Just got *ZZZAAAAPPP*ed (LASIK)
 

Well, after suffering for years of 20/600 vision, went and got LASIK today. Man, it rocks already, and it's only been a couple hours. Just psyched about it - whole procedure, start to finish, took about 2 hours, with only 10 minutes of actual "zapping." Most of it was sitting aroud and getting my eyes checked out.

If you can afford it, definately take a look into it. I know my life will be changing for the better!

Went to this place, which has locations up and down the west coast.

www.pcli.com

The whole idea of being awake during the procedure with my eye propped open freaks me right out.

Can you describe what you went through? I'm interesting in hearing all of the details.

Yeah me too.

I have long considered it and would love to hear all the gory details.

I've been thinking of getting this done for quite some time. My eyes are absolutely fucked and I'm a danger to myself and others when not wearing contacts or glasses. I'm -5.75 in each eye! That's MINUS 5.75. I literally would not see a car bearing down on me until it was too late and can't walk about outdoors without assistance (if I'm not wearing glasses/contacts).

Mrs Mephisto hates me in glasses and always pesters me to wear contacts, which is usually fine but a pain in the ass when I want to rest my eyes. It's also a hassle each morning.

So... What's it like? Did it hurt? How much did it cost? What are the results?


Mr Mephisto

Please, tell us. What's it like having your eye propped open? I'd love to have that procedure, but the very idea of people sticking sharp objects in my eye makes me shiver.

I'd love to have laser surgery, since my eyes are at about -13, but I'm not a candidate; my opthamologist told me that my retinas are too thin, and might rupture during the surgery (they have to increase the pressure in your eyeball to keep it from moving).

I've got you beat hon....Im a -7.50 in each eye...from what I've been told I'd still have to wear contacts/glasses if I had it done, I just wouldnt be AS blind...so I just suffer...luckily Dave likes my glasses, says they make me look sexily smart lol

Im interested in hearing about the procedure too!!

It's interesting -- another forum I would hang out at occassionally, there was a person who was a "trainer" for doctors using the lasik equipment, and this person, she claimed to get calls from doctor's while in the middle of surgery, or just before, and said that the doctor's were not as experienced as we'd like them to beleive.

Now she had the surgery, but after knowing this person, and if she was the "expert" there'd be no way in hell I'd trust my eyes to those people (while it'd be nice to see before reaching for my glasses in the morning... I'm just not that brave)

GLad yours was a success though -- Did it change the color of your eyes? I know another person who swears her eye color changed after the zapping.

I was 20/400 (legally blind) and had it done 7 years ago or so in Canada, before it was legal in the US. No pain during the procedure; it freaked out my gf watching it on a videoscreen, though. When they slice the cornea open, it just gets blurry, but it doesn't hurt. Nothing short of miraculous. In pain for 2 days after or so, then fine. Congrats, now go throw away your contacts & glasses. ;)

Minus 7.50?!!!

You're BLIND!!


Mr Mephisto [peering at the screen]

ha ha you aint just whistling dixie!! I've been in glasses since I was 5, just had my yearly exam to get my new contacts and thats what it was..It was nice to know it hadnt changed AGAIN....which I only wear occasionally cause my sinuses dont like them. Even with feather weights the lenses are still almost 1/2 inch thick.

Hell half the time Dave dont have to blindfold me he just takes my glasses hehehehe

Well, napped for a while, here's how it went down.

One eye was -4.00, other was -4.25. Been wearing glasses since the 3rd grade, contacts since the 5th (was heavily into sports).

So, you go in for a regular eye exam with your regular eye doctor (in the case of this clinic), after not wearing contacts for at least a week or so. You get your eyes re-measured, since even soft contacts will distort your cornea. Once that was done, an appointment was made at the laser center for once week later (which was today). Again, no contacts for a week.

Well, I got to the center around 9:30, with my wife as the DD and also to get any instructions. I went through another eye exam and cornea measurement, to check the "topography" of my eyes for astigmatism, and to see if I had enough cornea thickness for the surgery. Eyes were fine, and I was ready to go.

Got ushered back and given some mild sedatives to relax. Wheee! They then started to numb my eyes, and those drops hurt like hell. Good news - you definately know when your eyes are numb, since you can't feel the drops anymore. Once properly relaxed with numb eyes, I laid back in this fancy chair.

Then, starting with the left eye, a metal cylinder was placed on my eye itself, and you could see a few things bruching across my eye. They then moved to the other eye and did the same thing. This evidently was when they sliced off the corneal flap. Didn't feel anything but pressure.

Once the flaps were cut, the nurse mentioned the doctor was moving the flap, and my vision would disappear. And it did - very, very freaky, even sedated. All of a sudden, your vision goes dark, since I was staring at a light as a target and poof! away it goes.

Then some "zapping" occurs, and slowly you start to see some light and colors again. After a couple minutes, the corneal flap is laid back down, and you can see again. The doctor then adjusted the flap to make sure it was back in place, which was disconcerting to see your world start to shift about while you're not moving at all. Then, he uses a small spong-like thingy to get rid of any air bubbles, and that's it! All done. It then is repeated on the other eye, and off I went!

The lubricating drops they gave me are very thick, so once I use them my vision gets hazy, but other than that I see awesome. Crystal clear. Utterly amazing. Only discomfort is that it feels like I have a loose eyelash in my eyes right now (you are NOT to touch your eyes for any reason, the flap won't be fully sealed for 48 hours) but no pain at all.

Amount of pain = 2, on a scale of 1-10, and that's from the eye drops.

Freakiness = about a 6, once your vision goes out when they move the flap it freaked me out. Plus, my wife was watching the whole thing on a monitor, and said it was really gross.

Total cost was around $3,200 for both eyes, $2,800 to the clinic (includes any lifetime adjustments/enhancements I might need) and $400 to my eye doctor. Figure the thing will pay for itself in around 20 years or so.

I'm 28, so it looks as if I'm not going to need reading glasses until I hit 40-50, so yay!

And to get the right clinic, I just asked my eye doctor. He'd seem many, many problems with some of the super-cheap places, and none from here. His opinion was that all laser units are about the same, most problems come from how the surgeon handles the flap that is cut loose.

Took about 2 hours, start to finish.

Ewww!

I don't think I could handle it. Not at all. I'd freak the hell out.

Luckily I look cute in glasses :cool:

Just got back from my follow-up. Left eye is now 20/15, and right is 20/20. Wooot!

nice. and congrats on the good vision!

i'm too chicken to do it too..

-3.75 and -2.50 for me.

I have lived with haloing and other items that people have described as issues from unsuccessful surgeries. I'm not interested in risking it for worse.

I'm just always leery of elective surgery.

Before it was ruled out for me by a doctor, I was the same. I figured, as long as my vision can still be corrected, why risk not being able to see at all? Now the point is moot.

I'm young enough, that my eyes are possibly still developing. I'll wait a few years til the mid 20s to do it.

My uncle does it, so I'd get a nice discount.

You can get it free through the military. In fact, this month, my ship is the "ship of the month" meaning we who qualify (over 1 year left on board, over 3 left in the military) get jumped to the top of the waiting list. The Navy only does PRK though, not LASIK. I have -4/-4.25, slight astigmatism in my right eye. I hope I'll be a suitable candidate.

A chief buddy of mine who had it done through the Navy a year ago said the procedure was painless, but after a day he was in agony for about 48 hours where he said it completely sucked to be alive. But then the pain went away and his vision is perfect, no night vision problems, no blurriness, no side effects whatsoever. I'm perfectly willing to wish I was dead for 2 days to never have to wear glasses again. Tomorrow is the sign-up.

Wish me luck!

-Mikey

My vision's only -3.something in each eye but I'm definately going to look into this once I start working next year. Hospital air is so bloody dry that contacts are a pain in the ass and glasses have to be taken off for any close up work I do = germies and inconvenient when I need to do something quickly.

Can't wait to throw my contacts and glasses out. :)

Apparently there is a new type of contact lens that is inserted under the cornea.

link to article

I'm planning on something along these lines for sure, but not until I'm sure it's been researched a bit more (there are still possible complications, and aftereffects).

Oh yeah, just to let you guys know, I'm -9.00 and -9.50 in my left and right eyes, respectively.

I've been asking around for referrals for places to get it done. I've heard horror stories so I want to be comfortable with the quality of work I'll recieve. I'm currently at -9.50 for both eyes. CAn't wait til I can see when i wake up in the morning.

I had mine done too, but when they lifted the flap my vision didn't go away it kind of looked like I was looking through a kalediscope. They even took a video of what they were doing that I got to keep. It shows both eyes getting microkeratomed and then one eye getting lasered. I then had to go to a different laser for the other eye, so the video ends. For the other laser they really needed to dialate my eye, so when the laser light hit my eye it actually hurt like a bitch!!! Had a real hard time keeping my eye open (even though it was clamped open) and staring at the light. that eye hurt for about 2-3 hours, most likely from being dialted so much. Got home and went to sleep, woke up about 2 hrs later and could see clearly! I am now 20-15 still in both eyes 1 1/2 yrs later.

my finance is -11.5 and they told her she isn't a candidate for this procedure. I feel really bad for her :(

I'm not sure I could ever go through with it. Eyesight is far to precious to me and even losing it for a few minutes would drive me insane. Even though the risks are minimal the thought of losing my eyesight permanently would possibly drive me to suicide.

Huh? I'm -10.25 in each eye, and I can move around just fine without glasses, as long as I don't have to read signs or bus numbers or spot birds or find a friend in a crowd. No laser for me either though. :( But I'm glad it helps some people!

Yeah Pip, I wasn't going to call Mr. Mephisto on that one, but you are entirely correct. I'm at -13ish on both eyes, and I can very easily see that blurry large blue shiny object coming down the street at me!

The key, while at the beach or a pool, is to memorize the color of your SO's bathing suit so you don't get in trouble. ;)

-1.00 in each eye... I think I will be waiting a good long time.

As soon as I get the money (currently a poor grad student) I'm getting it done. Last time I went to the eye doctor I asked him if I would be a candidate. He said I would be perfect although my pretty bad astigmatism might give them some minor problems.

I'm thinking you mean your corneas are too thin--I have the same problem. ;)

In fact, my corneas are even thinner than whatever the ridiculously low number of people who actually have this issue--like the 1% of 1% (lol, my vision is worse and my corneas are thinner, top that!)

nah, there is hope, though:

evidently, they can fit us with cornea transplants, at a cost of ~$5K per eye (or was it both?). Unfortunately, their bifocal corrections leave too much to be desired so it'd put us in reading glasses. Of course, depending on how old you are, you may need them soon anyway (I think like 40+-50s is average).

Good news:
This technique has been used for approx. 20 years on cataract patients. So at least you know the tech is secure and relatively safe. Just wanted to drop you a line in case your doc didn't give you the options.

I figure by the time I'm done with grad school and have enough funds, I'll either not be reading as much or the bifocal corneas will be better.

Nope, it is definitely my retinas. Thanks anyway, but I'm probably in contact lenses for the rest of my life.

now that sounds interesting. I just may look into that if/when I can afford it. a quick gis tells me it's readily available here in Germany.

I've no idea if I'm a candidate for LASIK or anything else...but it sure would be nice.

(-13.5 in both eyes. yes, that's right.)

oops, I didn't even see that link. That's what I was talking about. But it isn't new, maybe just the fact that it's been approved for 'cosmetic' purposes:

that's bizarre. the article was just written, yet my doctor was explaining the procedure to me about 4 years ago.

Interesting that I didn't have the money at the time, but evidently there wasn't FDA approval to use it for nearsightedness at the time :)

[QUOTE=smooth]

evidently, they can fit us with cornea transplants, at a cost of ~$5K per eye (or was it both?). QUOTE]

Think it is around 4-5k per eye.

Pfft. You can probably see almost fine without correction, aside from driving or long-distance reading.

I've been interested in Lasik for a while so I wouldn't have to wear glasses or contacts, but the idea of messing with my sight and possibly messing it up (I've heard a few horror stories of messed up vision after) scare me away. It's probably gotten a lot better now, but I'll probably wait a while longer before going under the knife.

Well, just got back from my one month follow up. Close to 20/15 in both eyes. Other than some dryness that will go away in a couple months, all is good.

This keeps up, I'll have X-ray vision soon. Look out ladies! Mrs. Gar would have my head if I had that power.

I would love to get lasik, but my mom won't let me because she thinks that a draft ever started my bad vision would keep me from being on the front lines. (she was worried about a draft way before the rumors came out on the internets)

I've been thinking about it but my mother-out-law told me she had it done and now can't see close without correction. So she still has to wear contacts - what's the point? Anybody else know about this?

One thing I can offer for helpful advice is that I was told that a lot of the cheaper clinics and such use machines that are moved from one location to another. When they are moved, they can get out of calibration to it's a really good idea to keep this in mind when choosing where you're going to go.

Cool wish I had the money and I would be so down for this, maybe someday.