Anyone ever get LASIK done?

[GT98]

I went for an evaluation yesterday to see if i was a candidate. They said I'm good to go to get it and I can get the standard LASIK or the newer WaveFront LASIK. The issue is that to get Wavefront Lasik, its roughly $1100 bucks more then the standard LASIK. I'm leaning towards spending the extra $$$ since I have a pretty strong prescription and the wavefront is more accurate then standard LASIK.

I'd like to hear peoples experience with doing it...

[James_D]

I haven't done it myself (still have 20/20 vision.) but for many its a great relief to get rid of the glasses. And I know some of my former co students did it at the ophthalmology clinic at the uni. (Very cheap in Hungary compared to other countries, and its in safe regulated conditions. ) They were very happy with the result.

JD

[DGhost]

recomendations i've heard is to do PRK instead... if you can...

but... thats just me...

[GT98]

recomendations i've heard is to do PRK instead... if you can...

but... thats just me...

Well I've heard that the recovery from PRK is tougher, since they just shape the outside of your cornea..it takes serveral days vs 48-72 hours for LASIK which cuts a flap and then that flap is put over the area that is reshaped.

[DGhost]

pretty much... in order for PRK to work they remove the outer layer of the cornea (epithelium) and then shape the tissue under it. this outer layer is protective in nature regrows naturally in approx 7 days. While it is slightly more painful and annoying to go through, it allows your body to heal more naturally.

the issues i have heard of with LASIK is more due to the fact the flap can reopen at a later date (rare, but it does happen if your cornea does not heal right or you subject it to abnormal stresses).

pretty much, my preference comes from the fact that I don't like small things being cut open unless nessicary. thats just me though.

[Jon P. Inghram]

Also, the Navy and Air Force only allow PRK.

[Mehen]

I have a friend that just got PRK. He was something like -7.00 (diopters?). Took a couple weeks to heal, he was EXTREMELY light sensitive at first. I think he got it ~month ago.

I was talking to my optometrist awhile back and he said both laser and PRK are good, but if you are into contact sports etc definitely go with PRK.

Theres a lot of info on wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photore...ve_keratectomy

[VJ]

I know that having had procedures of eye laser surgery are a reason to fail a medical for pilots (even if the operation was succesful).

A friend of mine had it done (she had -16 or so on each eye), but I don't know if it was laser surgery or the surgical procedure. While it couldn't be correct it so that she wouldn't need no glasses at all, she now only needs more "normal" ones (-1.5 or so).

I have -5, but haven't considered it.


Jörg

[Brian Ellis]

My eyes are too precious to take the risk of any non-essential procedure. I still have 20/20 distant vision (my wife says I can see a flea on a cow four fields away) in good light, but I need +3 to read comfortably. However, I have a slight astigmatism in one eye when the iris is fully open, so I need glasses for night driving. No tunnel vision, 90° to the left and 95° to the right.

My grandson overheard me say once that I was presbyopic and told his sister I was presbyterian (he was about 6 at the time)

[Gurm]

My eyes are too precious to take the risk of any non-essential procedure. I still have 20/20 distant vision (my wife says I can see a flea on a cow four fields away) in good light, but I need +3 to read comfortably. However, I have a slight astigmatism in one eye when the iris is fully open, so I need glasses for night driving. No tunnel vision, 90° to the left and 95° to the right.

My grandson overheard me say once that I was presbyopic and told his sister I was presbyterian (he was about 6 at the time)

Well Presbyterians can tend to be myopic...

[DGhost]

I know that having had procedures of eye laser surgery are a reason to fail a medical for pilots (even if the operation was succesful).

A friend of mine had it done (she had -16 or so on each eye), but I don't know if it was laser surgery or the surgical procedure. While it couldn't be correct it so that she wouldn't need no glasses at all, she now only needs more "normal" ones (-1.5 or so).

I have -5, but haven't considered it.


Jörg

LASIK is an automagic fail. PRK and LASEK are both accepted, last I heard. Same for a number of other things in the military.

[Technoid]

The idea of anything sharp or spelled "LASER" ever going near my eyes makes me queasy

And I think that the potential gains does not outweighs the potential risks

[ALBPM]

I've been through the mill over the years......

I had RK done on bothe eyes back in 1991. It was great but took a long time to heal and for 2 years or so had staring at night until all the scar tissue was reaborbed.

The problem I had with the RK is that I have large eyes and the fixed incision pattern did not cover enough area for my eyes when pupils dialated in low light at night. So, my vision decreased at night and I would wear glasses with a slight correction for night driving.

In 2005 I went back to the same Dr because he was one of the early pioneers for Lasik - lots of work for Johns Hopkins developing the laser systems. He was also the only Dr that would do lasik on anyone that had RK done previously.

Because of the issue I had with the RK and night vision he opted for Lasik vs PRK because the Lasik would correct a larger diameter area and the majority of the correction would be on the outer radius.

I also like this Dr because he never does both eyes at once like so many Drs do these days.

The procedure worked great on my right eye - no complications at all. So, three months later he did my left eye.
I had no problems healing up after the surguries. Your eyes will be dry for about 6 months or so while the nerves heal from the flap being cut.

It's great being able to see at night again plus my reading vision improved considerably.

[Paddy]

Glasses don't bother me. Not being able to see at all would
I've seen laser burn marks on the retina so there is no way I would let anything like that near my eyes.