Lasik?

[Rock'n Robin]

I am going in for a consult Monday about getting Lasik. It is $1600 at Optivue, where I am going. Anyone have any advice about this? DH is really reluctant to let me do it as he is worried about long-term results, or me being one of the patients with complications.
Robin M.

 

[DaisyDebbie]

DO IT! It will be 2 years this June that I had mine done. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. I'm leaving on a cruise Sunday and I don't have to worry about glasses when I go snorkeling. I missed most of snorkeling at Castaway Cay the last time because I couldn't see without my glasses under the water.

I have no complications, I don't see halos and my night vision is great. Just make sure the place doing it is reputable and see if they can give you references of others who have had it done there.

Good luck!

 

[KathyTX]

Only you can weigh the risks and determine whether you want the surgery enough to go through this.

Me? No way, never gonna happen. I'm pretty nearsighted with astigmatism, but I wear soft contacts with no problems. The expense is small, they're low-maintenance, they correct my vision well. And if my vision changes slightly over the years, it's simple to adjust the prescription to accommodate that. I wear glasses anytime I'm not wearing the contacts.

The contacts work well for me, and there's no way would I assume the risk of surgery.

I have a dear friend and neighbor who had "a bad outcome" from lasik, performed by a prominent local doctor three years ago. Her vision will never be able to be corrected fully. She's had multiple corneal transplants (!!) to correct the damage this surgeon did. She's unquestionably worse off now than she was before. (Despite the money she was awarded by him in a malpractice settlement that she's not allowed to discuss.)

I know that lots more of these procedures go well than go bad, but it's just not worth the risk to me.

All that said, if I could not adequately correct my vision without the surgery, or if my lifestyle or career demanded that I be able to see without glasses or contacts, I would cautiously consider the procedure.

Whatever you decide, best of luck. Do your homework with the surgeon, and be sure you have absolute confidence in his abilities and track record before you jump in.

 

[jel0511]

I had LASIK done last Feb, and here are my opinions. First off, make sure you're going to a Dr. who owns and operates his own lasers. If the dr leases laser space somewhere else, move on. It is VERY important for the Dr to have his own laser. That way the Dr can be very viligant on the maintenance on and who operates the machine. Also, ask the Dr for referalls from previous patients. If the Dr is reputable he should provide those without question. Secondly, I didn't have ANY post-op complications and am very happy with my results, BUT if I could have worn contacts without complications, I NEVER would have nor would I recommend having the surgery. The surgery is VERY umcomfortable and there is a LOT of post-op pain. It lasts approx 2-3 days, but it was too much for me. I couldn't wear contacts due to a severe astigmatism, and glasses were very annoying, as well as "coke bottle" looking. I wore contacts until after getting pregnant with my first child, which changed my eyes significantly, basically changing my eyes so much, so I couldn't wear contacts again. Also, if you EVEN plan on trying to get pregnant again, don't do it until you're sure your family is the size you want. Again, as I've found out, and has been confirmed by many eye drs, eyes can change significantly during a pregnancy, and could cause your eyes to get worse, enabling glasses again. I had done a lot of research

 

[leahannpen]

Originally posted by jel0511
The surgery is VERY umcomfortable and there is a LOT of post-op pain. It lasts approx 2-3 days, but it was too much for me. /B]

REALLY????? That is odd. I found the procedure to be quick, painless and comfortable. I had it done in September. I love it! I would recommend it, most definately! There is some slight pressure while the surgery is going on, but that was it. I had no pain, and actually very little dryness. I know 3 other people, personally, who have gone to this particular place and they have all raved about it as well. I know about 4 other people who have had it done at other places, and also rave about it.

It IS a personal choice. Do what you are comfortable with. For me the constant in/out of contacts, blurring/dirty contacts, ordering, washing, buying solution and contacts and not being able to see well AFTER I took them out was a no brainer for me. As soon as I could afford it! I love it, every single day!

Talk to as many people as you can, and go to a few doctors until you feel comfortable. Quite a few around here offer free consultations. Good luck in whatever you choose!

 

[cybrarian]

Before you do anything check out the web site www.surgicaleyes.com There is a message board area that contains personal stories (some which are very sad) and general questions about LASIK. If you are going to get the surgery you should be informed about all of the possible complications.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I'm going to check out that website later. What it is, is I am about 20-300 nearsighted and am developing a little farsightedness as well. My eyes changed this year, but my insurance will only cover glasses OR contacts--so I got contacts and am getting along as well as I can for a year with same glasses--next year I'll get new glasses and order contacts off of the internet. They also have me in "progressive lenses" which I have to pay extra for--and are trying me in "monovision" contacts which I really don't like.
I'd love to see WDW or our cruise without squinting or be able to read signs without blurring! And yes, I'm done having kids--have 3 and a tubal ligation to be sure!
Robin M.

 

[kdonnel]

I had lasik done when it was still an investigational procedure not approved by the FDA. My doctor was the head of the FDA committee investigating lasik.

I paid $2400 an eye. To have lasik done at the same clinic is still $2400 an eye. With my health care I am willing to pay and not cut corners.

I have had no problems.

My vision or lack there of put me in a minority. Less then 2% of those who need corrective glasses had a prescription as strong as or stronger then mine. My glasses prescription for my left eye was -12.5 and my right was -12.0.

Since day of of the surgery I have not needed any corrective lenses.

Keep in mind that people with problems are going to be more likely to complain. If you have a great outcome you just seem to forget about it. You are going to hear more bad stories then good ones.

 

[jel0511]

Robin M- One thing of note, LASIK doesn't cure all. If you're Dr's are trying for monovision, you'll still need reading glasses after the procedure. LASIK doesn't fix that. It was explained to me, that if you currently need, or would have in the future, you still will need reading glasses.

 

[CarolA]

I had it and am very glad. However, my Doctor did explain ALL the potential side effects and complications to me so I could make an informed decision. He also pointed out that at my age (over 40) I would probably need reading glasses sooner rather than later.

I would consider myself an extremly good canidate for this type of surgery since my vision was fairly good to begin with so my outcome may not be typical.

 

[Robin]

Robin -

Just thought I would mention that the $1600 figure that you have is most likely the lowest possible amount. I was given a rate of $799 per eye base start as well... when I went to my consultation the price went up to $1600 per eye. Everyone I have talked to had at least a $1200 eye... basically you don't need lasic if you really have a $800 eye.

I do not regret having my eyes done for a second... I was not able to wear contacts so the difference is night and day for me.

 

[DaisyDebbie]

I had absolutley NO pain, during the procedure or after.

 

[SilverLily]

My husband gave me Lasik for Christmas (strange present, I know, but he was sweet to give me something he knew I wanted). I am going for a comprehensive eye exam next week, then my surgery is scheduled for the week after.

For those of you who have had positive outcomes, would you mind posting the details of your before/after vision? Right now, my current prescription is -5.25 and -6.00 (and no astigamatism that I am aware of), and I am wondering about the outcome for people with eyes like mine.

 

[Jeannie]

My prescription was between -6 and -7 (can't remember exactly) before surgery. Afterwards my vision was 20/20 in one eye and 20/25 in the other. It has been almost 4 years and my vision hasn't changed - and no sign of needing reading glasses yet!

My doctor was an eye surgeon - he does not see patients for regular opthamology visits. He had been performing LASIK for over a year when I had mine done.

I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Jeannie

 

[zurgswife]

I also gave my DH Lasik for a Christmas present.....Our close friend is a Lasik surgeon....and he says that ther are lots of places out there that cut corners....a discounted price could be the first sign....Also, Make sure it is a major company.....for instance my Husbands was Kramer.....and it is now in more than 1 state....our friend has preformed 12,000 and hasn't had any litigation....I'd check if there are any suites pending if you are looking also...

 

[dzneelvr]

Robin
you have to realize there is a risk to the procedure. It may not make things better.
My boss had it done recently and her vision decreased to the point she cannot drive after dark and her vision focus is blurry.
She has to wait 6 months to re-do the surgery and is praying that it gets better.
At this point, she would be satisfied with her vision pre-surgery !

We all think the "horror stories" happen to other people. She never in her wildest dreams thought or was given any indication by the professionals, that the outcome would be so horrific. She is so regretful that she even did it.

Good Luck, Robin. But be prepared, this is so individualistic, that results of others have no bearing on what will happen to you.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I had LASIK done about a year and half ago, and it is the greatest thing I have done for myself. It's so nice to wake up in the morning and SEE. I had a stronger prescription than the normal candidate, but the doctor said I shouldn't have any problems and I didn't.

Yes, please make sure the Dr. owns his own equipment or the practice owns the equipment and that it is not moved around. Also it's important to know how many "cuts" the Dr. has perfomred. Any one can use the machine, it's the cutting that is the very important part. Also find out what that price covers. I had a friends and family discount so I got one eye free, otherwise it would have been $1200 each, and that included follow up visits at one day, one week, one month, three months, six months and one year, plus one correction if needed. I didn't need it.

Recovery time depends on how severe your vision is impaired. My DH, whose eyes were no where as bad as mine was fine the next day. It took me about two days to see clearly, but I was under the laser twice as long as him.

Good luck in your decision.

 

[morrow4]

I agree that information gathering is very important but it is important to realize (as someone else has already posted) that people remember the horror stories they hear much more than they remember the success. I had the procedure 2 years ago this month and it was honestly the BEST money we every spent. Mine was about $1000 per eye. I can't remember my exact prescription before surgery, but this is how bad my vision was: I could not see my digital clock that had 2 inch numbers even though it was only about 18 inches from my pillow. I remember that when I went for my pre-op consult for the doctor to determine if I was a candidate, she asked me why I wanted the surgery. I remember telling her that I didn't have to have perfect vision, but that if there were ever an emergency in the middle of the night (and I couldn't find my glasses), that I would like to be able to see well enough to get my children out of the house. I think she thought I was kidding, but I was really serious. Now I don't need contacts or glasses and my vision isn't perfect but it is about 20/25 . I'm thrilled with the results and would do it again in a split second. There was no pain for me. I did have slight halo effect when driving at night but that cleared up after a couple of weeks. Good luck!

 

[#1 Disney Fan]

I certainly can't make up your mind for you, and I certainly do realize that I'm sure there are a ton more "good" stories than "horror" stories, but it's a matter of how much risk you are willing to take knowing that the "horror" stories aren't incredibly rare experiences but incidents that do happen. My SIL's aunt had this done last year and putting it lightly she is one of the ones that had "complications" and as a result now really can't read at all, with or without glasses. Pretty scary stuff.

If I were you I would strongly weigh the pros and cons... what you are trying to gain (i.e. not having to wear glasses) vs what you could potentially lose, and see if it's still worth it to you personally. Good luck in your decision.