Laser Eye Surgery

[BusterStacks]

My eyes are really bad. I am nearsighted with astigmatism. Has anyone had this laser corrective surgery? Discuss...

[billyjex]

Dude, it's the bomb.

I too have nearsightedness with really bad astigmatism. As a high school graduation gift my parents got it for me and it's a million times better living with good eyes than using contacts/glasses. It's a really simple procedure, is fairly painless, takes 15 minutes and you get all messed up on valium too!

If you can afford it, do it.

[Freakin]

I've been told that it's best to wait until after age 25 or so before getting corrective laser eye surgery. Apparently, your eyes may not be completely finished growing until then, so your cornea may still readjust itself after the surgery if it's done early in life. Something to ask a doctor about, to be sure.

Freakin

[CCx]

My fiancee is a nurse at one of the leading laser eye surgery centers in Philadelphia. She just had the surgery a few months ago, and she LOVES it (not to mention it was free for her). I wear glasses, and I'm blind as a bat, and looking forward to when we get married in August so I can get it for free too. The advice in this thread is 100% correct - it is reccommended to wait until you are 25 to get the surgery. Other than that, it's also best to do a lot of research and find the best place in your area - you only get one pair of eyes, and radio commercials advertising a 'special on surgery at $499 an eye' should be considered an afterthought. Another piece of advice, when you do your research make sure the place includes *ALL* follow up care in the price of the surgery. Some places will do the surgery cheaper, and initial followup is included - but if down the line a year or so an adjustment is needed, they will charge you additional for it. Good luck and let me know if you've got any more specific questions, I can get them answered for you right away. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[AncientPC]

Weird, I was just thinking about this out of the blue today as well.

[Shajen]

[ QUOTE ]
My fiancee is a nurse at one of the leading laser eye surgery centers in Philadelphia. She just had the surgery a few months ago, and she LOVES it (not to mention it was free for her). I wear glasses, and I'm blind as a bat, and looking forward to when we get married in August so I can get it for free too. The advice in this thread is 100% correct - it is reccommended to wait until you are 25 to get the surgery. Other than that, it's also best to do a lot of research and find the best place in your area - you only get one pair of eyes, and radio commercials advertising a 'special on surgery at $499 an eye' should be considered an afterthought. Another piece of advice, when you do your research make sure the place includes *ALL* follow up care in the price of the surgery. Some places will do the surgery cheaper, and initial followup is included - but if down the line a year or so an adjustment is needed, they will charge you additional for it. Good luck and let me know if you've got any more specific questions, I can get them answered for you right away. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm looking to do this in a couple months when my bonus arrives. Which option did your woman end up going for?

There's a whole slew of choices down here in Atlanta, from $499 an eye (yeah right) up to $2500 an eye. I'm not sure which to go with, but haven't done a ton of research.

thanks.

[WC64]

I have thought of this as well and a co-worker of mine just had an appointment and they told him he wasn't a canidate for lasic surgery and that he would have to do PRK which is supposedly more painful and less effective although he went ahead and had it done. He said it seems to be working although I think it takes a month or 2 to completely recover from this type.

[CCx]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm looking to do this in a couple months when my bonus arrives. Which option did your woman end up going for?

[/ QUOTE ]

She had the LADARWave Custom Cornea treatment. Again it was free since she works there, but it would normally cost around $3,000 per eye including all after-care. Different areas of the country have varying prices on laser eye surgery though, so YMMV.

[BeerMoney]

this topic was discussed here before.. I don't have time to do a search on it, but I started the topic about 6 months ago. There was some really good stuff in there. Mason chimed in, and a doctor who performs the surgery also did.

[jar]

here (http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=999112&page=&view=&sb=5&o =&fpart=all&vc=1)

[RogerZBT]

[ QUOTE ]
There's a whole slew of choices down here in Atlanta, from $499 an eye (yeah right) up to $2500 an eye. I'm not sure which to go with, but haven't done a ton of research.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is not a place you want to penny pinch. The cheaper places have to do a lot of volume to pay for their equipment and are less stringent in their screening process. Not everyone is an ideal candidate and it's those less-than-ideal's that have most of the problems that you hear about.

If you have a regular optometrist you trust, he can probably tell you if you're a viable candidate or not.

That said, it's the best $5000 I've ever spent.

[Zoltri]

I can relate, I have the same problem.
I am definitely getting the surgery this year.
No reason not to anymore.

[mistrpug]

[ QUOTE ]
My fiancee is a nurse at one of the leading laser eye surgery centers in Philadelphia.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
Good luck and let me know if you've got any more specific questions, I can get them answered for you right away.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can she get me a discount? /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[CCx]

[ QUOTE ]
Can she get me a discount?

[/ QUOTE ]

Naw, family only, sorry... (one of the reasons I have to wait so friggin' long to get it, I tried telling them 'i'm ALMOST family, cant we just let me in on a technicality?' no dice.) /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[AngryCola]

Maybe you could use ArchAngel's mouse?

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe you could use ArchAngel's mouse?

[/ QUOTE ]
omg! i can't belive you beat me to that!

[ArchAngel71857]

This really isn't a place you want to go with the lowest bidder. The doctor I went to said over half of his surgery is actually repairing people's eyes who got it done in the mall or wherever the $499 special was. Here is his website (http://www.wangvisioninstitute.com/about_dr__wang.htm) . I had to wait until I was 21 and had the same perscription for three years in a row. Buy stock in eye drops. For about 4-5 months afterwards, I was rewetting my eyes at least 5 times a day, the first few weeks afterwards, I was doing it every 15-30 minutes. But there is nothing like waking up in the middle of the night and being able to see the clock. In fact, later in the day of my surgery, i walked around and read every clock from as far away as i could get. Your vision will actually flucuate for the first month or so. Mine finally settled in around 20/15. On the other hand, my dad got it done when he was 61 and he still has to wear contacts just a lesser perscription. The day after my surgery, I drove to the hospital. It didn't hurt during the surgery, but it is kind of scary because they put pressure on your eye which makes you go blind for a second, but you don't care (Thanks valium!).

-AA

[ArchAngel71857]

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe you could use ArchAngel's mouse?

[/ QUOTE ]

Har Har.

My roommate verified the burnt spot, so suck it.

-AA

[turnipmonster]

a friend of mine had it and it was a nightmare for him, although to be fair they did tell him he was high risk because of his eye shape (he's half asian if that matters).

also I know lots of people that say it's the best thing ever. I have a weird relationship with contacts, I can wear them indefinitely without ever taking them out and never even notice them, so there's no need for it for me yet. my current contacts have been in for at least a month.

--turnipmonster

[7ontheline]

Wait until you're 25 - you don't HAVE to, but it's better and more likely to be stable. Don't skimp on the cost - as people have mentioned, only 1 pair of eyes. I have seen plenty of ugly complications, so trust me on this. Most important thing is to be aware of the possibilities of complications and to go to a physician who will tell you NOT to have it if that is what is most appropriate. People can develop dry eyes, glare, haloes, infections, etc. Don't go to a doctor who tries to sell you on it. You should want it 100% on your own.

7ontheline
(Eye MD)

[TorontoCFE]

I've had to have my eyes redone twice.

My eyes regressed after a year and it had to be redone and then redone again after there was some infection.

It was a nightmare but I still don't think I'd pass it up since there was no real pain other than repeated doctor visits.

And I'm in good shape now other than dry eyes that will probably never go away.

[billyjex]

[ QUOTE ]
I've been told that it's best to wait until after age 25 or so before getting corrective laser eye surgery. Apparently, your eyes may not be completely finished growing until then, so your cornea may still readjust itself after the surgery if it's done early in life. Something to ask a doctor about, to be sure.

Freakin

[/ QUOTE ]

My eyes had stopped changing for over a year, and I guess it's ok after that. If the doctor said it's ok, I assumed it was.

It's been over three years and my eyes are still 20/20.

[guller]

Anyone ever hear anything about internal contact lenses? My mom just got cataracts removed and while they were in there they put in a new lens. She loves it. I'm thinking about looking in to it for myself. This also does no damage to your eye like the lasers do, if it messes up I guess they can remove them.

[BusterStacks]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Maybe you could use ArchAngel's mouse?

[/ QUOTE ]

Har Har.

My roommate verified the burnt spot, so suck it.

-AA

[/ QUOTE ]

That doesn't mean anything as optical mics are still LED's which DON'T GET HOT.

[7ontheline]

Those lenses still involve surgery, although you are correct that they are more reversible than the laser correction. As far as I know, they're not so great if you have astigmatism - it's hard to correct anything other than spherical error.

[ricochet420]

Dude I knew a guy who almost went fully blind from this. Bad news. Bad, Bad, Bad, news brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[ QUOTE ]
a friend of mine had it and it was a nightmare for him, although to be fair they did tell him he was high risk because of his eye shape (he's half asian if that matters).

also I know lots of people that say it's the best thing ever. I have a weird relationship with contacts, I can wear them indefinitely without ever taking them out and never even notice them, so there's no need for it for me yet. my current contacts have been in for at least a month.

--turnipmonster

[/ QUOTE ]