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I was reading an article about Medical Tourism and wanted to know if anyone had experience (or knows of people) who've traveled outside of the US (to Singapore, Thailand, India, etc...) to have LASIK performed. Cost, Experience, Recovery, Complications, etc...
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Dec 9, 2009 01:28
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I'm posting a ton in this thread but I'm bored at work so whatever. I had mine done in Korea (where I'm living), the standard of care there was probably as good as back home. I paid 2 million Korean Won--at the time about $1700 US. This price included the surgery, eye drops, check-ups, and any follow-up surgeries that might be required. The doctor was very experienced--thousands of surgeries under his belt. In general they are here, because Korea has one of the highest cosmetic surgery rates in the world, and LASIK is kinda cosmetic when you think about it. The clinic was in the middle of Gangnam, the poshest area of Seoul. I couldn't a better place if I tried. I asked the hard questions and they had a high satisfaction rate and new equipment. The biggest issue with having vision surgery done in a country that you don't live in is that it's a process, not a one-time appointment. -whatever days: pre-screening day 0: surgery day 7: Get the bandage contact lens removed. day 14: checkup / eye drop adjjustment. day 30: and every month after that for 6 months: check-up / eye drop adjustment. Maybe it's a bit more feasible for LASIK, I dunno.
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Dec 9, 2009 01:40
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FooGoo posted:What was your pre-surgery prescription? So you have no issues with dry eyes or night vision now? Thanks. Hyperopia, +2.75, +3.5 No issues with night vision or dry eyes.
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Dec 9, 2009 10:00
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Mövenpick posted:I was reading an article about Medical Tourism and wanted to know if anyone had experience (or knows of people) who've traveled outside of the US (to Singapore, Thailand, India, etc...) to have LASIK performed. Cost, Experience, Recovery, Complications, etc... Cost: 297,000 yen (about $2970) Experience: Fantastic. The place I went to took an amazing amount of time, care and testing to make sure I got the correct lasik surgery that would give me the best results. They always explained everything thoroughly and if I ever had a question via email, it was answered within an hour. They made sure I knew and understood all the risks and were very honest about what could happen. Recovery: I had my intra-lasik just over 24 hours ago. Right after the lasik, my vision was super hazy but I could see things. After a rest of 15 minutes, my vision was getting better but still hazy. On the train home, my eyes were really light sensitive and I couldn't keep them open because it was like staring at the sun. After I got home, I took an hour nap and was amazed by my vision when I woke up. Today I had a check-up and I could see better than 20/20 but I'm still having haze issues (common side effect that takes a week or three to clear up). The doctor looked at my corneas and said they were healing beautifully. I have another check-up in 6 days Complications: None so far Side note stuff: My friend was able to watch my surgery from the side room. One of nurses held my hand the entire time I was having my lasik. Didn't even have to ask Instead of goggles to sleep with at night, I have these plastic semi-dome things that I tape over my eyes with medical tape. Had a great 8 hours of sleep
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Dec 10, 2009 08:56
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Quick update: Went in today for my one week checkup I went from 1000/20 and 500/20 vision to 12/20 vision in both eyes. drat. The haziness is pretty much all gone, but I've still got some haloing and starbursts. Lasik is awesome.
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Dec 15, 2009 14:25
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Can i watch 3D movies if i get LASIK? Is there anyone here who´s had LASIK that has seen a 3D movie?
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Dec 17, 2009 11:37
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lirda posted:Can i watch 3D movies if i get LASIK? What? I'm not a doctor but I'm going to go with yes, yes you can still watch 3D movies.
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Dec 17, 2009 11:43
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lirda posted:Can i watch 3D movies if i get LASIK? Yeah, you can watch them (I saw the Hannah Montana 3D movie one month post-op), but unfortunately the image will be somewhat distorted (depending on how much of a correction you had.) What's your prescription? Also, due to the way the blue and red light reflect off the corneal epithelium, the retina basically gets "confused," for lack of a more accurate scientific term, and you will see a mirror-image of what's actually on the screen. This is usually not a big deal, but can be annoying if the movie has subtitles. Occasionally the picture can be out of sync with the audio, but this is rare, and is usually only a problem if there is corneal hazing causing visual latency.
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Dec 17, 2009 19:44
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Well I posted in this thread before about having PRK back in August... I had a 4 month checkup yesterday and I am now at 20/15 after being around 20/30 3 months. I stopped having dryness about two months ago. I was outside for an extended period of time (about two days) about a month ago and they didn't even get dry. I did have an issue with them getting very dry in early October when I drove for a while though. I am going to do about a 5 hour drive on Monday and I'll see if I still have that issue.
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Dec 17, 2009 20:16
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Elijah posted:Yeah, you can watch them (I saw the Hannah Montana 3D movie one month post-op), but unfortunately the image will be somewhat distorted (depending on how much of a correction you had.) What's your prescription? New 3D movies aren't in red and blue.. I've seen new-style ones no problem post op. My correction was -5 ish in each eye, not huge but not small either.
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Dec 17, 2009 22:15
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lirda posted:Can i watch 3D movies if i get LASIK? BTW are you seriously questioning getting this surgery just because you want to watch Avatar?
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Dec 17, 2009 22:35
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Well, bit the bullet and got PRK today. Eyes definitely feel dry and painful. Not fun. Vision is very very inconsistent at this point but better than before the surgery. edit to add: Dry eye/pain woke me up around 3am but I put in some eydrops, popped a vicodin and went back to bed. Not too bad. Had my 1-day followup today. Doc was pleased, said I am healing quickly. Right eye is 20/50, Left is 20/40 (from 20/400 and 20/200-). He told me my vision will get worse over the weekend, including possible fun problems as double vision, as the epithelial cells directly in front of my pupil begin healing, and it will then improve. I have some dry eyes, and they are getting tired quickly, but I am able to function - I just played 2 games of MW2 on Xbox live, but I needed to take a break after that. Tyro fucked around with this message at 17:37 on Dec 18, 2009 |
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Dec 17, 2009 23:18
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sorry for the hasty posting before, ive already had Lasik wavefront 1.5 years ago. I did it in Turkey when i lived there briefly, it was not a good experience. The doctors are very professional and the facilities top modern, but it was very impersonal and the Lasik surgerys were basically done like a factory assembly line. People came from all over the world though, cause its cheap and the Turks are very experienced. I did it alone and was very nervous, especially those hours after the surgery when i felt incredible pain, i was told there would be some but not that much. The morning after, the pain was gone, but my right eye/eyelid felt kinda heavish (just slightly, no big deal) , that subsized after a couple of months. Now i feel very good, my eyesight is great (slightly less in my right eye), also the heavy right eye reminds itself sometimes in the morning, but its no big deal, maybe i have gotten used to it. I recommend it too my friends and relatives, but i also inform too read up on the procedure, so they know every step, less nervous that way, and also to not do it alone. Have someone you trust with you. Sun glasses post-op is also a good idea, the first hours my eyes were strained and it was hard to open them because it felt like someone points a flashlight too your face.
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Dec 18, 2009 07:27
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blue_kameleon posted:New 3D movies aren't in red and blue.. I've seen new-style ones no problem post op. My correction was -5 ish in each eye, not huge but not small either. I must be really bad at sarcasm, if you actually believed I was serious. Or maybe you're just dense. Maybe both.
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Dec 19, 2009 14:21
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I had wavefront Lasik in May 2006 here in the Bay Area, and paid $4,600 for it at the time. Before the procedure my prescription was around -7 with astigmatism, with both vision and astigmatism being slightly worse in my left eye. The day after the operation my vision was tested as 12/20, and within a few days it improved to 20/20. My left eye is still slightly weaker than my right, but my right is slightly better than 20/20 so with both eyes it evens out to perfect vision. I had dry eyes for about a year after the operation but it does not bother me much any more and I have not used drops for a couple of years. One thing that I remember is that for a while after the operation if I was around someone cooking with a lot of onion the fumes would burn the poo poo out of my eyes since they were under-lubricated, very unpleasant but also kind of funny in hindsight. I also have high glare sensitivity since the surgery, but I just wear polarized sunglasses whenever I got outside during the day and this takes care of it. No night vision detriment that I can tell, and no excessive haloing either. Over all, I would totally do it again in a heartbeat. Before LASIK my focal range was literally about an inch from my face, so it has definitely been a positive and life changing thing.
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Dec 19, 2009 16:33
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furushotakeru posted:Before LASIK my focal range was literally about an inch from my face, so it has definitely been a positive and life changing thing. Really? I was kind of worried, but I can see about two feet.
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Dec 19, 2009 16:36
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Elijah posted:I must be really bad at sarcasm, if you actually believed I was serious. Or maybe you're just dense. Maybe both. Haha sorry. I guess it didn't transfer over the internet. New 3D movies are loving sweet though, and not having to wear the glasses over my regular glasses rocks.
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Dec 19, 2009 16:38
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Cojawfee posted:Really? I was kind of worried, but I can see about two feet. OK I exaggerated a bit. It was more like 2 inches. Seriously.
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Dec 19, 2009 17:16
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LinuxGirl87 posted:My questions: Yes, I had custom Lasik surgery performed about a week ago. I was corrected to 20/15 in both eyes with contacts, and at my 1 week check-up after Lasik I was 20/20 in both eyes. The doctor told me I will probably keep improving slowly until about six weeks after the surgery, so I could be back to 20/15. The surgery itself was uncomfortable with lots of pressure. The recovery process was more annoying that painful with dryness and itchiness. I had custom Lasik surgery, which isn't supposed to affect night driving. In fact, I think I see a little better at night. No, no affect on working with a computer. Yes, I would definitely do it again unless something goes wrong as a I continue to recover. The surgery included moments of blindness that was a little scary. That was for about 20 seconds in each eye when the laser was used.
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Jan 16, 2010 04:33
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Did anyone get theirs done at Saddleback Eye Center? I'm thinking about getting lasik if I can make enough money during the summer to afford it, and it seems like it's well respected. My parents don't like the fact that they advertise so much though and feel like it makes them look less professional. Anyone have any experience with them? edit: Also been thinking about Dr. Lee since he'd definitely be cheaper, has great reviews on yelp, and seems very experienced. Anyone get it done by him? NOTAVIRUS.jpg.exe fucked around with this message at 07:08 on Feb 24, 2010 |
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Feb 24, 2010 06:41
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NOTAVIRUS.jpg.exe posted:Did anyone get theirs done at Saddleback Eye Center? I'm thinking about getting lasik if I can make enough money during the summer to afford it, and it seems like it's well respected. My parents don't like the fact that they advertise so much though and feel like it makes them look less professional. Anyone have any experience with them? I'm going in for a consultation with Dr. Lee this Friday. He's definitely a lot cheaper and, like you said, he's got great reviews on Yelp. Some of the reviews do say that he has tons of patients, which results in long wait times.
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Feb 24, 2010 07:13
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Miss Nomer posted:Quick update: Hey Miss Nomer, Any updates on the haloing and starbursts? I'm in Japan and thinking of getting this done as well. Which clinic did you go to? Was it this one? http://www.minamiaoyama.or.jp/en I'm trying to find a place where there's no major issues with language. My Japanese isn't awful, but a mistake here isn't like ordering the wrong temperature of soba, if you know what I mean.
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Feb 26, 2010 17:04
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Had PRK. Recently got my one year checkup and have 20/15 vision, from 20/400. I have no issues besides the occasional dry eyes in the morning.
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Feb 26, 2010 19:41
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Is LASIK normal laser eye surgery or is it some kind of new procedure ? I have never heard this term before until recently, and have heard it in like 4 different places just these past few weeks. Is it simply the USA term for laser eye surgery ? I heard a few years ago that they dont recommend students get eye surgery, as they still spend time studying/reading a lot and these activities cause you to get shortsighted, meaning you are sort of wasting the eye surgery. Is this actually true ? I use glasses and hate contacts (eyes get dry etc), but ive been thinking about getting surgery for a few years now. It costs a ton here in norway though, 45k NOK which is about 8k US$
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Mar 3, 2010 16:44
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Is it true that you are given a choice of correcting for distance or near vision? Therefore if you choose to correct for vision, you might need reading glasses for close up vision.
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Mar 5, 2010 09:07
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I just had custom blade-less LASIK a week ago. I can already say it's the best thing I've done in recent memory. I had really bad astigmatism, and had a really hard time with contacts, and now I have 20/15 vision and not even really any issues with dryness. The actual experience is...strange. The smell of the laser on your eyes is a little off-putting, it reminded me strongly of the smell that occurs when you get your teeth drilled. The day of the surgery after the numbing drops wear off is the worst but after a nap it was totally tolerable.
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Mar 6, 2010 04:12
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The Lone Lemon posted:Hey Miss Nomer, I went to Kobe Clinic which is a great place to go to if your Japanese is so-so. There are people who's solo job is to help English speakers with anything and everything. Even though they are the "Kobe Clinic" there are several locations and the doctors are wonderful. I know another person who went here and we both had an amazing experience.
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Mar 6, 2010 19:17
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For those that had PRK done, how long was your healing time?
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Mar 25, 2010 04:04
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I had the doctor tell me that my corneas were too thin for me to be a good candidate for LASIK or PRK. The bastard! Now I'm sitting here feeling all self-conscious about my inadequate corneas. I'm trying to tell myself that their thinness makes them "refined" rather than "pathetic" but it's not working...
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Mar 25, 2010 16:06
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I was told the same thing with regards to lasik, but i havent tried getting a consultation with PRK. I've been looking into ICL though - shouldn't that still be okay with people with thin corneas?
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Mar 25, 2010 17:02
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I had a consultation and I was recommended Lasik, and was told I have very, very large pupils (one of the largest theyve seen). Online, it seems that PRK is recommended more for people with large pupils, should I be concerned about this? Also, Should I go for wavefront? Its about $2200 more, and the doctor said she was on the fence about what to recommend since my near sightedness isn't bad at all (only -1.5). Is it worth the extra money?
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Apr 15, 2010 02:18
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Phiberoptik posted:I had a consultation and I was recommended Lasik, and was told I have very, very large pupils (one of the largest theyve seen). Online, it seems that PRK is recommended more for people with large pupils, should I be concerned about this? Personally, I think just about everyone should get PRK instead of LASIK anyway, but if you have concerns about what they told you, you should get a second opinion. Don't take chances when it comes to your vision. $2200 more for Wavefront? That's kinda steep. How much are you paying total? Elijah fucked around with this message at 14:48 on Apr 16, 2010 |
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Apr 16, 2010 14:45
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mpyro posted:For those that had PRK done, how long was your healing time? I was totally out of commission and unable to handle pretty much any light for 6 days; I wasn't able to resume normalish sort of life until probably day 9 or 10. Even then, my eyes still hurt and were very dry -- I only got off lubrication last month (if I didn't do it, my corneas would stick when I slept maybe once a week or so [more so several months ago]) and the appropriately titled FML two months ago. I had the surgery in November, fwiw.
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Apr 16, 2010 17:30
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Just had lasik done 2 days ago, this thread in part convinced me to do it. It was totally painless, just uncomfortable. Not sure what my vision was before, I could barely make out the second line on the eye chart, but the morning after the procedure I was at 20/20. Also, I was told I had large pupils and may get halos, but haven't experienced that at all so far.
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May 23, 2010 23:38
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LinuxGirl87 posted:I've worn glasses for years and I'm pretty profoundly nearsighted (something like 20/200 uncorrected, although it corrects to something near 20/20). I tried to try contacts but I can't get used to touching my eyes. So, logically, the best thing to do is have lasers shot at them, right? I had laser eye surgery done about 2 years ago. Best f'n money I have ever spent. Took me from a power of -11.00 (left) and -10.25 (right) to perfect and better than perfect. It hasn't messed with my night vision a lot. I couldn't see poo poo before without glasses or it being, literally, 3 inches from my eyes, so I guess I can't really say. It has actually been more comfortable staring at a computer without my glasses. On the question regarding pain, Everyone I have known that does it was ok, but with mine being such a dramatic change and my body's lack of processing any type of pain killer, there were points it was not comfortable. I would definitely do it over again. I can't stress enough that you should spend as much money as you can on a good doctor. These are your eyes. You aren't getting another set. Shell out the cash. Mine was $6,000 for both eyes. Excellent doctor up in NYC (I call him Jesus as he was Jewish and laid his hands on my eyes, and lo, I could see again. Hallelujah!)
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May 25, 2010 16:26
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I was going to have LASIK, but I found out that my cornea is abnormally thin and that it would be very dangerous for me to have the procedure (or any others similar). That kinda sucked, but I'm happy they at least were willing to tell me instead of take my money and hope for the best. I would advise getting a second opinion before having something like LASIK for this reason; it's dangerous for some people who have abnormally shaped corneas.
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May 25, 2010 17:46
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Ytlaya posted:I was going to have LASIK, but I found out that my cornea is abnormally thin and that it would be very dangerous for me to have the procedure (or any others similar). I've got the same problem you do, so I had ASL instead. In that procedure, they completely scrape off the outer layer of the cornea, hit the inner layer with the laser, then fit a protective lens to protect your eye while the outer layer grows back over the next 3-4 days. Now I'm better than 20/20.
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May 26, 2010 06:32
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mpyro posted:For those that had PRK done, how long was your healing time? About a week to feel completely normal. Four days to actually be able to function. I had them both done a week apart and I went to a bar the night after I got the second eye done. It wasn't heaven but I was fine with sunglasses and frequent eyedrops. The first day is absolutely miserable and you'll want to be asleep for as much of it as possible. Hopefully you get good pain meds. The second day is pretty bad too plus you'll probably sleep so much the first day that you won't be able to sleep much on day two. That means you'll be awake all day but unable to do anything that requires vision. By day three I could watch TV in small bursts while wearing sunglasses and on day four I was able to sit in front of my TV all day. You will look disgusting at least through the third day so if you're easily embarrassed, you'll probably want to stay home. Even on the first day when I was leaking waterfalls of tears into my oatmeal at Denny's I didn't regret getting PRK over LASIK though. None of the doctors could give me a valid reason to get LASIK instead of PRK so I went against all of their recommendations and went with PRK. A couple days of pain is worth not having permanent eyeball weirdness.
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May 26, 2010 07:41
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For any military people in the know, I'm in the Oregon National Guard and wanting to get a PRK, but I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone. I called Tricare, they told me to call Madigan hospital. Called Madigan, they told me to call Tricare. Am I fully financially covered for a PRK, and if so, what process do I need to go through to get the ball rolling?
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May 26, 2010 19:06
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2ndclasscitizen posted:I've got the same problem you do, so I had ASL instead. In that procedure, they completely scrape off the outer layer of the cornea, hit the inner layer with the laser, then fit a protective lens to protect your eye while the outer layer grows back over the next 3-4 days. Now I'm better than 20/20. Oh wow, I didn't know about that. How is the procedure/recovery in terms of pain, cost, etc?
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May 26, 2010 19:40
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