Lasik

[korygrandy]

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.

This is certainly inspiring for me. I am +7 in one eye.

 

[korygrandy]

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.

I would say this is a success story. I have heard of folks who have had it done 20+ years complain about these night-driving rings you mention.

 

[korygrandy]

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.

I was told this by a younger, and newer to me optometrist (I recently moved so my trusted optometrist is gone) that there would be a risk of "not having enough shape to remove" but this was the first opinion. I will be getting a second from an actual verrry well known guy Dr. Lobanoff. The twin cities market is huge so I know I will get a fair shake as far as my options for a consumer.

Good info guys and I hope this helps others considering the procedure(s).

 

[sangerwaker]

Re: Lasik

Kory
I didn't see you were from MN. Go see the folks at MN Eye Consultants. Some of the best in the biz.

 

[JimS123]

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

Holy crap!!! You must be getting triple gold plated frames and having a private lab doing the work.

I get lenses every 2 years and they are glass, progressive bifocals and photo grey for $200. My frames last 4 years so every other time it costs me an extra $100.

But, to the OP's question.....

My Grandma went blind at age 85, and my GMIL the same at about the same age. So, not having eyesight is a personal terror. My opinion based on personal experience is don't mess with it. Nothing more sad than a blind old woman with no one to care for her!

Lasik has been around for what....30 years? So, if you had it done when you were 20 you'd be 50 now. What about when you're 80? IMHO, the procedure is still too new to determine the long term effects. If you're a youngin I would ask the doctor what will the results be 70 years from now.

I have been wearing glasses for 58 years now. Not a problem. They are automatic sunglasses when I go outside, and at work I need safety glasses anyway so they fit right in. Seems to me that trying to eliminate glasses is more of a vanity thing that for any practical reasons.

 

[salty87]

Re: Lasik

radial keratotomy has been around since the 70's. lasik was patented in 89 and has greatly improved since along with every other computer based application. the 2 procedures couldn't be more different.

also, when your eyes are bad enough glasses aren't always a good option. when i wore glasses i would get dizzy from the difference between the lenses vs peripheral w/no lenses. it was contacts or nothing. life is good again waking up with sight and not having to mess with taking them out. i got to the point where i would sleep with them for far too long which is bad for eye health.

i will say, it's weird now not having the contacts in. they did offer a small amount of protection against dust and small debris. i definitely don't miss them though.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Lasik

I had LASIK 5/28/1998 at age 41. I have had issues with dry eyes since, but the benefits far outweigh this for me. I still remember the feeling of awe at being able to read the menu at dinner that evening without my glasses. It took me about a month to break the habit of reaching for my glasses when I woke up each morning!

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

LASIK reshapes the cornea; the lens isn't touched. I had to go to Canada for my surgery because the FDA didn't approve the level of correction I needed (still hasn't approved it, AFAIK): -16.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Lasik

ok, there would be no cornea left. "Eye would be unhealthy" is what I recall. I forget the place - I remember a big framed pic of Gretzky. I guess he went there.
There was an option of an implant similar to what they use for cataracts. But at the time, it was $20,000 and I had to get special approval from Health Canada. That was some years ago though, maybe more common now.