OT: Lasik Surgery

[SueK]

For the past year or so, I've been mulling over getting lasik or PRK surgery. I've read a lot on the internet and have had a few good discussions with my eye doctor about it. I still haven't made up my mind, however.

I'd appreciate any input from those of you who have either had the surgery, or know someone who has. Thanks!!:D

[KimKelly]

Sue... I have not had the surgery, but I have heard both good and bad results of people who have. It's a difficult decision. My husband recently forwarded me an article from USA Today regarding Lasik and it was downright scary. Of course it only told the horror stories, but I think it is important to know that those stories are out there. I will look for the article, but you may just do a search on USA Today and see what you can find.
On the other hand, my next door neighbor had it done a few years back and is absolutely thrilled! My husband is an airline pilot who works mostly at night and has had a couple of co-workers who have had it done with differing results. There are a few who are thrilled, a few who are mostly satisfied but who do see halos and shadows, especialy at night, and one who is experiencing eye pain whenever there are bright lights.

Do your research... find the best doc you can if you do it! I don't mean to sound grim, especially as there are so many success stories out there. Just be educated! Good luck!
Kim

[SueK]

Kim-Thanks for the advice. I'll check on USA Today and see what I find. One thing my dr. told me was that I should not expect to have perfect vision. (Right now, w/out corrective lenses, my vision is horrible . I would still need to wear glasses to drive at night and probably while reading, etc. If I do it, I only plan to do one eye at a time. Doing both at the same time would make me too nervous.

[Terrytx]

My husband and I both had it done back in Feb. He sees great at a distance and can even read the smallest print. I see wonderful for distance, but still have to wear reading glasses for the small stuff. I can pretty well make out a menu or the writing on cans and boxes at the store, but am not comfortable reading a book. The worst problem we have had is "dry eye". We carry those little vials of liquid tears for that, but we are having to use it less and less often.

[lanie]

Sue - I personally have never had the surgery, however, my very best friend in the whole world has - 4 years ago, she is on vacation now for 2 weeks, I would love for you to get in contact with her. I think, initially she thought it was wonderful, has a totally different opinion now. She has had NUMEROUS problems - message me and I will give you her email address if you are interested - I do not believe she was a 'totally out of the ordinary candidate'.....

Elaine :)

[Lauren]

My Mom and my Aunt have both had it and are very pleased. My Mom had worn contacts, or glasses, since she was a teen. I think she still needs glasses for distance, like movies and driving, but is fine otherwise. It is scary how many offices are popping up and doing this type of surgery. I second the opinion of finding out who is the best and has been doing it the longest.

[Gail]

I had the procedure done about two years ago. Like Terrytx, I've had issues with dry eyes-- not horrible issues like some people, but I see much better after a couple of lubricant drops.

Approximately a month before I had the procedure done, a close friend in another state also had it. For her, it was a miraculous transformation. She saw better immediately and has never had the slightest repercussions.

There were a number of factors to take into consideration with why my Lasik probably didn't leave me jumping for instantaneous joy. In addition to being severely myopic (way beyond the point where I could ever be helped by soft contact lenses) I had an astigmatism which required I go back for a second procedure some six months later (I healed slower than many people). Apparently, my corneas are extremely thin and the doctor felt he could only safely do a second procedure on my left eye, thus I still have uncorrected astigmatism in my right eye (something I don't notice unless I check each eye separately. And because I am "at that age," there's the issue of presbyopia (the "my arms are too short" syndrome) which can't be corrected by Lasik. So I have to wear reading glasses.

Still in all, I'm glad I had the procedure done. I'm glad when it's windy, or when I want to go into the ocean (before I worried about the waves knocking out my hard lenses, and I couldn't see even an arm's length without them). I'm glad when I dive into a pool and I can see what's going on before me. I'm glad when I wake up in the middle of the night and don't have to scrounge for glasses.

I will be honest; my vision isn't as sharp as it was with hard lenses. Reduced light in stores or the library makes reading annoying, my night vision also isn't what it was. However, when all is said and done, I tested somewhere around 20/25 or 20/30 bilaterally-- which to me is a miracle, certainly lightyears from where I was before.

[SueK]

Gail-thanks for the input. I have had the same feelings as you regarding going into a pool, ocean, etc. and also getting up during the night. I'm always fumbling with the glasses or hoping my contacts won't fall out! My vision (uncorrected) is about 20/400 so anything would be an improvement on that. I guess I still have a lot to think about regarding this surgery.....

[Gail]

20/400 would've been a vast improvement on my former vision. Of course there's a lot to think about. Something like this should never be gone into lightly (which obviously, you are not.) There are horror stories, there have been wonderful, wonderful, successes. Me, I think I fall somewhere mid-range.

I cannot stress, though, the importance of finding someone really competant, who has vast experience with the procedure-- and yes, talking with those of us who've had it done (both successfully and unsuccessfully.) There are a lot of folks out there offering cheap deals, and I have to wonder why. Would that doctor, perhaps, have gone ahead and done the second surgery on my right eye? Would his optometrist not have delayed my surgery because of something suspicious sighted on my retina, waiting first to get the "all clear" sign for the specialist? Would he have postphoned my surgery when I came back with the beginnings of a head cold? Would he have done the correction too soon, when my vision was still changing day by day? I worked with a great surgeon and a great staff of professionals who saw me through these early problems (mine; not theirs) and an extensive follow-up period. No regrets, though. I'd do it again if I could.

[Beth Y]

I don't have anything to add to the above, except that my husband is currently working on a project involving eyes and he goes to meetings with lots of eye doctors, including cornea surgeons.. And he says that he finds it telling that all the cornea surgeons wear glasses!;)

[HedyL]

My husband and I are both optometrists. I don't really have anything too new to add to all the great info already on the board. Just make sure you go to a surgeon who has performed MANY procedures. Even with going to a great doctor, the chance for complications after surgery could be as much as 1 in 1000.

Just as an aside.....neither me, nor my huband, nor my boss (another optometrist) has had the surgery. A few of my former classmates have had it, but not a lot.
I haven't had LASIK done since i'm nearsighted in one eye, farsighted in the other and the farsighted surgery isn't great yet. I'd rather have both eyes done and be done w/ it. I'll wait and see what procedure comes out next! My husband is pretty myopic, but he is happy wearing daily disposable contacts at the moment.

[AD]

My mother works for a doctor who performs laser surgery. They all will give you a free consultation to see if you are even a candidate for the procedure. I would definitely go to a consultation if you are considering it. There would be nothing to lose. I wouldn't worry about any risks. It is highly unlikely; the news is always scaring viewers with anormal and unusual health risks.

Anyway, I would think you should definitely arrange a free consultation. After seeing if you are a candidate and having any questions answered, you can decide whether to book or not. There is no charge or obligation if you don't end up having it.

[csmcnamara]

I had Lasik surgery done 3 1/2 years ago. I am so glad that I did it! I had both eyes done at the same time, and each eye took less than a minute to do. I was able to see perfectly immediately! The only thing I experienced after were the starbursts from oncoming cars while driving at night, but that only lasted a few months. I have not had any other problems nor have my cousin and co-worker who I also convinced to have it done. My right eye is still close to perfect vision, but I have noticed that my left eye is not so clear. As long as you are going to a doctor that you have known and are comfortable with I highly recommend it!! It is by far one of the best things I have ever done!

[BeckyM]

I had the surgery done in both eyes last November. I am SO happy I had it done! My vision wasn't too bad before, but I did wear gas-permeable contacts ALL the time, and I was constantly getting things in my eyes and having to fiddle with the contacts. For me, the surgery was a complete success -- I ended up with 20/20 vision in both eyes.

I did research all the doctors offering the surgery in our area and actually visited two different offices for consultations. I definitely didn't go with the cheapest! I went with a doctor whom I would actually be able to meet and ask questions of before the surgery. (There was one doctor here in Cincinnati who does TONS of these surgeries, but he only meets the patients at the actual surgery, and he has assistants do all of the pre-screening and follow-up appointments. I wasn't comfortable with that!)

The surgery itself was painless, and I had mild eye discomfort afterwards for the next few hours. I slept for several hours, and when I awoke, my vision was great! The only difficulties I had were the starburst effects at night when driving, but those only lasted a couple weeks. I also had the dry eye effect, but the doctor told me ahead of time it was expected and told me to put in drops regularly. I haven't needed to use drops for several months now other than occasionally when I haven't gotten enough sleep and my eyes are simply tired.

This summer we went to the beach, and I can't even explain how freeing it was not to have to worry about my contacts. I am glad I did all the research I did before the surgery, so I understood the risks (limited) and the potential benefits before making my decision. And I am also VERY happy that I decided to have the surgery.

Good luck with your decision! :)

Becky

[SandyM]

I had mine about 2 years ago. I can't even remember wearing glasses or contact lenses. I wore soft lenses. I wore disposable lenses. I wore torique lenses. I wore gas permeable lenses.

I had a slight astigmatism, which was miraculously cleared up. I sat up from the chair after the brief procedure and I could see the time on the clock about 5 miles away. Well, that's what it felt like, anyway. I don't know what my vision was prior to surgery (I couldn't see "The Big E" on the vision test) but now I'm 20/10 in both eyes. My "starburst" effect lasted probably 4-5 months, but it was in no way obstructive to me.

DH had his done a few months after me, and he doesn't even have to wear reading glasses (word is, if you're 40+, you may have to). He's doing great too.

I recommend it to anyone who's even thinking about it. But please don't bargain shop a doctor. Do research, get recommendations, and make an informed decision. Best of luck, and let us know what happens!

[Karen M]

My husband had the Lasik procedure done a year and a half ago and he swears it is one of the best decisions he's ever made. DO make sure you have a consultation with several different surgeons. Brad ended up going over to Windsor in Canada and paying twice what he could have here in the Detroit area, but he was much more comfortable with the facility and doctor (Dr. Taphor (sp?) - he was the first to perform the procedure in N. America - woundn't have wanted to be that person). This is not something you want to use a coupon for.

He had halos for only a day or two and no problems after that. He was 30 at the time with -6 and -7 vision with astigmitism in one eye. He now has 20/20 vision. The freaky thing was that I got to watch the 10 minute procedure on a big screen TV. His eyeball covered the entire screen! That was weird. Good luck!