lasik surgery

[jl]

Thinking about getting laser surgery....any experiences, suggestions, what to look for in doctor? thanks!

 

[Princess on the Run]

I got it in 2006 and it was probably one of the best decisions I ever made. I was someone who couldn't see past my nose without glasses or contacts. All those years of stumbling around at night, reaching on the nightstand for my glasses immediately, schlepping contact solution and back-ups with me everywhere I went....all over now!

I had it done in the evening (that was the Dr's suggestion) and aside from the time it took to dilate my eyes and the like, it was something like 10-12 seconds each eye. During the process, your head is in the machine and you need to hold still. They tell you to focus on the green light, then the red one, etc. You don't even know it's happening and it's over. When you come out, they put glasses on you because you will be super sensitive to light for a few hours. They recommend going home and going to bed (which is what I did). I woke up the next morning with perfect vision and never a single side effect or problem.

For the first week or so, your eyes might be dry. My Dr gave me some samples of natural tears to use and a coupon if I wanted to buy more. I never needed more than what he gave me.

I would highly recommend it!

 

[jackie101]

I got it done about 3yrs ago, the best thing I have ever done. I could not see my alarm clock without glasses. My eye site is perfect now.

 

[MsPoppinsTX]

I had it done last year and it is fabulous. I could never wear contacts because they irritated my eyes so much, so lasik really saved the day for me. Totally worth the cost and a quick and easy procedure.

 

[girli565]

Best thing I ever did! I love not having to wear glasses!

I had a form of lasik called PRK in 2007. They don't cut a flap into your cornea, instead they scrub off the first layer of your cornea to thin it out enough for teh laser to get through. The reason I had this was because my cornea is thinner than normal and my doctor didn't want to cut into it.

Make sure you choose a reputable doctor who will explain the complete procedure and after care. Also, this is not the time to find a "deal" I paid full price (just under $5000) and was very comfortable with it because I knew my doctor had performed thousands of surgeries and is one of the highest rated lasik surgeons in Miami.

I went through a whole day of testing when I went in for my consultation. They did several scans, pressure tests, and then a normal eye exam with dialation. The tests were very thorough. I was there from 9am until almost 3pm between testing and waiting for the dialation. Once the doctor reviewed all the tests we met again and went over the best procedure for my eyes which was PRK instead of lasik.

The surgery was quick and painless, you don't feel anything because they numb you but I was very uncomfortable a few hours after once the numbness wore off. They kind of sandpapered my eye so it stung and burned for a day or two. I was given a valium about an hour before surgery because I was a bit nervous. Oh, and random observation... the thing they use to spread your eye and keep it open ended up giving me a black eye, I guess the skin around my eyes is very sensitive. The doctor was shocked because he's only heard of that happening but had never seen it, lol!

After care is easy. I was given a bunch of drops, some were antibiotics, a steriod to help healing, and a pain drop in case I was uncomfortable. I was also given tears in case my eyes were dry, which they were for a week or two after surgery.

 

[Keishag]

Another "one of the best things I ever did"! I would have done it so much sooner had I known what a breeze it was and how life changing it would be. I had it done in 2006 and have had no problems. My office offered a significant discount for paying cash. We used our tax return.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Also one of the best things I ever did! DH had lasik in 2000, and I had it a year or two later.

I agree with the PP who said this is not the time to look for a deal. Your initial consultation should take hours to see if you are a good candidate. The doctor should be checking corneal thickness, astigmatism, tear production, etc. in addition to your vision. The cornea on my left eye was thin (based on the amount of correction required, I think), and the doctor said he could do the procedure once but would not be able to go back in to do it again if it wasn't good enough. I was glad he told me in advance and decided to do it anyway, and it was great. I was also borderline for tear production, and my eyes are drier now than they were before surgery. I used eye drops several times per day for a long time. I also had some night halos for a while, but not for very long.

DH had some issues after his surgery (related to his speed of healing) and had to go see the doctor every few days for a while. The doctor would come in on Saturdays or Sundays if that was when DH needed to be seen. All of those follow-up visits were included in the initial cost. We were in NY at the time and kep hearing ads about cheaper prices in Canada - I'm so glad we didn't do that since DH needed so much follow-up! A good doctor should include all follow-up care as well as a corrective procedure if your vision does not turn out as well as predicted. My DFIL had lasik (in another state) and had a follow-up correction done six months later - it was included in the initial cost).

Ask around for recommendations from friends. We found our doctor because someone we knew had lasik through another doctor and had problems, and he was sent to this doctor to correct the problems.

 

[NCRedding]

I had it done in 2000 at the age of 38. I have loved it for all those years. Being able to read my bedside clock is wonderful; going to the beach or the pool and being able to see is great. my eyesight was horrible; -8.5 in each eye. After the surgery, I got to 20/15.

12 years later, I still love it. I have some issues with seeing well at night. I also need reading glasses and one of my eyes has lost a little bit of clarity so I may end up needing some glasses in the near future.

Still, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[Maleficent53]

I am an "older" person who wore glasses/contacts/glasses most of my adult life. I had this done in 2009 and have never regretted it. I wish I had done it earlier in life. I was always afraid that something would go wrong and make my vision worse that it was. I have one eye corrected for close, one for distance, and it works great for me. I do need cheaters for very close reading or small print, but that was something they told me about before I had the procedure done.

A woman at work had the procedure done in Canada (she was a Canadian living/working here) and she did have some problems that needed follow-up. I am not saying the Canada clinics don't do a good job, just that it is possible to have follow up issues.

As others have said, it is VERY important to have a thorough discussion with the doctor to get the best information regarding your personal vision potential. I had a notebook with questions that I wanted answers on. I recommend visiting several clinics and picking by how comfortable you feel with them, rather than the price being quoted. This is not the time to "bargain shop"!

 

[hops&dreams]

I had LASIK done on April Fool's Day, 1999, over 13 years ago. I was only 19 years old at the time and I'm SOOOOO glad I did!!!

At that time, I was an optician (measured for and dispensed glasses, taught you how to put contacts in), and a patient backed out at the last minute for LASIK. So, I was put on the schedule to fill the spot - (best part... For FREE!!!) I thought my co-workers and bosses were kidding when they told me, it being April Fool's Day and all. I went through a flurry of exams that morning, as I had already done the topography and other necessary test earlier that year as part of a training session (on how to administer the tests, so we tested each other). The only reason I was able to be thrown onto the schedule after all that was because I had gotten some cute new glasses a couple of weeks before and had been wearing only those because I liked them so much, and had given my eyes a break from contacts. It just worked out perfectly with the one patient backing out!

When we were doing the exams, I couldn't even see the big E on the chart. I couldn't see how many fingers she was holding up literally 18 inches from my face. After the procedure, I sat up and read the clock on the wall!!!

Now, 13 years later, I'm now 32, and am starting to see changes in my vision due to hormonal changes. I wear glasses now when I am working on a computer screen and driving at night. I wear them to sharpen things up, but I am not dependent on them (yet), and not nearly as dependent as I was on them before.

I am SO glad I had LASIK before I became a mom. I can't imagine night-time feedings, young child illnesses, etc...

After I had LASIK, my dad and sister did too. My sister had to wait over a year after her kids (twins) were born, and said she wishes she took my advice and had done it sooner. She didn't want to do it right before her wedding, and then she got preggers within 2 months of that, so she had to wait.

When looking for a Dr, be sure that the practice you use has a dr on staff that will be doing your procedure. Many fly-by-night companies will have one Dr do all your pre-op stuff, then a Dr you've never met before (and who has never seen your eyes before) does the actual procedure. That's crazy to me. If you're cutting into my eye, I want to make sure you've seen them before, and you'll be doing the followup care as well!

Also, the Dr that did my procedure is a corneal specialist. His standards for who is and is not a candidate for the procedure are very high. we saw many patients that he turned away, and then they went to another Dr who said "yeah, I'll do your LASIK" and it was botched and here they were back in our office with our Dr thinking "I told ya you shouldn't do it."

Good luck!

 

[jedijill]

Absolutely the best money I've ever spent. I went to a clinic where the surgeons are board certified eye surgeons (they do corneal transplants, etc) and not a fly by night, the doctor took a weekend class on how to run the laser. I had no issues and procedure is very quick and easy. I just went home and slept about 18 hours (I love that valium!) I used my FSA and made sure I put enough in to pay for the surgery.

Jill in CO

 

[mrsklamc]

My standard line is "best money I've ever spent besides my marriage license."

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

My standard line is "best money I've ever spent besides my marriage license."

Where's the "like" button?

 

[blessedby3]

I had this done back in 2001. It was the best thing, but I had a frighful experience. I had been wanting to do this for so long, but was so fearful of seeing thing coming at my eyes...but finally bit the bullet and signed up for it. The Dr. did both of my eyes and we left to head back home (the clinic was about 45 mins from our house) and while my DH was driving I told him I felt like when I blinked that the flap on my eyeball was lifting up
My DH looked at my eye and he was in shock and horror himself!!!! The flap was coming up when I blinked and he told me to keep it shut and we called the Dr back. They said we probably were just seeing things....but DH insisted and we drove straight back.
The Dr. looked at it and said, "in all my years of doing these, I have never had one do this!". Of course...I am the statistic! 1 in xxxx will have this happen
Anyway, I had to go through the procedure again...much to my dismay...and it worked fine the second time. It still grosses me out to think of it.
But, OP, Im sure everything will go fine if you do it. This is just the kind of luck I have.
I can still see great at distances, but my up close vision is getting bad. The dr. said that would happen at about 41. Now I need readers to see up close, but I can see everything at a distance

 

[luvavacation]

Just had this done two weeks ago. I am glad I had it done, but I did not get the perfect vision so many others depart the procedure with. I will need a touch up.

That said, my first recommendation, as others have mentioned, is do not go with the cheapest, Groupon Lasik Dr. you can find! I paid $3850 in the far, far western suburbs of Chicago, and this included 4 hours of consultation and eye checking stuff, the surgery, all drops for the next year, antibiotic and steroid drops after surgery, and one year of visits and any touch ups I may need in that year. My surgeon was very good, great bedside manner, took the time to answer all my questions, and in fact I told him at my one week visit that I wished my primary care doctors were as wonderful as he was!

The worst part of the Lasik was the eyelid spreader. Thought my eyelids were going to be torn off my face! But it didn't necessarily hurt where I wanted to cry, but I just did not like how it pinched and pulled. After about 2 minutes or so, I was used to it, so I managed.

The drops they numb your eye with take the most time, as you lay there with your eyelids spread open and your eyeball waiting to go numb. The drops didn't burn or anything, and they did the trick, because I felt nothing.

I was worried that I would see my flap being cut, but the Dr. pushes down on the eyeball so all goes black (didn't hurt) and that was when the cornea was cut. I saw nothing. Thank God!

My surgeon was great when I had to look at the light for the laser to do its work, and he kept telling me, "doing great, keep looking at the light, keep looking, almost done, keep looking, doing great, done!" Easy peasy!

I was told the Lasik laser actually does the work on its own, and it recalibrates the whole time, so even if your eyeball moves, the laser follows it. If your eyeball moves too much, the laser automatically stops and picks up where it left off when the surgeon restarts the machine. Knowing this, I was not worried about my eye moving at all and the laser cutting something it shouldn't!

I had monovision Lasik done, where the dominant eye is adjusted for distance, and the eye that reads well up close is only slightly adjusted for distance. I am over 45 and have had no need for reading glasses, and opted to have the surgery in a manner that would prolong my lack of need for reading glasses, hence the monovision.

I will need a touch up in my eye for distance. Even on its own, much less using both eyes, distance is not clear. I can see so much better than with my contacts, but I can not read road signs until I am right upon them. Makes it hard to see the name of a road when you are searching for where to turn in a new area!

At my visit last week, the Dr. said in about 3 months we can correct that eye again. He said it should only take about 3 seconds with the laser. Originally, the right eye took 10 seconds, the left eye about 14. I am disappointed that I do not have that perfect distance vision, but I am fine with going in again.

I still see so, so much better now than I did without my contacts before, and my eyes are much happier without the contacts. While I do not feel confident driving in a strange place where I have to read the road signs, I now wake up in the morning, have no need for eyedrops for the dry contact eyes as before, and I can see the cat in the doorway before I step on him! My up close reading is still excellent, and as to night vision, well, I had problems with glare with my contacts, and I might still have some problems, but I haven't driven too much at night yet to know for sure.

Good luck, I am sure you will be very happy with the results. I know I am!

 

[jedijill]

Just had this done two weeks ago. I am glad I had it done, but I did not get the perfect vision so many others depart the procedure with. I will need a touch up.

My vision wasn't perfect right after...it kept getting better post op over the next few months.

Jill in CO

 

[ctl]

I had been wearing glasses and after the Lasik I could see 20/15 and 20/20 in R and L eye respectively. It has been fabulous. I was warned that I might have to start wearing reading glasses sooner, because of the lasik, but that is an easy trade off for being able to see Tv, road signs etc. I would definitely go for it, if you are a good candidate. Some folks have pupils that are too big, or their eye defects would not be helped by Lasik, so be sure and get a few opinions from eye docs first (preferably one who is not trying to sell you the procedure at all costs). Good luck.

 

[AmericangirlinFrance]

Subscribing... I'm a -11 in one eye and -12 in the other, I have always been told my vision is too bad for LASIK. My current (new) eye dr. is pushing me to go for a consultation, saying that nowadays LASIK can correct people with my diopter.

Anyone had LASIK who is as blind as me? I'd love to hear from people with severe nearsightedness who had success.

 

[zy144622]

I agreed this was one of the best things I have ever spent money on! I also disagree with what most have said to be the worst part...I think the smell of well...laser burning eyeball to have been the worst part. Gross but true!!!

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Add me to the list of 'this is one of the best things I have ever done for myself'!!!!!

I had lasik done in 2006. I wore glasses at work to correct my stigmatism, then separate glasses for my near-sightedness when I drove. I had headaches everyday from glasses and hated seeing movies because I would get horrible headaches afterwards. I had to sit 2 feet from the TV to see it and couldn't see far away. The surgery sounded so gross and - it was BUT I would do it again in a HEARTBEAT. My life has improved so much!!!! I don't wear glasses for anything anymore and my daily computer headaches are gone and I can enjoy watching TV and a movie.

The only downside to it for me was in the first few months right after, I would see double lights at night while driving. For instance, if my headlights hit a stop sign, I would see the stop sign and then another blurry one right next to it. I barely ever drive at night so it wasn't a big deal for me. And it mostly went away for me although they did say some people get it permenantly. BUT I would rather have that then what I was going through. Now, I occasionally notice that a traffic light has a duller, mirror image but that's about the extent of it.