How has corrective laser eye surgery progressed in the past years???

[Hoeboy]

About 2-3 years ago I asked my optometrist if he would recommend corrective laser surgery. I was willing to pay the cost because I really hate wearing hard lenses. But he said my cornea is too thin for the method at the time. I have really bad astigmatism. Does anyone happen to know how far corrective laser surgery has advanced? Or maybe point me to a place where I can find out? I recall awhile ago that they were developing a better method that would disregard how thin your cornea is. Thanks.

 

[phatstyl]

i have kc and that means my cornea is ever thinning. i have not heard of a lasik type surgery for me. i would be interested in any info you can bring to the table.

 

[Hoeboy]

We're stranded in the same boat bro

 

[AmbitV]

Dunno if you can correct your eye problem with this method, but I heard there was some technique where they places small rings into your eye that sort of shapes your eyeball to the correct shape

 

[HappyPuppy]

Last I heard you have to be very careful about going to an RK clinic. Many of them will do the procedure even though your cornea is too thin.
Research before you submit.

 

[Hoeboy]

eh? implanting rings into my eyes?!?sounds too scary

 

[phatstyl]

for now i can live with rigid hard lenses. but 10 years down the road i dont think they will cut it anymore
corneal transplant doesnt sound good at all.

 

[AmbitV]

Here's the ring thing

Just read up on it, can only correct mild nearsightedness

 

[silverpig]

Soft lenses dood

 

[ReiAyanami]

there's those horror stories about many who end up with the halo effect in which they cant drive at night due to the lights, any statistics on how many end up like that? 1%, 3-4%?

 

[Hoeboy]

silverpig, people who are prescribed hard lenses are prescribed them for a reason. i'd love to goto soft lenses if i could but i can't. i went to two optometrist and the 2nd one backed up the first one. said i have no choice.

 

[Luden]

I've heard of a new form of laser surgery that they claim to be able to give you 20/40 vision.

 

[pdo]

well your optometrist would lose a client if he tell you go get Lasik.. I have had my eye lasered for 4 years now and I have never regret doing it. Never developed any problems..

 

[morkinva]

I saw some special a while back on pbs - they can help folks with thin corneas, but I forget the exact details.

Personally, I'd be scared to do it. I don't think they could help me anyway, as I'm a -8.5 in each eye


edit>> Lasek uses an excimer laser?

 

[JellyBaby]

I have had my eye lasered for 4 years now and I have never regret doing it.

What happened to the other eye? :Q

 

[Pliablemoose]

I had both of mine done, had the halos for about 6 months, I sort of liked them, reminded me of a chemically altered period in my life...

They really weren't a problem, sort of interesting...

My correction is pretty good, I have appx 20/25 in both eyes, good enough to pass driver's license test & get along well. If you enjoy the razor sharp correction available with glasses, don't have it done, you'll be disappointed.

There should be a new technology available in a few years, have heard from Opthomologists that it'll give a 20/10 to something like 85% of patients, it'll be awesome.

 

[Green Man]

I'm a -8.5 in each eye

Dude, you're freaking blind! Me too... -8.0 in the right eye, -8.5 in the left eye.

 

[snooker]

Link to the eye center in my area. Click on the Laser Vision Surgery link

 

[vegetation]

They get kickbacks on referrals, so an optometrist who tells you not to do is doing a very noble thing.

Originally posted by: .paldo
well your optometrist would lose a client if he tell you go get Lasik.. I have had my eye lasered for 4 years now and I have never regret doing it. Never developed any problems..

 

[vash]

My eyes just had Lasik done a few weeks ago. The results are quite good, but I *still* could be happier with the overall vision (20/20 in one eye, 20/25 in another, 20/20 with both of them). If you prefer a very sharp picture while driving, then don't get the surgery done (or wear light glasses after the surgery just for night driving). However, the overall experience is wonderful. No more fumbling with glasses, contacts, etc.

If you are considering it, see more than one dr. Take recommendations from friends and check out as many people as you can. Someone is messing with your eyeballs, be comfortable with whom they are.

vash

 

[Hoeboy]

the best vision i could get w/ hard lens is 25/20 (or is that 20/25?). which isnt perfect vision. my eyes are pretty bad. glasses don't even help me enough to drive. the problem really isn't whether or not i will get it done, it's whether or not if i can get it done.

current lasik procedure requires the opt to cut the top layer of your cornea before using the laser right? weren't they developing a new laser technique that doesn't require any cutting, thus disregarding how thin your cornea is?

 

[BruinEd03]

not sure how old u are...but i suggest you wait till your at least 25. That's when vision stops changing for the most part. (that's what my optometrist told me).

-Ed

 

[KenGr]

Lasik continues to improve but you don't want a cut rate place - It's your eyes, man.

Lasik is not RK. Different. RK had more problems.

Don't believe anyone who says he can give you better than 20/20. Absolutely perfect physical eyes give you 20/20. Anything better (and perhaps 10% of the people have better) is in the nerves and brains - Lasik can't change it. If you can't be corrected to better than 20/20 by glasses, Lasik won't do it.

No, I haven't had Lasik but I know many people who have and they are happy. I've got significant astigmatism but glasses correct me to about 20/15, so Lasik won't give me the results I want.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: phatstyl
i have kc and that means my cornea is ever thinning. i have not heard of a lasik type surgery for me. i would be interested in any info you can bring to the table.

KC is a bitch, isn't it?

Found out I had it 6 months ago. :disgust:

I doubt any form of laser surgery will ever correct it, considering it is an ever-progressing disease & not simply a malformed cornea. RGP's & then transplant seems to be the only solution.

Quite a bit of stuff here, the forums are pretty decent albeit slow compared to AT

Viper GTS

 

[chipburner]

I had Lasik past August. No regrets so far. One thing doctor maybe haven't told you: They correct -.25 less in one eye if you have miopy. Also, reaction could be different in each eye. Maybe itch,little pain or nothing at all.

Funny thing: I was looking for my eye glasses first thing in the morning the first couple of days
It's great not to use eye glasses anymore, believe me.