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I'm looking into getting PRK and my insurance company offers a discount through a company called QualSight LASIK. They claim to contract out to local doctors and can somehow get a steep discount. Anyone ever use them? They claim I can get LASIK/PRK done for $895/eye which is about half what I've seen elsewhere. Is this legit/safe? http://www.qualsight.com/index.html
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Aug 23, 2009 06:22
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for lasik, I think 895 was close to what they were quoting me per eye. I didn't go that way, but there's a star on their map of locations at the location where I got my PRK. The other thing is that I investigated the procedure, initially going one place about 40 minutes away. I went in, did all the test stuff they start with and sat down to talk brass tacks. I was ready to go, and then the weird little PR lady they had started saying poo poo that made me nervous (about the flap not fully healing, and bizarre crap about staying out of dusty environments for the rest of your life). I asked to talk to the doctor. What happened is that the doctor who was established was hardcore into LASIK, because it made money. He was bringing on a younger guy who would do the other procedure, and was sort of a big-shot in the field for teaching it to others. I talked with him on the phone for a while and he answered all my questions and helped me committ to a non-flap version of the surgery. Then some weird poo poo happened where his insurance coverage wasn't ready on time, and I got cold feet. Flash forward several months, and I went to a different place about 20 minutes away that was part of a name-brand chain of lasik places (I forget the name) and was part of my insurances discount setup. When I went in the front door, I could swear I recognized the doctor who did my exam, and at the end he said he thought he recognized me. Turns out, he was the guy who did my exam at the other place further away--which ended up shutting down. What it takes to do the surgery is fluids, knives, and a million dollar machine that does all the cuts for you. Otherwise, the offices these places have are pretty much like dentists/opthamologists/general practitioners offices. They can be literally anywhere, and just because the building isn't anything special doesn't mean the guy doing the procedure isn't competent. Plus, you have to consider that, with a big place that has a nice waiting area and stuff (in terms of like a fountain or something), there's an implied amount of volume that might affect how much personal attention you can get. The first place I went was big and pretty, and ended up being a bad experience that shook my confidence. The second place, was smaller, clean, and I was treated with more attention. Bottom line will be, go in, do the exams to see if you're ok. Ask questions if you have any, and see how they behave when it's time to 'sell' you. If you don't have any alarms, and feel like they've justified their experience level enough, then you'll probably be fine. I don't think anybody skips the million-dollar-machine step, so it's kind of a standardized thing. The reason I mention the doctor who moved is because the people with the expertise are sort of Ronin in the medical world. They wander around, and aren't necessarily part of institutions with reputations. At least, that's my impression.
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Aug 23, 2009 09:29
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I've always thought of LASIK but have always been wary. I've worn glasses since I was about 13 and occasionally wear contacts. The contacts I'd wear on a night out only since they're a pain in the rear end to get in at 730am when I'm in a rush for work, especially since astigmatism in one eye means I have to get them in the right orientation each time. I think my vision is -4.5 and -4.75. Biggest problem though is I've had a vein burst in the back of each eye now, leading to small points where vision is very fuzzy. (Basically like if you look at a bright light and you see an after-image. Its that but doesnt go away). Its called a Branched Retinal Vein Occlusion (BRVO) if you want to know. So I'm basically paranoid about anything going near my eye, especially to chop it open incase it worsens the problems I have. I presume this is a contraindication for LASIK, but I've never checked. The docs have told me I must always be well hydrated (dehydration = thicker blood, more chance of clot, more chance of another BRVO). Anyone on here had similar problems that they had, and had LASIK done anyway?
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Aug 23, 2009 12:04
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Fasheem posted: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. How big are your pupils?
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Aug 23, 2009 17:54
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I had my Lasik/PRK consultation today. The doc seemed fine and my eyes were good candidates for either. However I'm getting second thoughts. I have mild myopia and with a -1.25 sphere lens I can see corrected to about 20/15. Without glasses I'm between 20/40 - 20/60. My hesitation is the fact that I'd rather not deal with reading glasses. I can view a computer/read a book with my glasses on, so I know that I won't need reading glasses right away as my eyes can still adjust to read up close. However myopia has its advantages - I have poor distance vision but great near vision. I do more reading / close up work than I do activities that I'd really like to not have glasses for. In other words I don't care about wearing glasses for driving while I do care about glasses while doing sports / going out. But that said I probably spent 8-10 hours a day needing close up vision. So getting refractive surgery done and having to wear reading glasses several years earlier will probably be more inconvenient for me than vice versa.
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Sep 3, 2009 23:53
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Fraternite posted:How big are your pupils? Fake edit: I actually managed to spell both ophthalmologist and epithelium correctly on the first try! 
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Sep 4, 2009 00:00
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Happydayz posted:So getting refractive surgery done and having to wear reading glasses several years earlier will probably be more inconvenient for me than vice versa. Uhm is it a certainty or even a higher propability that this would follow?
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Sep 4, 2009 00:03
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Namarrgon posted:Uhm is it a certainty or even a higher propability that this would follow?
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Sep 4, 2009 00:39
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Fasheem posted: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'm a little confused. Why were you so upset? Because it hurt?
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Sep 4, 2009 01:58
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I had my free consultation today and it looks like I'll be going through with it in about 3 weeks. I'm leaning towards getting PRK and Wavefront/Custom done. Is the general consensus that wavefront is worth the extra money? In my case it would be an additional $700, but the entire will would come to about $2640 which is pretty good for DC I think.
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Sep 19, 2009 06:02
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I got PRK done about 3 weeks ago. I did a lot of shopping around, went to three different places: one was a big company called Lasik Plus, the other two were private surgeons. The initial quote ranged from $4000 to $5000 for the custom wavefront on both eyes. After the third place I went to, I kind of realized that even the private practices are just factories. All of them seemed to be good surgeons, and from what I could tell, it was mostly the machine that did most of the work anyway, so I went with the cheapest place, Lasik Plus. I managed to negotiate their quote down to $3000 from $4000. The place was pretty fancy looking and the surgeon had like 20 years of experience so I went for it. The day of was a little frustrating... they said to be there at 10am for my appointment, we show up on time, and it takes literally 3 and a half hours for me to be seen. There's like 8 other people in line before me. When you're expecting to have your eyeballs lasered, it's a little frustrating to be made to wait so long. But once I was in the chair, things went smoothly. I chose PRK because I didn't want to deal with the flap; so the doctor propped my eye open, put in like 8 different drops, and dived right in with the scraper thing. A few seconds on my right eye with the scraper, he pulled away and my vision was cloudy, he said to stare into the blinking circle, I heard a few clicks, and that was it. Next eye was the same thing and I was out of the chair with sunglasses on in a total of like 5 minutes. It wasn't painful, but I will say it was extremely uncomfortable. I had a clenched fist through the whole thing. My vision was cloudy for the first day and I was very light sensitive, so I just sat in bed and listened to NPR. No pain until the 2nd day, when I had a feeling like I was peeling onions all day long. The pain cleared up on the 3rd day, but my eyes were still sensitive to light, so basically for the first 3 days I just sat in bed. It was pretty drat boring. Now 3 weeks out, my left eye is 20/25, and my right eye is 20/40. It's a pretty big difference between them (though my original prescription of -4 -6 was a pretty big difference too) but I can drive and function in everyday life. I'm still waiting for that "a-ha" moment when everything's crystal clear, but the surgeon said it could take as long as 3 months to fully stabilize. So who knows!
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Sep 19, 2009 10:38
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From my limited knowledge of Wavefront, I would definitely shell out the extra money. Here's an article explaining some of the advantages: http://www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery/custom_lasik.htm Personally, when it comes to my eyes, I like to have the best technology available.
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Sep 20, 2009 13:07
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I loved loving with the people at my LASIK centre on my surgery day. Many people are scared half to death, and I was the complete opposite. Maybe it was my being younger (20 then, 21 now). I was in a meeting with a worker there doing the paper work and getting eye drops 20 minutes before the surgery, and a lamp suddenly went out in the corner of the room. I glanced at it and she said "oh that thing always does that...something with the electricity". I reply, "Well, I hope the machines zapping my eyes are more reliable". She immediately got on the defensive and comforted me, and I just laughed at her saying I was only joking. When I walked in the OR I said "entering the house of pain", and the doctor immediately said "No pain, no pain!" They're terrified you're going to chicken out and walk away with your thousands of dollars.
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Sep 21, 2009 16:20
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I'm glad this thread popped back up. I have LASIK scheduled for this Thursday the 24. I'm pretty excited. I'm going through Michigan Eye Institute, which is a pretty large office with lots of patients. I have never felt rushed, and all the people there are very friendly and helpful. I opted for the Intralase blade free procedure. I know there's only a tiny risk of complications with a blade, but I decided to reduce those even farther and forgo the blade entirely. I will also be having the CustomVue wavefront procedure. My eyes are bad. -5.50 in one eye, -6.75 in the other. I have no idea what that translates to as far as 20/x vision. I just want to be able to stop worrying about contacts. Like another poster said, it's a safety issue as well as an inconvenience. I always wonder what would happen if there was a fire, break in, or any other kind of emergency while I was sleeping. The surgeon I'm seeing has done thousands of these, and performs LASIK one day a month at this office. My consultation was just one week ago, so I happened to get in just at the right time with hardly any wait. I know they offer you a Valium before the procedure, and an Ambien to help you sleep later. So while I'm not nervous about it, I'll at least have some fun drugs to look forward to for a few hours. Assuming my eyes are still in my head, I will post a trip report here later in the week.
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Sep 21, 2009 18:12
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I've been thinking about LASIK for years. I wear -3.75 diopter contact lenses (I think that makes me about 20/350). They work fine, I see clearly, albeit with a bit of blurriness now and again. I don't have any troubles with contacts, but they are annoying to have to worry about, become uncomfortable when you leave them in too long, etc. Part of the reason I want to get surgery is to not have to worry about contacts with sports anymore. I'm not a big athlete or anything, but I play frisbee / football / paintball and ski / waterski / swim / wakeboard fairly often. I hate wearing goggles for water events and I don't like having to worry about losing a contact. I hadn't realized there was a distinction between laser surgery and knife surgery for this sort of thing. I thought athletes got laser surgery all the time? Obviously I'll consult an eye doctor if I begin to consider it seriously. I don't have the money yet anyway. But I have a plan that will cover a decent amount of cost, and even though I don't pay much as it is (my contacts are covered in full by my vision plan and I don't often replace my glasses) I'm thinking of the surgery. Anyone got any advice or thoughts on whether I should spring for it? Or should I just stick with contacts? e: but see, I'm already confused. I thought PRK was knife surgery. Is it not? Maybe this is a good question to tack on - given my desire to remain active etc, what sort of laser surgery should I research?
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Sep 21, 2009 18:31
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PRK doesn't involve a knife, they just scrap away some cells on your eye and then perform the laser stuff. Here's a video I found when I was looking at what the procedure was all about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-ASq7VUUyM LASIK uses a knife or laser to cut a flap into your eye which is lifted up and then put back after they shoot your eye with the laser. Here's a LASIK video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-TUMw1FTmY PRK has a longer healing time but doesn't leave the flap that LASIK does. There is a chance the flap could come loose some time in the future from a sports accident. I've seen a lot on conflicting reports on how well the flap actually heals. Wish I could find a definitive source on it.
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Sep 21, 2009 19:09
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How long did you guys have to wear "protective eyeshields" for after the surgery? That's the part I'm really dreading. If I have to sleep with poo poo on my face for a week, well, I won't sleep for a week.
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Sep 22, 2009 19:25
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Collar Crazy posted:How long did you guys have to wear "protective eyeshields" for after the surgery? LASIK, I dunno about. PRK, I think I had to wear them for a day, and then while sleeping for like a week. Ask for an Ambien prescription or something if you think it will be a problem.
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Sep 22, 2009 20:40
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I've had blurry vision (I cannot see things far away, so nearsighted right?) since i was a teenager. I've had glasses in the past and it helped for school and such, but i could never wear them full time. I get bad headaches (yes i know you have to wear glasses constantly to get used to them) Because without realizing it my eyes would inadvertently fixate on the glasses or the rim, and it was very straining. I'd tried contacts twice before, but with no luck. I know it sounds stupid but i could never get them in. I would sit down for hours at a time and just irritate my eyes to the point where i couldnt take it any more. My vision isnt terrible (i forget the actual prescription i had), i've gotten used to having bad vision over the years and try to compensate by squinting when i need to read a road sign or sitting in the front of the class for lectures. Whats the best route to shop for lasik? basically like you'd shop for anything else? should i get a referal? From the description of my scenario do you think (in your non medical opinion) that i may qualify for lasik?
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Sep 22, 2009 20:48
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TskMgr posted:I've had blurry vision (I cannot see things far away, so nearsighted right?) since i was a teenager. I've had glasses in the past and it helped for school and such, but i could never wear them full time. I get bad headaches (yes i know you have to wear glasses constantly to get used to them) Because without realizing it my eyes would inadvertently fixate on the glasses or the rim, and it was very straining. I'd tried contacts twice before, but with no luck. I know it sounds stupid but i could never get them in. I would sit down for hours at a time and just irritate my eyes to the point where i couldnt take it any more. I'd ask a few people maybe at work/school to see if you could get a referral to a good place. I've got my lasik scheduled for around thanksgiving through one of the medical universities. Still kind of nervous about it but, it looks like most people have positive experiences
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Sep 23, 2009 00:13
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yea i watched the video's posted above and had a panic attack about it.
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Sep 23, 2009 00:17
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HatandBanana to the rescue! I had Intralase, (a LASIK type operation that uses a laser to cut the flap instead of an actual blade,) about 2 1/2-3 years ago. Also, I worked as an optician, (not a doctor, just a dispensing agent) for 3 years, so I might be able to help a bit! # Do they see as well as they did with glasses? Far, far better. My vision before the surgery was 20/400, (or in otherwords, what you can see at 400 feet with perfect vision, is what something 20 feet away appears to me.) In Rx form, it would amount to an OD: -8.50 OS: -8.00. Haven't had my vision tested for a while, but I will note that I did have to have the surgery again on one eye, perhaps due to the fact that my eyes would change every 6 months, but in any case, I would guess it now to be 20/25 or 20/30, not perfect, but still allows me to drive. Much better than only being able to see something clearly if it were right in my face. # Does it hurt (before/during/after)? Imagine someone rubbing sand into your eyes, for about a week. It is much more irritating and itchy than it is painful, but I think the worst part is the really, REALLY blurry vision for 3-4 days after. It really impairs your ability to drive. Also, they will give you sport glasses to wear at night so that you don't dislodge the flap. I dislodged the flap once, and that REALLY hurts, but it is fixable. It is just really blurry and irritated until you get back to your Ophthalmologist. Be really careful when rubbing your eyes for ~3 months after the surgery. # I've been told it messes with your night driving, is that the case? Even 3 years later, my night driving is awful! Especially at night, in the rain when the road is wet and headlights are coming towards me. I just sort of have to guess where the lines are. This is due, in part, to the fact that the pupil expands beyond where the scar tissue is, thus scattering the light. It creates a "starburst" or "halo" effect and it is really drat annoying. The Ophthalmologist warned that this would be a side effect, though and there is no way to correct it now. Eyedrops help some. # 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 makes your eyes more tired, certainly. For me, especially on "allergy" days, my eyes get a little dry and burn-y at the end of the day when staring at the computer screen. The worst though is, OH GOD, WHITE TEXT ON BLACK BACKGROUNDS! The white text appears to have a "shadow" or "ghost image" and makes it much harder to read, thus, eye strain. I imagine that this is also due to the scar tissue. I notice my eyes strain much more quickly when reading things like a textbook, than they did when I had glasses. # Having done it, would you still choose to do it over again? Absolutely. As high as I was on the Rx scale, anything was an improvement and I am still much happier with the results, (beats coke bottles!) In addition, my Optometrist had concerns of my retina detaching and felt that this would help to slow down the rate at which my eyes were changing, (and it did!) Plus the whole inconvenience of glasses as a whole, (especially when you wear heavy ones 24/7.) In addition, with my Rx, it was much cheaper ($3,500 total) to go this route, than to buy ultra-thin glasses every 6 months. So even though I have to have one of my eyes done again, I would still do it. Is there anything bizarre (like your eyes falling out) that I should know about? Besides what I have already mentioned? Well, I cannot wear any form of eye makeup anymore around my eyes, because my eyes are suddenly allergic to everything. They are also really sensitive to bright sunlight, (and sometimes indoor light,) so I need to take care in wearing my sunglasses. Feel free to ask me anything else! EDIT: Oh yeah, and I have a DVD of my surgery, if that blows your dress up and you want to see it. I did, but again, I worked in the eye field at that time. It is both sickening and really interesting, though if you have a sensitive stomach, it may deter you from having the surgery. HatandBanana fucked around with this message at 07:00 on Sep 23, 2009 |
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Sep 23, 2009 06:58
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TskMgr posted:yea i watched the video's posted above and had a panic attack about it. Experiencing it and watching those videos are 2 different things. You don't watch yourself get stuff put on your eye and see stuff getting cut, you just feel a slight pressure on your eye, then your vision goes blurry. It was much easier getting it done than watching that horrible stuff.
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Sep 23, 2009 07:59
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Collar Crazy posted:How long did you guys have to wear "protective eyeshields" for after the surgery? Don't worry about this, I thought it would be hard but your eyes are so tired at the end of the day that its almost impossible not to. You only have to wear them for a week anyways, and worst comes to worst, just shoot some nyquil and you'll be golden.
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Sep 23, 2009 15:37
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I'm currently unemployed, so I suppose even if I don't sleep very well it's not like I have to be up at six AM. The Ambien suggestion is appreciated though, I may ask for a prescription for seven pills or so, and fill it if I really can't sleep. For those of you that wore contacts before the surgery, how long did you need to leave them out for? The place I'm going recommends two weeks but will vary that based on the scans of your eyes at your initial appointment. When I had mine done, everyone that saw them was surprised I wore contacts full time(not at night), and they said my eyes are "remarkably healthy". So I only needed to wear glasses for about six days. I suppose I'm worried though, how do they know that my eyes are their normal, unaltered state? Can they tell this from the scan? I keep worrying that my eyes won't be perfect with only six days of glasses wearing, and my surgery won't have the desired effect. They reassured me many times that if there was any question, they would make me wait. I'm definitely just freaking out because it's T-17 hours to my appointment.
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Sep 23, 2009 19:59
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Collar Crazy posted:
You are working yourself into a tizzy! Calm down. I can assure you it is a routine procedure that most doctors have performed many times and the success rate is very high. I think you are worrying yourself sick! As far as contacts, weird, my doctor only recommended 2 days. Are you older, OP? The reason I ask that is that older individuals have issues with the pressure reading in their eyes when wearing contacts for long periods of time. Perhaps it is just a "better safe than sorry" precaution, or perhaps it is because I got bladeless Lasik. To answer the next question, First, did you get a topography-like map of your eyes done? Did you get cornea depth readings done? If so, then yes, they can tell by the scans where they need to cut. They would not be recommending you as a candidate for LASIK, if you did not have sufficient cornea depth and then some, in case they mess up and over/undercorrect you and need adjustments. It is no big deal getting adjustments done, it is far more irritating the second time, with them having to cut the flap back open, but it does not hurt. With the Rx that you described, I really feel that the chances for making a mistake are quite low as compared to someone like me with 3x your prescription. I just have far less cornea depth. They will also usually measure you again the day of, (they did me,) to ensure that earlier readings are accurate. In any case, please be sure your clinic offers some sort of warranty/free adjustment/low cost adjustment guarantee in case over/undercorrection does happen.
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Sep 23, 2009 21:04
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Thanks for the info. I'm not too nervous, more just concerned about the contact removal thing. Since everyone is saying two weeks minimum, and my doctor said five days was plenty, it worried me a bit. Yes, they did all those tests and I believe they do some of them again on the day of surgery. I'm twenty three, and I'm getting the bladeless LASIK as well. I just wanted to be sure my eyes would be back to "normal" shape in that short period of time so that I got the best possible result. I am definitely a little nervous, but I know I'll be fine. Especially once they start handing out the Valium. Thanks for the reply, it's reassuring to hear my doctor is not the only one allowing contacts to be out for less than two weeks.
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Sep 23, 2009 21:20
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Aluminum Record posted:Would also be interested to hear if people responding to this had astigmatism, and if they'd like to divulge what it cost them and any guarantees they got with it. Answering earlier posts, just so the OP can get a piece of mind before his/her surgery. Aluminum Record - I had an astigmatism. It was very slight, OD: -0.50 OS: -0.75, but they warned me that any higher and I would not be able to get the surgery, due to my already large Rx. I did have to get my right eye (OS) done again, though, so I guess that is worth noting. I paid a discounted fee for bladeless LASIK, (Intralase) because I worked in the eye field and knew the guy. It cost me $3,500 for both eyes and came with a year of free adjustments, and lifetime minimal-cost adjustments (between $200-$300.) AFStealth posted:Maybe I got lucky, since I always hear about people who say they had 2 awful weeks of pain after PRK. AF Stealth - I have heard the same, but only from patients who had high Rx's, high eye pressure, or both. You are probably 20-30ish so I doubt you had either, but yes, maybe you did get lucky. LASIK is known to heal much faster than PRK. scapulataf posted:
Sacpulataf - Baloney! Sure, they recommend for you to have a constant prescription, because you are less likely to need adjustments, but believe it or not, LASIK is supposed to help in slowing down the frequency of eye changes, (Thus, why I got mine even though my Rx used to change every 6 months.) I have heard 4 years, 6 years, 2 years, really, as long as your Rx is fairly stable and does not make HUGE jumps, you are golden. Gentle Glide posted:
Gentle Glide- It was my impression that military members could only qualify for FREE PRK. Could be wrong though. As far as you are concerned. It depends on your age and the level of your astigmatism, but I am 20/400 and had it done with success. However, most importantly, it depends on your cornea depth, which is something that can only be measured with a machine. I will warn you though, patients like you and I are more likely to need adjustments every few years or so. Camulos posted:Do they give you anything to deal with them shooting your eyeballs with lasers? The idea of someone touching and being that close to my eyes makes me incredibly uncomfortable but I've heard they give you drugs that make you not care, anyone have experience with them? Camulos - Yes, they do. They offered me valium, which I gladly took. In addition they give you drops to numb your eye before the procedure and continue with the drops every few minutes or so during the surgery. Honestly, I felt pressure, but with the way they are moving your eye, it is hard to really SEE what they are doing, especially if you were blind like me, anyway. eyeshitinyourserial posted:Implantable contact lenses... Eyeshit - Actually, it has been around for a while, but for a different purpose, to assist with glaucoma/patients with cornea issues. Essentially, it wasn't as common and went by another name/purpose. The biggest risk with these are infection (slightly higher than LASIK) and the eye rejecting the foreign body over time, (but with a low percentage rate,) but because it isn't as widespread it is really drat expensive. federal_hax_bracket posted:I had astigmatism, got PRK done in Canada cause it wasn't approved in the states. Federal - What?? They do it in the states all the time, to members of the U.S. military. Who told you it wasn't allowed? rino86 posted:you can be too blind for LASIK. I went in two years ago and they determined that my cornea would become unstable if they cut it enough to give me 20/20. I wear a -.7.5 and a -8.0 contact lense, my vision is something like 20/400 but I cant remember the exact number. Rino- I couldn't disagree more. I was 20/400 as well. I suppose it might depend on your cornea depth, however, as people with higher Rxs are more likely to have thinner corneas, or it could have been the Dr. you went to. jibberjabber posted:I had LASIK done on Friday July 31, And my right eye is still a little blurry but my left eye is fine. Did anyone have one blurry eye after LASIK and how long did it take to get better? I'm kind of worryed that my right eye will stay this. JibberJabber- I was blurry for about a week in both eyes, and another 4 days after that in just my right. Remember, your eyes just experienced trauma and are trying to recover. If you are still having issues today, call your doc, as it has almost been a month. You could have been over/undercorrected. Happydayz posted:how much of a difference does bladeless LASIK and custom wavefront make overall? And since it's so automated right now just how much difference does the doctor make? Happydayz - Depends on your Rx, honestly. Bladeless saves cornea depth, which is a concern if you are on the higher end of the prescription spectrum. Wavefront is reportedly more accurate, because it follows a custom map of your eye. I had both, because with a -8.50 prescription, I was not taking any chances. I imagine it would probably be overkill, though, for someone with a light prescription, (like, under -4.00 or so..) SteviaFan420 posted:I'm interested in getting lasik or another procedure done but I'm a little nervous. Stevia - YOU WILL NOT GO BLIND FROM LASIK. Sure, you can get one eye done at a time, but it is a whole lot more of a hassle than it is worth, and it will really gently caress with your head having one eye be perfect and the other needing a corrective lens. You would most likely get a headache. I doubt there are surgeons who would do it this way, but you never know. It is very time consuming for them, too. Again, you will NOT go blind. You may have to have corrections done, but that might happen anyway, regardless of if you got them done together or separately. Fraternite posted:The pupil size + halos. Fraternite - I got wavefront and I still have halos at night. They are annoying and bothersome, but certainly manageable. My only real issue is with night driving, as, obviously, my pupil expands at night. I would still get it again knowing that, though. You get used to it. xelfer posted:
Xelfer- He just popped some blood vessels, probably when attaching the microkeratome. No big deal, it is really common, actually. Namarrgon posted:
Go to your local Optometrist for a recommendation and let him do part of the work-up for you, (getting your Rx, ect.) Or, just simply call a bunch of Optometrists in the area and ask them where they refer people to. If you hear the same name, call that place up and ask them about their success rates and the rate of individuals who needed touch-ups. WOW! There are still so many! I will get to more tonight after I get home.
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Sep 23, 2009 22:04
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Collar Crazy posted:How long did you guys have to wear "protective eyeshields" for after the surgery? I had to keep mine on for a week. These were what they gave me to wear. I would keep taking them off in the middle of the night, and my wife would end up nudging me to wake me up and making me put them back on. I slept like crap every night that week.
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Sep 24, 2009 05:45
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Shall I continue?roads posted: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. Roads - Nope, they don't put you to sleep, they give you Valium instead. They do numb the hell out of your eye, though, so you really don't feel them "touching" it exactly, it is more like pressure. You can't really see too much of what is going on, especially after the flap is lifted! Most of the flap cutting occurs out of your range of vision, so you can only see gloved hands moving and that is about it... ilkhan posted:Is there a downside to that at all? Or is it just 100% awesome vision? Ilkhan - The possibility of having to get it done again, blurry vision for a while, dry eye, weird allergies, extra sensitivity to light and halos. Otherwise, it is fairly safe. Those things are manageable and are not really deal breakers. Roll Fizzlebeef posted:For anyone who has had this done: how long does the procedure take? Roll- I came in and did some testing before surgery, which took about 15 mins., then it took me about 30 mins. for them to put the iodine in my eye and get me outfitted in surgical gear and put cleansing drops in my eyes, another 15 to let the numbing stuff kick in and only about 5 mins. for the actual surgery, with about 10 mins. in the recovery room, so roughly 1 hr. 15 mins. - 1 hr. 30 mins. or so, most of it is prep/waiting time. Troublemaker 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. Troublemaker + others - That is because it is due to a different eye issue. As we age, the muscle that we focus with loosens and it becomes more difficult to focus close-up. Because this is due to a different issue occurring in the eye, LASIK does not solve that issue. However, should you have enough cornea tissue at that time, you can get an additional correction called "Monovision" where one eye sees distance, the other sees reading. I have heard that many people love this, but for some their brains have a difficult time in adjusting and it gives them a headache. LASIK is still an option to help correct it though, just pointing that out... Happydayz posted:Isn't it the exact opposite? Over time people with myopia get better distance vision while their close-up vision gets worse. HappyDaze- You are sort of correct. Nearsightedness is common in children, but because their eyes naturally stretch and grow with age, their Rx lessens as the focal point becomes more "correct." If you are already grown and pretty nearsighted, you are apt to stay that way, but your FOCUS will become worse as you age, again, because it is an issue that is less to do with the shape of the eye and more to do with the breakdown of muscles in the eye. See the answer above for more info. As far as the hereditary question is concerned, it is true that an overwhelming percentage of the population need reading glasses as they age. Heredity plays a factor, similar to how it does with arthritis or any other-age related disease, meaning that it can affect the extent to which your body (eye muscles) breaks down and how quickly they do so. Eventually, most everyone's parts stop working like they used to, the question is WHEN and TO WHAT EXTENT. 3rdEyeDeuteranopia posted:Well I had PRK a week ago. 3rd Eye- First, it may be because it was a week ago and your eyes are still adjusting, second, you may have been mildly over-corrected, which is easily fixed, but it will be hard to tell as your vision stabilizes over the next 6 months, you may have some good and bad days. Please ensure to see your eye doctor at regular intervals to check your progress. sliceoftoast posted:LasikPlus. Please, dear god people, avoid "bargin bin chain stores" at all costs. Luckily your Rx was not that high, but these people are out to make money and accept patients who really should not be having the surgery, or that TYPE of surgery, just to make a buck. I have heard nothing, but bad things from them. When I worked with an Optometrist, we saw a lot of "failed" LasikPlus patients. Petey posted:Sports... Petey- After about a year, you really have to hit your eye pretty drat hard to dislodge the flap. If you do, it is painful, but usually repairable, but until your cells grow and the nerves grow back together, you may have to wear eyeshields anyway. That is, if you get traditional LASIK. PRK basically zaps the cells on top of your eye but does not create a permanent flap and they use a laser to zap those cells and leave them to heal (thus, a longer healing time), whereas LASIK creates a permanent flap, zaps the cells underneath, closes/seals the flap and lets it heal over, speeding cell healing time as it is now covered. The poster below you is incorrect. There are procedures that create the flap via laser now, thus making it an all-laser procedure. One method is called Intralase. From what I understand it injects carbon atoms underneath the top layer of the eye, causing it to break down and separate, (your eyes actually feel bubbly it is weird.) However, the poster is correct in that most are done with a microkeratome. Collar Crazy posted:How long did you guys have to wear "protective eyeshields" for after the surgery? I only had to wear mine when sleeping for about 2 weeks.It was annoying, but manageable. Make sure you wear your sunglasses for at least a couple months though, whenever you go outside, (but no, not at night har har.) Really, you should wear sunglasses every time after that, too, but I am usually naughty and forget. Make sure to moisten your eyes every few hours or so for the first week and alternate your pain/anitbiotic drops every other hour. It will help them heal faster and will speed relief time. Good luck on your surgery tomorrow! Report back soon and tell us your experience! Don't let the "traumatized people" scare you, they are all a bunch of babies. You will go in there and end up saying "that's it?" I will mention though, that you may need someone to assist you with driving for the next few weeks and after the surgery, so head's up. Any more questions?
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Sep 24, 2009 07:11
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Well, turns out I am in the "big baby" category! I've had some surgical stuff done before that's never bothered me, but something about having the flap cut in my eye really freaked me out(even with a double dose of Valium!). I almost fainted after that, and they were very understanding and offered to let me take as long of a break as I needed. I decided to drink some juice and go right back at it, just to get it over with. The actual laser correction was very easy and didn't bother me a bit. It was the flap part that did. Though it was pretty uncomfortable having the spring and the shields inserted in my eyes to keep them open, those pinched my eyelids quite a bit on insertion. Once they were in it felt fine. It was very cool how the light you focus on starts out very blurry and difficult to see. As the laser corrects your eye, it gets clearer and clearer as you watch. I asked "Is that thing moving closer?" They said, "Nope, that's your vision improving." If I had taken my Ambien right when I got home, I would have slept through the worst part of recovery. But once the adrenaline wore off, the Valium kicked my rear end so I was way too woozy to take anything else. So I laid around for a few hours while my eyes hurt like mad. About six hours of that and I was able to get up and put the eye drops in. After that, I have been great. I can actually see quite well, just a bit of blur. I would say my eyes are 95% clear, which is what they told me I could expect. I can get around, type, read, and watch TV. No pain at this point, just a little dryness. Every time I doze off and wake up, my vision is more clear. Oh and I did ask about corrections, they are covered for up to two years with the Intralase procedure that I got. Apparently they will know within six to twelve months if a correction is necessary, and it doesn't happen often. But it's great to know. Also thanks to Elijah for suggesting the Ambien prescription, they wrote me one for twelve pills though I only asked for seven. I will be filling that tomorrow, it's only $9.50 so that's worth it for a week of sleep. Kitten Smoothie, those are the same sunglasses and foam lined goggles I got. I'm wearing the goggles right now, actually. Pretty sexy. To sum it up, I would recommend LASIK so far, and Michigan Eye Institute to anyone in the area. They were really nice and accommodating, gave me tons of time to ask questions and go over everything. The laser techs were very cool guys, and pretty hilarious. They also didn't mind me swearing and bitching so that was a plus. It really wasn't that bad, I just have this thing about my eyes being messed with that made it more nerve wracking then it should have been. But I'm fine, and it was worth it.
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Sep 25, 2009 02:10
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Things are going pretty well, but today I woke up and my vision was slightly worse than yesterday. Has that happened to anyone? If it gets worse I can call the answering service for my doctor, but they're not open over the weekend. It's kind of freaking me out actually. It's not terrible, but my eyes are bit more like the first night after surgery. I did watch a lot of TV yesterday, out of boredom, and they were pretty tired by the time I went to bed.
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Sep 26, 2009 18:55
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I had my pre-op exam yesterday. I guess my eyes are ideal for surgery according to the doctor. My prescription hasn't changed much in 5 years so I guess I'm good to go. He seemed concern about why I wanted PRK but when I told him I don't like the idea of the flap he was quick to agree with me that it was the way to go. I guess they get a lot of people that just sprout out terms and have no idea what they actually want. So in 2 weeks time I'll be lying in bed waiting for my eyes to heal. Can't wait. On a side note... My Girlfriend has offered to drive me home after the operation. She hasn't owned a car in 5 years and will be driving through the streets of DC during rush hour... hopefully me and my car will survive.
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Sep 26, 2009 19:32
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Puck42 posted:I had my pre-op exam yesterday. Awesome, that's the situation I was in. Ideal candidate, one of the people likely to have 20/20 vision or better after surgery. I think it was four years since a prescription change for me. I wonder how things will go for you with the PRK. Personally I had about eight hours of "oh god why did I do this to myself" after the LASIK because of the burning. The weirdest part was that I physically could not force my eyes open for more than two to three seconds during that time. So when I got up to make some food I would walk a few steps, open my eyes and check my position. Close my eyes, walk a couple more steps. Must have been pretty funny to see. If I had just taken a couple Tylenol or my Ambien I'm sure I would have been fine, so in retrospect I should have done that before I laid down. I was also nervous about having my boyfriend drive me. He's not really a terrible driver, but we hit some crazy construction and I really hate not being the driver in most any situation. Good luck, update us on your progress.
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Sep 26, 2009 20:34
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[*]Do they see as well as they did with glasses? Yes, though after the surgery I can get some halos/glare from lights at night. I assume it will get better with time. [*]Does it hurt (before/during/after)? It can be a tad uncomfortable during in that you have bright lights in your eye but you can't close them. Right afterwards you can't really open your eyes much without tearing up a lot but it's not too bad. The main problem is dryness, which can be dealt with as long as you have preservative-free eye drops with you at all times. You will notice the dryness the most in the first couple months, then it will get better. [*]I've been told it messes with your night driving, is that the case? See above. It hasn't caused me any driving issues though. [*]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 hasn't for me. [*] Having done it, would you still choose to do it over again? yes, though I had a second procedure since I wasn't corrected enough the first time.
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Sep 26, 2009 21:23
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Collar Crazy posted:Things are going pretty well, but today I woke up and my vision was slightly worse than yesterday. Has that happened to anyone? If it gets worse I can call the answering service for my doctor, but they're not open over the weekend. It's kind of freaking me out actually. It's not terrible, but my eyes are bit more like the first night after surgery. I did watch a lot of TV yesterday, out of boredom, and they were pretty tired by the time I went to bed. Its the TV and computer, the same thing happened to me. I couldn't deal with anything with a screen for days after my surgery, too painful to look at, or I had to look at it with sunglasses and even then only for a short while. When I got back to work and 8hrs behind a computer I noticed this happen as well, after being on the computer my vision would be significantly worse. Its fine now, your eyes are just being strained from the screen while trying to heal. It could also be your eyedrops clouding your eyes, the lubricating ones I got were really gummy, it took longer than you'd expect for them to actually clear up, and a lot of the time when I thought my vision was fuzzy it was just that the eyedrops hadn't dispersed yet.
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Sep 27, 2009 00:47
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HatandBanana posted:Petey- After about a year, you really have to hit your eye pretty drat hard to No, PRK DOES NOT use a laser to remove the "cells on top of your eye." The epithelium is removed by hand with a tool that kinda resembles an orbital toothbrush (I don't know the name of it). Once the epithelium is removed, the excimer laser removes tissue from the stroma. In LASIK, the flap can be created either by microkeratome or with a laser, as you mentioned. I tend to question whether "most" are done with a microkeratome anymore, though that could be the case. Do you have a source for that, or are you pulling numbers out of your rear end? Collar Crazy posted:Also thanks to Elijah for suggesting the Ambien prescription, they wrote me one for twelve pills though I only asked for seven. I will be filling that tomorrow, it's only $9.50 so that's worth it for a week of sleep. Sweet, you can give me the other five. 
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Sep 27, 2009 16:54
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I've been thinking about getting this for some time now and I have a lot of the same concerns expressed already (post op issues, getting my eye cut open, etc) however I have yet to hear anyone comment about having dry eyes BEFORE surgery. One of the reasons I don't wear contacts is that my eyes are naturally pretty dry and summer allergies usually make them worse. I'm not good with eye drops due to not liking anything near my eyes and tend to forget about using any. Is that potentially a huge roadblock to getting lasik? (I'd imagine going for intralase custom).
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Oct 2, 2009 05:06
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Oxphocker posted:Is that potentially a huge roadblock to getting lasik? (I'd imagine going for intralase custom).
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Oct 2, 2009 17:25
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# Has anyone here had laser eye surgery done? I had it done about 7 years ago after wearing contacts for years. Best $1600 I've ever spent. # Do they see as well as they did with glasses? Much better. And if you're using glasses you're missing out on a certain amount of your peripheral vision too. Depending on what size lenses you use and how bad your vision is, the difference can feel just like switching a movie from pan-and-scan to widescreen. # Does it hurt (before/during/after)? It doesn't hurt, but the actual operation is so completely unlike anything you've ever done before that it's a bit uncomfortable. After the operation I pretty much went straight home and into bed, so no post-op pain or discomfort. I remember having blurry vision for about 3 days and slight dryness/discomfort for a couple days after that. No big deal. # I've been told it messes with your night driving, is that the case? Not for me. If anything I'd say my night vision is much better because my contacts used to get annoying toward the end of the day. Not an issue anymore. # 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?) Not at all. It's much more pleasant than working at the computer with contacts, as well as stuff like watching movies. # Having done it, would you still choose to do it over again? Absolutely. # Is there anything bizarre (like your eyes falling out) that I should know about? I did have one alarming-looking but harmless side effect: for a couple of days it looked like there was blood in the white part of my eyes. I was told this was somewhat common and nothing to worry about. They went away on their own within days. I could easily imagine some people totally freaking out over it though. Starblind fucked around with this message at 18:06 on Oct 2, 2009 |
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Oct 2, 2009 18:02
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