I got Lasik eye surgery - Page 2

Barbara · March 16th, 2006, 06:03 AM

I wrote rigid because I was too lazy to look up how to say it in English

SVZ · March 16th, 2006, 06:05 AM

I like the option of taking out my contacts or taking off my glasses and having everyone look airbrushed

Barbara · March 16th, 2006, 06:06 AM

It's called blurry, not airbrushed

moomies · March 16th, 2006, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SVZ

I like the option of taking out my contacts or taking off my glasses and having everyone look airbrushed

Some ppl can get the same effect with alcohol = the beer goggles

PaintTheTownRed · March 16th, 2006, 10:50 AM

I got Lasik back in 2000, it was the best thing I ever did. I haven't had any changes in my vision. One eye turned out slightly better than the other, I call it my bionic eye, it's better than 20/20. The company that did it was some bad Canadian company that opened a bunch of clinics. They had experienced Drs and new equipment, but they opened too many and went belly up. I was one of the first patients so I only paid $500 per eye

sweetrebel · March 16th, 2006, 11:21 AM

My vision is terrible. (-6.50 both eyes) I have considered it several times, but when I asked a doctor I used in the past, he said that he wouldn't do it or recommend it on a memeber of his family....of course, this was years and years ago, but still, that should say something....
I started wearing glasses in the 3rd grade and you know how kids tease you relentlessly at that age....it didn't help that they were incredibly fucking ugly glasses! Now, I just wear my contacts. I use the focus day and night. Although they recommend taking them out once a week, I don't and I have had zero problems....so easy it's almost like I don't even wear them.
Both of my girls wear contacts, too. Fortunately their eyes aren't very bad yet (both around a 2 or 2.75) by the time I was 12, my eyes were like 20/200....I can't see shit without contacts or glasses....
We have all just babbled on about ourselves-how did yours turn out?

khaebs · March 22nd, 2006, 06:36 PM

Okay, so my eyesight was really bad, -8.75 and I couldn't even read the big E on the charts. I didn't think I would be eligible because my eyesight wasn't stable, it got worse every year, but apparently I was a good candidate.
They have new technology now so it is even less risky than it was before (the pizza cutter thing is no more, the use a laser now, it's called intralase).
The procedure itself was completely painless and lasted about 2 minutes. They gave me a valium so I would sleep afterwards, but it didn't really work on me so I was in a lot of pain when the numbness wore off. It felt like I had jalopeno juice in my eyes for a few hours. Most people will sleep through it though. Oh yeah, I wore contacts before the procedure, but I had to wear glasses for 2 weeks beforehand so I wouldn't get an infection.
I actually have to take off and I have more to say, so I will post another reply tomorrow.
But I will say this-it was definitely worth every penny and moment of pain, and I would recommend it to anybody!

twitchy · March 22nd, 2006, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaintTheTownRed

I got Lasik back in 2000, it was the best thing I ever did. I haven't had any changes in my vision. One eye turned out slightly better than the other, I call it my bionic eye, it's better than 20/20. The company that did it was some bad Canadian company that opened a bunch of clinics. They had experienced Drs and new equipment, but they opened too many and went belly up. I was one of the first patients so I only paid $500 per eye

Sounds like Laser Eye Tech. I got my eyes done by them also in 2000 before they disappeared and I'd have to agree that it was the best thing I could have done. I also got one eye better than 20/20. I call it my elf eye. I know two other people who had eyes done there and we're all thrilled with the results.

ediebrooks · March 23rd, 2006, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoDayButToday

I have VERY bad eyesight. My eye doctor is recommending I get Lasik within the next year or so (before I'm no longer covered by my parents' insurance, my case would be covered by insurance) to sort of delay my eyes from degenerating as badly as they've been. He figures if I get 5-10 years of good vision before I start the descent into glasses again it would be worth it. I gotta think about it still, I don't want to be blind at the age of 40, but I also don't know what getting the surgery would mean in the future. I'd love to wake up in the morning and be able to see the clock without putting on my glasses, though.

You might want to get a second opinion. Once you reach your 40s, your eyesight starts getting a little better. I used to be -3.50 in my right eye;now I am only-3.00. Incidentally, is your eye doctor the guy who would perform the surgery on you? That could be why he's so eager for you to get the Lasik.

Quote:

Originally Posted by khaebs

Okay, so my eyesight was really bad, -8.75 and I couldn't even read the big E on the charts. I didn't think I would be eligible because my eyesight wasn't stable, it got worse every year, but apparently I was a good candidate.
They have new technology now so it is even less risky than it was before (the pizza cutter thing is no more, the use a laser now, it's called intralase).
The procedure itself was completely painless and lasted about 2 minutes. They gave me a valium so I would sleep afterwards, but it didn't really work on me so I was in a lot of pain when the numbness wore off. It felt like I had jalopeno juice in my eyes for a few hours. Most people will sleep through it though. Oh yeah, I wore contacts before the procedure, but I had to wear glasses for 2 weeks beforehand so I wouldn't get an infection.
I actually have to take off and I have more to say, so I will post another reply tomorrow.
But I will say this-it was definitely worth every penny and moment of pain, and I would recommend it to anybody!

If you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost? Did insurance cover it?

aabbcc · March 23rd, 2006, 11:00 AM

I am near-sighted. I have worn glasses since I was three years old. I often see commercials for this surgery, but have never been tempted - the possibility is always there that they could botch the job terribly and ruin what vision I do have forever.

I have been wearing glasses for so long now they are a part of me. I don't mind them, and for the most part, don't even notice them - and you can buy glasses these days in all kinds of funky styles and colors. Someone once posted on a message board that all the really cool chicks wear glasses. I totally agree!

**NoDayButToday** · March 23rd, 2006, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ediebrooks

You might want to get a second opinion. Once you reach your 40s, your eyesight starts getting a little better. I used to be -3.50 in my right eye;now I am only-3.00. Incidentally, is your eye doctor the guy who would perform the surgery on you? That could be why he's so eager for you to get the Lasik.

He is not the doctor who would perform the Lasik and he was also going based on my parents' eyesight which has gotten worse as well past their 40's. He's also a very good doctor and a family friend who we trust very much.

khaebs · March 23rd, 2006, 05:43 PM

It cost about $3700, and I only have to pay $200 a month for 18 months, no APR and 0 down. It's sweet! Insurance did pay for about 5%, some will pay for more though.
I also wanted to list some other side effects I had, but I don't think everyone will have this:
Haziness for about a week. My eyes were very dry, so even thought the vision improvement was immediate (better than 20-20), the dry part didn't go away for awhile, so things were hazy, but especially in my left eye. (That kinda bothered me, I didn't like how my eyes were uneven)
Light sensitivity, even to this day and it's been more than a month. I have to wear sunglasses, even on cloudy days.
Halos and tracers are pretty bad for at least 2 week, so at night it can be hard to drive. (I call them starbursts, like when bright light has streaks around it.)
Oh yeah, my eyes were red for about 3 weeks. One eye was worse than the other.
All of this and still totally worth it!!

tictac · March 23rd, 2006, 08:28 PM

I had it done with the intralase a couple years ago and I couldn't be happier. I had the jalapeno juice feeling too! It was excruciating for 3 hours post-op. I tried to sleep, but my eyes were burning so bad even when closed. I had light sensitivity for about 5-6 months after, but it got me wearing sunglasses, which I never did before. Every now and then I'll get halos at night, but I don't really notice them. Yeah it's scary to have a laser cutting your eye, but the equipment is so precise and has a tracking device that will follow the tiny movements of your eyeball so it's incredibly accurate and safe. I will most likely need glasses again in my 40's, but they will be reading glasses since we tend to get more farsighted as we age. All in all, I have no regrets and it was probably the best money I've ever spent on myself. Oh, and I'm 20/15 in one eye, 20/10 in the other.

moomies · March 23rd, 2006, 11:04 PM

Did your doctors warn you about the chances of something going wrong or your eye sight not improving?
I'm kinda curious about the success rate.
And what happens if your eye sight doesn't improve after the surgery? Do they give you some kinda gurantee? Say, that the first surgery didn't work, so will they redo a corrective surgery or a follow-up?
I guess it depends on the doctor/clinic you go to.

pacific breeze · March 23rd, 2006, 11:12 PM

Your vision doesn't improve as you get older, it just doesn't deteriorate as quickly. Laser eye surgery is generally not recommended for very young or middle-aged to older people. I think when every surgeon/optician/opthamologist pushing it has it done, I might consider it safe enough to consider. Until then, no way. I only have one pair of eyes, weak and inadequate as they are, I don't want to lose them.