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I had Lasik 2 years ago in April. My original prescription was -3.5 in both eyes and one eye had a slight astigmatism, and the tests before the procedure showed my cornea was a good thickness and I was told everything should go smoothly. And it did. Went home and slept for a few hours, by the time I woke up the pain was gone and I could see. I remember just being in awe that I could make out the detail in the lace curtains across the room, see the leaves in the trees. My checks afterwards said my vision was between 20/20 and 20/15, though I still get a little blur if I'm really tired. I used eye drops for at least half the year daily and then afterwards whenever I felt like it was necessary for comfort. Overall, really glad I did it.
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Aug 5, 2017 21:20
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Are eye drops and fatigue something that you have to deal with the rest of your life?
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Aug 5, 2017 23:48
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Mantle posted:I want to do Lasik or another surgical correction this year. Could people that have done it 2 5 or 10 years ago share some stories? I'm wary of 100% of post operation stories being positive because of the initial excitement I had both eyes done in 2006. I had bad vision before any surgery (-6 to -8 range) so the doctor told me that an enhancement might be necessary but to wait at least a year. In 2007 I had both eyes done again as my distance vision had regressed a little and then my vision was great for two years. Then my left eye regressed a little so that in late 2009 I decided on another slight enhancement. On this second enhancement as it was healing it got what's called an epithelial ingrowth. So a month later they had to open the flap again and remove the cells that were growing wildly (and irrigate). It was a quick and simple process. They resealed the flap and things healed properly. Since ~2012 I've noticed my right eye regress a little bit (but very slowly) for distance vision. I could go in and get another enhancement but it hasn't really been a high priority as I can see most things fine. All eyes continue to regress so if you want great/perfect vision 24/7/365 then glasses/contacts are the safer option as you can keep tweaking them week to week and month to month. Mantle posted:Are eye drops and fatigue something that you have to deal with the rest of your life? I use drops sometimes in the winter when the heater makes things really dry. Otherwise not so much. edit: Since the surgeries two things have changed post-glasses. I wear sunglasses more and sometimes my eyes are tired after a long day. Zogo fucked around with this message at 06:09 on Aug 6, 2017 |
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Aug 6, 2017 00:27
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I had PRK back in 2012. I have a check-up I need to schedule sometime this month, but my last one I think still saw me at 20/20 in my right eye and 20/25 in my left (both were 20/15 at first after the surgery). I don't use eyedrops much anymore, though too long at a computer screen without a break or too much fans blowing in my face can result in some dry eyes. Night halos are pretty much gone now. My left eye did get a bit worse when it comes to reading, but I'm not sure how much of that is laziness since my right eye has always been dominant and now it has sharper vision. If I keep it closed and just read with my left, words become noticeably sharper after a while, but not quite the same as my right.
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Aug 6, 2017 02:01
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Mantle posted:Are eye drops and fatigue something that you have to deal with the rest of your life? It's been almost two years since my LASIK and I have never had to use drops after the two month recovery process. I have also not dealt with noticeable fatigue. This is not to say that these things aren't possible or common with other people, but maybe they shine a small ray of hope to others. Be prepared to wear sunglasses when you're out in the sun for the rest of your life, though. Your eyes will be far more sensitive to bright UV light than they were before. I don't consider this a negative. If anything, it's an incentive to take even better care of myself when spending long periods of time in the sun, usually while I'm working. You'll learn to deal with the gnarly sunglasses tan you will develop. The worst I get is a little ghosting with lights at night, but it's not any worse than the glare I used to get with glasses so I consider it to be a net gain on my end.
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Aug 6, 2017 03:01
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I don't use eyedrops anymore, and the only fatigue I feel is late at night, but most of my days are spent chasing around 3+ children so I would say thats more the cause of any tiredness than the lasik I had.
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Aug 6, 2017 04:28
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I would strongly recommend LASIK vs PRK. I did both, the heal time for PRK is much rougher
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Aug 6, 2017 04:35
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Shooting Blanks posted:I would strongly recommend LASIK vs PRK. I did both, the heal time for PRK is much rougher Why did you have to do both and in what order? Other than the heal time, how was the effectiveness?
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Aug 6, 2017 06:38
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I had it done 12 years ago. Dry eye was an issue the first few months. The dissolving plugs helped a lot. I had halos pre-op and can't say whether they were better or worse post-op. I started wearing reading glasses a few months ago (I turn 40 next year) but was told that was normal.
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Aug 6, 2017 15:20
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Mantle posted:Why did you have to do both and in what order? Other than the heal time, how was the effectiveness? LASIK on my left eye, PRK on my right. I did both because my cornea tore, and my doc decided to not try again. Effectiveness was roughly the same, maybe slightly higher for PRK, but he was a bit more focused that time since he'd already hosed the dog once. Having done both, I'd opt for LASIK in a heartbeat - the heal time for PRK was miserable.
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Aug 6, 2017 15:43
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It's not quite the time frame that was asked about but I had LASIK about a year and a half ago, but it's probably a decent time for an update anyway. Things are still holding up very well. Still see way better than with glasses. Haloing is now gone except maybe a tiny bit on car lights at night in areas with no street lights so there's maximum contrast, where shortly after post-op I'd see obvious significant blooms in movies and on monitors between black and colored areas. Starbursts are also way down since I last posted, the same as or better than with glasses. To be honest I don't know that I've noticed any in the last 8 months. No need for eyedrops now or any problems with eye related fatigue despite staring at screens and reading most of every day just as much as I used to. If anything it's easier since I am straining less, since I used to have to lean in sometimes with my old glasses. No standout light sensitivity compared to before. No post-op complications. It's not 100% perfect since if I really pay very close attention I can still see a little bit of "grittiness", especially on very fine details, but that was also a lot worse before LASIK. I went from like 20/400-600 depending on how much I squinted/could get the light to reflect just right without glasses or 20/30 with new glasses to 20/12-15ish post-lasik. I think it's still about the same, or better than 20/20 at least. I used to just tell optometrists "I can't really see it but I know the top letter is supposed to be an E" when looking at the standard chart without glasses. With all that said, the seeming relative lack of side effects or artifacts over such a strong correction might make me a bit of an outlier, but probably not outstandingly so. Whether that's just a bit of luck, from having thick corneas, from technology advances in precision and such, or some relatively even combination of the three I don't know enough to say. Based on the research I did at the time, you do probably want to make sure whatever place you go to is using the most recent technology. The machine used is a huge factor since the surgery is largely automated nowadays. Some of the more discounted places use machines a generation or two older. Also make sure you take your eyedrops as directed. Kylra fucked around with this message at 17:34 on Aug 6, 2017 |
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Aug 6, 2017 17:28
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My LASIK was like 5 years ago. No problems, halos have gone away. I skydived like 2 or 3 years ago and my flaps didn't tear open or anything. A+ would laser eyes again.
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Aug 7, 2017 16:08
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So what is the most recent technology that I should be asking for as of today? Is anything new coming over the horizon in the next few months?
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Aug 7, 2017 18:45
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Mantle posted:So what is the most recent technology that I should be asking for as of today? Is anything new coming over the horizon in the next few months? SMILE
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Aug 7, 2017 20:39
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What's the general warranty policy and pricing I should expect (US)? Also how's the consultation work? I made an appointment at a place but they want to do a $100 eye exam, which I don't need because I had one 5 months ago at my regular optometrist. It's SeePort Optometry in Southwest Florida. If anyone can recommend a place south of Tampa I'm all ears. There's like 4 places near me.
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Aug 8, 2017 11:17
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You do need the eye exam. It's more comprehensive than your usual optometrist checkup.
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Aug 8, 2017 11:45
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If they're reputable they won't zap you without doing the exam. They need way more info than a traditional exam provides.
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Aug 8, 2017 22:17
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This looks super new to Canada. Has anyone done this yet?
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Aug 9, 2017 01:54
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All the good places around where I'm at do the exam as a free consultation and have free touchup enhancements for a year. Pricing can vary widely based on location though, and there's quite a bit of competition here. There's like 3-4 major LASIK places with ads on the radio constantly. If you're getting customized LASIK, which I think might just be standard at this point (?), then they need to map your corneas. That's not something you usually get at a regular eye exam, among a few other things.
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Aug 9, 2017 02:14
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Mantle posted:This looks super new to Canada. Has anyone done this yet? I'm in the US, but this place in Toronto looks reputable.
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Aug 9, 2017 17:33
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It's kind of a big deal for me to fly across the country to do it so I'm looking for some first hand accounts.
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Aug 9, 2017 18:41
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Where's home for you? Also is there a reason you're looking for a cutting edge technique? The existing ones are good.
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Aug 10, 2017 00:06
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Yes, it's like a lava lamp.
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Mantle posted:It's kind of a big deal for me to fly across the country to do it so I'm looking for some first hand accounts. Maybe just stick with glasses.
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Aug 10, 2017 01:31
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PittTheElder posted:Where's home for you? I'm in BC. I think it's a good idea to get more information on all the options since is a big expense and surgery is always risky.
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Aug 10, 2017 01:32
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Per the redflagdeals thread it seems many fly to BC to get it done.
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Aug 10, 2017 14:38
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I got lasik 7 years ago. It was an unpleasant experience to have my eyes sliced open and zapped with lasers, and also unpleasant to have to ride home for an hour in the hellish brightness of Arizona, even with the sunglasses on. It was worth it and I would do it again. My right eye may actually need a touch up sometime, since it isn't as good as it used to be. It still works well enough to not need assistance, so I don't need to worry just yet.
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Aug 13, 2017 17:57
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I had lasik about 3 weeks ago and I keep having dreams of rubbing my eyes and tearing the flap open, panicking, getting driven back there, etc.
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Aug 15, 2017 21:48
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I had Lasik about 5 weeks ago and kept having dreams/thoughts of getting papercuts in my eyes, so I think you're doing pretty good.
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Aug 15, 2017 23:51
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Had an exam and Lasik consultation. Doctor didn't feel comfortable recommending it because my eyes keep getting the smallest degree worse every year. Specifically my left eye, doesn't seem settled. Frustrating but what can you do? Glad I went. I'm 26 so hopefully they settle soon.
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Aug 21, 2017 15:06
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Internet Explorer posted:I had Lasik about 5 weeks ago and kept having dreams/thoughts of getting papercuts in my eyes, so I think you're doing pretty good. I had these before getting Lasik but I also do the same for sticking my fingers into moving bike spokes and I didn't have finger surgery. Had Lasik 5 weeks ago. Before surgery I was about - 5 in each eye, at my one month follow up last week I was at 20/20, it's great.
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Aug 24, 2017 18:34
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Glad I found this thread. I just had a consult and am mulling if I want to go through with it or not. My super interesting story is that I while I was prescribed glasses as a teenager, I always saw fine without them. As I got in to my 30s, I found that I was unable to focus or read after a day at work. I finally gave in and have been wearing glasses for about 2.5 years... and I just don't like them. Contacts are even worse. I'm farsighted (about +2 per eye) with a mid range astigmatism and I have nothing that would cause any further risks for Lasik. I looked up the machine the place is using online and it looks like it is new hotness (in the US at least) for custom Lasik, so I feel confident about the clinic. Most of the stories I seem to read are about people with more severe sight issues and/or people that have had to deal with glasses/contacts their entire life. My eyes aren't getting any better and the idea that I might need to use bifocals in another 10-15 years is pretty lame. Now I am just stuck trying to decide, is it worth throwing down that much money and introducing my eyes to that (small) risk?
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Aug 31, 2017 01:19
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Find a good LASIK doc, find out if you're a good candidate. Other than myself, I don't know anyone who's had a bad experience. When you get old, you will need reading glasses anyway so be ready for that.
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Aug 31, 2017 10:04
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Does anyone have any tips for getting referrals to good clinics? I'm getting a consultation and hopefully PRK done at my local Kaiser Permanente. They have pretty swanky facilities so hopefully I'm in good hands but I didn't really shop around because I don't have any leads...
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Nov 16, 2017 19:29
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Where are you?
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Nov 17, 2017 02:14
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The San Francisco bay area.
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Nov 17, 2017 19:44
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Try the SF thread in LAN maybe? I have a couple friends out there but nobody's gotten LASIK that I know of.
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Nov 19, 2017 16:52
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Ah ok. I'll probably ask around some of my IRL contacts then. They've mostly just said to look at reviews but if they're gonna be like yelp I don't know if theyll be very helpful. The doctor I was referred to from Kaiser has a pretty impressive bio and record of experience so maybe I'll just go with them... Thanks for the suggeations!
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Nov 19, 2017 21:48
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Most places are pretty good these - having problems like I had are very rare. One thing to keep in mind when you talk to them is how pricing works - if they claim $400/eye or something stupid, it probably means follow up appointments are all paid for separately, a touch up might be paid for separately, etc.
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Nov 19, 2017 22:07
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Yeah, I think you'd have a hard time finding a place that wasn't going to do well medically. I got jerked around hard by the first place I went to, but it was more administrative rather than anything medical. In short, they told me I was a good candidate, scheduled me, I came in day-of, then they told me they weren't going to do it because I in fact did not qualify. Like you couldn't have run this by your surgeons weeks ago and just called me up? Nowhere near San Fran of course, so I can't comment on anywhere near you.
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Nov 20, 2017 07:26
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If you get lasik does it make it harder to wear contacts after that? My worry is that I'll get the surgery, my vision gets worse again but this time I'll be stuck with glasses instead of contacts.
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Nov 20, 2017 20:09
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