Anyone here had experience with LASIK surgery?

I've been wearing contacts for just over a decade now (since I was around 14 or so) and although I've been generally pleased with my experience (I wore glasses for two years prior) I've also become all too aware of the limitations of contact lenses as well (things like water-based activities, camping, or just crashing over someone's house on a whim can prove inconvenient.) Nothing like losing/ripping a contact lense to put a huge damper on your day.

As a result of his own positive experience, my father has offered to cover the costs if I wanted to get corrective surgery, and so I've been doing some research on it. It would appear that the general approval rate amongst those who have undergone the process is around 95%. However, despite being on the small side (generally around 5-7% or so) there is still the possibility of minor complications, and a very small possibility for major ones.

Now, I'm aware there are probably just as many risks with contact lenses (for instance: I've been using Bausch and Lomb's RENU Multiplus solution with MoistureLoc for a couple years or so, and it was just taken off the market this past week due to several reported cases of eye fungus and other ill-effects.) But when it comes to contacts, any real concerns (infections etc.) remain pretty small if caught quickly, and are generally easily treated. LASIK though, is irreversible. Once they cut that flap of cornea and take the laser to your eye, that's it -- you're in it for the long haul (as in the rest of your life.) If I find I'm experiencing halo-effects, contrast issues, or blurriness (the most common side-effects reported by those who have undergone corrective surgery) with contacts, I just replace them. I can't replace my eye.

Plus the procedure itself just seems very unnerving to me (suction, knives, and lasers screwing with my eye) in addition to the obvious pre and post-op inconveniences. But it would definitely be sweet to not ever have to worry about a couple fragile little lenses in my eyes. Opinions?

It's interesting that you bring this up because it's been on my mind lately as well. I've been looking into seeing if my insurance would pay for it. I've worn glasses since i was nine years old and i switched to contacts when i was 13. I can tell you that there's negatives with anything you do in life, but you can't let 5% hold you back from something that would change your life like this, and it will save you lots of money in the long run.

If i could afford it i would have already had this done, i say go for it, you can't put a price on vision. If i'm not wearing my corrective lenses i can't see 2 inches in front of my face, that's how bad my eyesight is, but they tell me i have the potential in my eyes to be 20/20, so i'm dying to get this done. And good luck if you decide to do it.

Same here, glasses since i was 8, so 10 years now, its a pain to lay down at night and try not to break my glasses. I also cant see clear ~10 inches in front of my face

My aunt had LASIK done and she's loved it. No problems, minor or major, as of yet, and I think it's been about a year.

Same here, glasses since i was 8, so 10 years now, its a pain to lay down at night and try not to break my glasses. I also cant see clear ~10 inches in front of my facemost people take there glasses off when they sleep :screwy:

didn't xViciousx have it done?

i just got new contacts, and i asked the eye doc about lasik for astigmatism, he said it would cure it 100%, rather than having contacts that merely compensate for the imaired vision. i'm seriously considering lasik, now, but i think i'll have to wait atleast a year to be able to finance it.

you're right about the risks, but i think its well worth it, b/c the chances of risks are so low. just make sure if you decide to go through with it, go to a reputable surgeon.

One of my teachers, who is pretty hot, use to be better had it, and shes had surgery 6 times i think to corret the damages from a mis-hap lasik

My wife works for an eye doctor, the info I have gotten says research the doctor you are thinking about going to . Check for complaints, ask for referrals, things like that. I have thought about lasik, worn contacts for 20 years, but I'm still on the fence about it. Part of it is the cost, part of it is if they mess up its permanent. I have found that with contacts there is very little I can do, just be careful when swimming. I scuba, dont' have any problems going deep, just tell the people I'm with that I wear contacts, if I loose my mask they always help out.

Hmm...I too would consider it if I could afford it, being a contact lense wearer for about a decade.

My biggest concern is not that they will screw up, it is that the eye keeps changing. I'm already going to the optomotrist once a year to check my vision hasn't changed (it hasn't in about 3 years), but what if a couple of years after the surgery your vision goes bad again, and you're a few thousand dollars down and have to wear contacts or glasses anyway? I don't know if the surgery effects the ability to wear contacts or not.

Interesting thread.

My biggest concern is not that they will screw up, it is that the eye keeps changing. I'm already going to the optomotrist once a year to check my vision hasn't changed (it hasn't in about 3 years), but what if a couple of years after the surgery your vision goes bad again, and you're a few thousand dollars down and have to wear contacts or glasses anyway? I don't know if the surgery effects the ability to wear contacts or not.

Interesting thread.

true, but there are some complications such as astigmatism that can be completely corrected by surgery. If i have surgery done, i'd still need contacts to accomadate for my weak left eye, but the vision itself would have improved so much from correcting the astigmatism. right now, i need different prescription contacts almost every 6-12 months, because the astigmatism level keeps changing. no matter what, i can't have even near perfect vision with contacts or glasses because astigmatism impairs vision in jsuch a way that every number lense has drawbacks. the further something is away, the more it "splits apart and overlaps". so if i get surgery done, i would probably still wear one lense in my left eye, and be able to see far away without the astigmatism impairment.

How much does LASIK cost? I've only worn glasses for about 2 years, and at first it was just when I drove or watched TV or was in class, but my vision has gotten worse so I need them almost all the time. Things more than about 6 feet away are incredibly blurry...

I wouldn't do it for a while because my eyes are still changing and stuff, but it's definitely something that I would do. Like Josh said, you can't let 5% hold you back and it's worth it monetarily in the long run.

Vinnie and Nicole - from what I'm told, doctors recommend your visionn stabilises (ie. doesn't change) for at least 2 years before the surgery.

Vinnie and Nicole - from what I'm told, doctors recommend your visionn stabilises (ie. doesn't change) for at least 2 years before the surgery.

hmm, my doc forgot to mention that

My friends mother did it and she is very pleased. She had no complications at all and was back to work in a couple days. I'd say go for it. Thinking about the surgery makes my eyes hurt, though. lol, i guess its up to you man.

had lasix, it worked for me. Very expensive, though.

1] Ant surgery carries risk, I accepted the risks, and it turned out okay for me. Doesn't mean risks can't occur, though.

2] Lasix is great for correcting astigmatism, which another post spoke of, and astigmatism is essentially an "out-of round" eyeball, to put it simply. Lasix will help, but won't "cure" astigmatism, though. That condition will continue to show up.

3] Be damned certain of who will do the surgery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've seen the f*****g cut-rate ads on tv, special for $500 s***, don't trust eyesight to a special, please do not, do not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have bad astigmatism.

So do I, Lasix helped the condition for awhile, but it returned, however the other eye is 20/20, but my eyes seem to me a little more light-sensitive than they were.

Thanks -- good feedback all around.

I haven't felt like I needed a stronger prescription (and have had this same one) for years now. Of course, I've only gone to the eye doctor maybe twice in the past 6 years. Needless to say, I'll be interested to see how this next appointment pans out.

Money is always an issue with this stuff, obviously. I'm told it's considerably less expensive in Canada (and they have a decade or so more experience over doctors here in the U.S.) but the trade off is that you would probably end up offsetting any savings through the purchase of hotels, plane tickets, etc. And in addition, if you DO happen to need quick treatment for some reason or another, or even just a follow-up exam, it's not like your doctor is just half an hour down the highway.

My real concern, of course, is the long term effects. Since the surgery itself only has about two decades of solid history behind it, they've yet to amass any large amounts of data on the viability of the process after 20 or 30 years over the span of a large pool of people. What happens when I turn 50 or 60, and my body starts to begin truly advancing in its aging processes? On the other hand (though I'm obviously not going to bank my money on it) it may not be too far a stretch to entertain the idea that medical science will probably be giving people flat out brand new EYES 3 or 4 decades from now.:naughty:

Interesting fact: did you know that the FDA didn't even approve an official LASIK laser in the U.S. until 1998?

It made me completely blind. I can't see what I'm typing.

^that's just the lack of sex

apparently i have 20/20 vision, but i have problems reading text sometimes.

I have bad astigmatism.

werd. my doc says it can correct it, and it would stay coreected if the procedure went through correctly, which he says is more likely than not.