Laser Eye Surgery. Whos done it?

[DougK62]

moonbogg you've convinced me to stick with glasses for the rest of my life. hah

 

[Wingznut]

They used a laser to cut the flap, and that was the "pressure, no light" experience from hell. There is now perfect red circles around my eyes, showing where the laser cut.

Those are essentially bruises where the machine suctions to your eyeball (to keep it still), that is definitely not where the cut is. The cut for the flap is barely bigger than your pupil.

I don't expect to need touch ups due to the quality of vision so soon after the operation.

Your eyesight will fluctuate as your eyes heal, which takes many weeks. You will not know for a couple/few months where your vision will stabilize at. They should've explained that to you. If they told you that one day after the procedure that you will for sure not need an enhancement, then that's just not right.

They gave me Tylenol with codeine and basically said "Take it if it hurts. See you tomorrow for your follow up". They also kept offering me Xanax before the operation and I wondered why. I declined it, but now it makes perfect sense. The surgeon spoke English as a second language, but he was all business and was good enough to not boil my eyes into a pile of mush.
I'd recommend the procedure as long as you are well aware of the fact that you may find yourself in a degree of pain that you didn't realize your body was capable of feeling. It cost $4k. Small price for perfect eyes.

Did you not take the pain killer after the procedure???

I just don't understand. It's a surgery. Why they would offer you Xanax? That's used for anxiety and panic disorders, not sedation before surgery. They didn't give you any valium or any sedative like that?

You should be very concerned that this procedure was so bad for you. It shouldn't have been, period. So many things wrong with what you are reporting. If that happened to me, I'd be absolutely furious, and I'd be taking action.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Ouch I can't imagine having the sand in the eye feeling and not being able to do anything about it. I'd want to just be put asleep for a couple weeks if I have to go through that. Just give me a gas canister to bring home and I'll just fill up the room and get someone to come air out the room in a couple weeks.

 

[poofyhairguy]

One thing to add to this thread:

If you are over the age of 45 or 50, don't get lasik. You are too old at that point. They will do it and take your money, but it is a bad decision.

Instead you want clear lens exchange with a multifocal. That will get rid of readers as well and prevent you from getting cataracts down the road.

The downside to a CLE is cost- it runs about $6000 an eye. But then you are set for life.

 

[festa_freak]

I want to get this done too. Reading this thread though is making my stomach turn. Grinding eyeballs, cutting flaps. It's so close to one of the most important senses of the body. What if something does go wrong? I'm screwed for LIFE!

I know they have good track records but what if I happen to be one of the 2% in a 98% success rate!

 

[HomerJS]

I had PRK in 2008. I have thin corneas so this was only option back then.

Things I remember also noted earlier.

No pain during procedure but its a little un-nerving seeing the purple light and smelling your eye cooking.

Vision is cleared up immediately.

Recovery was painful. More so first 24 hours. By hour 48 should be ok.

Today I'm about 20/15 left 20/35-40 right. Have a slight haze at night/in dark room around lights but not that bad.

 

[highland145]

One thing to add to this thread:

If you are over the age of 45 or 50, don't get lasik. You are too old at that point. They will do it and take your money, but it is a bad decision.

Instead you want clear lens exchange with a multifocal. That will get rid of readers as well and prevent you from getting cataracts down the road.

The downside to a CLE is cost- it runs about $6000 an eye. But then you are set for life.

Good for an astigmatism?

 

[jaedaliu]

Good for an astigmatism?

Yeah, they yank out (burn out?) your astigatic lens and put in a new one. I drove my dad to his cataracts surgery. Vision was perfect afterwards.

 

[highland145]

Yeah, they yank out (burn out?) your astigatic lens and put in a new one. I drove my dad to his cataracts surgery. Vision was perfect afterwards.

This may be the trick. Need bifocals for near and far. 2' or so...nothing which is a bitch looking at my monitor because I have to keep taking my glasses off. Hated the progressives I tried.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Good for an astigmatism?

Yes. The newest multifocal IOLs give great results for those with astigmatism. If they do the correct measurements (via an ORA System) you will not need glasses at all.

EDIT: Anyone getting ANY IOL surgery (so clear lens or cataract) needs to find a doctor that uses ORA and pay extra for that. The results are amazing compared to the old ways, and it is a good test of the doctor's skill as the talentless ones have trouble using the system. ORA is the new standard of care.

 

[highland145]

Yes. The newest multifocal IOLs give great results for those with astigmatism. If they do the correct measurements (via an ORA System) you will not need glasses at all.

EDIT: Anyone getting ANY IOL surgery (so clear lens or cataract) needs to find a doctor that uses ORA and pay extra for that. The results are amazing compared to the old ways, and it is a good test of the doctor's skill as the talentless ones have trouble using the system. ORA is the new standard of care.

Thanks.

 

[Wreckem]

I have terrible eyesight, both eyes are at about -4.75; I've been told repeatedly that I shouldn't even be crossing the street without my glasses. With that being said, I have no problem using corrective lenses for the foreseeable future. I'd rather wait until I feel fully comfortable financially and emotionally getting the procedure; I'm an extremely anxious person at the best of times.

-4.75 isn't terrible. Its bad but not terrible.

I have -6.5 and -7.25 with a severe astigmatism in the -6.5 and a mild astigmatism in the other.

 

[moonbogg]

Update: Eyes still kicking ass. Vision is great with no issues. Best money I ever spent. I still remember that pain though...

 

[Red Squirrel]

Cool stuff!

It's fun reading through this thread and how scared I was.... because I got it done too this summer! It was not the funnest thing to go through especially the eye drops but the actual surgery was very fast and recovery was fairly fast too. Life without glasses is great and it was definitely worth every penny.

I still see halos and starbursts but it's slowly going away. Considering all the benefits of no glasses even if it does not go away completely I can live with it. It's only at night anyway. Though now that its winter I have to drive at night to/from work so I can't avoid it as much.

 

[highland145]

Short question, long thread. Did they replace the lens?

Eye Doc told me I have vacules(?)/floaters and I'll have cateracts in my 50s....hell, 50 now, so I'll need new lens.

Lens, lenses, lensay.....lohan...:hmm:

 

[moonbogg]

Short question, long thread. Did they replace the lens?

Eye Doc told me I have vacules(?)/floaters and I'll have cateracts in my 50s....hell, 50 now, so I'll need new lens.

Lens, lenses, lensay.....lohan...:hmm:

You mean the flap? They cut it, folded it back, then returned it after. I had no lens replacement.

Also, red squirrel, i'm glad yours worked out. Congrats.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

Had it done in 2010 after wearing glasses for over a decade. Best elective surgery ever. Halos and starbursts were common for a few months mostly just the first few weeks though. Very rare after. Eyes are still going strong.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Short question, long thread. Did they replace the lens?

Eye Doc told me I have vacules(?)/floaters and I'll have cateracts in my 50s....hell, 50 now, so I'll need new lens.

Lens, lenses, lensay.....lohan...:hmm:

No that's a different surgery. LASIK only touches the cornea, the lens is behind that if I recall. With age the lens gets more stiff though and makes it harder to focus near. For people who can see far but not close LASIK wont actually work, but think a lens replacement would, not sure if it's a common surgery though. There's one type of LASIK where they can do only one eye then you can see far and close, but think it depends on your sight condition.

 

[highland145]

You mean the flap? They cut it, folded it back, then returned it after. I had no lens replacement.

He's saying lenses but for the moment I'll deal with my eyes and failing hearing. The latter has it's uses. "No, you didn't tell me to be at shitty function xyz at time 123."

:awe:

 

[highland145]

No that's a different surgery. LASIK only touches the cornea, the lens is behind that if I recall. With age the lens gets more stiff though and makes it harder to focus near. For people who can see far but not close LASIK wont actually work, but think a lens replacement would, not sure if it's a common surgery though. There's one type of LASIK where they can do only one eye then you can see far and close, but think it depends on your sight condition.

Bastard.



Thanks.

 

[moonbogg]

lols at above posts

 

[Red Squirrel]

Bastard.



Thanks.

Haha. That's what the doc told me. Even after LASIK I'll be stuck with reading glasses at age of 40. Though some people get lucky and last longer, so I'm hoping I will. 40 is frighteningly not that far away if I consider the fact that time goes by faster and faster it seems.

 

[highland145]

Happy to give happy, moon.

Don't tell my wife.

 

[highland145]

Haha. That's what the doc told me. Even after LASIK I'll be stuck with reading glasses at age of 40. Though some people get lucky and last longer, so I'm hoping I will. 40 is frighteningly not that far away if I consider the fact that time goes by faster and faster it seems.

Wanna trade? $10 paypal.

Quack is in his 70s, IIRC.


Boomerang is almost that.:biggrin:
Feeling the love, Craig?

 

[Mide]

Had Lasiks done in 2005. Very bad going in (-8.5, -8.75) with heavy astigmatism. Everything healed up within a few weeks. 20/20 in one eye and 20/25 in another eye. Went from right-eye dominant to left since left is now more clear than right.

I would NOT get it done if I could do it again. Night time driving sucks ass and I see starbursts from all light sources and halos exist around smaller lights like LEDs. Shooting with red-dot sights now = a no go. And I can't seem to focus on peep sights either. Eyes get dry quicker as well. In a nutshell it did get me away from glasses and contacts for close to a decade now, but I would rather have my 4-6k back and just stuck with glasses.

The biggest life-changing eureka is that when you're in your 20s you have the money to try to optimize yourself physically...but when you hit your 30s things start falling apart, slowing down, etc...and you learn to deal with aging...thus elective surgery turns into an unnecessary expense.