Laser Surgery

I went to the eye doctor and he had brought up contacts and laser surgery. The contacts he kind of discouraged due to the enviornments I am often in and the senstivity of having things close to my eyes. He had brought up the laser surgery. Has anyone done this before? If so what was the cost and how do you like the results?

my friends dad had it done and i'm getting it done in July. my friends dad says he's glad he did it. the first few days after the surgery you can't really see well and the doctor tells you to stay in a dark room. i guess you'll have to just sit and listen to the TV cuz it's hard to watch. According to my doctor, they also make you wear goggles while you sleep for a few days after the surgery to keep anything from getting in your eyes and to make sure you don't inadvertantly rub them while sleeping.

the only down side my friends dad said is that he occassionally gets a glare that he didn't have before. particularly at night when faced with an oncoming car's headlights

I have several friends who have had it and are very happy with the results. I don't know what the cost is like in the US, but her it's around $6000 AUD or $4.5k US. The other issue I'm aware of with this surgery is scar tissue building up after a few years and you need to have the surgery again.

I have several friends who have had it and are very happy with the results. I don't know what the cost is like in the US, but her it's around $6000 AUD or $4.5k US. The other issue I'm aware of with this surgery is scar tissue building up after a few years and you need to have the surgery again.
The issue of scar tissue is the main reason I've just stuck to glasses instead of seriously looking into it. I'm sure that with advances in the next few years, the issue will die down and techniques will improve. Until then, glasses it is:smile:.

Both my parents have the "Lasik" surgery done, my dad had it done twice because there was a hole in his eye. They had it done two years ago, and they can see perfect without wearing anything. However, they do use reading glasses to read. Prior to them having the surgery, My dad was 950 degrees short sighted and my mom was 900 degrees short sighted. I'm lucky that I'm only 300 degrees short sighted as of right now :lol:

EDIT: I don't know how much the surgery cost, because it was fully insured under my dad's insurance policy. I believe it went for somewhere like $20,000 HKD, which is about $2564 USD but I am not positive.

P.s. My dad has an excellent medical insurance policy. :evillol: In three years, I have ended up in a hospital with treatment fees worth over $17,500 USD and the insurance covered it all up, and we ended up paying $0. Also, I had braces, which was a $2,500 USD treatment and the insurance fully covered that too. I turned from this (:icon16:) to this (:iceslolan).

bah. i just wear my contacts 24/7 so im not too interested

My uncle and my eye doctor both had it done and recommend it to everyone. It is blurry for like a week, and after that i guess you can see perfectly. I've considered doing it. The part about having to have it done more than once I'm not sure on. Both my uncle and my eye doctor had the Lasik surgery done recently so i don't know what the long term outlook is. If you do it, post the results because i want to know how it turned out and if i should get it done or not.

bah. i just wear my contacts 24/7 so im not too interested
Aren't you worried about infection? I've left my contacts in for a few straight days before, but I wouldn't permanently leave them in.

Aren't you worried about infection? I've left my contacts in for a few straight days before, but I wouldn't permanently leave them in.

Man, I knew a guy who never took out his contacts. I remember asking him when was the last time those contacts saw daylight and he told me May. It was late August when I asked him. I dunno the specifics but that can't be good!

I wear contacts.

I wear contacts as well. There are some types you can keep in for up to a month, but other than that keeping them in all the time isn't good. Massive amounts of protein build up on the lenses and your eyes need to breathe.

Contacts really aren't an option for me. I am in too dirty of an enviornment too often. I also would have to fight to get them in. I am probably going to wait till next year to see if my vision is still pretty much stablized. Thats what my dr. reccomended. But I am definitely a candidate for it. Unfortunately I my mom's plan has been being cutback Damn the Board of Ed. Of NYC. They are cheap blood sucking bastads.[/rant]

I wear contacts too...i leave them in for quite a while sometimes...I do takke them out...at least once a month though I'd say.

I have thought about it more. My only problem is infection. Being that I am around horses and naturaly, dirt, dust, mud, shit(literally), and other stuff that is my main concern. Any advice on this?
*****Leaving horses is NOT an option*****

Don't ever touch your eyes. No probs.

My dad's had it done. It was weird seeing him without glasses as he'd worn them since i was born. He seems happy although get this:

I wear contacts and have been thinking about doing the laser thing for a while. My cousin (who is a doctor) referred me to an eye doctor he knows. After a brief consultation with this woman she was like "it's completely safe and you should definitely do it". Remember, this woman knows im related to her friend. A couple of weeks later at a dinner party my parents attended, my cousin was there, as was the eye doctor. My mum starts talking to this woman, who says "well there is some risk, give it a few years before you do anything". This woman works at one of the most high-profile hospitals in London :disappoin

Jay - run away.

My father is an optometrist and partner in a local Laser Centre. I can ask him and answer/clear up any questions you have.

Laser + eyes = NO.

I know it's supposed to be safe and all, but with the scar tissued, having to do it over again in a few years, and the chance of having your eyes ruined (in car crash impact on the way home - it's happened), coupled with the fact that it's only been around for a few years.....I'd at least take the advice of Crayzayjay and wait a few years.

I have to wait atleast one more year. I have an exam next year in January then I skip a year. So in 2008 I think it will be perfected enough for me to go threw with it.

My current job is inputting patient exam files from Dad's satellite office into the main computer. So far, out of about 25 people I've input that have had laser done, only 1 patient has had significant scars, and even they weren't bad enough to require correction. Also, 1 patient has had to go back for correction revision. Everyone else (so far, I'm only in the "Go..." last names, alphabetically) has had no problems.

Stick with contacts or something for now, laser surgery is only getting better. Apparently there is a motto, "20/10 by 2010", it's a bit of a wait, but when your dealing with your eyes it's worth it. Besides, 20/10 vision would be cool.

Man, I knew a guy who never took out his contacts. I remember asking him when was the last time those contacts saw daylight and he told me May. It was late August when I asked him. I dunno the specifics but that can't be good!
He he sounds like me. I've worn contacts since 1985. I first started out with the ones you wear for a month at a time without removing. After a couple of years I transitioned to daily wears. I wore the same pair of contacts from April 1993 to June 2004, (yes that's 11 years.) The lenses became harder to see through towards the end, and I went to the eye doc for info on the surgery and to get new lenses. I now have the ones that you wear for a month (take out every day) and discard, but I still wear the same pair from June. I take very good care of my lenses, cleaning and disenfecting them (anybody remember those little thermal disenfecting units pre 1990?) The ones I wore for 11 years were removed and cleaned/ disenfected daily as are the ones I have now. I had to get used to not rubbing the new ones I had as the doc said the newer solutions do that for you, and you can damage the lens. I hope to have the surgery within the next few years. Many people from my area travel to Canada to have it done (only $390 US) each eye. They even have packages that include hotel accomodations so you could make a weekend out of it. I know a lot of people who had the surgery when it became popular in the mid '90s and are still doing good. I remember back then they were kind of limiting the surgery to those over 35, but now seem to start around 18 - 20 years of age.

i dunno.....i like my glasses just fine:sunglasse

^i don't mind glasses but i do shit where you can't wear them. like when i go paintballing i can't wear my glasses cuz of the mask, same thing or on my 4 wheeler, and i'm getting a motorcycle in the spring i don't think i'll be able to wear them then either. and i can't do contacts i tried for about a month and it's just too big of a pain in the ass for me, plus it always feels like i have something in my eye. fortunately my eyesight without the glasses isn't terrible so i can deal, for now.

He he sounds like me. I've worn contacts since 1985. I first started out with the ones you wear for a month at a time without removing. After a couple of years I transitioned to daily wears. I wore the same pair of contacts from April 1993 to June 2004, (yes that's 11 years.) The lenses became harder to see through towards the end, and I went to the eye doc for info on the surgery and to get new lenses. I now have the ones that you wear for a month (take out every day) and discard, but I still wear the same pair from June. I take very good care of my lenses, cleaning and disenfecting them (anybody remember those little thermal disenfecting units pre 1990?) The ones I wore for 11 years were removed and cleaned/ disenfected daily as are the ones I have now. I had to get used to not rubbing the new ones I had as the doc said the newer solutions do that for you, and you can damage the lens. I hope to have the surgery within the next few years. Many people from my area travel to Canada to have it done (only $390 US) each eye. They even have packages that include hotel accomodations so you could make a weekend out of it. I know a lot of people who had the surgery when it became popular in the mid '90s and are still doing good. I remember back then they were kind of limiting the surgery to those over 35, but now seem to start around 18 - 20 years of age.

We had one guy come into the office who had been wearing the same lenses for 3 years - OK, not a problem...until we found out he hadn't removed them even once in the past 3 years!! No wonder he could barely see. Glad to see you cleaning/disinfecting! Cleaning/Disinfecting (whether through solution or a combo of solution and scrubbing) is a must, as even by the end of one day, lots of bacteria has collected on each lens. Without proper cleaning, the bacteria builds up into a film, which decreases lens performance, and isn't at all great for the eyes. In fact, we had another patient who never cleaned her lenses, and she came in wondering what the black spots on her contacts were - turned out to be mold...

The main reason for the age limitations on laser are because the eyes are still developing through a person's teens. If they get refractive laser correction before the eyes are developed, then in a few years they may need glasses again, since the surgery corrected their vision from a few years prior. Some people are OK for it at 18, but that's still pushing it. I would wait until at least 23-25, myself. Between 20 and 50, your eyes don't change a whole lot, usually.

I bought some new glasses today....

guess which make.. Lotus. Model? Elise :lol2:

I wear contacts. I leave them in randomly some nights, and I usually don't take them out on vacation or at friends houses.

The main reason for the age limitations on laser are because the eyes are still developing through a person's teens. If they get refractive laser correction before the eyes are developed, then in a few years they may need glasses again, since the surgery corrected their vision from a few years prior. Some people are OK for it at 18, but that's still pushing it. I would wait until at least 23-25, myself. Between 20 and 50, your eyes don't change a whole lot, usually.[/QUOTE]


Yeah, that's what I read and heard about in the mid "90s. I was originally looking into it around '96 when I got married (age 30) most of the people at the time were over 35 then. My best man was 45 and had his done a day or two before my wedding and was able to take part in it w/o any problems. Now that I'm a little older (38) I looked into it futher and noticed they are no longer saying "over 35 ''. I was beginning to think it was pressure from lobbyists that make the equipment, sell it and the doctors who do the surgery to the FDA to lower the age requirements, or the FDA did studies and deemed a lower age could successfully have the surgery.
I liken that situation to my son who was born deaf in 1999. We looked into a cochlear implant to help him to hear. At first the age restriction was 2 years old or over. Then the FDA lowered it to 18 mos. around 2000-2001. He had the surgery in Aug. 2001 at 20 mos. of age. The next year the FDA lowered it again to 12 mos. I think through testing and studies the FDA thought the lower age was safer, and it has proven to be correct. It is known that the lower the age you can perform the surgery, followed up by therapy, the child has a much better chance of living a better life. The longer the parents wait to have the surgery, the harder it is to have the child learn to talk like a normal hearing child and be able to hear like one. The child 's brain tends to learn a certain way,and it is harder to counteract that once the child is older.

Unfortunately I my mom's plan has been being cutback Damn the Board of Ed. Of NYC. They are cheap blood sucking bastads.[/rant]

off topic- My GF is a teacher for the board of Ed here in NYC too and she complains about it.

off topic- My GF is a teacher for the board of Ed here in NYC too and she complains about it.
Well they took my mom's benefits and lowered them to a starting teacher. WTF she has been teaching for as long as I have been alive plus like 15 years. She took a one year sabatical and 2 maternal leaves. She hardly is ever absent from work. She was union chapter leader. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR [/rant] We got it back but it isn't as good as it used to be. They said it was a clerical error BS excuse if you ask me. But yeah I tried doing as suggested with the water drop on my finger. Surprsingly I still have my vision and I am not sensitive when I do it myself it is more when someone else is getting close to my eye with something. Anyone have same issue?

Laser + eyes = NO.

I know it's supposed to be safe and all, but with the scar tissued, having to do it over again in a few years, and the chance of having your eyes ruined (in car crash impact on the way home - it's happened), coupled with the fact that it's only been around for a few years.....I'd at least take the advice of Crayzayjay and wait a few years.
Actually it's been in this country in one form or another for over 15 years. The surgeries have been performed in Europe and other areas a lot longer than that (it always seems to take a long time for something that starts over there to make it's way across the ocean and go through the approval process to be done here.) In our area, results are now being recognized at 20/15 in many of the surgeries. I think the cost is what scares and prevents a lot of people from having the laser eye treatment. Many people around here go to Canada, where it's only $390US per eye. The only problem with that is follow up care, as you usually have to go back for a checkup to make sure everything is all right. Many local doctors are hesitant to see patients who had their surgeries in Canada, and it's understandable.

Now that I'm a little older (38) I looked into it futher and noticed they are no longer saying "over 35 ''. I was beginning to think it was pressure from lobbyists that make the equipment, sell it and the doctors who do the surgery to the FDA to lower the age requirements, or the FDA did studies and deemed a lower age could successfully have the surgery.

Most likely. Also, basically everyone, usually around 40-50, becomes presbyopic and needs bifocals/two pair of glasses. So if you can't have the surgery until 35, you only have 5-10 years before you're going to need reading glasses again. You can get much more use out of the surgery if you get it done earlier.

Surprsingly I still have my vision and I am not sensitive when I do it myself it is more when someone else is getting close to my eye with something. Anyone have same issue?

I used to not even be able to touch my own eye, let alone have someone else touch it. I still won't let anyone or anything near my eyes, though I can now touch them myself. I think most people are like that, though there are some who have no problem at all with it...

The only problem with that is follow up care, as you usually have to go back for a checkup to make sure everything is all right. Many local doctors are hesitant to see patients who had their surgeries in Canada, and it's understandable.

Indeed - I'm not exactly sure what the complete follow up schedule is, but I believe it's one week from the surgery, one month from the surgery, two months, six months, and then annually. It's not something that can just be done and then forgotten about...