how it turned out.


Keep us posted! I'd love to have corrective surgery, and the technology curve has plateaued for the moment. Now is a good time. PRK, LASIK, LASEK, etc, are all good options. I remember wanting RK as a kid (where they just make radial cuts into your cornea with a fine scalpel, pioneered by the Russians, I think.

Which laser method are you getting, cheapie? I'm very nearsighted and am tired of glasses and contacts.

-H

[DaFunkyUnit]

one of my biggest fears is getting a laser eye surgery performed when a the "next big quake" happens

[Daedalus]

WOW! My fiancee had it done yesterday. You know on the eye charts, the very first line is always a large "E". My fiancee went in yesterday so nearsighted that she couldn't even see the chart. "Read the first line? Uh.......wall?" Today she had her follow-up. She was able to read most letters off the 20/20 lines. They did a quick test for "haloing" but no signs of it yet. Freakin' amazing.

[cheapie]

i had it done yesterday as well. i'm pretty pleased with the results. i can see great and it should improve a bit over the next week or so. i have to be really careful with my eyes until they completely heal up. a bit itchy and sensitive to light but :shrug:

it hurt more than i anticipated. mostly the device that holds your lids open. if you move your eyeball, and you will, the laser stops instantly and resumes when you hold still. because of my awful astigmatism it took longer than normal. also, i had some big blood vessel because of my years of contact use and it took a while for them to stem the bleeding.

i have a pair of plastic shields/glasses that i wear at night for the first 4 nights. just to keep me from poking my eyes and moving the flap that was cut.

overall...i'm happy.

[Houdini]

i had it done yesterday as well. i'm pretty pleased with the results. i can see great and it should improve a bit over the next week or so. i have to be really careful with my eyes until they completely heal up. a bit itchy and sensitive to light but :shrug:

it hurt more than i anticipated. mostly the device that holds your lids open. if you move your eyeball, and you will, the laser stops instantly and resumes when you hold still. because of my awful astigmatism it took longer than normal. also, i had some big blood vessel because of my years of contact use and it took a while for them to stem the bleeding.

i have a pair of plastic shields/glasses that i wear at night for the first 4 nights. just to keep me from poking my eyes and moving the flap that was cut.

overall...i'm happy.


Good to hear, cheapie. I was going to ask you about your outcome as soon as I saw this thread bumped. I too have a bad astigmatism in one eye and have worn contacts for ages. Still haven't pulled the trigger on the surgery though...

[faither]

Your vision may fluctuate for up to three months. Had mine done four or five years ago now. Like Houdini I had a bad astigmatism -- in both eyes -- and was pretty badly near-sighted. Had both eyes done and it's a Christmas miracle.

[YanksFanRy]

So I'm supposed to have LASIK next Friday but am kind of freaking out about the lid speculum thing that holds open your eye lids. I can handle the laser, but this thing is freaking me out. Is it very uncomfortable and how is it applied to the eyes?

Sadly, the other thing causing me concern is the drops... I hate things touching my eyes, can ya tell? I'd appreciate any comments or advice.

[ramazank2]

So I'm supposed to have LASIK next Friday but am kind of freaking out about the lid speculum thing that holds open your eye lids. I can handle the laser, but this thing is freaking me out. Is it very uncomfortable and how is it applied to the eyes?

Sadly, the other thing causing me concern is the drops... I hate things touching my eyes, can ya tell? I'd appreciate any comments or advice.

Dont be such a wuss.... 5 min an eye and you will be done.

[ArkiStan]

Can you wait a bit? I've heard from a few friends that if lasik surgery does end up to have some serious side effects other than the already known dry eyes and hindered night sight, they should be appearing around now or next year on the first patients. I have no evidence to back this statement up, but if you've waited this long, might want to wait it out just a bit more.

[starkiis]

I would love to get my eyes done to much of a chicken. Good luck if you do it. I have heard nothing but good things from people who have done it.

[YanksFanRy]

The drops I'm not worried about, those I'll handle despite my stange dislike of them. But the eye clamp type things really bother me. Anyone have any experience with them? Of course I'll have been given a Valium by then so who knows how knocked out I'll be, I've never had Valium before. I'm only 20, so this long without glasses should be worth it.

[Houdini]

The drops I'm not worried about, those I'll handle despite my stange dislike of them. But the eye clamp type things really bother me. Anyone have any experience with them? Of course I'll have been given a Valium by then so who knows how knocked out I'll be, I've never had Valium before. I'm only 20, so this long without glasses should be worth it.

From what I've heard, it's really not that bad. Yeah, they do use a sharp blade to remove the outer flap of your cornea before zapping the area under it, but it usually falls down flat and heals very, very quickly. (Eyes heal quickly, as they are subject to all sorts of things hitting them every day without much consequence - and they are tougher than they look.) It only takes a few minutes, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

I know that (usually temporary) dry eye can be a problem, but I'm not sure why. I don't know if the eyes are really dry, or if they just feel dry due to the new shape and recent surgery. There's really no good reason for them to be dry, as the tear apparatus still works. :shrug:

[YanksFanRy]

That sure makes it sound lovely... But there's no blade anymore, just a laser.

[Houdini]

That sure makes it sound lovely... But there's no blade anymore, just a laser.

Actually, in most cases, except for a few "LASEK" procedures done in only a few areas of the country, in which only a VERY thin layer is removed with a blade, there is a blade (actually a microtome) that does remove a very, very small flap of cornea tissue at the area that is LASERed. It's not that big of a deal, but there is a blade, which is why they numb your eye for the most part.

I'm not talking about RK or similar, where blades were used to make cuts all around the eye, which worked pretty damn well, btw, but even the new "LASER" surgeries still require a flap lifting, and that can only be done with a very small, but very sharp blade, afaik.

[ladyluck]

Dont be such a wuss.... 5 min an eye and you will be done.


lol...i agree. i had it done last October. it was not bad at all. i didnt feel a thing. i was nummmmmmmmmmmmmb lol

[Jane83]

isnt there an age requirement or recommended after you turn 25 or somthing?

[brainsmile]

I'd imagine it varies from doctor to doctor

[Daedalus]

The pressure is uncomfortable, but not unbearably so. My fiacee is so squeamish she has to lie down just to get a shot, and she was just fine with the surgery. Valium does help. I remember when the Dr. put the flap back down there was no seam visible at all, even with the eye magnified onto a 13" monitor I was watching. It was so cool. You have to wear goggles for a week so you don't rub your eye and move the flap before it fully heals.
Intralase is an option for cutting the flap, but it'll cost more. Well worth it IMO, even if it's just for peace of mind. The downside is the pressure is applied for a longer period.

[cheapie]

the valium takes a great deal of the apprehension away. but the eye thing still sucked a bit tho'. but geesh. it was only on for a minute or so. you can deal with pretty much anything for a minute can't you?

[jstreet]

I'd really love to get this done -- even thought about setting up that "FlexFund" thingamajig to make it tax free. All the people I've known have been success stories, and evidently that's also true on here... but I type lasik into Google (http://lasikdisaster.com/) and lose my nerve.


Happy LASIK patients are ecstatic, noted Dr. Arthur Epstein in the January 2002 issue of Review of Optometry. "But unsuccessful patients exist in a permanently altered waking nightmare from which there is presently no escape," he wrote. Epstein warned that LASIK is still experimental surgery, and in hindsight could ultimately prove to be a physician-induced health crisis. Despite voices of warning from Epstein and others, the money machine trudges onward.

I feel silly, especially in light of all the risks I took when I was younger, which all came without any reedeeming or long-term value whatsoever (racing on the interstate, anyone?) but it's enough to convince me to keep wearing glasses. I've had much more major surgeries (thanks to a Rhode Island hospital that didn't recognize appendicitis until it was waaaay too late), but they were all necessary. And that's what I keep coming back to... is optional/cosmetic surgery worth the risk of complications? I dunno.

I am very paranoid about my eyes... I wore contacts for about 4 years and had to stop because I'd get a sty or some other kind of eye infection as much as once a month. No matter what I did, the infections didn't stop -- until the contacts did, and believe me, I got sanitary to the point of absolute lunacy. I'm scared there is some lingering eye infection and it will attack as soon as I get LASIK and I will be blind forever. Note: I tend to overanalyze to the point of psychological meltdown (I'm a Cancer).

My eyes are real bad too; LASIK would be such a boon. I don't remember my numbers off the top of my head, but I think they're like -7.5 or -8.5. I can't see a damn thing without glasses and if I don't pay the extra $200 or so for "thinness" they weigh about 20 pounds.

[kgsilvas]

I was glad to have my eyes forced open and locked in place. My biggest concern was that I would blink or move my eye and screw the whole thing up. That device gave me peace of mind.

I hadn't counted on the drops running down my cheeks and into my ears. I tried to move my arm to clear the drops and they emphatically told me to remain still. Honestly, the liquid in my ears was the most uncomfortable part of the procedure for me. IMO, not a big price to pay for great vision!

[zero2dash]

but I type lasik into Google (http://lasikdisaster.com/) and lose my nerve.

:agree:
I'm apprehensive about having it done as well. I've been wearing glasses since I was about 5 or 6 and contacts since I was around 14 (I'm 28 now). I've almost went and had lasik done once before and thought about it several times now. But I'm like you...if they screw it up, IMO I'm done. :eek2: Granted, I'm pathetic when it comes to taking care of contacts (ie cleaning them) - I do clean them, but not as often as I should. Thank goodness though, I've never had any eye problems (ie infections). I'm at a point now where I have to come up with a solution because I'm on my last pair of disposables (Night & Day)...I have several pairs of AcuVue 2's left but they're an older prescription so I wouldn't see as good. I could wear my glasses I got when I got the supply of Night & Days, but glasses...meh...I can wear them but in some ways I'd rather not have to. So I'm at a crossroads...fork over the money for another supply of Night & Days, or look into lasik again.

I dunno...again...I'm just scared of the possibility (no matter how small) that something will go wrong. I remember hearing Kathy Griffin on Stern around this time last year and her eye doc botched her lasik job and she's had to have at least a couple surgeries to repair the damage. :eek: My sister had lasik successfully...and I know other people have also (obviously...many of you included)...just,...still apprehensive. :shrug:

I think I'll just roll with what works...I may be doomed to a life of contacts + eyeglasses but at least I don't have to worry about much else with my eyes. :(

[kame]

:wow: <LASER ON> bzzzzzz


*SNIFF SNIIFF SNIFF*

I love the smell of bacon in the morning

[Houdini]

I have a friend who had his eyes done a couple of years ago. When the flap fell, it had a _small_ wrinkle in it. That grossly distorted his vision for a while. He had to have it re-cut, and even then it wasn't perfect. He's gotten used to it now, but, while that wouldn't prevent me from having it done (right now it's my still-changing eye Rx and lack of $$), it does make me think twice.