PRK v. Lasik

[roguerower]

Been wearing glasses since I was 12 and it's a pretty strong prescription, sitting 2.5 feet away I can't read what I'm writing w/o the glasses.

Latest appt for eyes is this afternoon and while I was in I was going to ask the doc about their recommendation for eye surgery and which one I should go with. My question though is what if i'm a viable candidate for both?

What is ATOT's experience with either one? A friend of mine got his done for graduation (parents paid half, he paid half) and he said it's the best money he ever spent.

 

[silverpig]

My dad got PRK a few months ago. He really likes it. He said it was pretty painful for a few days and he was bored laying on the couch with his eyes closed. He still needs reading glasses after the PRK, but his long distance vision is great now.

 

[SonnyDaze]

Had PRK done in 2001. I was about 20/200 in each eye prior to surgery. The actual laser procedure only took 25 seconds (12 secs in one eye, 13 in the other).

It was painful for a few days after. Full recovery time was about two weeks before I was able to see clearly (keep in mind right after the procedure I was already at 20/50 and it only got better).

Ended up with 20/15 in one eye and 20/20 in the other. I'll probably need reading glasses soon but they told me that when I had the procedure done.

I had this done while I was still in the military and I'd have to say it's one of the better perks I got from 20 years of service.

 

[jemcam]

I had Lasik back in about 2001 or so. My vision was 20/600 before surgery. A little discomfort for the rest of the day. By the next morning I had 20/15 vision with absolutely no discomfort whatsoever.

It's been great until last year when I started getting slightly far sighted. I still have 20/15 vision, but have to wear reading glasses for close up work and reading.

 

[Auryg]

I don't know why people still do PRK (other than air force types). I did Lasik and I was able to see reasonably well right after the procedure, and the next morning I woke up and I could see perfectly fine. No pain, just had to wear things over my eyes when I slept for a few weeks..or was supposed to, but I kept on ripping them off in my sleep anyways. Seems like a no brainer to me.

 

[MotF Bane]

Originally posted by: jemcam
I had Lasik back in about 2001 or so. My vision was 20/600 before surgery. A little discomfort for the rest of the day. By the next morning I had 20/15 vision with absolutely no discomfort whatsoever.

It's been great until last year when I started getting slightly far sighted. I still have 20/15 vision, but have to wear reading glasses for close up work and reading.

How old are you?

 

[jemcam]

Originally posted by: MotF Bane

Originally posted by: jemcam
I had Lasik back in about 2001 or so. My vision was 20/600 before surgery. A little discomfort for the rest of the day. By the next morning I had 20/15 vision with absolutely no discomfort whatsoever.

It's been great until last year when I started getting slightly far sighted. I still have 20/15 vision, but have to wear reading glasses for close up work and reading.

How old are you?

46. No eye surgery is going to prevent normal aging. The Doctor told me to expect this as I aged. At least it put it off for a few years, all my friends started wearing reading glasses a couple years before me.

 

[wwswimming]

I have met or emailed with more than 15 people who are wholely or partially disabled because of a bad outcome from refractive surgery.

They and each of the hundreds of people whom I have spoken with about refractive surgery in the last 10 years all report the same thing -
* their surgeon lied in order to sell them refractive surgery
* they were free from vision problems until the time of their refractive surgery
* in most cases, they are living with constant eye pain in addition to refractive error, post-surgery.

to put a name on some of these people -

1/ Tina, an Intel engineer who was on medical leave for vision problems which onset after her LASIK surgery, last time I spoke with her.
2/ Myself, career design engineer, currently living with constant eye pain which onset at the time of LASIK eye surgery.
3/ Donna, received a President's Award for Outstanding Performance in Customer's Service from a shipping company - last day at work, the Thursday after her LASIK surgery; currently on disability.
4/ Roger D. - research psychologist forced to retire early & moved to Florida for the humidity, currently a web designer specialising in Joomla.
5/ Mike M. - Anaesthesiologist in Florida, forced to retire early after LASIK eye surgery.
6/ Kashmira - schoolteacher in Florida who stopped teaching because of a bad outcome from LASIK eye surgery.
7/ Judy C. - mother in Beverly Hills whose surgery, performed by Extreme Makeover LASIK surgeon Robert Maloney, left her with a metal sliver embedded in her cornea. Maloney has followed a legal tactic of stretching her med mal lawsuit out for several years - the result being that she is not able to speak publicly about what happened to her eyes.
8/ Dominic M. - a computer programmer in Philadelphia; unable to work as a COBOL programmer because of vision problems which onset at the time of his LASIK surgery.
9/ Gary V., a microelectronics technician at Raytheon, forced to retire after a bad outcome from PRK left him unable to see well enough to work on fine-pitch devices.
10/ Cameron H., administrator at San Diego State - an RK patient; forced to retire early due to diminished vision.

My CG (computer graphics) time was about 10 hours a day until I had LASIK. Now, it's 3 hours a day - on a really GOOD day. The limitation is my capacity to use tools like Maya & Flash while working with eye pain.

The websites listed below were all created by some of these injured patients. they are trying to tell you something; most of them are not selling anything. 1 or 2 of them are optometrists who have turned the treatment of patients with bad outcomes from refractive surgery into a specialty.

http://www.LASIK-Flap.com

http://www.theLASIKReport.com

http://www.tlcbigskylasercenter.com

http://www.lasermyeye.org

http://www.lasikfraud.com

http://www.doctormyeye.com

http://www.lasikreality.com

http://www.flawedlasik.com

http://www.lasikSOS.com

http://www.lifeafterlasik.com

http://www.lasikmemorial.com

http://www.geocities.com/pifanon

http://www.mylasikstory.com

http://www.home.comcast.net/~j...s/LASIKSTORYKEITH.html

http://www.www.kathygriffin.net/lasik.php

http://www.www.lasikdisaster.com

http://www.www.visionsurgeryrehab.org

http://www.LASIKComplications.com

http://www.LASIKdecision.com

 

[ctark]

PRK all the way. Its a little more painful the next day or two but its worth it. You wont have any flap problems that can come with LASIK. I see 20/20 in both eyes.

As with any medical procedure there is always risk, but PRK is usually less riskier. Find a good doctor and dont go cheap. I went to an actual eye doctor that had been around years before you could even do this type of surgury. Dont go into one of those walk in places, they will try to sell you cheap LASIK and thats usually the highest risk.

 

[ViviTheMage]

wwswimming, do you post that in every lasik/eye surgery thread?

 

[roguerower]

Well talking to the doc today she said that it appears that my prescription hasn't changed enough to prevent me from having the surgery, but the major factor that would decide which procedure I would get would be the thickness of my cornea. Too thin = PRK, thick = choice of either. Won't have this done for another year or two but it's nice to know that I'm good to go.

What are the ages of the guys in here who had it done? I'm only 22 so still really young.

 

[MotF Bane]

wwswimming, that's one of the few severely negative posts I've ever seen about laser eye surgery. I'll read through those links this week.

 

[PetunZ]

I was 24 when I had Lasik (almost 3 years ago). My contacts prescription was about -5.5. I'm not sure what that translates to on the 20/20 scale. I had a little discomfort with the flap not fully bonding in my left eye, but it went away after a few months during the medicated eye drop phase. I've just had minor discomfort with dryness and some minor haloing, but I'm really glad to have had it done. In my opinion, it's equally important to have a great surgeon, as well as a great optometrist for follow up care in case you encounter any side effects (like I did). If you're in the Orange County, CA area, I can recommend a great optometrist (and surgeon for that).

 

[Kaervak]

Originally posted by: Auryg
I don't know why people still do PRK (other than air force types). I did Lasik and I was able to see reasonably well right after the procedure, and the next morning I woke up and I could see perfectly fine. No pain, just had to wear things over my eyes when I slept for a few weeks..or was supposed to, but I kept on ripping them off in my sleep anyways. Seems like a no brainer to me.

The big reason I'm going to have PRK instead of LASEK is with PRK you don't cut into the cornea, just reshape the exterior surface. I'm not to big on the idea of having a flap cut into my eye. Yes the recovery time is longer and it's more painful but those negatives are far outweighed by not having to cut the cornea.

 

[rpanic]

Wife and I both had it done, before we couldn?t see well past 3 feet. It?s been over 8 years no problems with lasik. Doc I went to is in southern end of OC and has also done most of my friends all with a great outcomes. If you decide to get this done just don?t go to the guy that has the deals like one eye for 699 and the other for free type, see someone that has good reviews and that has been doing it for a while, the guy that did mine has been doing it since the 70s.