reallly want this done, but im prob going to wait a few more years.

1/13/2010 3:47:44 PM

Having lasik done on Tuesday afternoon. Excited! Anxious! Morphine!

3/25/2010 9:20:27 PM

Done, and holy shit what a difference. It's a miracle of science. Damn happy that I had it done.

3/31/2010 9:08:01 PM

So what's the current pricing and best place to go in the triangle now a days

1/22/2011 2:19:09 PM

PRK back in 2006, still the best probably decision i've ever made

1/22/2011 3:33:52 PM

PRK is a BITCH. Could barely open my eyes for like a week and it burned like pepper spray for a good half a day along with feeling like you have a handful of sand thrown in your eyes.

Luckily I just popped some Percocet and floated away into apathy. I could still feel the burning, but I didn't care about it anymore, I was detached. Much longer recovery to perfect vision too. I'd recommend LASIK if you have a choice.

But it's all good once you put some months behind you, just some nasty dryness.

1/23/2011 9:56:59 AM

I dud PRK and it was the single best decision in my life. Seeing 20/20 or better is priceless.

1/23/2011 10:18:27 AM

What is the price like?

1/23/2011 12:25:31 PM

anybody had this done at Duke? nevermind that is on the first page.

I too will ask about pricing. I'm about to have money to do this and I want to get an evaluation. I was thinking Duke mostly because of the name. Google tells me it will be less than $2500 per eye http://www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery/cost.htm


[Edited on July 19, 2011 at 2:40 PM. Reason : .]

7/19/2011 2:32:36 PM

Is there anywhere on the easy coast that will put me under with some diprivan or propofol and do the procedure? I found a place in California but that's it.

7/19/2011 2:38:50 PM

bttt

1/19/2012 3:32:49 AM

Im looking to have this done. I made a consultation with TLC in Cary. Those that have had it and are a few years in, hows the long term outlook looking...no pun intended.

1/19/2012 5:32:06 PM

My wife had LASIK at Travers last Wednesday. She is 20/15 now. Before she couldn't read a book unless it was an inch from her face. Right at $2,000 for both eyes.

1/19/2012 6:34:02 PM

I have an appointment for intralase lasik in February, but I seriously think I am going to convince myself to wuss out of this before then. I have been reading all of the negative websites about lasik, and I feel myself wanting to not go through with it. My vision now is absolute shit, but its correctable to 20/20, and I almost dont want to risk anything despite the fact that I hate wearing glasses and hate how I look in them.

I am in a career field where advancing pretty much requires that I do this, because a lot of my options have a vision requirement of 20/100, but I am hesitant. Im also in a field where its likely I will be in fights and possibly hit in the face, and thus the flap concerns me. That risk is supposed to be much less with intralase though.

1/30/2012 10:13:57 PM

^If you are concerned about the flap thing, just go with PRK instead. It will take longer to fully recover but there is no flap issue.

1/31/2012 10:07:07 AM

^^ I had intralase lasik just over a year ago - it was super easy with no pain. It is TOTALLY worth it! It's one of the best decision I've made.

I took a xanax right before the surgery (don't take it too early because you do have to focus your eyes) and they usually prescibe you a sleeping pill to take after. I took a 4+ hour nap and woke up able to see perfectly.

My husband also had lasik Dec 27, 2010, and we went the Champs Sports Bowl to watch NCSU the next day.

A girl who had her surgery a week before me had lasik in one eye and PRK in the other - she said the PRK was much more painful and she still didn't have the best vision in that eye.

1/31/2012 3:12:28 PM

Knarf, IntraLase is the way to go if your corneas are thick enough.

PRK is for people who dont have thick enough corneas. Much more pain and longer recovery, but it tends to workout well.

1/31/2012 6:18:54 PM

but the flap is more stable with intralase right

2/1/2012 4:37:28 AM

Definitely! You can't even tell that a flap was even made. You just have to be careful not to run your eyes after your surgery and be sure to keep your eyes hydrated with preservative free drops, like these:

2/1/2012 10:05:55 AM

So Im having intralase lasik tomorrow, does anyone have a last reason to puss out?

2/13/2012 3:23:09 PM

Good Lord. Stop trying to find a way to not do this.

2/13/2012 3:45:16 PM

In TKE-Teg I find strength

2/13/2012 4:02:14 PM

how did it go?

2/15/2012 3:12:07 PM

i want lasik badly...but i'm kinda chicken to do it. one of my biggest fears is going blind, and even though the risk is minimal i'm still nervous something would happen to my eye(s)

i'll probably just stick with my contacts as long as i can wear those comfortably.

2/15/2012 3:13:50 PM

^how old are you? What is your RX?

2/15/2012 4:16:13 PM

i'm 26.

-3.75 in both eyes.

i wear dailies, too, and having the same rx for both eyes makes it extra easy. i just take them out and flick them in the sink at the end of the night. the rx has held steady for several years.

2/15/2012 9:02:25 PM

If your prescription is holding steady now, then it's a good time to have it done. My age and eye sight were almost identical to yours when I had it done last January. It was a piece of cake. I haven't met anyone who's regretted having it done in the long run.

2/15/2012 10:00:00 PM

Quote :

"Lasek Surgery"

sounds like

2/15/2012 10:04:41 PM

They need to develop a way for pussies like me the get these procedures done under general anesthesia.

I believe in my heart of hearts that no amount of valium could prevent me from causing unintentional bodily harm to the poor nurse assigned to insert those eye-opening devices on me.

2/16/2012 1:11:24 PM

So I had intralase with Dr Dornic on Feb 14, and went fine as far as I can tell. However I most likely psyched myself out somehow because when I went back the next day I had two slipped flaps. The doc corrected them by smoothing them over with a Q-tip, the left eye was worse than the right. He then put clear contacts on each eye to hold the flaps down. I endured another night of the pain and burning and blurry vision.

On Feb 16, the next day, I went back and he said both flaps looked good, but in fixing the flaps he had caused cornea abrasions from rubbing them with a q-tip to straighten them. So he left the contacts on for another week to act as a bandage while the scratches healed. He also kept me on the steroid and antibiotic drops. My vision seemed to improve over the week, and on Feb 21 I went back and he took the contacts out. He said the scratches were all pretty much healed, but the left eye was still a little scratched but not bad. Both of the flaps were healed and looked good as well. My vision was all over the place depending on the test, but generally it was 20/30. I could read the smaller print with each eye covered using the small hole filter thing.

I had a physical for a new job on Feb 22, and my vision in each eye seemed to be pretty blurry but I was able to squeak out the 20/30 line with both eyes. I was also able to drive, but the distance vision was a bit blurrier than Id like.

I went back to work on Feb 23, and drove around all day. My vision at distance was blurry and I was getting some ghosting with my left eye. I could not read street signs until I was right on them, but I could see clear enough to drive. My right eye vision was much more crisp and sharp than the left. The scratches were still healing on the left eye and so I was a little blurry and had minor irritation.

Today my left eye feels noticeably less scratchy and appears less blurry. However what is pissing me off is now my right eye actually looks less sharp and crisp than yesterday and seems blurrier. Overall Id say there is maybe a minor over all improvement in my driving vision, but distance is still blurrier than I want. I use the systane or optive lubricating drops about once an hour.

I have heard stories from the internet and the doctor about major flap issues where the flap had to be sewn down, and the patients still recovered with 20/20 vision. I am hoping that this is all part of the normal recovery process at this point, and that vision can fluctuate a bit after lasik. I have read it can take weeks to months for total healing to occur and vision to stabilize.

As of now the jury is still out on how I feel about LASIK. Is my vision currently better than it was before the surgery, yes absolutely. Is my vision where I expected or wanted it to be after the money I paid, no not yet. Am I willing to have a "touch up" if needed, fuck no. Once my vision does stabilize, and if Im not at 20/20 or better than I will wear glasses, Im not willing to do any other surgery. Do I regret or would I recommend LASIK to someone, I dont know the answer to that yet. But I honestly had HUGE reservations about doing this and I only did it for future job advancement and not for vanity reasons.

I am mainly wondering if the fluctuations and blurriness are normal parts of the healing process before the vision sharpens to a stable 20/20-20/30 range, or if these are side effects I am having due to my complications. I go back to see the doc on Feb 28

[Edited on February 24, 2012 at 9:52 AM. Reason : .]

2/24/2012 9:46:58 AM

Without seeing your corneas it is hard to say what is going on. My one concern is that your flaps are still moving or you are rubbing them. (maybe while sleeping) Did they give you any eye shields?

The fluctuations in vision could be a couple of things. Your cornea might be swelling, you may be scratching your eye, or it could simply be a tear film problem and you arent keeping the surface wet enough.

Go to CVS, walmart, wherever and pick up some systane ultra. It is an Artificial tear and wont hurt you so dont worry that it will mess things up. Try to take it at least 4 times a day and whenever your vision gets blurry or your eye feels scratchy, burns, or like something is in it. If that helps then that is a good sign. Your eyes are just dry and that will get better over time. They cut a major corneal nerve bundle making the flap so your reflex tearing sucks for a bit. It will improve.

Really if you feel something is wrong, call up your doctor. They will work you in and hopefully put your mind at ease.

[Edited on February 24, 2012 at 9:03 PM. Reason : .]

2/24/2012 8:51:35 PM

I go back on Feb 28. So far he has said the flaps and abrasions are healing as they should, and he also said the flaps appear to be stable. He did not seem concerned about any problems. I use the preservative free drops about once an hour and this generally seems to make things slightly more clear for a short time. My vision also slightly improves if I squint a small amount. Im hoping that both of these things are good signs and that the vision will continue to improve.

2/24/2012 10:03:36 PM

Knarf, just wanted to tell you a little bit about my experience. I got Lasik just over 6 months ago at Raleigh Eye Center. I never had any issues with the flap, but my vision was pretty blurry in my left eye for the next few days and I had weird ghosting issues that came and went for about 2 weeks. I was pretty upset about it because I was thought for sure it was going to be permanent and I was only testing about 20/30 or 20/40. After 2 weeks, everything started to slowly come together, the ghosting started to fade, and I was starting to notice my vision was getting stronger and stronger. Long story short, I'm now at 20/15 and I couldn't be happier. Best of luck to you, hopefully you'll get similar results in time.

2/25/2012 12:40:18 AM

thanks man. I think my vision is slowly getting better, but its obviously hard to gauge by yourself. I think some of my ghosting is going away and that it may be a dryness issue. My vision seems to improve after I put drops in, of course the drops have a blurring effect in and of themselves. Im confident that the flaps are stable because everything is in focus relative to each other. Before I knew the flaps were messed up I could tell something didnt seem right because things were out of focus. My near sight is very sharp and crisp, pretty much anything in a 10ft radius, but my far sight is still not as sharp. The ghosting from stop lights and street signs doesnt seem as bad today though. Im cautiously optimistic that things will improve. Id honestly not complain if I were a stable 20/30 with no side effects. I could care less about wearing glasses again to get back to perfect, although it would be nice not to need to

2/25/2012 7:37:06 AM

I have pretty much narrowed that the ghosting effect is only in my left eye. It also seems to go away when I squint slightly, and it also seems to get better slightly when drops are added. My right eye is still kind of blurrier than Id like but Im not really noticing the ghosting issue. I hope these signs indicate some temporary dryness or healing related issues that will eventually clear up on their own.

2/25/2012 6:00:42 PM

I can honestly say today my vision has improved 100% from where it was yesterday. The ghosting and overlay effects I was having have diminished to the point of being pretty much unnoticeable. My distance vision has sharpened up much more clear than it was yesterday. Everything seems to be coming together very well right now, and I am feeling a lot better about everything.

I was initially worried about this, but that concern is going away with the improvement in my vision. It is exactly like prep-e described. I was standing next to my brother with natural 20/20 vision, and we were pretty much able to read the same things at the same distance. I think his vision is still slightly better than mine, but my vision is a huge improvement over my old uncorrected vision and my vision yesterday. My driving vision has also gotten much much better, with any ghosting or overlay effects being pretty much unnoticeable. Im feeling a lot better about things right now

[Edited on February 26, 2012 at 12:45 PM. Reason : ,]

2/26/2012 12:45:20 PM

Awesome man, that's good to hear.

The ghosting should go away completely after a few weeks. The only weird thing I experience now is when I go out at night, lights can be noticeably blurry for just a minute or two. It's like my eyes have to "warm up" for a couple minutes. After that I can see perfectly.

2/28/2012 8:52:02 AM

I went back to the Dr today. Im 20/25 with the right eye and 20/30 with the left. I can squeak out the 20/20 line with both eyes now. He said the flaps healed exactly like they should and that everything looks good. He also said he expects my vision to still continue to improve slightly. Im pretty pleased now and a lot less worried than I had been

2/28/2012 6:01:46 PM

slappy pls.

oh, she requested that someone bump this, before I get called out for "padding"

11/26/2013 11:48:38 AM

I posted ITT a bunch a while back. I ended up getting an ICL (Implantable Contact Lenses) procedure done over summer.

http://www.kremereyecenter.com/eye-care-services-lasik-vision-correction/other-vision-correction/visian-implantable-contact-lenses/

Pros:
-General anesthesia (this was mandatory for me)
-Great for non-lasik candidates with high rx
-Built in UV protection
-Reversible (It doesn't permanently remove eye tissue like lasik and the lenses can be removed if there are any complications)
-20/15 vision

Cons:
-Significantly more costly
-Recovery time was NOT as advertised (They said 24-48 hours. It realistically took well over a month to feel 100% again.)
-More invasive procedure

I was freaking out for the first 24 hours because of really cloudy vision. It went away as the incisions healed. Overall, I am highly pleases with the results. I wish I had done it 15 years earlier.

11/26/2013 12:09:16 PM

so my parents are considering getting me LASIK for Christmas (or helping me out with it, not sure). This is what my insurance co (Humana) currently provides. From what I can gather, the only difference between the 3 types listed is just the provider. However, I thought I heard recently there was some new technology and/or a different procedure available. Thoughts?



[Edited on November 26, 2013 at 12:18 PM. Reason : sobig]

11/26/2013 12:12:00 PM

I always chuckle when that local commercial comes on and a "patient" gives his testimonial, and states "Personally, i don't think there's a better place out there to get LASIK surgery done." As if he has any idea if other places are better. I mean, how many places did he go before he determined which was the best place for it? (sorry :beatup

11/26/2013 1:52:50 PM

Its just my luck, that I'm the 1 in 2000 that shit goes wrong. If I had it to do over again, I would have never let anyone put a laser in my eye.

All of my friends were getting laser treatments in mid 2000. I was going to play smart, and let the technology work out any little bugs. I had worn glasses from age 8 to 13, contacts from 13 to 26, and glasses from 26 to 30. My eyes had been stable at -6.25 for years, and was told repeatedly of being a good candidate for LASIK. Well, October of last year, I finally sat down and did it (prk), both eyes, cost around $4k.

Surgery went great. I followed post op drops, sleeping suggestions, eye shields, etc, to the extreme. Everything was blurry, but better than -6.25, so I'm thinking all is well. I see the dr. the following day, all is well.

Shit is terribly wrong on my day 4 checkup. My right eye healed perfect, 20/20. My left eye (dominant eye, too), has developed a bacteria that has begun to 'eat' my cornea, for lack of technical terms. The dr. freaks, as do I, and he moves me straight to the operating room to peel the flap back and extensively clean the cornea. Ultimately, the damage was done. That bacteria took the dome shaped cornea, and flattened with a tilt. The cloudy bacteria was removed, with drops and oral pills (pain in the ass--putting drops in your eyes every hour for 24 hours is brutal).

My left eye fluctuated between 20/100 and 20/70 for the following 6months. That sucks. For contact wearers, just imagine wearing one contact, all day. Headaches would occur often, and trying to hunt through a sorry dominate eye was unbearable / impossible. I couldn't see shit. I'm not the type to get depressed easily, but I went through a tough mental era (why would you allow someone to put a laser in your eye, you're going to have headaches forever, terrible idea, you're going to have to give up certain hobbies, do I sue the dr, etc). All my thoughts revolved around my stupid decision.

So, in april of this year, my left eye stabled out around 20/70. The dr felt comfortable to try another shaping surgery, and I agreed to do it (a tough decision, believe me). The surgery was a success, and I made sure to meet with the dr every day for the first week after surgery. No way was I going to be victim of the cloudy bacteria again. The results were 20/40 in my dominant eye, and I can still tell there is a tilt. Every once in a while, I see a halo, but it's off center. Also, it's not sharp at all. My eyes were sharper before, especially at long distance and in the dark.

Long story short, if I had a crystal ball and could have known this, no doubt I would have stayed in my glasses. I didn't write all this to scare anyone from doing it, because one of my eyes is perfect. Just be aware of the percentages, and your number could be up.

11/26/2013 10:28:15 PM

only get your baddest eye done. don't be suckered into doing both eyes at once by either the doctor or "the freeness" you get from insurance.

this shit is safe but not like swimming in a thunderstorm safe (actually very safe) it's more like running out into traffic safe. success rate is like around 1000 to 1.

u only need 20/20 in ONE eye to get the full no glasses/contact lenses effect.

folo my advice and you basically square root your risk of complications (make it smaller)

think about it. if something does go wrong, since you have an unfucked eye to work with, you get another chance with a different surgeon and a different technique!

if you fuck up both eyes, you are basically battling the lawyers, doctors, the insurance company, all while fucking BLIND!!!

ain't nobody got time for that!!!!!

11/27/2013 2:59:26 AM

I had mine done at Travers LASIK last October. I was -9 and -9.5. It went smooth as could be. I was scared and told them day of I only wanted to do one eye at a time. The nurse talked to Dr Travers and she agreed to do one or both if I wanted to after the first eye was done.

After the first eye I could tell it was easy and I could actually seegood just cloudy so we went ahead w the second. I'm glad too because I'm 20/20 now in both eyes. Never had any pain or anything. I could see fine the same night after the surgery. I would def do it. Best thing I've ever done for myself. I was freaking out hard before it too but it really isn't bad at all. I had LASIK wavefront or whatever its called.

11/28/2013 11:10:59 PM

^^^holy shit, that is awful. I'm so sorry you had to go through that - I can't imagine. However, I'm so glad it eventually worked out. I assume the dr comped you on the fix? And free adjustments for life?

^^usually I assume you're just full of shit, but that's not a bad idea

^-9.5???? I thought I was blind as a bat at -5.75

One of my main urgencies in wanting to do this is the last year or so I've had episodes at night waking up in my room, in a half-sleep, thinking I see someone/something standing in the room, but I'm so fucking blind I can't realize that it's just a shadow or a wall and I am physically paralyzed with fear until my conscious can wake me up and talk some sense into me. Also, when skydiving, losing a contact (or two) can be a big problem, especially when trying to land. Adds an unnecessary factor to the danger equation

11/29/2013 10:31:54 PM

Do they even do one eye at a time?

I wear Night & Day contacts and 2-4 weeks my left eye bitches out and I wake up with a burning dry eye.

What technology is out there now? Lasik / Lasik Wavefront / Prk?

11/30/2013 12:20:28 AM

^^It may sound stupid and crazy, but I never discussed money with my dr, and neither did he. I wanted to bring it up several times throughout my year long ordeal, but no amount of money was going to bring my eye back. I wanted it fixed, and my dr wanted to fix it, so I kept trucking forward with him. Looking back now, with one perfect eye, and one eye 5 times better than what it was...how much money could be expected to collect on that case? Idk. There are stories of people getting seriously disabled on other websites and those are the stories that scared the shit out of me. I had to quit checking those sites. It is unsettling that the best that my dominant eye can be is 20/40, without a lens. My last visit, the dr said my cornea is so thin, after two surgeries, that he can't safely do another surgery.

^i don't see why they wouldn't allow one eye at the time. It's all elective. There are several different technologies, each with advantages and disadvantages depending on individual circumstances. My doc picked custom prk (whatever that means...). Hopefully, someone up here has a better explanation of what each one is...

[Edited on November 30, 2013 at 12:55 AM. Reason : .]

11/30/2013 12:47:31 AM

Bttt

I've got a consultation with Dr Dornic this afternoon, I'm hoping I'm a good candidate. Anyone else have any experience or advice from the last year since the last time this thread was bumped?

12/10/2014 9:50:28 AM

I had it done in September by Kerry Hunt at Doctors Vision Center on Lake Boone Trail.

It was painless, I went from 20/100 and 20/200 to 20/20 in both eyes, and the whole thing took 10 minutes. I spent the next couple days recovering, and was back to normal after that. I didn't get custom treatment because he said my pupils were too large for it to matter. I can't recommend it highly enough.

12/10/2014 1:57:45 PM