LASIK eye surgery

The3DGuy

I am going in tomorrow at 6:30am to get my eyes sliced and diced. Just wondering who's had it and how the results are for you. What should i expect the first day or so afterwards?

gauss

i heard things. for a very small portion of the population these types of procedures don't really tend to go well at all... apparently that happened to Kathy Griffith, in that her eyes were in pretty bad shape after the procedure. but that of course may just have been God punishing her.

seriously though, it's still a relatively new procedure. i trust that you're very well read on the subject and the history of LASIK, and that whoever's performing the procedure is well accredited.

though i'm blind as a bat without my contacts (blinder, since i lack nifty echolocation skills), i'm rather reticent to consider a procedure to such a sensitive, vital portion of my anatomy that hasn't been around for at least 50 years. nobody knows what the possible long term ramifications of this procedure could be--sure it's likely as benign as they claim, but just make sure you're making an informed decision.

The3DGuy

My brother had one eye done and my sister had both done. I am going to the doctor my sister went to. Both of them are loving it. I have watched videos of it being done and am aware that its not a 100% fix, but it will be a large improvement, such an improvement that i am hoping i won't need to wear glasses or contacts at all. But if i go blind at least i will be rich after i sue them :P but seriously i am pumped. And if there are long term effects from the first generation of people having it done maybe they will be able to prevent whatever goes wrong before such effects would hit me.

oh well, would be nice to see correctly for a few years before having to go back to glasses.

Frankie

I had lazer eye surgery and was great for about 2 weeks then it went maybe twice as bad it was before just overnight

ok maybe not, I dont even think its a new thing just quite expensive. I would go for it if I had that much cash hanging about.

Jeff Parrott

I had it done about 4 years ago. I had to use some eye drops for a week but after that it's been great.

aesir

I've also been considering this more and more lately. Anyone know how old you should be before you have the surgery? Im 20 right now, but I've heard you cant have it done until your eyes stop changing/growing or something...

AstroZombie

had it about 3 1/2 years ago. Best thing I ever did. I went from nearly blind to 20/15 vision.

adam

Does it hurt at all? Any sort of discomfort during/after?

Zatoichi

The only problem with it is scientifically, well, we DON'T know what the problem COULD be. The latest procedure is so new... well, there isn't enough over-time data to know how the eye will adapt and change over a long period of time, say, 20+ years. And once that layer of cell tissue is removed, you cant (well, maybe in the future when stem cells are improved) put more back on.

Oh, and your eyes will NEVER STOP changing. They are organic and you might still need glasses after the procedure, just to read instead of the previous opposite need to wear when not reading.

JKMakowka

If it just wasn't so expensive, I would have done it already.
Screw the risks, you only live once and there are enough people in need of a cure (before you need it) to pay for the invention of it

But I wouldn't do it out of vain or for the looks, just as I am usually not wareing contacts, but if you are as blind as me (so short(!) sighted that I can't even comfortably read a book without glasses) it really is a valid option.

rooster

everyone says its expensive, what prices are you thinking of? I've seen ads for like £400 an eye, so itd be £800 for me. For something as important as eyesight that doesn't really seem that much, especially considering the price of new lenses and glasses. If you added up all you're ever going to spend on glasses and compare that to eye surgery, is it that much really?

JKMakowka

Uhh, well here in Germany it is more like 2000€ per eye. At least the last time I checked

rooster

actually I should say 'FROM £400 per eye' so I imagine it would be more expensive than that

Downsizer

You can't actually sue them. It's considered cosmetic surgery still, completely voluntary, and they will make you sign something that says you can't sue.

I want to get it done, but it's about 4000$ US for the latest proceedure around D.C. Then again, only one doctor uses the latest procedure. The latest one uses all lasers to cut the cornea flap. No way in hell i'm letting someone slice my eye up with a cigar cutter.

I do happen to take a tax exemption because i'm legally blind though. 20/900 heh.

lkraan

It's pretty expensive here too.
But then again I like my glasses

thomasp

as has been said, it's quite new and it's unclear as to what the long-time effects of this may be. certainly we only have one life to live, but no way in hell i'm going to ultimately damage my eyes in a probably irreparable way just because i'm too lazy to put my contacts in.

there are enough stories from people who had to do it a second, sometimes third time several years after their first operation. how often can you do this until you get eyeballs made from glass?
graphic artists who play russian roulette with their vision? good idea, really

anyway if you plan to do this you should seek for success stories from those who actually had that operation several years ago and then decide.

sledgy

My girl friend had it done about 4 years ago and now she's back to glasses for reading and has some problems with night vision so it isn't (or wasn't) all it's cracked up to be. For me, having to wear glasses to read or paint would defeat the purpose of getting the surgery done, but I'm lucky in that I'm far-sighted so my vision will improve as I age and become more near-sighted. Something to look forward to anyway!

JKMakowka

Hmm, but old people get far sighted, or are we simply mixing the two descriptions? (Far sighted meaning that you can see good far away but not close-up)

The3DGuy

well i am still alive. I can see almost PERFECTLY out of my left eye, right eye is still alittle hazy, but its only been about 8 hours. they say you are up to your potential after about 3 days so hopefully it will improve.

and as for the $200 an eye thing, my brother is a doctor and said that thing is way misleading. thats the cost of one eye, but doesn't include the testing, paperwork, etc that they add on, so the minimum you would actually pay would be more than that of a regular clinic like i went to.

well heres hoping i don't have to get this eye redone!
cheers

JKMakowka

Well keep us informed how it developes (in the next 10 years )

MoP

Find me a suitable laser and I'll do it for £50.

AstroZombie

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Does it hurt at all? Any sort of discomfort during/after?

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Slight discomfort during, no pain or discomfort after if I recall correctly.

sledgy

[ QUOTE ]
Hmm, but old people get far sighted, or are we simply mixing the two descriptions? (Far sighted meaning that you can see good far away but not close-up)

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I'm not 100% on how it all works, I just know that my eye doc said I have better vision to "look forward to" Maybe some people get more near- and some get more far-sighted as they age.

Marcus Dublin

Good Luck!

Marcus Dublin

Lee3dee

a word of caution.....an old co-worker went to a cheaper doctor for lasic, and ended up having to go back and see him again, because his eye sight became blurry over time. He was unable to drive for 3 months after the second visit.

I'd rather not mess with my eyes, and get a pair of "Morpheus" glasses

sal_manilla

I had it done 5-6 years ago and it's still fantastic. I had worn glasses since I was in the 3d grade. This surgery was bordering on a miracle to me. My procedure involved pealing back the top layer of the cornea before reshaping. Then the "flap" was placed back in position. This aids healing by 50% or better. It was virtually painless. I had 20/40 vision immediatly after surgery and 20/20 in a month or so. No problems no regrets. I luv it.

frosty

My glass wearing stage started at 22, prgressively getting worse for 20 yrs but not bad, I blame office lights/monitors. I know many who have had it done, great success, but studies I read say 25% of men have night vision problems and starbursts, for a while and soem forever. Goodluck, you got bigger balls than me mate.

Mark Dygert

I hope everything continues to go well and your vision doesn't get any worse.

I looked into getting it done, but I was told to wait because given my family history our eye sight switches from near to far as we get older and my vision is not "set" yet. I'm pushin' 30 and can't wait to get rid of my contacts/glasses.

I hear that you get what you pay for and most people that go the bargain route don't even know how much better their vision could have been, since any improvement is better than what they had before surgery. Most of the time people who go bargain screw themselves out of getting rid of prescriptions and instead settle for near 20/20 or a lesser prescription. When the time comes that I can get it done I won't be clipping coupons out of the Sunday paper...

The3DGuy

things are still looking up. Today the doc said my eye muscles will be working alot so it will go from good to blurry a bit for the next week or 2 while it relaxes and gets into focus, but it said it looks real good and i should be at 20/20 when its all said and done.

sal_manilla

Cool beans, 3D. Sounds great!

Downsizer

my fiance promised the surgery to me as a wedding gift. I have to wait till april of 2007 : /

We supposedly have the best doctor in the world here, some pioneer of sorts, Dr. Butros I think. They map the eye with a laser scan, and cut the cornea flap with a laser too. The only time you are touched is to peel the flap back.

So... the burnign question. What did it feel like? Having something peeled back on my eye isn't exaclty something i'm looking forward to?

The3DGuy

didn't feel a damn thing really. Only thing i could feel was the things holding my eyes open. When they cut it i couldn't really tell what was going on. When they cut the flap open you can still see, but my vision is so bad i couldn't tell. They just have you look up at this bright light with the lazer the whole time so you can't tell exactly whats going on.

sal_manilla

When mine was done, one eye was covered and the other had some opaque drops put in it. I didn't see or feel a thing. Nothing to fear at all, IMHO. My Dr. was Kremer. Fairly popular in the Phila. area. I would recommend him to anyone. Their facilities wer quite large and modern....in King of Prussia, PA.

nabeel

Just wondering, how do you stop from looking anywhere other than where you're supposed to look? How long do you have to keep staring up?

Ruz

my wife(ex) had it done a few years ago and I would recommend it to anyone. 98 percent success rate.
She has excellent vision now after wearing specs her whole life.

The3DGuy

as far as how do you keep looking up... well i was too scared to look anywhere else. since you can't blink and can't see anything its useless to look anywhere else. plus the actual laser part lasts just seconds, its getting ready is what takes the longest. i think the Doc told me it was 1 minute and 10 seconds, but it seemed so much shorter, maybe he was just trying to make me feel comfortable.

MoP

Damn, I was hoping you'd post saying your eye fell out and turned to jelly or something

Downsizer

at this laser only doctor, a vacum thing is used to raise and steady the eye from moving once the eye holder-openers (sorry to lay that tech jargon down) are in place. I had no idea they would blind you by using opaque drops. not being able to see would scare the crap out of me.

Ruz

They poke out your eye with a warm spoon, then throw darts at it.
Only when you have proved your bravery do they go ahead and operate properly

Richard Kain

I first started wearing glasses in kindergarden. When I graduated college, my parents got me Lasik surgery as a graduation gift. They had both gotten the same surgery a year or two before, and were pleased with the results. The results for Lasik vary. My father's surgery went flawlessly, and he's never been happier. But since he's older, he still has to wear reading glasses. My mother has always had immuno-deficiency problems, and her experience was not as positive. It improved her eyesight drastically, but her eyes get dry faster now, and she carries eyedrops with her.

Being much younger and healthier than them both, my own surgery was about as ideal as it can be. I've enjoyed 20/15 vision ever since, with no ill effects past the first week. (had to use eyedrops for the first week after, and had to avoid rubbing my eyes for two months) It is very important to get a good eye doctor though. Ours was the best in the area.