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Has anybody here gotten LASIK surgery?

misscelestia- feel free to pm me if you want some encouragement. I'm so glad I had it done :)

when I went to a follow-up after my surgery, my doctor pointed out someone that had, get this, -23 !!! I didn't even know that's possible. He was like "You know how bad your eyes were? Hers were just about twice as bad!" Holy shit, that's crazy.
 
check around and see if there's a free seminar you can go to, they have them every now and then in my town.
i went to one a while ago, and watched them perform the surgery on this dude. they had a monitor on his eye so you could see everything. his eye was held open with what looked like freaky mascara curlers. it was pretty sick watchin them cut that layer off the eye....heh heh...and when they started lasering you could see the smoke rising up off it. pretty coo free thing to see heh heh. gud luck!
 
moonshadow said:
I can actually read without my glasses, but that is because one of my eyes is technically lazy so it just turns off (it's not so lazy that anybody else can tell). Extended time without my glasses might end up doing serious damage so I try to avoid that.
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Going uncorrected will not "damage" your eyes. The visual system matures around 8 years old (up to 10 years, depending on textbook). You will not lose further vision in your right lazy eye by not wearing lenses.

Remember with lazy eye or amblyopia, the same vision you had with corrective lenses will be the same after Lasik. If you are 20/40 pre-op with correction, you will be 20/40 post-op not 20/20. Lasik does not bring back any visual loss that occurred in childhood due to amblyopia.

Also high myopia (over -6.00) is NOT rare.
 
lasik plus vision center?

sorry to bump such an old thread, but i have to ask if anyone has had their lasik done here. it's a national chain of board-certified doctors. the center i'm going to has 4 of the best in illinois, if not the entire nation. i'm scheduled for the 23rd of this month, and am super-psyched to get rid of these fucking glasses once and for all. it's been a long ten years of codependency, and i'm ready to end this relationship.

i chose this place because they are "covered" (i.e. discounted) under my vision insurance through work. i feel really really comfortable at this place, which is important, but i'm always curious to talk to someone who has already had it done there. any input is appreciated.

man, i can't wait to wear my sunglasses again. =D %)
 
i'm seriously considering this, my company just changed plans and its covered... i'm still kind of nervous about letting someone fuck around with my eyes, though.
 
I has Lasik done about seven years ago in Santa Monica, California. It was a great experience. Although I was told I'd have discomfort for several hours, a few hours after the surgery I had no discomfort and my eyes were perfect. I always hated wearing eyeglasses and contacts so I loved my new vision.

However... about a year ago I developed some tears in my retina, causing major floaters in my eyes. I was assured that Lasiks wouldn't cause this, and logically it seems that the two conditions have no physical connection. But I am no longer as gung-ho about recommending Lasik surgery.

I've had laser treatments to stabilize my eyes, but less than a year later my eyes are developing the same problem so I'll need more treatments soon. I was told by the doctor doing them that I might.

The Lasik treatments were virtually painless. The new treatments I'm getting are not. They literally fuse the torn retina to your eye wall by burning it with a laser. It's not unbearable but is hardly what I'd call fun.
 
I was booked and all ready to go a year or so ago and got (educated) chicken feet about a week prior to the procedure. I wasn't concerned about the procedure itself, but about the possible complications, many of which were permanent, uncorrectable and irreversible. I spent at least three weeks researching the hell out of this, digging up every single source and review/discussion site I could find. In the end, I migrated from specs to contacts.

Lasers are for warts. ;)
 
I've always thought about get the laser eye. I currently wear contacts and they suck because I can't open my eyes in the surf.

However I've heard enough bad stories in this thread alone to even consider getting it done. Its a reasonably new procedure and I'm happy to wait another 10 years when we know a bit more about it.
 
Not all the same sites I went through myself many months ago, but the same general idea:

Laser eye surgery - pros and cons (see long list of comments below article)
Just Had It (post-op reviews)
Had It A While Ago
How has laser eye treatment affected me? (mixed bag of results)
Dry Eye (and other complications forums)
Lasik Eye Surgery on Health Boards

Add to that the fact that you have to sign about 40 fewer pages to get a heart surgery than to get laser eye surgery and you definitely end up with more than reasonable cause for concern, IMHO.
 
^ actually i only have to initial about 3-5 pages and sign the last one... and why does that have to be reasonable cause for concern? it's a touchy subject and a precise surgery, totally uncomparable to heart surgery. i don't understand why you would even make that comparison.

also, are some of you seriously basing your judgments on the comments in this thread? i'm sorry, that just seems dumb and naive, like you're looking for an excuse to not get it. bluelighters don't have all teh answers and are usually not completely informed..... educate yourselves in every avenue possible, including going to talk to a doctor about it, and then come back and tell me why you don't want to get it done. 8)

and nobody's answering my initial question anyway, about the place i'm getting it done. thanks for nothing anyway, apart from *almost* scaring me out of it. almost. not quite. the prospect of never wearing glasses again (apart from reading/distance/night) makes me almost cry tears of joy, and that's enough for me.

i'll let you all know how it goes.
 
You wear glasses, do you wear contacts? My contacts I wear for 30 days and don't take them out for anything. At the end of the month I take them out for a night and put in some new ones. I never think about them.

The ONLY downside is not being able to open my eyes under water.

I don't see why I should fuck with my eyes if I already have a perfectly good solution. There are too many problems that I've heard about everywhere, not just here, for me to want to fix something that aint broken. If my eyes ever NEED surgery then I'll get it.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine.
 
Squirt said:
and nobody's answering my initial question anyway, about the place i'm getting it done. thanks for nothing anyway, apart from *almost* scaring me out of it. almost. not quite. the prospect of never wearing glasses again (apart from reading/distance/night) makes me almost cry tears of joy, and that's enough for me.

i'll let you all know how it goes.
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Squirt, I must admit that while I saw that the thread had been bumped, I didn't take note this time exactly which post bumped it. ChoppedChimp's and athousandandmore's posts are what my response was directed at.

Sorry, I didn't see that you were headed for surgery. I personally know people who had terrible vision, who were brought into the "seeing world" thanks to Lasik/PRK. Their vision wasn't perfect in the end, but, considering they were almost legally blind (thick, thick glasses), they were ecstatic with the results. I have no idea how strong your prescription is, but it sounds like it's quite strong? If that's the case, then the benefits can definitely outweigh the risk.

Many happy sun-spec wearing days!
:)
 
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chopped_chimp said:
You wear glasses, do you wear contacts? My contacts I wear for 30 days and don't take them out for anything. At the end of the month I take them out for a night and put in some new ones. I never think about them.

The ONLY downside is not being able to open my eyes under water.

I don't see why I should fuck with my eyes if I already have a perfectly good solution. There are too many problems that I've heard about everywhere, not just here, for me to want to fix something that aint broken. If my eyes ever NEED surgery then I'll get it.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine.
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i've never been able to wear contacts overnight. and i don't think it's a good idea in general. your eyes need to breathe. i used to have monthly contacts and my eyes started rejecting the material. i wasn't ever able to find contacts that suited my eyes' new sensitivity, so i said fuck it and started wearing my glasses every day. i've always hated having to take my contacts out every night before bed, especially when i'm tired and all i want to do is have my head hit the pillow. now i hate having to put the glasses on first thing in the morning, not having periperal vision, not being able to show off my eyes cause they're always hiding behind glasses, etc.

you're lucky in that you don't have many problems with your eyes. i, however, do, and in one week all that will change....

my prescription doesn't seem that bad when you look at the numbers (-4.25 in the right, -4.00 in the left with astigmatism), but when i take my glasses off, i see nothing but blurred faces with no facial features. i can't read signs, i can't see people more than 2 feet in front of me. if i put my palm to my nose and move it away from my face, it gets blurry when it's about a foot and a half away. it's quite frustrating.

they also don't want to take you straight to 20/15 right away. they take you to about 20/20, let your eyes heal and settle into their new vision, and then you can go in for free enhancements for life as often as you need them. i would hate for them to shoot for 20/15 from the get-go and overkill something somewhere along the way. it makes sense, that they don't want to do too much at once.

:) thanks y'all. i'm really excited about being able to wear my sunglasses again, too.
 
i've been thinking about this awhile myself. for financial reasons i can't seriously consider this anytime soon. but eventually, i will get it.

i've warn glassess/contacts full time since i was 3. even at night when i take out my contacts... i have to put on my glasses in the bathroom just to get to my bed. and when i wear contacts, i also ALWAYS bring my contacts case and my glasses with me just incase they get dry/uncomfortable. it's sad. my glasses are such a necesity and i hate it.

even though the surgery cost is in the thousands, it really pays for itself in the long run, when you add up the costs of contacts, solution, and glasses over the years. i'd bet this thing pays for itself within 5 years or so. and then there's the added convenience. i can't even imagine what it's like to wake up in the morning, just open my eyes and SEE. without stopping to find and put on my glasses. i can't wait.

i'm really looking forward to getting rid of everything eventually!!!!

good luck, squirt! i'm jealous!
 
Trust me. I HATED having to take contacts out ever night, cleaning them, noticing them etc... However I've worn the Night and Day brand for 5 years now with zero problems. I find they let your eyes breathe just fine.

If anyone is wearing contacts you have to constantly take out, I'd recommend giving the Night and Day brand a go for a while.

Waking up and being able to see is the best feeling in the world!
 
I'm so excited for you squirt! The bestest parts of having it done are seeing when you wake up in the morning, seeing in the shower, and seeing when you swim!!!

They gave me valium where I had it done, so that made it all sorts of fun. But a friend of mine went to a different place and didn't get anything. She asked, and they told her that she should have mentioned it before that day. And she was pretty anxious during the procedure, so if they didn't mention anything to you already, you might want to call and ask.
 
that's a good idea, vibby.... i'll definitely call them this week. they did say they *might* give you a "mild sedative" to calm your nerves, but no guarantee. maybe if i tell them now that i'm nervous i'll *definitely* get the "mild sedative." wonder what they'd do if asked for a stronger one... ;)

xena you should really consider it. the place i'm getting it does has nation-wide locations and offer a really good financing plan. i'm lucky in that i'm finally cashing in on my 4-year old college graduation present from my parents and won't have to worry about it. but like you say, it pays for itself and is worth it, so you should move it up in your priority line.

chopped chimp, that's exactly how i feel (about waking up and seeing) which is exactly why i'm getting this done. :) so i won't have to worry about it nearly as much anymore, if at all. god i can't fucking wait!!
 
Squirt said:
they did say they *might* give you a "mild sedative" to calm your nerves, but no guarantee. maybe if i tell them now that i'm nervous i'll *definitely* get the "mild sedative." wonder what they'd do if asked for a stronger one... ;)
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they need you to be able to follow their instructions and not fall asleep. You have to pay attention and look exactly where they tell you, and not fight the tape and stuff that's holding your eyes open. but at the same time, if you're anxious, you might be equally as difficult, cuz you can't wince when they tell you to hold still. if you know that you can handle 10mg of valium, call them and tell them that. it's most helpful for after, when you have shields over your eyes and need to take it easy and rest. I went home and took like a 5 hour nap %)
 
update:

it's only been a few days since my procedure, which was last friday. i'm SO glad i did it, and i wouldn't go back to glasses for anything in the world. the surgery itself is strange, cause they're operating on your eyeballs, but it takes hardly no time at all and you can see by the time you leave. the risks are so minor. i really can't understand why anybody wouldn't at least go in for a consultation. they're free and you'll know in no time if you're a candidate.

it's so worth it. i think all you guys who have reservations (especially if they're based only on the replies in this thread) need to stop bein' such pussies and butch the hell up. nothing's going to happen to you, except that you'll be able to see without your glasses. what more do you need?

=D
 
i've been thinking about getting lasik lately b/c i have SEVERE myopia (i'm legally blind, i'm -8) but i kind of like waking up and things being all blurry.. i don't wake up immediately :D i am also very used to my glasses.. but i have noticed that my eyes seem to be smaller than they used to be.

does anybody know offhand if getting this done reduces the possibility of retinal detachment later in life? i looked it up but.. i just want to know if anyone has heard anything from a doctor.
 
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