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Thread: laser eye surgery?

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    Featured Member lilylilylily's Avatar
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    Default laser eye surgery?

    I have always worn contacts and glasses. I have a very high prescription, am almost blind without them. Contacts really dry out my eyes and my glasses are too heavy for my face. I am seriously thinking of laser eye surgery but dont know how safe it is. My brother got it done years ago, says hes happy with it. what are you girls experience with it? Would you get it done? Its my eyes so it just scares me but I am really sick of glasses and contacts.

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    Actually, just came from the eye doctor and asked if I could ever do Lasik. He told me there was probably no way since my prescription is so high. If you're almost blind without glasses, you're probably in the same boat. BUT, he proceeded to tell me about a newer procedure for people who can't do Lasik - Visian ICL (Implantable Collamer Lenses). It's basically implanting a permanent contact lens in your eye. More invasive than Lasik and slightly more expensive, but he says it's been out long enough that nobody's seen any bad side effects, and that it would definitely change my life and it would be years before I started needed reading glasses or something as my eyes continued to worsen slowly. It's definitely something I'm going to look into further since I can't do Lasik. I'd recommend looking it up!
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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    I'm at around -5 in both eyes, and I'm getting it done next week. While extreme myopia can be difficult to work with, the bigger concerns are whether you have too thin of corneas or if you have really bad astigmatism. My boyfriend is getting it done in December, and he has worse astigmatism than me and his prescription is -6.5. He also has dry eyes from two rounds of Accutane when he was younger. The dry eyes are a concern, because my doctor said everyone has drier eyes after Lasik, to the point that they recommend preservative-free eye drops every hour that you're awake for 2-4 weeks. He said that a lot of people also have light sensitivity immediately after, but that both of these problems resolve within months for a majority of people. Some people also experience difficulty driving at night at first, but I already see halos at night, so I'm used to coping with it and will likely get relief from that with Lasik.

    IMO, the people who have Lasik horror stories are usually the ones who went to shitty doctors to try to save a buck. Don't go to anyone advertising "Lasik as low as $299!" or some bullshit. That's a bait-and-switch tactic, and IMO, only shitty doctors have to resort to that. Research what kind of laser your potential doctors will use, and don't just trust the ones that say they have the newest/shiniest laser. Some doctors stick with technology that's a few years older than the newest because different lasers have different benefits and drawbacks. Ask them about their revision rates and their policy regarding refinements. My doctor has six months of free checkups, and any refinement that might be needed is free for two years after the date of surgery.

    If you're curious, go get a consultation! Many places do free ones. They can tell you whether you're a good candidate or not. The tests were a little uncomfortable because they dilated my eyes and used a machine to determine my corneas' thickness, but it was worth it. Some places want you to be out of contacts for at least one week before you do the tests, and you definitely have to be out of them for one to two weeks before you get Lasik, so I would suggest stopping contact wear asap.

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    I'm at around -5 in both eyes, and I'm getting it done next week. While extreme myopia can be difficult to work with, the bigger concerns are whether you have too thin of corneas or if you have really bad astigmatism. My boyfriend is getting it done in December, and he has worse astigmatism than me and his prescription is -6.5. He also has dry eyes from two rounds of Accutane when he was younger. The dry eyes are a concern, because my doctor said everyone has drier eyes after Lasik, to the point that they recommend preservative-free eye drops every hour that you're awake for 2-4 weeks. He said that a lot of people also have light sensitivity immediately after, but that both of these problems resolve within months for a majority of people. Some people also experience difficulty driving at night at first, but I already see halos at night, so I'm used to coping with it and will likely get relief from that with Lasik.

    IMO, the people who have Lasik horror stories are usually the ones who went to shitty doctors to try to save a buck. Don't go to anyone advertising "Lasik as low as $299!" or some bullshit. That's a bait-and-switch tactic, and IMO, only shitty doctors have to resort to that. Research what kind of laser your potential doctors will use, and don't just trust the ones that say they have the newest/shiniest laser. Some doctors stick with technology that's a few years older than the newest because different lasers have different benefits and drawbacks. Ask them about their revision rates and their policy regarding refinements. My doctor has six months of free checkups, and any refinement that might be needed is free for two years after the date of surgery.

    If you're curious, go get a consultation! Many places do free ones. They can tell you whether you're a good candidate or not. The tests were a little uncomfortable because they dilated my eyes and used a machine to determine my corneas' thickness, but it was worth it. Some places want you to be out of contacts for at least one week before you do the tests, and you definitely have to be out of them for one to two weeks before you get Lasik, so I would suggest stopping contact wear asap.

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    Seriously go for it. I had it done about 4 years ago and it was the best money I spent in my life. I was -5.25 and -4.5, and it ended up being $3500- however I do have lifetime free checkups and refinements.

    As far as Lasik goes, it's an incredibly safe surgery, and like anything else, you get what you pay for.

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    Quote Originally Posted by Aurora_Sunset View Post
    Actually, just came from the eye doctor and asked if I could ever do Lasik. He told me there was probably no way since my prescription is so high. If you're almost blind without glasses, you're probably in the same boat. BUT, he proceeded to tell me about a newer procedure for people who can't do Lasik - Visian ICL (Implantable Collamer Lenses). It's basically implanting a permanent contact lens in your eye. More invasive than Lasik and slightly more expensive, but he says it's been out long enough that nobody's seen any bad side effects, and that it would definitely change my life and it would be years before I started needed reading glasses or something as my eyes continued to worsen slowly. It's definitely something I'm going to look into further since I can't do Lasik. I'd recommend looking it up!
    You should still get a consultation for lasik just to make sure. I had one last year and i was a candidate but I just didn't go through with it cuz I was afraid. I heard they have a newer lasik now for people with really high priscriptions, they remove less cornea. I'm gonna look into that.

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    I want to get laser surgery for my eyes too. I am -3.75 and only wear contacts to work, gym or on special occasions because my eyes are very dry. I rarely go swimming because of my eyes, I am too afraid to wear contacts because sometimes water get through the goggles, and I barely see anything if I don't have my glasses or contacts on. Maybe I should get prescription goggles but I am too lazy. I can't get it done now, just finished my Accutane treatment not too long ago and have to wait 6 months before I can have any procedure done, my eyes are even more dry and light sensitive than before. I am really worried about dryness after LASIK, I hate having to put on eye drops so often and I might miss wearing glasses sometimes lol.

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    My prescription was at -7.75 and -8, respectively in each eye, with severe astigmatism. Basically, blind eye balls that are shaped funny.

    Lasik is not right for people with astigmatism because the procedure, in order, involves numbing your eyes, placing a template cutting 'contact lens' in place to mark the area where the flap will be cut, laser cutting the flap, laser resurfacing the eye itself, smoothing down the flap, and (more or less) calling it a day. The astigmatism comes in at the template stage, as the shape of these eyes does not allow for the template contact lens to be placed and thus prevents the doctor from making the flap. However, this does not mean one is not eligible for laser surgery.

    PRK is the predecessor of Lasik. Instead of cutting the flap and doing the laser resurfacing a few layers down, PRK just goes from numbing your eyes to laser time and calls it a day. The benefit of Lasik is that because the resurfacing is done a few layers down with a flap to cover it, people experience less irritation and faster healing time (1-3 days with Lasik versus 3-7 with PRK). PRK and Lasik actually use the exact same type of laser and procedures outside of that flap being cut and because it doesn't require the flap, most people with severe prescriptions or astigmatism are eligible.

    I personally had PRK done by a wonderful surgeon in the Seattle area. It ran me ~$5000 to have all testing done plus the procedure and follow up. My eyes were very light sensitive for a day afterwards and felt itchy/incredibly dry for another 3 days, with the dryness persisting for a few weeks overall. These side effects are all very common. I did experience some haloing at night (seeing 'halos' around lights/objects in darkness), but this went away after about 6-8 weeks.

    On the other hand, my father had cataract lens replacement surgery done a few years back, which involved removing the original lens and inserting an artificial one. Doing this is effectively a way of putting in a permanent contact. It was much more expensive, but it worked out great for him and has only gotten more advanced since he had it done.

    TL,DR: get a second opinion regarding alternative procedures and don't go cheap!


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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    I had it done 4 years ago and can't recommend it enough, it was magic. I used to wake up and have to smack my hands around on the nightstand to find my glasses I was so blind, now I can read the last line on the eye chart. Best money I ever spent!

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    Im going for my consultation on Monday. If I am a candidate I am definately getting it done. This time, no more procrastinating and being scared. Thanks for your responses, they really gave me the push I needed. When I booked my consultation they told me about custom wave lasik which is pricier but better for your eyes and for people with high prescriptions, so will choose that. I'll keep you updated.

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    I went for my consultation. I'm a candidate but will have to wait a least a month or two for the surgeon I want. He's booked solid. I just want to be in the best hands as possible so i think im better off waiting. I'm getting custom wavefront lasik..I'm excited but still very nervous about it. They said they will give me a zanax before the surgery so that should hopefully calm me down. Thanks again for your responses. Can't wait to be glasses and contacts free

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    Quote Originally Posted by lilylilylily View Post
    I went for my consultation. I'm a candidate but will have to wait a least a month or two for the surgeon I want. He's booked solid. I just want to be in the best hands as possible so i think im better off waiting. I'm getting custom wavefront lasik..I'm excited but still very nervous about it. They said they will give me a zanax before the surgery so that should hopefully calm me down. Thanks again for your responses. Can't wait to be glasses and contacts free
    Did they quote you a price for the surgery? Sorry to be nosey...but it's so hard to find how much these things cost!

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    Yes they quoted me $3500 but I had a $300 coupon so really $3200 in total. They said standard lasik would have been around $2900.

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    I had mine done Friday with some of the best surgeons in Houston. I had a horrible experience that I don't really want to go into detail about because I am not sure if this is going to dissolve into a lawsuit--and I'm not one to jump to being litigious. I was totally confident and excited about this, and I just can't believe how badly it went. My experience definitely isn't the norm and shouldn't solely discourage anyone from seeking treatment, but I am so disappointed...

    Re: cost--the good doctors here charge $4-5k total.

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    Quote Originally Posted by tuesdaymarie View Post
    I had mine done Friday with some of the best surgeons in Houston. I had a horrible experience that I don't really want to go into detail about because I am not sure if this is going to dissolve into a lawsuit--and I'm not one to jump to being litigious. I was totally confident and excited about this, and I just can't believe how badly it went. My experience definitely isn't the norm and shouldn't solely discourage anyone from seeking treatment, but I am so disappointed...

    Re: cost--the good doctors here charge $4-5k total.
    I'm so sorry to hear that, hope you will be OK.

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    Thank you--me too! I hope your surgery goes really well too. There's still hope my vision will clear, so fingers are crossed and whatnot.

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    I heard it can take same time to see the full results. Let us know how it goes.

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    Today is the day of my surgery!! Very excited and not too nervous thankfully. Can't wait to not have to wear my contacts and glasses anymore. I'm hoping for the best!

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    Good luck! I've had Lasik and it turned out great. Hope you have the same result.

    Edit: Don't be surprised if you see halos around lights for the first week or two. It's normal and it went away quickly for me. The procedure itself is very quick.

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    Everything went really well. I am so happy i finally did it!! Right after the surgery I was able to see clearly, I could not believe it.They said it takes a few months for your vision to really improve. I think I see better now than I did with my contacts so I could not be happier. The surgery itself was painless. Afterwards only slight pain but it's all worth it. Only wish i did it years ago.

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    Its been over a week since the surgery. I didnt know that you cant wear fake eyelashes for a month after surgery but I cant live without them at work so yesterday I wore them and today my left eye feels irritated and dry, whenever I blink its like there is something in it even though I am putting lots of lubricating drops in them. My eyes were fine before the lashes. I called them up, they said if it still feels like that tomorrow to come in and theyll take a look at it. I am imagining the worst lol. Anybody had this problem after eye surgery?

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    Default Re: laser eye surgery?

    It's possible you may have gotten some of the glue under your corneal flap If so, they would probably have to lift the flap and clean under it. Hopefully it's just irritation and will clear up overnight. Good luck!

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