Laser Vision Correction

[HejiraNYC]

Has anyone ever had this procedure done? I've been thinking of doing this in my left eye for many years, but I've been reluctant due to the lack of long-term safety/efficacy data. But so far I haven't heard about too many disastrous procedures, and it's been around for at least 20+ years now. I have just gotten to the point where I am pretty much getting by with my right eye only; the left eye is blurry mess. I could certainly benefit with glasses, but they are a hassle (I would lose/break them every other week) and I can function without them. But I guess I'm at the point where I want to see some more detail in my world!

[mylittledemon]

Hello! My friend Rob just had it done... He was out of class for 3 or 4 days as I recall... But he can see perfectly now. His vision wasnt bad to begin with, in fact he probably only wore his glasses half the time.

I was told I could never have the surgery. :( I am minus 10 in one eye and minus 11 in the other. Evidently when it gets that poor, its more risky because the eyeball itself is shaped like an egg. Something to that effect. And I run the risk of retinal detachment. Yeah. :(

[MissLadyLoki]

I got very bad vision myself (my right eye is 20/450 and my left eye is 20/650) and while i do wear contacts and glasses, I would love to do Lasik, but I have heard bad things about it, so I'm waiting

[HejiraNYC]

I was told I could never have the surgery. :( I am minus 10 in one eye and minus 11 in the other. Evidently when it gets that poor, its more risky because the eyeball itself is shaped like an egg. Something to that effect. And I run the risk of retinal detachment. Yeah. :(

You are astigmatic! I have astigmatism too. But supposedly the latest generation of laser correction can deal with astigmatism... I guess if you wait around long enough, the technology will get better and better and you'll become a candidate.

[sarahw]

I had it done over 10 years ago and loved it....still do but I may need readers for "age-related" issues....I had it done in Manhattan, and my brother actually had it done recently with the same doc and one eye came out great, the other not so much. He has to see if he can get a do-over.

[Brad]

I had it done to both eyes at the beginning of 2003, so over 8 years ago. Best decision/money spent ever, without a doubt.

I was near-sighted with astigmatism. Not sure what my vision was, but my contacts were something like -3.5 and -3.75. I had to wear contacts or glasses all the time, difficult to read the alarm clock in the morning.

Now it's pefect. My vision is just as good now as it was a few days after the procedure. One of my eyes hurt pretty bad the evening of the procedure, but Tylenol helped the pain and it was gone by the next morning.

I say all that to say, I highly recommend it. It will change your life.

Brad

[McTrouble]

I am extremely short-sighted but I think if I raised the subject of getting laser surgery right now my husband would blow a fuse as in the past couple of years I've bought 5 or 6 pairs of designer specs!

[Edgeof27]

Has anyone ever had this procedure done? I've been thinking of doing this in my left eye for many years, but I've been reluctant due to the lack of long-term safety/efficacy data. But so far I haven't heard about too many disastrous procedures, and it's been around for at least 20+ years now. I have just gotten to the point where I am pretty much getting by with my right eye only; the left eye is blurry mess. I could certainly benefit with glasses, but they are a hassle (I would lose/break them every other week) and I can function without them. But I guess I'm at the point where I want to see some more detail in my world!

Do not wait any longer,

get your vision corrected one way or the other,

try the glasses route first, (might be enough to correct your vision, despite the breakage challange),

then, in about a year if the glasses bother you too much, go for the Lasik procedure

seems a bit of a giant step from no glasses to the lazer option,

anyway do it as soon as you can; :cool:

[michelle2677]

I had it done to both eyes at the beginning of 2003, so over 8 years ago. Best decision/money spent ever, without a doubt.

I was near-sighted with astigmatism. Not sure what my vision was, but my contacts were something like -3.5 and -3.75. I had to wear contacts or glasses all the time, difficult to read the alarm clock in the morning.

Now it's pefect. My vision is just as good now as it was a few days after the procedure. One of my eyes hurt pretty bad the evening of the procedure, but Tylenol helped the pain and it was gone by the next morning.

I say all that to say, I highly recommend it. It will change your life.


this. except i couldn't wear contacts :( they irritated my eyes and dried them out.

i couldn't see the big "E" on the scale before i had it done and now i'm 20/15.

as far as concerns about the procedure, an eye dr friend of mine told me there are no reported cases where someone left with worse vision than what they went in with. i know that's not perfect odds, but my worry was them f*cking up my eyes and not being able to see. a perfectly legit worry i might add :laugh: after he told me that, i was at ease. and apparently the laser has an off switch. it moves with your eye (because no one can hold it perfectly still), but if you move it too much or too quickly it will shut itself off.

i totally recommend it. i still reach for my glasses on occasion and i had it done march 08. it takes less than a minute per eye and the results are amazing. i would do it once a year if i had to, but luckily i don't :)

[Christopher]

Had both eyes done in 2005. Had to have my right eye re-done shortly after because the flap did not lay correctly. Yes, I know this sounds scary, but it's more common than not. However, now I think theres even a less invasive procedure, not sure about the astigmatism though. Long story short. I LOVE LASER VISION CORRECTION! It's one of the best decisions I ever made. I've never regretted it. In fact I can't even remember all the hassles involved in dealing w. burdensome contact lenses & eye glasses at all anymore. It seems like a dream. You will be freed. I've had 20/20+ vision since my surgery. Just don't go to the cheapest surgeon. I think I paid @1400 an eye. I interviewed three docs. Trust your instincts.:angel:

[HomerMcvie]

this. except i couldn't wear contacts :( they irritated my eyes and dried them out.


i totally recommend it. i still reach for my glasses on occasion and i had it done march 08. it takes less than a minute per eye and the results are amazing. i would do it once a year if i had to, but luckily i don't :)

Me too. I tried to wear contacts, for about two months, and I just couldn't get used to them. And I almost NEVER wear my glasses, so I've just opted to be blind. I have no idea how I pass the vision test at the BMV, but I do! On a positive note, I now find my dates to look uber hot!!! What used to be a 7, is now a 10!!!:lol:

How much was your procedure? I'm sure I will do it, at some time(when my eyes get really bad), but I'll probably at least wait until my house is paid off.

[fringed n fab]

A family member had it done a few years ago and one of her eyes closed shut for almost a year and it's took about 5 for it to fully open again. I'll stick with contacts.

[darklinensuit]

I started wearing glasses when I was 8, hard contacts when I was 12. I've been in gas permeables for years, but I sure miss the old glass ones that never gave me any problems.
For most of my life I could read books & menus better without them, and when I wore them, I could read street signs before anyone else in the car.
A couple of years ago I noticed that I now needed them to read. And somehow contacts had gotten more uncomfortable, so I'm now depending on glasses more and more; now I'll even work out in them which I never thought I could do. But I'd love to be able to ditch them.

When my brother had his laser vision surgery almost 10 years ago, my (former) eye doctor told me not to bother, that people will still need reading glasses anyway at the age of 40, and so I might as well stick to contacts.
I might have still had the surgery, but I hate eye drops & cannot put them in. For some weird reason, I have no problem putting lenses in my eyes, but drops are impossible.
But I always thought that if I had the surgery, I might do just one eye & see how it goes.
My brother is happy about having had the surgery, by the way.


- Jake

[michelle2677]

Me too. I tried to wear contacts, for about two months, and I just couldn't get used to them. And I almost NEVER wear my glasses, so I've just opted to be blind. I have no idea how I pass the vision test at the BMV, but I do! On a positive note, I now find my dates to look uber hot!!! What used to be a 7, is now a 10!!!:lol:

How much was your procedure? I'm sure I will do it, at some time(when my eyes get really bad), but I'll probably at least wait until my house is paid off.


as long as you get to see her driver's license and know that she's 18, that's all that matters :lol:

mine was $3,000. as someone else said, don't go with the cheapest dr. i was referred by my eye dr friend so i already trusted him.

.
I might have still had the surgery, but I hate eye drops & cannot put them in. For some weird reason, I have no problem putting lenses in my eyes, but drops are impossible.
But I always thought that if I had the surgery, I might do just one eye & see how it goes.
My brother is happy about having had the surgery, by the way.


- Jake

if you hate eye drops, it's not for you :lol: you have to put drops in your eyes constantly the first few weeks because your eyes get dry. and the tests they do on your eyes to see if you're a "candidate"? i didn't know you could test for so many things. they test to make sure you produce enough tears. wanna see a pic?

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a395/Michelle2677/michelle/0306081545.jpg

those things aren't actually ON my eyes, btw. they just kinda stick them to the corner, then put drops in your eyes that cause you to tear up. if you don't produce enough moisture on these paper points, nope. you're not a candidate lol

and then here's what you could look like 2 hours after you have the surgery

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a395/Michelle2677/michelle/100_2880.jpg

and the fun glasses you get to wear for 24 hours, then every night after that for two weeks.

:lol:

i should be embarrassed by these pics but the truth is, i've posted worse :eek:


all in all, i would definitely recommend it to anyone who can have it done.

[HejiraNYC]

^^OMG, that looks frightful! Although I have to admit that I find those glasses to be kinda chic. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to make a fashion statement.

I have an appointment to have my candidacy evaluated. I agree that there is no such thing as bargain medical care; you really do get what you pay for. So I'm probably going to overpay and have it done at one of those places on Park Avenue. I just hope they serve cocktails!

[michelle2677]

^^OMG, that looks frightful! Although I have to admit that I find those glasses to be kinda chic. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to make a fashion statement.

I have an appointment to have my candidacy evaluated. I agree that there is no such thing as bargain medical care; you really do get what you pay for. So I'm probably going to overpay and have it done at one of those places on Park Avenue. I just hope they serve cocktails!

i don't know about that but you can go to pottery barn, get a flask and take advantage of the valium they give you :thumbsup:

[Edgeof27]

So after this minor medical procedure has been performed,

You should be able to look forward to having;

"Crystal Visions",

:]:blob2::]:cool::]:blob2::]

[HejiraNYC]

Okay, so thanks to all of your overwhelmingly positive anecdotes, I am now scheduled to have my left eye corrected in a few weeks! Interestingly, when I arrived at the clinic, I noticed that their propaganda stated that they specialized in "Asian eyes." I was like WTF? So I asked the screener, who appeared to be of Chinese descent, what this was about. She said it had only to do with the "small opening." Seriously? I'm still not sure whether that should have been a reason to be offended. :lol:

In terms of setting pricing... it was painful... not unlike buying a used car. When the "financing guy" told me the price to correct one eye, my chin hit the floor. It began with a "2." I basically said in so many words that it was unacceptable; I was about to walk. Then I offered to pay in cash (which is what I did to get a discount last week to get my car fixed). So he came back with the all-too-familiar "what number do we have to hit to get this done?" :rolleyes: Thanks to the numbers in this thread, I had a benchmark in mind, which I used to my advantage. All told, I got them to chop $1000 off their inflated price. Thanks, y'all! :xoxo:

[Christopher]

Okay, so thanks to all of your overwhelmingly positive anecdotes, I am now scheduled to have my left eye corrected in a few weeks! Interestingly, when I arrived at the clinic, I noticed that their propaganda stated that they specialized in "Asian eyes." I was like WTF? So I asked the screener, who appeared to be of Chinese descent, what this was about. She said it had only to do with the "small opening." Seriously? I'm still not sure whether that should have been a reason to be offended. :lol:

In terms of setting pricing... it was painful... not unlike buying a used car. When the "financing guy" told me the price to correct one eye, my chin hit the floor. It began with a "2." I basically said in so many words that it was unacceptable; I was about to walk. Then I offered to pay in cash (which is what I did to get a discount last week to get my car fixed). So he came back with the all-too-familiar "what number do we have to hit to get this done?" :rolleyes: Thanks to the numbers in this thread, I had a benchmark in mind, which I used to my advantage. All told, I got them to chop $1000 off their inflated price. Thanks, y'all! :xoxo:

Terrific news :thumbsup:. Your negotiation & "asian eyes" stories cracked me up:lol:.

Heres wishing you a first-rate experience! I'm sure you've been told, but generally speaking, it takes anywhere from 2-7 days after the surgery for you vision to become crystal clear...and even continues to improve a bit after that timeframe as well.:nod:

[HejiraNYC]

Terrific news :thumbsup:. Your negotiation & "asian eyes" stories cracked me up:lol:.

Heres wishing you a first-rate experience! I'm sure you've been told, but generally speaking, it takes anywhere from 2-7 days after the surgery for you vision to become crystal clear...and even continues to improve a bit after that timeframe as well.:nod:

Thanks. :p

I was told that I would be back to work the next day with perfect vision. And for what it's worth, when I was there getting screened, a few people were coming back for their follow-up visit the day after their procedures. They all said they could see perfectly! I do know that my procedure will be "bladeless," so perhaps that helps things to heal more quickly? :shrug:

[Christopher]

Thanks. :p

I was told that I would be back to work the next day with perfect vision. And for what it's worth, when I was there getting screened, a few people were coming back for their follow-up visit the day after their procedures. They all said they could see perfectly! I do know that my procedure will be "bladeless," so perhaps that helps things to heal more quickly? :shrug:

Cool. Sounds like you are benefitting from the latest technology. As I mentioned earlier in this thread I had my correction done over 6 1/2 years ago at the age of 36 or 35 (heck who's counting). Blade-less is they way to go nowadays if you are a good candidate. They told me at that time I just around the corner from needing reading glasses :cool: for up close reading and such, But knock on wood, until this day my near and far vision are still perfect!

Any hoot...your gonna love it!:]

[HejiraNYC]

JTIS, I've had my left eye done and it went off without a hitch! However, due to the degree of my left eye astigmatism, the doctor told me that I would have to choose between being nearsighted or farsighted (as opposed to being practically no-sighted!); I guess there are limitations for correcting astigmatism. I chose "farsighted" because my right eye is nearsighted. This way, I figure I will be "bi-focal." Ultimately, they may have over-corrected the left eye since I can basically see through distant walls now. :lol: Seriously, my left distance vision is incredible, but it's still a bit of a blurry mess close up; however my right eye is completely the opposite, so they are perfect complements. Anyway, I'm thrilled to finally be able to read distant signs and posters. I'm amazed by all of the detail that I have missed by living in my misty, fog-shrouded world all of these years. :lol: :eek:

Also, the procedure was completely painless; however, my eye was a bit uncomfortable for several hours; almost as if there was a speck of something in it. The most painful part was the price of the steroidal eyedrops you have to take for a few days- $112 for a little 5 mL bottle. :eek: :shocked: In any case, I was back to work the next day, etc. Pretty cool.

[Edgeof27]

JTIS, I've had my left eye done and it went off without a hitch! However, due to the degree of my left eye astigmatism, the doctor told me that I would have to choose between being nearsighted or farsighted (as opposed to being practically no-sighted!); I guess there are limitations for correcting astigmatism. I chose "farsighted" because my right eye is nearsighted. This way, I figure I will be "bi-focal." Ultimately, they may have over-corrected the left eye since I can basically see through distant walls now. :lol: Seriously, my left distance vision is incredible, but it's still a bit of a blurry mess close up; however my right eye is completely the opposite, so they are perfect complements. Anyway, I'm thrilled to finally be able to read distant signs and posters. I'm amazed by all of the detail that I have missed by living in my misty, fog-shrouded world all of these years. :lol: :eek:

Also, the procedure was completely painless; however, my eye was a bit uncomfortable for several hours; almost as if there was a speck of something in it. The most painful part was the price of the steroidal eyedrops you have to take for a few days- $112 for a little 5 mL bottle. :eek: :shocked: In any case, I was back to work the next day, etc. Pretty cool.

Glad to read things have gone well for you,

How are you now progressing with you new multi-vision abilities,

[Macfanforever]

I'm glad things worked out too.I 've have been waring glasses since I was probably
3.yes coke bottle style .I going to check the laser vision out to see if I can get it done.At this time I'm due to get new glasses because I have use a magnafind glass to look at small print .