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I called two highly reputable places in Charlotte, NC and they're both around 4k. My insurnace will cover 15%. I use both glasses and contacts and my prescription hasn't changed in 3+ years. It would be great one day and I have yet to meet someone who says "I should have never done this". Problem is I have a hard time spending $50 on myself with a wife and 4 kids, let alone $3200 after the discount..
Problem is I have a hard time spending $50 on myself with a wife and 4 kids, let alone $3200 after the discount..
I think a lot of people walk onto a car lot with this thought. But as the old adage goes, "Hang around a barber shop and you're gonna get a haircut".
I've seen some one day postops that were less than happy. I was not at liberty to see them days, weeks, months or even years after that.
I have some family members who had lasik and claim to be pretty happy with it. One had PRK as was bothered by the fact that it took up to a month to see clearly, as opposed to the days it takes for LASIK. (He wears glasses now anyway, but that's besides the point, right? You all weren't thinking that LASIK/PRK is a guarantee to not need glasses anymore, assuming that your new vision can even be corrected via glasses, were you?) But at what cost? Is the PRK procedure still at good one and perhaps less destructive to the cornea long-term? This is the kind of question I'd be considering.
Dogmomof2 describes a PRK procedure. No flap. They either use alcohol or the laser to remove the epithelium, treat the stroma, and let the epithelium grow back. But what happens to Bowman's Layer and should we care? Another question we should ask and perhaps an advantage for LASIK... except for the fact they cut your cornea all the way across and allow the possibility for all kinds of complications.
Now, a friend's daughter had LASIK by one of the most reputable and safe docs in the state and she had a free-cap. They got the thing back into place, but she had bad infection underneath the flap. She went back again and again and again until she realized they just didn't know how to fix her and guess who was liable? The doctors... especially the really good ones... have gr8 lawyers and deep pockets.
Elective surgery, folks! You know what that means, right? You are responsible! This is NOT life and death. There are alternatives. You may think that LASIK or any other laser vision correction (except for catarac surgery of course) is the only option for you. Maybe. But you would be the exception to the rule. Just because it worked gr8 for you and perhaps 94 of your friends, you cannot speak for the 5+ for whom this might not be the case.
It's like people who speed. Many many people do it every day. But the day you get pulled over and get a ticket, you think you've bee wronged. Why me? You have just become a stat and you are now in the 100%... of failures. Oh, and it was a choice, so you now have your own guilt to fight back. In the case of elective surgery, this is unfair. One person gets paid, and another is harmed and will suffer.
There again, your choice. I like glasses. I think they are cool and attractive. They are not that much of a hassle.
Nope. I think mine was called epi-lasik. I didn't have a flap cut at all. The top layer of my eye tissue was scraped off and then the laser was applied. I had to wear bandage contacts for 3-4 days until the tissue regenerated and then I was fine. My vision didn't get better immediately, but within a week I was at 20/40 and could drive again. Things weren't real sharp for a month, but then it got better. After a few months I reached 20/15!
Intralase doesn't seem to use a scalpel, but there is still a flap.
Not a surprise to me at all. I've seen clinicians "proctor doctors" on the use of the laser and another experienced doc sit next to the new optho/doc do brand new surgeries for the first time. That's right. You gotta start somewhere, right?
I've experienced this, too, if you substitute your story with a new-grad dentist replacing a small filling, which turned into a botched procedure requiring stitches (for me... you can't legally punch dentists) & a root canal/crown... his hands were shaking so badly the drill hit my gums & the nerve... his hesitancy/nervousness with the foot pedal was a heart pounding experience (in fact, I've had dental phobia since, even for cleanings)... would have left early, but I didn't know how green he was 'til he was already drilling. I hadn't booked the appt with him... it was with an experienced dr who checked me out, said okay, then put in a pinch hitter.
Insult to literal & figurative injury, his office tried to book me for a root canal, while I was being stitched up. No apology, no admission of guilt (who routinely goes for a cleaning & surface filling replacement & needs stitches/surgery!), no discount/gratis offered. Of course I let him put in a temp filling & left... after telling all of them things about their mothers they didn't know.
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Now wait a minute! Got a cousin who had coke-bottle glasses all his life, had RK and saw amazingly well after that. I think he had high astigmatism and they cut slits into his stroma which in turn makes your football shaped astigmatic cornea reshape to a nice round basketball-shaped cornea.
I don't disbelieve you. Sure... every patient differs, as well as drs... maybe I didn't have a good/adept/current dr, your cousin's eyes differ, maybe my experience was long before your cousin's. My rejection of RK was due to the 6 appts the dr said it would take to cut my eyes (8 if you count the consult then follow-up, assuming there are no problems)... not ever doing that unless I have some eye disease & I'm staving off imminent blindness.
Look how far technology has come since I had my RK appt in the early 90's. Now there's iLasik. In 10-yrs there will be drive-throughs where they point a laser pen at you, correct your eyes & do a chemical peel at the same time & off you go... with a nice little coffee. (Yes, tongue firmly implanted in cheek)
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But here's the problem; is your astigmatism symmetrical? Is the center of your eye the apex of your cornea? Will a combination of flying-spot/broadbeam laser with Wafefront custom laser surgery do what it needs to do with your eyes?
No idea, you know far more about it than I... but thanks for listing all that because I will research all those terms. That's for a good dr to discuss with me in detail. This is why everyone should ask for referrals from everyone they come across, then visit several drs for consults, then research ad naseum before having surgery. As a past surgeon said to me, every surgery is a major surgery. We deserve nothing less than being cautious with our bodies.
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I just wish you could come to like your glasses better. But it is up to you.
I have no problem with the esthetics of glasses... worn them since 9. I stated in my last post that no dr is able to give me glasses which I can see through, for at least 10-yrs. It is possible I just haven't found a good dr... how do I know, the 2-hr exams are very thorough it seems... I'm not a dr. Glasses give me constant headaches/nausea, thinks look warped, when turning my head colors blur, I've been having problems judging distances/depth... I routinely trip off curbs (thought they weren't as high), trip on rugs (didn't know it was 1" thick, it looked flat) & no, I'm not an dottering old woman, but I'm feeling like one. I have daily neck aches by walking around staring at my shoes because I can't tell if the ground is level... is that a dip? a hole? just an oil spot? I can't tell 'til I'm ontop of it. I've begun wearing flat shoes at all times so I don't trip, stumble & fall. I find this severe & frustrating, wouldn't you? I've adjusted my life for 10-yrs around my eyesight which seems to not be able to be corrected & look at the list of health problems I'm having due to it... when my last dr said I'd be a good Lasik candidate, I was thrilled. It wasn't taken further as I was moving out of state weeks later.
Ironic thing is these problems lessen if I am not wearing glasses (only do this around my house where I walk by instinct, but I do continually bump my elbows on doorways, etc... everything is rather blurry)... but, I can't see well enough to read anything or watch a movie without a constant squint. I'm frustrated, I've waited long enough, I deserve to be able to see... my eyesight is not that complicated (meaning, I have no eye disease... yes, I've been checked by specialists for that, too). There's good & bad in every profession... maybe I've just hit all the bad. This is why I was asking for referrals & am following the thread.
I still do not believe a reputable, board certified ophthalmologist would start doing LASIK with a one-day course.
Ask. I did.
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I would not want someone who did that to do my procedure!
Agreed. I don't want that either... which is why I ask everyone who mentions Lasik who they saw, their experiences, etc.
I'll eventually have the procedure next spring/summer, but not after exhaustive research (I'm just beginning), a few consults & ensuring I'm completely comfortable with the doctor, the method s/he will use & a valium!
How was your experience and did you have to comeback?
Would you recommend this?
I had LASIK surgery on both eyes in 2002. My prescription was strong...-8 in one eye , -9 in the other. I paid $3000 for both eyes which included all follow-up appointments for one year, and a lifetime enhancement program. That meant if I ever needed another LASIK procedure to correct my vision, I was covered for life. Little did I know or understand that there's only so much of your cornea they can slice off until you can't correct your vision anymore.
I went back three months later for a re-do of my left eye. For six years I was happily contact & glasses free. In 2008, my vision started getting worse. That's when I found out I didn't have enough corneal tissue for another procedure.
I began wearing a soft, disposable contact in my left eye. It's now a -2.75 prescription. My right eye is -.5 so I don't wear anything in that eye. I work with a computer on my desk all day and haven't felt any eye strain or had any headaches.
I paid the $3000 thinking it was a lifetime program. Boy, was I wrong. I wish'd I'd have understood that better. But I doubt I'd have gone elsewhere where the procedure was advertised as $600. I wanted someone and someplace with lots of experience and the newest technology for my surgery. I'll try to save money elsewhere, not on my vision.
I had no pain, just slight discomfort. Since my eyes were dilated, any light near me hurt my eyes....and that's with dark sunglasses on. That went away after about 12 hours.
I'd do it all again in a heartbeat to get rid of my strong prescription. I would have spent more time understanding the future of MY vision needs and not necessarily just the generic info the doctors gave me.
I called two highly reputable places in Charlotte, NC and they're both around 4k. My insurnace will cover 15%. I use both glasses and contacts and my prescription hasn't changed in 3+ years. It would be great one day and I have yet to meet someone who says "I should have never done this". Problem is I have a hard time spending $50 on myself with a wife and 4 kids, let alone $3200 after the discount..
Mine was about $5,100. Very high reputable center and doctor but after all discounts and tax savings, it come down to $2800 which is great.
I had LASIK surgery on both eyes in 2002. My prescription was strong...-8 in one eye , -9 in the other. I paid $3000 for both eyes which included all follow-up appointments for one year, and a lifetime enhancement program. That meant if I ever needed another LASIK procedure to correct my vision, I was covered for life. Little did I know or understand that there's only so much of your cornea they can slice off until you can't correct your vision anymore.
I went back three months later for a re-do of my left eye. For six years I was happily contact & glasses free. In 2008, my vision started getting worse. That's when I found out I didn't have enough corneal tissue for another procedure.
I began wearing a soft, disposable contact in my left eye. It's now a -2.75 prescription. My right eye is -.5 so I don't wear anything in that eye. I work with a computer on my desk all day and haven't felt any eye strain or had any headaches.
I paid the $3000 thinking it was a lifetime program. Boy, was I wrong. I wish'd I'd have understood that better. But I doubt I'd have gone elsewhere where the procedure was advertised as $600. I wanted someone and someplace with lots of experience and the newest technology for my surgery. I'll try to save money elsewhere, not on my vision.
I had no pain, just slight discomfort. Since my eyes were dilated, any light near me hurt my eyes....and that's with dark sunglasses on. That went away after about 12 hours.
I'd do it all again in a heartbeat to get rid of my strong prescription. I would have spent more time understanding the future of MY vision needs and not necessarily just the generic info the doctors gave me.
$3,000 total after all discounts? Was It Custom LASIK with Intralase?
How do they slice off the cornea? With the laser?
Since I also spend hours a day on a PC screen. Is there a procedure for that?
In 2008, my vision started getting worse. That's when I found out I didn't have enough corneal tissue for another procedure.
This is a bit scary. May I ask, are you more susceptible to eye injury or illness of any kind due to a thinner cornea? Have they cautioned you at all to not do certain things or that you'll have to be careful of eye deterioration of any kind as you move into elder year?. Sorry, don't mean to scare you... it's just good to know what others are experiencing. Hope your prescription remains stable.
From my observations, this industry of vision correction via the excimer LASER has been driven by word of mouth. You get a high myope who stands up from the laser chair and looks at the clock... and although a bit woozy, they can read that clock immediatedly after surgery and they know that things might get even better as they heal.
Now, I don't know why some folks get dry eye or have it exacerbated by the surgery... and if the eye drops alleviate the problem... and if this is a temporary condition or not. I don't know anything about higher-order aberrations. It just sounds scary to me. Have they solved or minimized some of the problems associated with the flap creation via proper irrigation techniques? Is intralase better/potentially better than the mechanical blade-created flap? How about PRK as opposed to LASIK? Wouldn't PRK be a better option to corneal stability and conservation of residual corneal thickness?
Say you've got a person with high astigmatism. This is a condition where your eye is shaped like a football instead of a basketball. They use the laser to ablate the tissue at the specific angle where the cornea is high and even it out. But to do so, you have to create the flap in the case of LASIK or ablate the regrowing epithelium in the case of PRK, then while you're in there, you ablate the central portion of the stroma for myopia to adjust for any myopic prescription or you ablate the outer portion of the stroma and create a virtual island in the middle in the case of hyperopia for far-sightedness. Now... how about just using RK in the case of some astigmatism cases... even if you use the LASER to do so... as is the case with PTK?
If you have monovision... the laser's answer to bifocals... why not just treat one eye? Leave on for far or near and treat the other for the opposite? I'll tell you why. Because then the doctor and staff/clinic/laser manufacturer only makes half as much. So, in monovision, it appears ludicrous to me... that they would treat both eyes. Why not just leave the dominant eye the heck alone? Treat the other eye and maybe even wear a contact lens when needed.
Now... the discussion of cataracts and us folks who approach our 40s and 50s. I hear that as we get into these years, some folks who were once myopic all of a sudden have perfect vision for a time close up... like when reading a book, the newspaper, or using the computer. But then, we all of a sudden start to need longer arms to read that paper. So the answer for this? Well, eventually, some of us get cataracts. When we have that inner lens replaced, they can adjust for your vision correction back there as well.
I'm no ophthalmologist, but I learned a few basics and have seen enough surgeries to have picked up a few things. I have some ideas. I don't doubt that the laser can be very useful in many situations. But... where do you draw the line on the decision... good candidate or not? Tell me this industry isn't/wasn't money driven and let me talk to you about some real estate. Maybe there are some great candidates and they'll weigh in the favor of a great result. But... who really knows how this human living tissue is going to react and heal? Will it regress and try to grow back? How does the brain interpret all of this?
Put aside the fancy words, instruments, and marketing techniques. Tell us what is really going on and let the potential candidate/patient make some choices. But maybe insist that we err on the side of caution, if there is such a thing.
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