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Fraternite posted:So I just went in for a consultation and was told that I have a thin cornea and large pupils -- but not thin enough (500 microns as opposed to 550 micorns) or large enough (9.2 mm as opposed to 6.5 mm) that normal LASIK was out of the question. I know that my doctor mentioned that PRK didn't require the cornea to be as thick as LASIK does, even though mine were thick enough for both procedures. I found this page which explains it a little: http://www.seewell.ca/prk.html I don't know about the pupil size issue.
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Aug 3, 2009 04:00
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I'm interested in getting lasik or another procedure done but I'm a little nervous. Would it be possible to have one eye done at a time, like wait a week or two between each eye so that if you go blind or something you aren't completely hosed?
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Aug 3, 2009 09:07
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SteviaFan420 posted:I'm interested in getting lasik or another procedure done but I'm a little nervous. This is possible but also and more importantly stupid. It will also most likely give you a serious headache.
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Aug 4, 2009 03:18
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Elijah posted:I know that my doctor mentioned that PRK didn't require the cornea to be as thick as LASIK does, even though mine were thick enough for both procedures. I found this page which explains it a little: The pupil size is relevant because the flap they cut in normal LASIK is not nearly as big (eye surface area-wise) as the custom wavefront ones. Basically if your pupil gets bigger than the flap, you get halos -- think of it like wearing a small pair of glasses at the end of your nose and then looking around them at the same time you look through them.
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Aug 4, 2009 03:30
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Elijah posted:I know that my doctor mentioned that PRK didn't require the cornea to be as thick as LASIK does, even though mine were thick enough for both procedures. I found this page which explains it a little:
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Aug 4, 2009 03:34
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swenblack posted:Yeah, neither did I until I had my consult. I have freakishly large pupils (and had a relatively large astigmatism), so PRK was my only option. Really, I don't see why most people don't just get PRK anyway. The risks are slightly less, and the only real disadvantage is the pain and the healing time. The pain was a joke compared to what I thought it would be. At my one week follow-up exam, my acuity was good enough to legally drive, though to be honest, I was driving at night two days after surgery (NOT recommended).
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Aug 4, 2009 12:14
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Doctor Optimal posted:Has anyone here had laser eye surgery done? Yes! 3 months ago by this guy: http://www.theeyeinstitute.com.au/index.php?doc130467232 Doctor Optimal posted:Do they see as well as they did with glasses? Better actually. Everything's just so crisp now (and no smudged glasses to annoy me). Doctor Optimal posted:Does it hurt (before/during/after)? Before: No, unless you count anxiety as pain (the xanax + valium helped me with not freaking the hell out). During: Nope. After: a little stinging, they gave me painkillers for that. Doctor Optimal posted:I've been told it messes with your night driving, is that the case? Hasn't at all for me, some people get halo'ing but I've had no noticable problems. Doctor Optimal posted:Does it make working with a computer more difficult? (Using contacts slows down your blink rate which can cause dryness when working at a computer, did this happen to anyone?) It's actually made it better for me. I used to be -2.75 in each eye which made it bad enough that I needed glasses for everything except sitting 30cm away from my monitor. When your monitor is 24", this means you have to move your head around a lot and can't read small text easily unless you get even closer. Now I just sit back and can use the full 24" without moving or any other issues. Doctor Optimal posted:Having done it, would you still choose to do it over again? Hell yes. Doctor Optimal posted:Is there anything bizarre (like your eyes falling out) that I should know about? Not too bizarre but I'll tell you about a few things that I found strange. I got LASIK done which is a two step procedure, the first being the cutting of the flap with a laser. They lower a round thing down on to your eyeball to hold it in place while the laser performs the cut. Firstly, when the machine pushes down on your eyeball (so it doesn't move) you get this instant excruciating headache. It only lasts about 30-60 seconds though, as soon as the machine lifts off your eye it goes away. Secondly, the first time the doctor tried to align the round thing on my eyeball he wasn't happy with the position, so he had to take the pressure off the eyeball, realign and push down with MORE pressure (even more painful headache), resulting in this:  That went away after 2-3 weeks though so it's all cool. Also, after the actual laser burning bit which smelled like burning hair (tried to hold my breath for that, it was yuck), the doctor used water to wash the eye area while my eyes were clamped open. That sensation was just creepy. Cold water in your eyes when you're completely powerless to rub your eyes is just weird. I now have 20/20 vision (since the day after the surgery), can wear sunglasses without contacts pissing me off by drying up and giving me a headache. A++++++ Would do again.
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Aug 4, 2009 12:58
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My eyes were like -9.5 and -10.25 or something like that. The doctor told me before the surgery that he might have to go back and do a "touch-up" afterwards. I figured he was just being safe, it was something he told everybody. The morning after my procedure I could see better but not great. I figured it needed healing and after a few days it would be fine. It didn't. What the guy was telling me was that since my eyes were so bad he was "two-putting" on me, getting me close with the first go-round, and then zero-ing in with the second. Which means I had to buy/wear glasses for 6 months before the 2nd procedure. I was so super pissed, especially since I was forced to wear glasses several weeks BEFORE the procedure as well. Since the whole deal is several years gone now, I am glad he did it the way he did. My vision is 100% perfect, no problems at all. The inconvenience of a couple of months is nothing compared to at least 20 years of good eyes. He did the 2nd procedure for free and there was nothing to it. Best decision ever.
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Aug 4, 2009 15:13
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xelfer posted:It's actually made it better for me. I used to be -2.75 in each eye which made it bad enough that I needed glasses for everything except sitting 30cm away from my monitor. When your monitor is 24", this means you have to move your head around a lot and can't read small text easily unless you get even closer. Now I just sit back and can use the full 24" without moving or any other issues. Your eyes were exactly as bad as mine are right now. I'm considering LASIK, thank you for sharing your experience. On a more practical note, how exactly does one go about trying to find a docter? Just google?
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Aug 4, 2009 16:12
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I really want to get lasik surgery sometime in the next few years, but I'm terrified of anything being around my eyes. If they put you to sleep for it (I don't know the technical term, but when they give you a mask to knock you out?) then it'll be fine, but just the thought of anything being up in my eyes terrifies me. It took a couple months for me to get used to contact lenses, hell I didn't even wear makeup until recently cause of it. Do you think this will cause a huge problem? I feel like fixing my eyes will be a good investment but just the thought of how they do it makes me want to curl up and die 
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Aug 4, 2009 16:28
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roads posted:I really want to get lasik surgery sometime in the next few years, but I'm terrified of anything being around my eyes. If they put you to sleep for it (I don't know the technical term, but when they give you a mask to knock you out?) then it'll be fine, but just the thought of anything being up in my eyes terrifies me. It took a couple months for me to get used to contact lenses, hell I didn't even wear makeup until recently cause of it. I don't think they can knock you out for the procedure. It only takes about fifteen minutes, and if you ask they can usually give you a vicodin or xanax or something to help you calm down. I found my doctor on google, and checked out rateMD.com, although that site isn't always accurate, my doctor had a couple bad reviews but I found him to be fantastic.
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Aug 4, 2009 17:41
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blue_kameleon posted:My surgery was done with custom wavefront, and like I said above, I'm now overcorrected to 20/13, and it's fantastic. I didn't ask them to over correct me, but I've heard if that's something you want, you can ask in advance.
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Aug 4, 2009 20:52
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[*]Has anyone here had laser eye surgery done? Yes, I had LASIK about 3 years ago when I was 19 [*]Do they see as well as they did with glasses? I went from 20/200 and 20/300 to 20/15 in both eyes, I also had astigmatism in both eyes. [*]Does it hurt (before/during/after)? I experienced some soreness for a day or so, and the setup itself was uncomfortable [*]I've been told it messes with your night driving, is that the case? Not in my experience [*]Does it make working with a computer more difficult? (Using contacts slows down your blink rate which can cause dryness when working at a computer, did this happen to anyone?) I have always had dryer eyes, so I'm not sure if LASIK made that problem worse, but my I do get dry eyes/redness after looking at a computer for a while. [*] Having done it, would you still choose to do it over again? Yes a million times. [*] Is there anything bizarre (like your eyes falling out) that I should know about? During the procedure, the laser makes a burning hair smell.
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Aug 4, 2009 21:27
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ilkhan posted:Is there a downside to that at all? Or is it just 100% awesome vision?
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Aug 4, 2009 21:29
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I can't say enough good things about LASIK. I'm 37 and have worn glasses since I was 9, contacts since I was 14. I also travel a lot for work, often overseas with weird hours, and having to sleep on planes or buses with my contacts in was a nightmare -- I'd have to take a 3 hour ride from the airport or hotel to my destination and would fall asleep, then wake up with my contacts stuck to my eyes. My eyes would ache like mad or even be scratched from it. After a few years, I just ended up wearing my glasses most of the time, but it was a pain in the rear end to constantly have to switch between my regular ones and my prescription sunglasses every time I went inside or outside, which could be pretty often -- sometimes every 5 minutes or so. I get migraines and have light sensitivity, so I pretty much always had to have sunglasses on outside. I also hated toting my cleaning and storage crap, along with my glasses case, everywhere I went. Has anyone here had laser eye surgery done? I had the wavefront done in February of this year. I got some kind of discount, and it ended up being US $3900 for both eyes. I was told the wavefront was better, because instead of making the same cut on everyone's eye, the computer actually maps out the surface of your eye and cuts along with all the unique bumps and curves and irregularities that everyone has. I could see perfectly immediately after the surgery -- they walked me from the surgery chair to a recovery chair and I could read the signs on the wall clear across the room. Do they see as well as they did with glasses? My vision is now better than 20/20, but I can't remember the exact number. Does it hurt (before/during/after)? I didn't feel a thing during; maybe a little pressure, but that was all. Afterwards it stung a bit, but that only lasted for a day or so. I've been told it messes with your night driving, is that the case? Not for me -- I actually used to get really bad starbursts and halos before the surgery; afterward, I still had them -- but not as bad -- for a few weeks. Six months later, they're completely gone. I have no issues at all with my night vision; it's much better than before the surgery. Does it make working with a computer more difficult? (Using contacts slows down your blink rate which can cause dryness when working at a computer, did this happen to anyone?) I'm at a computer all day and have no problems. There was some dryness immediately after the surgery that lasted for a week or two, but no problems now. Having done it, would you still choose to do it over again? If I had to do it again every year to maintain this level of vision, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Seriously, it's made a world of difference for me. There are so many little things, like waking up in the middle of the night and being able to read the clock without fumbling for my glasses. Traveling is now a breeze without worrying about losing or breaking my glasses/contacts, forgetting my saline/cases, or falling asleep somewhere and having my contacts stick to my eyeballs, or having them do so because of the dry air in planes or hotel rooms. Also, I'm 7 months pregnant and happy that when my baby cries in the middle of the night, I'll be able to go in and check on him without having to find my glasses or put in my contacts. Although I didn't know I was pregnant when I got the surgery, I had been trying, and knew that I wanted it done before I had kids. My sister had her LASIK done after her daughter was born; before she had the surgery, when my niece was only a few months old, my sister was at home alone, napping on the couch with the kid. Someone rang the doorbell and she wasn't able to find her glasses quickly, so she just answered the door, baby in her arms. The guy at the door said he was with the gas company or electric company or something and wanted to come in; he was pretty pushy, and she couldn't see to read his uniform, name tag or any ID, so she sent him away and told him to come back later (when her husband was home). The guy never came back. He may have been totally legit, but it freaked her out that she was pretty much blind and vulnerable. It made me decide to get mine done ASAP. Is there anything bizarre (like your eyes falling out) that I should know about? Nothing for me. I did have some redness around the cut that lasted for about a week. In my case, I consider this the world's easiest surgery. It took less than 30 seconds for each eye, and there was no recovery period other than having to put eyedrops in for a few days. They also give you Valium prior to the surgery and a painkiller for afterward. Maybe I'm just really lucky, but I don't think I'd have needed either. It was a minute of my time, and then a week or so of dry eyes afterward, all in exchange for better than perfect vision. I do recommend spending more and going to a real eye surgeon, though, if you can afford it. I wouldn't trust my eyes to anyone that charges $500 an eye for it. My sister's friend works for an opthamologist and said they get a lot of patients coming in from those places with some messed up eyes. So, do your research, get references, and go with someone trustworthy. If you can get someone affiliated with a major hospital (mine was through the Cleveland Clinic), all the better.
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Aug 4, 2009 22:17
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Namarrgon posted:On a more practical note, how exactly does one go about trying to find a docter? Just google? I heard the advertisements for this place on the radio (and it was literally a 30 second walk from my apartment), so I decided to go there. Turns out my surgeon was the son of the guy who runs the university I went to in my home town. He had incredible credentials. It was possibly $2000 more than some other places, but I'd prefer the experience over someone who wants to do it on the cheap. Ask any friends / people you may know in the area if they can recommend anyone.
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Aug 5, 2009 05:15
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I went to the eye dr and did the eye test. The big E was blurry, which is a problem from what he said. He did the lasik and I now see 20/15+2, which means I can read everything on the 20/15 line except 2 of them. To answer your list of questions: 1) Yup, see above. 2) I see better than I did with glasses AND I can wear sunglasses that aren't corrective! 3) It didn't hurt before, but there was discomfort during the surgery. Afterwards I slept for 3-4 hours and then later that night drove (you aren't supposed to do that) to the Sunglasses Hut and bought some shades. It felt like I had sand in my eyes for a day or so, but I was working again at 7AM the next day. So I was down about 18 hours from work total. 4) I have 0 problem with night driving. I can actually see a lot better at night. I also get no 'halo' effect like a lot of people report. 5) I don't have computer issues and I use one 2-6 hours a day. 6) I would do it again right now if I needed it. It was by far the greatest thing I've had done surgically. 7) I have no issue of any kind. I still don't have severe dryness like many report and this was done in Sept 2008.
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Aug 5, 2009 23:09
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Doctor Optimal posted:My questions: -I see as good or better as I did with glasses or contacts. My contact prescription was ~-3.75 in both eyes. -Frankly, it hurt a lot more than I expected. Before there's nothing to worry about, but the actual procedure hurt a lot. Luckily it was over in ~10 minutes. After that, you're supposed to sleep for three hours, but my eyes were on fire so I wasn't able to sleep much. Once that was over, that was about the last pain I felt. In hindsight, it's not that bad, especially compared to other surgeries, but at the time it hurt like the dickens. -I had haloes at night for a couple weeks, but everything's fine at this point. -I had some pretty bad dryness for about a month, but now I use eyedrops only 3-4 times a day. For reference, I program all day. -Without a second thought. -There's always some sideeffects and possible complications. Just go for the best doctor you can and you'll love it.
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Aug 6, 2009 02:32
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Those of you who had PRK ... would you do it again? Is it that bad? I've got one scheduled in 3 weeks and Im a bit nervous.
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Aug 7, 2009 05:18
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David Aames posted:Those of you who had PRK ... would you do it again? Is it that bad? Hell yeah, I'd do it again. No, it's not bad at all, really. Did your doctor tell you what pain medication he'd be prescribing? I had Lyrica, and that combined with Aleve seemed to do a pretty good job. I'd say it just felt like my eyes were really dry and irritated for a couple days. Not like an "Oh my God, make this stop!" kind of pain. I think a lot of it's psychological due to the fact that your vision is shot to hell for a few days, unlike with LASIK patients who get their sight back almost instantly. Within a week, I was at 20/40, though, and now I think I see better than I did with glasses and contacts. Follow your doctor's instructions to the letter and don't be nervous. Good luck.
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Aug 8, 2009 16:41
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David Aames posted:Those of you who had PRK ... would you do it again? Is it that bad?
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Aug 8, 2009 17:05
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ilkhan posted:Is there a downside to that at all? Or is it just 100% awesome vision? Nope, it's awesome as hell. I'm pretty sure I see colors brighter and more vibrantly now too, like I said before, it was like going from regular TV to the best HD imaginable.
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Aug 8, 2009 17:19
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For anyone who has had this done: how long does the procedure take?
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Aug 8, 2009 22:06
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Roll Fizzlebeef posted:For anyone who has had this done: how long does the procedure take? You can probably be in and out of the doctor's office in 20 minutes.
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Aug 8, 2009 22:08
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Has anyone here had laser eye surgery done? Yes, back in 2001 or so when it was still a newer science. I'm sure it is nearly flawless by now. Do they see as well as they did with glasses? Yes, my vision was corrected from 20/200 to 20/20(or better). Does it hurt (before/during/after)? It never really hurt at all. During the process it feels like putting rough pressure against your eye with your fingers. It's just extremely uncomfortable. The discomfort goes away nearly instantly after it is done. It takes less than 1 minute per eye. I've been told it messes with your night driving, is that the case? This is not the case. It only improved my vision. Does it make working with a computer more difficult? (Using contacts slows down your blink rate which can cause dryness when working at a computer, did this happen to anyone?) You won't need contacts and your eyes are completely back to normal after like one day so no. Having done it, would you still choose to do it over again? Sure, why not? Is there anything bizarre (like your eyes falling out) that I should know about? You shouldn't fly for around 6 months after you get LASIK because the pressure change may gently caress with your eye. I got the LASIK done when I was 21. Of course now I'm getting close to 30 and my vision is starting to degrade but it has nothing to do with the surgery. My vision is probably around 20/35 or so now. It will only get worse as I get older and more nearsighted. This is a hereditary thing as my Dad had the same problem with his vision getting worse starting when he was around 30. OpusD fucked around with this message at 22:45 on Aug 8, 2009 |
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Aug 8, 2009 22:35
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OpusD posted:
This is a good point -- they stress that you might still get age-related nearsightedness, if you were prone to it. Most people end up needing reading glasses in their 40s, 50s, or whenever, so the odds are good you might end up needing them too. The good news is that you'll only be dealing with reading glasses at that point if you've had LASIK, and not struggling with constantly switching glasses or wearing bifocals.
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Aug 12, 2009 14:41
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Troublemaker posted:
Isn't it the exact opposite? Over time people with myopia get better distance vision while their close-up vision gets worse. Getting corrected with LASIK will mean that you'll also have to contend with the need for reading glasses and potentially bifocals as well. I'm still on the fence about getting eye surgery or not. The big thing holding me back is what happens when your vision starts changing with age and how LASIK impacts this. Also, what is this about needing reading glasses being hereditary? I thought most people ended up needing reading glasses as their close-up vision worsens with age
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Aug 18, 2009 18:31
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Happydayz posted:Isn't it the exact opposite?
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Aug 18, 2009 22:03
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Has anyone here had laser eye surgery done? My procedure was on the 16th of July, this year. I decided to have LASIK done after much research and reading on the IntraLase machine (it creates the corneal flap without a physical blade cutting your eye) and considered that was something I'd be OK with. The excimer laser itself was the LADAR 6000 WaveFront guided system. I did research on everything before going into it, I read the severe complications and I read the successes (much like in this thread) and realized that this elective procedure is a risk and that the best way to counteract this inherent risk is to go with a doctor that you can trust, and go with a doctor that is experienced. The doctor I chose is an ophthalmologist specializing in corneal surgery who had performed cataract surgery on a good family friend. Do they see as well as they did with glasses? With now a month past, I can say that I see very well although I am experiencing fluctuations here and there (especially after waking up). I can pretty much read the 20/15 line of the Snellen chart with both eyes operating independently and together, even better. I have noticed that one eye will see clearer than another for a time which is something that I'm adapting to given that my left eye has always been dominant. Another issue you'll mostly face for the first 2-3 weeks after surgery is the steroid they'll prescribe to you getting stuck in your eyelashes and you'll experience visual phenomena from eyelashes not being where they're supposed to be (as in, if I move my eyes outward away from the lashes, the visual aberrations go away). Does it hurt (before/during/after)? I can only speak for the IntraLase experience but I didn't experience any pain during the procedure, it was more of a psychological fear of having someone making a cut in my cornea, moving my cornea around, cleaning the surface of my eye with water, brushing the flap back onto my eye and etc. I was prescribed Vicodin to help me sleep after the procedure and I didn't really feel much pain though there is one issue which I will describe for you. In my right eye, on the bottom, there was what I would describe to you the feeling of sand on your eye. Also for some reason, when the mentioned dried steroid gets into this eye, it stings and I feel it the most. I had the ophthalmologist check on this the following checkup day as well as a week or so after. It appears fine. I've been told it messes with your night driving, is that the case? I did see halos coming from light sources for the first two weeks after surgery, but lately these have been going back down to a level that I could remember emanating from a light source at night while I was wearing glasses. Does it make working with a computer more difficult? (Using contacts slows down your blink rate which can cause dryness when working at a computer, did this happen to anyone?) Yes, this has happened to me though they've advised me to use lubricating drops in my eyes for the first two months every hour. Now, I didn't have dry eyes going into the status of being a LASIK patient and I do have some dry eye, but I do not require drops every hour. About every 4-8 hours seems right. My eyes at this point are a bit strained from computer use and I have toned my monitor's brightness down a little. I expect that as with the halos, this will change. Having done it, would you still choose to do it over again? At this point, I really can't say. It's about 50/50 for and against. There are many benefits I could mention, but also many fears that have been in the back of my mind (for instance, the possibility that I might develop keratoconus (Basically, your corneas bulge and look like boobs and it fucks up your vision and there's really nothing that can be done besides rigid gas permeable lenses to stave off this really, really bad condition.). Though I am liking not seeing without glasses, for the time being, I'm generally concerned about my overall corneal health. I cannot wait until the doctor performs a post-operative topography and tells me exactly how many microns of my cornea have been vaporized. Is there anything bizarre (like your eyes falling out) that I should know about? If you're into contact sports or get hit in the face a lot on a daily basis, I would suggest you look into PRK over LASIK because while the cornea heals really well, it can still become dislodged by a traumatic event to your eye (though it's likely the traumatic event would have caused a blindness in that eye anyways). Kalimar fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Aug 18, 2009 |
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Aug 18, 2009 22:50
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I haven't seen it mentioned, but I originally was looking between LASIK and LASEK. LASEK involves peeling the entire outer layer of the eye up, doing the adjustments, and then carefully smoothing it back down. There's no flap, and you get a similar recovery time to LASIK. The down side is that doctors who don't do it alot can accidentally leave rough spots in the layer after the smooth it down, like a sticker that you hosed up applying to something. I ended up having PRK because the place I went with had LASIK or PRK as the options, and I was adamant about not getting the flap. 20/15 in one eye, 20/20 in the other. No night time problems. Otherwise similar experience. Roughly 4000 dollars. Was done in the US. I had some custom detailed something or other, but I forget the details. I guess it's the wavefront routine, since it sounds the same (less cutting--require for thin corneas--which I don't have, but I'd rather spend the extra effort on something like my eyes, especially if they have to go back for more later). I'm 2 years out, and my eyes are occasionally dry, and, compared to the way they used to be, a little more susceptible to irritation from dust and so forth, but there's nothing about that which concerns me. In fact, it's hard to know how much is real and how much is my imagination + not wearing glasses that protect your eyes from wind and debris.
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Aug 19, 2009 01:50
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Well I had PRK a week ago. My close up vision is not what it was before the surgery yet. I can see better further away. It is somewhat better than with glasses, but also somewhat worse. It is hard to describe. Squinting does not help me see more clearly. I am hoping it keeps getting better. It is good enough to drive right now, but I'd still like it to be much better since it is no where near how clear it was when I had contacts.
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Aug 19, 2009 03:18
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3rdEyeDeuteranopia posted:Well I had PRK a week ago. I wouldn't worry. All of the literature on LASIK would tell me the epithelium doesn't come in and establish itself for some time. Given that PRK is surface ablation I'd wait for your eyes to heal some more.
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Aug 19, 2009 03:26
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Yeah, I know. I had a follow up visit. It is just annoying since there hasn't really been improvement in the past 3 or 4 days.
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Aug 19, 2009 03:28
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I'm going for LASIK in September. I've opted for the Custom Wavefront instead of standard LASIK because I have larger than normal pupils... about $800 more at my clinic (LASIK MD in Calgary). I'm pretty paranoid about the night vision problems, like halos, etc. They've told me that I will be at the clinic for 4-5 hours, and that I should bring a book/laptop/snacks... why am I there so long if the surgery only takes a few minutes?
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Aug 19, 2009 04:13
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3rdEyeDeuteranopia posted:Yeah, I know. I had a follow up visit. It is just annoying since there hasn't really been improvement in the past 3 or 4 days. Don't worry about it, took me about 2 weeks before I was able to see 20/20. Make sure you're using your eye drops a lot, helps heal faster.
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Aug 19, 2009 04:30
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geochick84 posted:They've told me that I will be at the clinic for 4-5 hours, and that I should bring a book/laptop/snacks... why am I there so long if the surgery only takes a few minutes? Of that time, only 30 minutes at most will be the procedure itself. It's two step with two separate machines, or processes (you just mentioned Wavefront LASIK, which is the excimer laser) depending on whether you're going with the IntraLase (flap of cornea is created with a mesh of bubbles from a laser) or the microkeratome blade (a specialized blade on a guide track cuts the thin corneal flap). They'll probably have you signing some paperwork and they'll have you take a Valium as well as let it set in. That's all an hour or so at most. Perhaps they'll want to keep you for awhile afterwards? Strange though that they'd have you bringing a book or laptop.
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Aug 19, 2009 04:53
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what do people think of Epi-Lasik? Right now I'm in a unique situation where I am taking more than a month between jobs. So I'll have plenty of time for recovery. In this case I'd rather get PRK over LASIK since I can work the recovery period better and there is no reason to incur risks associated with LASIK. Epi-Lasik is preferable to PRK because although they are roughly the same procedure, supposedly Epi-LASIK has a quicker recovery period. Also wondering how much experiences matters for Epi-Lasik. Since it's a less popular procedure I doubt that there are many doctors who have performed tens of thousands of these procedures. But my thought is that a doctor with significant LASIK experience could easily cross over into Epi-Lasik with no issues.
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Aug 19, 2009 09:17
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Mog posted:The bad news: The surgery itself was a soul-crushing experience for me. The doctor didn't explain what to expect, and I broke out in a cold sweat about a minute in. Although there was no pain, I could still feel the slicing of the outer layer of my eye when they peeled it away at the start. The whole time I was worried I would do something wrong and end up blind and I had to grip the sides of my table as tight as I could to hold still, because I started shaking something awful. Really? I was completely traumatized by the procedure, as in right at the beginning I started crying, and basically didn't stop until the next day. I also made that exaggerated agonized/terrified face you normally only see on babies and had to keep it the entire time because if I tried to smooth it out, I'd feel a scream coming on. I'd do it again though! I'd just ask for another pill. They were running behind so mine wore off before I got in. geochick84 posted:I'm going for LASIK in September. I've opted for the Custom Wavefront instead of standard LASIK because I have larger than normal pupils... about $800 more at my clinic (LASIK MD in Calgary). I'm pretty paranoid about the night vision problems, like halos, etc. Because they are busy busy people and when they're ready for you, you have to be there. They do a check, then you wait for the surgeon, then they do another check. It wouldn't take long but there will be a ton of other people also getting surgery at the same time. Also Custom Wavefront will not save you from night vision problems. I had that, and I still have halos. I knew I would, because my pupils are huge, and accepted it before I had it done (and it's not that bad) but if you're really worried about that you might want to take a pass on this one.
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Aug 19, 2009 09:20
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Have long-term eye-health studies been published on those who've had these surgeries? I'm worried about getting it and then having complications maybe 30 or so years later. I'd imagine the surgery has been out now for 20+ years so I'd imagine these exist.. Did any of you ask your surgeons/doctors this question?
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Aug 19, 2009 09:43
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Totally Negro posted:Did any of you ask your surgeons/doctors this question The best information I got on this subject I found on the history of eye surgeries (corneal modifications) and how long they've been performed. I know RK patients from the 80s who still see fine and it has been 20 years for them, and RK is in principle the same thing as PRK, just that RK used a blade. These procedures had taken place in Colombia in the 1950s and, as most people remember learning about keratomileusis, from the USSR during the 1980s.  You can have cataract surgery after having LASIK, LASEK or PRK, though the ophthalmologist will want to have a record of your prescription before having refractive surgery because that's been a problem I've read reported by surgeons. I took it upon myself to ask for copies of my pre-operative corneal topographies and I've kept the scores as well as my glasses for this reason should I need cataract surgery at a late age. Some 10 year studies from the early LASIK patients have come back and most are still seeing close or near to what they were seeing after the procedure. As far as I know, Weird Al and the 97/98 bunch haven't had problems yet. To be quite honest however, I can only hope that in the future, and through stem cell research, grafting, and repairing corneal tissue/structure becomes more advanced. A recent study published April 2009 this year found that patients with diseased corneas were able to see after injecting programmed stem cells into their corneas. The diseased portions of their corneas were repaired and became clearer. Overall, it's a modification to the structure of your eye, but it's nowhere near as serious as an entire corneal transplant with all of the issues associated with that (whether or not the donor cornea will be accepted). There is a medical history of corneal modification. Edit: It's also advised to go to an eye doctor you can trust yearly as is the usual even if you decide to have refractive surgery or not, they'll catch things early. Kalimar fucked around with this message at 13:12 on Aug 19, 2009 |
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Aug 19, 2009 12:00
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