Lasik

[korygrandy]

A bunch of my co-workers are getting Lasik... even the ones that were hesitant and scared to have a laser in there eye for fear of blindness are now getting the procedure done.

I work in a job where I stare at multiple computer screens for 8+hrs /day and by the end of the day my contacts are just completely dried out. This is getting old but before I attempt to get laser eyes I have a few questions:

Has anyone had any complications with Lasik?
Has anyone had to have the procedure done a second time?
Has anyone had less than satisfactory results and how so?
How much did you pay for your procedure?

Why would you recommend it?

 

[avenger79]

Re: Lasik

not me personally, (I'm too chicken LOL) but a guy I knew in FL had to have one eye redone. He didn't mind getting it redone though, and was very happy with the results. It had been a few years back. He also mentioned, and I've never heard this before, that it was common to need to redo it after some years.

 

[gm280]

Re: Lasik

Okay, I did have such a procedure done some years ago. I had only one eye done because of my age. The older you are the less chance of having both eyes done. WHY? Because as you get older your eyes don't work as good as they use to, that is you have a much harder time focusing on close objects and then distance objects. It has to do with your eye muscles. So my eye doctor only did one eye and he did it so I could see distance. My other eye was near sighted meaning I could see things close. I worried about being able to function that way, but he assured me it would work without any problems or affecting my depth perception either. And he was correct. HOWEVER, since that time being 5 or 6 years ago, I am now having problems with my eyes switching from distance to close. It isn't the procedure that is affecting me, but my age. I'm nearly 60 now. So I'd say if you are in your 20's, 30's or 40's, you'll get a lot longer time before your eyes change again. But make no mistake, your eyes will certainly change some time down the road and you may still need glasses or contacts again... That may be 10 year or more, but it will happen again... Cost at that time was $2000 an eye. They have since come down a lot. And I am the type person that doesn’t like even a grain of sand in my eye. But it was totally painless and quite safe and very fast too... It took less than a few minutes (actual time with LASER about 15 to 20 seconds) and I could read 20/20 just after the LASER... And I had to wear glasses since my initial driver’s license test at 16 years old...

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Lasik

I have a friend who had it done in his early 60s. He did a bunch of research and thought he had the right man for the job. He just did one eye first. Well, it's messed up. It's worse than it was before they started. Almost to the point of being partially blind in that eye. Needless to say, he will never get his other eye done.

I've had glasses all my life. I would LOVE to get the surgery. I'm just too skeeerd. Especially what happened to my friend. I'm sure a huge percentage of surgeries go just fine. I just wont roll the dice to see if I'm one of the lucky ones....

ps Just picked up a new pair of glasses yesterday...

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Lasik

I had it done and it was the best thing I ever did. My eyes had not changed in 20 years so I was a perfect candidate. Do not get if your eyes get very dry or you have inability to tear. My cousin had major complications because of a dry eye condition. Only go to a very good LASIK doc which is probably not the cheapest.

 

[gm280]

Re: Lasik

There are other options too that don't use a LASER to cut to correct the lens. They now have a system that a LASER cuts the lens but instead of the LASER also cutting the eye to correct the sight issues they use an implant that is corrected for your eye. That changes from the LASER cutting off portions of your own eye to correct. It is new but seems to be a viable option that a lot of folks seem to like better...

 

[littlerayray]

Re: Lasik

once i am with my union for 3 years they will cover laser eye surgery up to 5000$
it is cheaper for them to have you get laser surgery then pay out 700$ every two years for glasses

 

[littlerayray]

Re: Lasik

and yes i will get it done

 

[korygrandy]

Re: Lasik

Good info.

I'll be sure if I do go for a consultation that I discuss the dry eye situation. I know others who have mentioned there vision gets "cloudy" if they have dry eyes.

My co-worker had it done yesterday, he has 2 red marks on his eyeballs where the laser entered.
His one sentence summary to me was "I can see exactly as if I am wearing contacts or glasses, but I am not wearing glasses or contacts...its' strange."

I would understand the process of cleaning and maintaining contacts would be my compelling reason to get it done... but it just seems to me like this Lasik is merely a band-aid.

I guess nothing is perfect.

I'll let you guys know if I get the kahunas to go get this laser in my eye.

 

[gm280]

Re: Lasik

Just remember one very important issue...nothing can replace your body parts... The body is an amazing thing that is exceptionally complex and evolving and refreshing itself daily... Man can come close on some issues but certainly not as good as God designed us...

 

[salty87]

Re: Lasik

had it done around 10 years ago, i'm mid 40's now. worked so good i got my chicken !^# wife to do it a few years later. she's thrilled as well.

i had very bad vision before. around -7 contact prescription. wore contacts since i was around 12 yrs old. one of my eyes didn't heal quite as fast as the other. was prescribed drops for a few extra weeks and it's nearly as good as the other eye. vision in good eye is better than 20/20. the slower eye is 20/20.

paid around $2200/eye i think with a very reputable doc. can't stress the importance of that enough.

would i do it again...without a doubt. i wore contacts for 20+ years and could barely tell the color of the paint on a wall w/o them. got the procedure done and could see w/o contacts as soon as i stood up although they want you to keep eyes closed to heal.

there's some discomfort afterward. most people take a nap when they get home and the discomfort is gone by the time you wake up. they should give you valium before the procedure which helps with the nap.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Lasik

Just remember one very important issue...nothing can replace your body parts... The body is an amazing thing that is exceptionally complex and evolving and refreshing itself daily... Man can come close on some issues but certainly not as good as God designed us...

Of all the body parts a person can lose, my eyesight is probably at the bottom of the list. Take a limb, just leave me my sight.....

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Lasik

Not a chance I would have that procedure performed on my eyes. I worked in an industry back in the early eighties that developed instrumentation and equipment for RK or Radial Keratotomy. The procedure at the time was touted as the greatest thing since contact lenses for corrective vision. It was highly recommended by "leading ophthalmologists" and regarded as perfectly safe. Now, nearly 30 years later it has become a disaster with thousands of people losing their eyesight. Do a google search of "radial Keratotomy" and look what has happened to people that had this "safe" procedure performed 20 or 30 years ago.

Do your research. Here is just one link. The point is there is no telling what the LONG term affects of these procedures will be. You have one set of eyes.

Radial Keratotomy (RK) complications problems side effects

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Lasik

Mrs Ken manages the local office for the pioneer of laser eye surgery in this area in Canada and some of Michigan. He is extremely good and will only offer the surgery if the candidate is right for it. Mrs Ken has worked for him for over 24 years now and was one of the first people to have the surgery done in this area. It has been over 22 years now and she needs neither distance or reading glasses still. He gave her what is called "monovision" 1 eye for distance and 1 eye for reading. No issues whatsoever except that on extremely dark rainy nights when driving she says she gets "rings" around oncoming headlights. I have been checked out regularly but am still not a good candidate. He says my eyes have to get worse before corrections can happen. I currently use 1.5 reading glasses in fair to poor lighting.
Is there a risk ?? I am sure there is but having said that the technology of the laser equipment has come a long way since Mrs Ken had her eyes done.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Lasik

I had both lenses replaced in my eyes due to cataracts 4 years ago and so far their great. My vision was down to 20/600 and is now 20/25.

 

[sam60]

Re: Lasik

I had RK, not lasik about 20 years ago. I was back in glasses in 10 years. I'm only 52 now but I think I will just stick with glasses for now. The CEO where I work had his done (twice) at 75 years old and he is happy.

 

[JB]

Re: Lasik

I had both eyes done for cataracts about 4 years ago. Now my master eye (right) is going foggy. I am scheduled for a LASER treatment to clear that up. Doc says it is quite common and simple to fix, even in geriatric patients ( I am 77). I am anxious to get it done because this (doing stuff on the 'puter) is getting harder and harder.

 

[sangerwaker]

Re: Lasik

JB,
not to sidetrack this thread, but that treatment is called a capsulotomy. Piece of cake. No pain or discomfort. Been there done that.

I am not a candidate for lasik. I say that because I have no interest in any more eye surgeries at this time. I'll only have more if they are medically necessary. I have had very strong glasses since I was less than a year old, roughly +13.75 prescription for both eyes. I got contacts when I was 12 right before junior high. When I was about 40, my pressure skyrocketed from narrow angle closure glaucoma. I saw one of the nation's leading glaucoma specialists at the Phillips Eye Institute in Minneapolis.

My options were a laser surgery that "might" work, an iridotomy, for a while, or a cataract implant to allow the inner eye parts to fall back in place and relieve the pressure. I was intrigued by the cataract implant because he could implant a corrective lens and lessen my need for contacts or glasses. I chose the cataract surgery and now down to a +4 prescription in that eye. He implanted the most powerful lens available at that time, and there was not enough depth in my eye to piggyback 2 lenses. I'm happy with a +4. I can actually read my alarm clock without glasses now.

The problem arose 7 days after cataract surgery. During surgery, there were complications stitching in the new lens, and the doc had to go into the anterior part of the eye. Likely the cause of my near complete retina detachment 7 days later due to the high pressures within my eye.

The recovery from the retina reattachment surgery is terrible. A nitrogen bubble is injected into the eye and you need to keep that bubble against the retina to hold it in place. You do this by looking down so the bubble stays against the retina....for two weeks. Longest 2 weeks of my life.

After that I had the capsulotomy I mentioned above done. Very common after cataract implant. Quick and painless. I also had an iridotomy done on my left eye as a preventative so hopefully the pressure doesn't get too high.

Lasik might help correct my vision, but I'm just not interested in any possible complications after all I've been through.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Lasik

I wish i could get Lasik. I'm not a candidate because of the shape of my eyes

-11.5
there would be no lens left

I have to wear safety glasses at work all day anyways... might as well be prescription. The daily contact lenses are pretty fair for activities where I don't want my glasses on.

 

[korygrandy]

Re: Lasik

Just remember one very important issue...nothing can replace your body parts... The body is an amazing thing that is exceptionally complex and evolving and refreshing itself daily... Man can come close on some issues but certainly not as good as God designed us...

I can certainly appreciate this statement as I am reminded of it daily. :joyous:

I just played basketball 2 nights ago and I am feeling every single childhood injury again. :facepalm: