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OctaviusBeaver posted: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. Usually not. If there are complications it's possible to have very dry eyes that would make contacts a big issue.
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Nov 22, 2017 22:37
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So I’m scheduled for Lasik on Friday. And I have the option of switching to Park if I want because I box and I do spar but not in 2 years or so. Should I just get PRK and deal with it over Lasik due to this. I’m not sure how delicate the flap is but he consultation doctor said most people that do Boxing or MMA choose PRK. Any opinions from people that do combat sports and have had one of these procedures done?
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Dec 6, 2017 15:39
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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? I had LASIK in both, PRK in just one eye about 3-4 years after to touch up some astigmatism
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Dec 10, 2017 21:53
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Hi Lasik thread. I got "Custom Wavefront Lasik" in both eyes about 5 months ago (early July) and I am still having to use my eyedrops fairly heavily. Probably a good 10 times a day. I do live in dry climate and I do spend a lot of my time on the computer, which I know will both contribute to eye dryness. How long did it take you before you stopped needing eye drops regularly? I generally still use the Blink Tears preservative free since I've been using them so often. If I'm out and about I'll use a normal eyedrop.
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Dec 18, 2017 18:11
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I got Lasik and I think it was Custom Waveform, and I stopped needing drops after a month.
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Dec 18, 2017 18:29
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I'm about 8 months in, and I still need drops every morning when I wake up, and most nights before going to bed. I too however work 10 hours a day in front of a screen, then a lot while at home too. My optometrist has said it's totally normal at each of my check-ins. So...
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Dec 18, 2017 18:32
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5 months post LASIK, stopped using drops 2 or 3 weeks post op. 10 hour days staring at computer screen, and when I was younger I used to take drops for eye dryness. Now I do nothing. Guess I'm lucky!
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Dec 18, 2017 19:24
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I had stopped using drops pretty much altogether, but my opto told me last month that my eyes were pretty dry and I should go back to morning/night drops. I can barely feel the difference, I just take his word for it. 10 times a day seems like a hell of a lot, maybe talk to your optometrist? Disclaimer: I have ICLs, not LASIK.
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Dec 18, 2017 19:59
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Yes, it's like a lava lamp.
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PittTheElder posted:10 times a day seems like a hell of a lot, maybe talk to your optometrist? Hmm... seems like that might be in order! I'm wondering if part of it is just having one of those eyedroppers open and on my desk. I wonder if I'm almost feeling obligated to use it. I think I'm going to consciously try using them less to see if it is something mental, at least until I can get back from the holidays and get in to see my optometrist.
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Dec 18, 2017 20:02
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I stopped basically as soon as the pamphlet instructions didn't specify anything/only as as needed. I didn't really feel like I needed them for dryness within a monthish/before I was through with the medicated drops though. I basically only used them as directed the whole time. I am also a computer screen starer. Also since I'm posting it's been a year and 3/4 post LASIK and everything is still great basically. Better on almost all fronts than pre-LASIK, including halos and starbursts. Possibly a bit more light sensitive, but not terribly so if that's the case. Still way better than best corrected vision with glasses pre-LASIK. Kylra fucked around with this message at 11:16 on Dec 19, 2017 |
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Dec 19, 2017 11:02
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Ski went ahead and got Lasik and now after my first workout back in the gym. I totally want to spar with the new ability to actually make out my sparring partners face and fine details of their body. UGH. Going to have a long chat with the doc about options. I really thought I might be done with striking but it calls to me.
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Dec 19, 2017 11:25
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Trip report, I got the custom wave whatever LASIK at Joffe Medicenter in Houston on the 8th. Consultation was on the 7th in the afternoon, I had a 2:15 appointment the next afternoon, and a followup at 8 am on the 9th. After having to wear glasses that invariably required a three week lens manufacturing time and would give me massive, crippling migraines any time I adjusted them, 20/20 uncorrected vision is a blessing. I did lose some acuity in my very near vision (within 8” of my eyes) but these past ten days have been amazing and it feels like my eyes are only getting better. A big thank you to everyone in the thread that posted information about their experiences, it helped out tremendously.
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Dec 20, 2017 05:54
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What are some options for places without a bunch of treatment centers? I've asked for referrals and my optometrist and everybody says TLC Laser Eye Center on Greensboro, NC is the place but I can't find other surgeons to comparison shop. I'm also concerned because Greensboro has 1 surgeon and 1 director and that's all. Seems like a very shallow team? I have RTP and Charlotte around but traveling 1.5hrs for every followup sounds awful. Is this just something I should sit on until I live somewhere with more options?
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Dec 22, 2017 15:41
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See if they're using the latest generation of technology. The surgery itself mostly automated nowadays, and so are the scans that tell the surgery device what to do. The doctor probably is not going to do any surgery to your eye manually. I'd do the longer drive if they have more recent technology. These are your eyes you're talking about. Also look at how long they've been doing this.
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Dec 22, 2017 17:17
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I had all-laser LASIK done about a year and a half ago. I was about -2.50 in each eye. I now have better than 20/20 vision and almost no side effects...no trouble seeing at night, no notable halos, etc. I might use eye drops a couple of times per month. I also work in front of a computer for large portions of every day. My eyes used to be so tired after work that I'd want to visually zone out driving home. Now I feel fine every day.
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Dec 24, 2017 17:38
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Were you tired before doing the surgery or was it shortly after the surgery?
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Dec 24, 2017 23:50
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I know this is months late, but since someone was asking about SMILE I'll do a rundown (I had SMILE 2.5 years ago): TL;DR: it's good, go get it done. If the price is significantly higher than LASIK and you're suitable for both, it's not that much more awesome than LASIK, though. ELI5 explanation: SMILE uses a laser to separate a thin layer in middle of your cornea, plus a small (~3mm or 1/8") path to the surface at the side of your cornea, near the sclera (white of your eye). Once the laser is complete, the surgeon uses a sterile spatula to gently separate that layer of corneal tissue, then extracts it through that path. SMILE vs LASIK: less chance of complications, because rather than cutting around the entire cornea and lifting it, the only incision at the surface is that 3mm wide one at the border of your sclera & cornea. Also, no burning-hair smell (because the laser-cut cells aren't exposed). However it is deeply weird to be staring at a green light and having your vision blur bit-by-bit (for me it seemed like the laser was working almost in a dot-matrix pattern from right-to-left, bottom-to-top. The other weird bit is when the surgeon is extracting the lenticule (the corneal tissue layer to be removed) - the spatula is like a windscreen wiper inside your eyeball. So yeah if that squicks you out (or you generally have issues when people are poking and prodding at your eyes) but you're still keen - talk to the surgeon and they should be able to prescrible Valium or some such to calm you down during the surgery. The actual surgery itself is like 5 minutes per eye - ~30 seconds of laser time, and a couple minutes for the surgeon to separate and extract the lenticule. For me, recovery was a bit of a mission - but I have chronic dry eye so I knew my eyes were going to be more sensitive. I had both eyes done on the same day, got a taxi home (for the love of god don't plan to drive yourself - some people can see fine after surgery, others, like me, are effectively blind temporarily. I couldn't look at anything bright, and my ability to focus my eyes was utter crap. The next day I was able to use a computer for short bursts (although I had to have the text size up to 125%), three days afterward I was doing an hour at a time on the computer. I was going through eyedrops like I was eating them as well. One thing I didn't expect - my hands got quite a nasty rash because I was washing them so much. (The epithelium - top layer of your eye - takes 7-10 days to heal after surgery. That's the most critical time for avoiding infections at the surgery site, hence all the handwashing) And yeah, echoing the others on getting preservative-free eyedrops, they're more expensive but they work a whole lot better. Longer-term - it took about 4 weeks before I was seeing well enough (and had adjusted to the differences between my old contacts and my new laser eyes) before I was playing contact sport again, it took about 3 months for my eyes to settle completely and I was using drops on a daily basis for about 6 months (I have chronic dry eye anyway, so that's probably not so much the surgery's fault). Oh and yeah I routinely carry sunglasses on me and I'll wear them even if the day is moderately overcast. No halos, no starbursting*, and no near- or far-sightedness, so count me as a happy customer (when I'm reading on my kindle, the lowest font size is quite comfortable). *NB: that's now. It might pay to avoid night driving (or be cautious with it) for a few weeks after surgery. I remember the first night drive I was a passenger on (~2 weeks after surgery) I couldn't read the number plate of the car in front of us because the numberplate lights (tiny though they were) were giving me massive halos.
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Dec 25, 2017 10:40
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Just in case anyone is curious, on my "still using too many eye drops" issue, I was able to reduce the amount of eye drops I was using down to 2-3 times per day. I think it was the fact that I had the non-preservative drops sitting in front of me pretty much all day and knowing that they needed to be used. I think I was using them too much and my eyes weren't making enough tears.
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Feb 7, 2018 20:55
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Internet Explorer posted:Just in case anyone is curious, on my "still using too many eye drops" issue, I was able to reduce the amount of eye drops I was using down to 2-3 times per day. I think it was the fact that I had the non-preservative drops sitting in front of me pretty much all day and knowing that they needed to be used. I think I was using them too much and my eyes weren't making enough tears. This is an entirely personal thing. I got my surgery done in September and November of 2016 (don't ask) and was done with drops within like 2-3 months on each eye. I still get dry eye occasionally but that's natural. Another buddy of mine got LASIK done and was using drops for almost a year.
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Feb 11, 2018 17:40
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I had the surgery about 10 years ago but last year I developed a small astigmatism in my right eye so I'm wearing glasses again. However my initial vision was like - 8.25 so that made regression a higher likelihood. That doesn't mean I regret getting it done either. Otherwise main issue was minor starbursts after the procedure. I also have very large pupils which made these things more noticeable.
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Feb 12, 2018 06:04
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Got my eyeballs lasered last night, nothing but light sensitivity and perfect vision this morning, A+++ would laser with Dr Haddad in Troy mi again
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Mar 3, 2018 15:05
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Car Hater posted:Got my eyeballs lasered last night, nothing but light sensitivity and perfect vision this morning, A+++ would laser with Dr Haddad in Troy mi again How bad were your eyeballs before the laser? I think this year is gonna be the time I do something about my eyes.
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Mar 21, 2018 13:20
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Is it normal that a local business (Herschel Lasik in Orlando, FL) wouldn't be able to see me for an initial evaluation until April 26?
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Mar 21, 2018 16:27
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Seems a little longer than usual but if they're that busy or understaffed I understand it.
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Mar 24, 2018 00:06
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Deviant posted:Is it normal that a local business (Herschel Lasik in Orlando, FL) wouldn't be able to see me for an initial evaluation until April 26? That's an insanely long wait. I was able to get in the same week at the 3 or 4 local places I contacted.
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Mar 24, 2018 05:39
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I had mine done by a doctor who could be best described as a eye-correction mill. Nothing wrong with that, but he had a very specific schedule. He did post-op follow-ups the first week of each month, consultations/pre-op exams the second week of each month, was off the third week each month, did surgeries the last week of each month. There were exceptions as-needed but I know before I call for my annual post-op appointment that it's going to be the first week of the next month. I'm well into my second decade since the surgery and have had no issues.
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Mar 24, 2018 18:03
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Just got evaluated for lasik today and i think i'm gonna do it. i... like how i look in glasses, though?
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Mar 30, 2018 06:25
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ChickenOfTomorrow posted:Just got evaluated for lasik today and i think i'm gonna do it. i... like how i look in glasses, though? Don't worry, at some point in your 50s you will almost certainly have to start wearing glasses again.
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Mar 30, 2018 07:05
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Shooting Blanks posted:Don't worry, at some point in your 50s you will almost certainly have to start wearing glasses again. aw, you think the world will still exist 20 years from now?
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Mar 30, 2018 07:30
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ChickenOfTomorrow posted:aw, you think the world will still exist 20 years from now? My take is it's more likely you find reading glasses than your prescription in your nearest fallen down Walmart.
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Mar 30, 2018 10:29
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ChickenOfTomorrow posted:Just got evaluated for lasik today and i think i'm gonna do it. i... like how i look in glasses, though? I'm in the same boat. I have a consultation appointment on April 27th (at an office that offers more procedures than LASIK/PRK). I've been wearing glasses since age 7, and I'm now 30 with -9.5/-9.75 vision. I don't even recognize myself without glasses which is one of the reasons I couldn't get used to wearing contacts (plus I couldn't stand putting them in due to my aversion of touching my eyeballs). I plan to wear glasses with no prescription once all is said and done. Can't wait to wear nice expensive/cheap lovely sunglasses and cute throwaway fashion eyeglasses  Edit: Update I ended up going to UCLA's vision center for a free consultation/eye exam. I'm not a good candidate for LASIK or PRK, but they recommended that I consider an implantable contact lens (Visian ICL). My research before the appointment said the procedure tends to run between $2k-$4k per eye but with their facility/service/medical fees, it's $7.5k for the first eye and $6k for the second and requires a few pre- and a lot of post-op visits, and I loving detest driving to LA. I'm going to see what the private vision center says on May 4th , when I do a consult with them (I had to reschedule my prior appointment). I'll definitely make sure the aftercare is included in the cost. So...may the fourth be with me, I guess. Kitten Nightmares fucked around with this message at 04:32 on Apr 19, 2018 |
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Mar 31, 2018 14:21
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I got my free consultation and was a good fit for either lasik or prk, but they’d want to see me after a month of no contact wear (I sleep in mine so heavy user here). Money is a bit tight at the moment but I should have my ducks in a row by next year. I think I’m gonna go for it! Right now I’m leaning more toward PRK since I’d prefer to avoid as much invasive surgery as possible. The increased recovery time has me a little wary but the average case seems tolerable? I asked the doctor what he would have offered a family member and he didn’t hesistate to recommend Prk, for whatever that’s worth. There’s also a decision concerning money., I would get a discount if I allow a fellow to do my procedure. Anyone in here have an opinion on that? It would be a difference of around 1-2K total.
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Apr 26, 2018 21:53
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ChickenOfTomorrow posted:Just got evaluated for lasik today and i think i'm gonna do it. i... like how i look in glasses, though? I felt the same way. For the first week or so after surgery, basically every trip near a mirror turned into a prolonged stare-at-myself session. However, everyone I've asked who knew me before the surgery, or even just saw pictures of me from before, tells me I'm far better looking now. So consider seeking second opinions.  Kitten Nightmares posted:I ended up going to UCLA's vision center for a free consultation/eye exam. I'm not a good candidate for LASIK or PRK, but they recommended that I consider an implantable contact lens (Visian ICL). My research before the appointment said the procedure tends to run between $2k-$4k per eye but with their facility/service/medical fees, it's $7.5k for the first eye and $6k for the second and requires a few pre- and a lot of post-op visits, and I loving detest driving to LA. I got ICLs - toric to deal with my astigmatism - they're awesome. Pricey at $4400/eye (CAD), and there was a two month lead time because they needed to be custom made, but absolutely worth it. Surgery was about 20 min/eye, vision was recovered by the next morning, 20/20 in one eye, 20/15 in the either. Most annoying part by far was that one of the sets of eye drops I took for 3 weeks post-op would run down into my throat and taste just terrible, which is to say it was a cake walk.
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Apr 26, 2018 23:08
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I definitely looked better in glasses, which is a shame. Need all the help I can get. Also, isn't it a bad idea to wear contacts when sleeping? Everything I've ever heard says it's bad, even for contacts that "breathe."
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Apr 26, 2018 23:10
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Internet Explorer posted:Also, isn't it a bad idea to wear contacts when sleeping? Everything I've ever heard says it's bad, even for contacts that "breathe." Anecdata, but wearing contacts overnight was how i developed a corneal ulcer. (being young was how it healed so well that i'm eligible for lasik.)
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Apr 27, 2018 07:00
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It’s a bad habit I’m hoping to shake next year.
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Apr 27, 2018 13:00
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Well, i went to a consultation yesterday, and they we only able to get me to 20/25, so I have a recheck on the 9th and some dry eye treatments to do between now and then. Also I apparently have Map and Fuchs Dystrophy. So you know, that's good. And a loving scar on my cornea which is super metal. Surprisingly none of this is a dealbreaker, but it may require PRK rather than Lasik
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Apr 27, 2018 16:04
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LASIK was such a good idea! To be fair, I had a minor anxiety attack during the procedure but I made it through (I can't stand my eyes being touched and flinch when anything gets close to them, but they gave me a stress ball to squeeze and the doctor was laughing at me) so if I can do it, anyone can. Also, the 24 hrs immediately afterwards were complete hell because I was weeping fluid from my eyes, nose, and down my throat and for a couple weeks after that I was very aware of how much effort it took to focus on something up close or in the dark. But all the issues sort of faded away and now I'm going to my 6 month check-up today with perfect vision and literally no problems at all!
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Apr 27, 2018 17:15
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nikosoft posted:I was weeping fluid from my eyes, nose, and down my throat AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
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Apr 27, 2018 19:17
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Dazerbeams posted:I got my free consultation and was a good fit for either lasik or prk, but they’d want to see me after a month of no contact wear (I sleep in mine so heavy user here). Money is a bit tight at the moment but I should have my ducks in a row by next year. I think I’m gonna go for it! I (and at least one other goon) had LASIK in one eye, PRK in the other. The original plan was LASIK in both eyes, but there were complications in one eye (flap tore), so the only real option was to let it heal and reevaluate. After reevaluating, the doctor decided it would be too risky to try LASIK again. LASIK is an overnight healing process. Literally, you will almost certainly be fine to drive and go to work the next day, barring complications. PRK has a highly variable healing process - for some people it's very fast, others can take awhile. For me, it was roughly a month before I was back to about 95% of normal, and probably 2 months to be 100%. The first 24 hours were very painful, gradually going down to just discomfort within 72 hours. It's hard to describe compared to, say, breaking a bone, but you can expect a ton of photo sensitivity, and sleeping for as long as possible immediately following surgery is highly recommended (the doctor will tell you this as well). For the next month it was different every day - some days it was only slightly blurry, other days the photo sensitivity was back and strong enough that even going outside without a patch was impossible. I drove very little during that period - there were lots of days where I simply didn't feel safe driving (luckily I worked from home so this was a nonissue). That said, my experience with PRK was apparently on the bad side. It's definitely a longer recovery, and don't let the doctor tell you it'll only be an extra day or two compared to LASIK - remember, they're effectively removing the outer layer of your cornea and reshaping it, rather than temporarily removing a flap. It's a much greater (and more exposed) surface area. Given my experience, I generally recommend LASIK over PRK if you're a good candidate for it. As for letting a fellow perform the surgery, I'd have questions. A lot of the procedure is automated, there isn't much for the doctor to do besides prep you for surgery and, in the case of LASIK, remove the flap. - a laser tracks your eye the entire time and shuts down if you flinch or look away. All of the parameters are preprogrammed, as you'll be taking numerous vision and ocular tests to measure everything possible. I'd ask if the fellow had ever performed LASIK/PRK before and if so, how many times. If not, how many times had they sat in on it. What kind of equipment is being used? If there's an error or issue, what's the followup - do you get another correction within a certain time period? Given you mentioned a 1k-2k difference I'm guessing all pre- and post-op visits are covered under one price. I'd probably do it if I were comfortable with the doctor, but that's me. A few other thoughts on it, though, from fellowship folks: My first experience performing LASIK surgery quote:That still means that there was a first patient, though. I remember her very well. Dr. Durrie had a deal where patients could choose to let the fellow in training do their procedure and pay a little less than if he was doing it. It was a good deal because they knew they were at one of the best places in the country, and Durrie would only let good things happen to their eyes. Part of that assurance was that he would only let me do a part of the procedure that I was comfortable with, then do that a bunch of times, before moving on to the next part within my skill set. For that first patient, that meant that I got to "drive the bus." Corneal and Refractive Surgery Fellowship Program quote:Fellows learn key practice management skills including marketing, insurance, billing, accounting, and patient flow logistics that are essential for those considering either private practice or clinic management. Weekly clinical reviews to discuss difficult and unusual cases, research study results, and new developments provide exposure to a wide range of topics and surgical challenges. Monthly working-lunch sessions give fellows an opportunity to make presentations to staff and glean pearls from the medical director and invited speakers. Upon completion of the program, it is expected that the fellow will be a well-rounded, confident and resourceful ophthalmologist who is able to manage the most challenging anterior segment cases. Note the key takeaways from both of those linked - the first one only got to press a pedal. The second one, the skills they tout first and foremost have nothing to do with refractive surgery and everything to do with managing a practice. If you do a search you'll find a bunch of people asking this same question, both as a patient and as someone considering a fellowship. If your case is routine, you'll likely save some money and be none the worse for wear. If you've had issues with your eyes in the past, consider it far more carefully. Just my 2 cents, anyway!
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Apr 27, 2018 21:19
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