LASIK advice in the Austin area (Center: home, safer, friendly)

[OntheMoveAGAIN]

My husband is hoping to get this procedure done this year.

We moved here last Summer and would love some recommendations.

Thanks in advance.

[AGA]

Texan Eye Center (I Think is the name)It is the group that has Dr. Dell (brother of Dell computers)
My husband just had cataract surgery there and they were GREAT. Lots of doctors and very friendly staff etc...

[achtungpv]

Mann Eye. Blade free. It's $5K though.

[Trainwreck20]

My two cents...make sure that the dr. doing the procedure has done thousands before you decide to use them. The clinic is not nearly so important as the individual physician performing the procedure. I had it done almost nine years ago, and am completely happy, but I do not feel comfortable recommending the dr/clinic to anyone out of the blue for something so long ago. Really, research the whole procedure, scare the hell out of yourself, then talk to people you know who have had it done. When I was looking into it, the no. 1 consideration (and success) was tied directly to the number of procedures that had been done by the individual. Don't let them sell you on 'we have done 50000 procedures...', you want to know how many your guy personally has done.

Btw, my diopters were in the range of -8 to -8.5 (couldn't really see the 'E' on the eye chart), and I have had almost 20/20 for the last 9 years....

[OntheMoveAGAIN]

Thanks for your responses. Don't worry we will be asking a lot of questions in these places for sure. Our problem was that we didn't even know where to start the search because we are so new to the area.

Thanks again!.

[readymade]

Also, look into PRK as well. I had that done about 10 years ago (one of the BEST things I have ever done, by the way, and WELL worth the money) and afterwards kept hearing about "Lasik Lasik Lasik". A few years ago I asked a friend (who's dad is an eye doctor) why you never hear about PRK anymore, and she said that it's actually a better, safer procedure but that the healing time is longer so people don't want to do it.

I admit, it was painful as hell (after the "surgery"... not during)! Then I took my drugs and was knocked out for 2 full days. When I woke up finally, I could see! They only did one eye at a time, though, 3 months apart. They said it was an East Coast thing (it was in Boston) and were very derisive of "Californians" who did both eyes at the same time, heh.

[pwherman512]

Mann Eye - Simply the best around. I went there after several of my friends refered me. Since I had it done 3 years ago I have sent everyone I know to them. They are fantastic!!!

[Trainwreck20]

and she said that it's actually a better, safer procedure but that the healing time is longer so people don't want to do it.

The procedure is essentially identical, except in Lasik they 'open' a flap on the front of the in Lasik, and then replace the flap after the procedure is one, thereby protecting the eyelid from the 'rough' layer that has been altered. In PRK, they just perform the surgery on the surface.

I am sure there are some case-by-case reasons to do the PRK instead of Lasik, but I think that most people will be better off with the Lasik. The process of lifting the top layer of the eye, while adding some risk, is negligible compared to the procedure as a whole. It is kind of like avoiding general anesthesia for a surgery because you might have a reaction to it - except that risk is probably much higher than Lasik.

With Lasik, I went home and napped (mainly due to the vallium, I think) and woke up a couple hours later with 20/20 vision (gasp! popcorn ceilings and I can see them !). I had moderately dry eyes for several weeks, but was given drops to deal with that issue, and a very, very mild sense of roughness on the eyes. I had to take antibiotic drops for three(?) days, I think, several times a day. The dryness went away gradually, over a period of three months or so, getting slightly better every day.

I personally did not experience the 'halos' that people talk about, at least, the little bit of halos that I do see (only if I look for them) are less than what I saw with glasses/contacts.

[readymade]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

I personally did not experience the 'halos' that people talk about, at least, the little bit of halos that I do see (only if I look for them) are less than what I saw with glasses/contacts.

You didn't find that at night, lights were more spread out and "starry"? I did/do... but it's not that bad and still totally worth it.

I also noticed, after the surgery, that VERY occasionally I would accidentally poke myself in the eye. Like, my eye didn't close as fast as it used to. This mostly happened with towels when I went to dry my face. That hasn't happened in YEARS, though, so maybe I was just less coordinated back then. Now, I am as graceful as a swan

Also, at every eye exam I've had since, when I tell the eye doctor that I had laser surgery, they are shocked. They said there is absolutely no scarring and that they never would have known unless I told them. So, that's good I guess!

Hee hee... do you like to horrify people with your tales of "eye flaps" & stuff? 'Cause I do. My husband sticks his fingers in his ears and starts humming the minute I start talking about the surgery. Which I do every day

[Trainwreck20]

Hee hee... do you like to horrify people with your tales of "eye flaps" & stuff?

There is a co-worker who cannot even stand to watch people put contacts in their eyes, or take them out. She darts from the room if anyone even asks about my vision. I guess she didn't like my description of the squegee looking thing that they used to smooth the eye back out . Really, the most unsettling part is when they first flip open the flap and you see it happening.

The eye, apparently, is the fastest healing organ in the body, presumable due to the fact that it is generally the most important organ that is most likely to get injured on a regular basis...pokes in the eye, sand in the eyes, etc. The dr. said that the flap would be 98% healed in three days or less. Not that I tested it, but it sure didn't cause any problems....