My wife and I have been talking recently about lasik surgery, mostly for her, but I am also curious. We have been looking into it on the internet and we basically were looking at the procedure. Why does a person have to be awake during the procedure? Am I correct that a person needs to stay awake during? Just basically curious. Thanks in advance!
Brendon Small
Your eyes have to be open so that they can zap them with the laser. Since the procedure is painless and only takes a few minutes, why would they bother putting you to sleep?
I guess I wondered also because they could prop open your eyes while you were knocked out, but time may be a factor. Why bother if you don’t have to makes sense, but I was hoping there was a good (scientific) answer…
Brendon Small
Well, that is a good scientific answer. Anesthesia carries risks; why do it if you don’t have to?
Problem solved. Thanks. I was thinking it may have to do with the micro-something in the eye and whatnot…definitely had been over-thinking it.
It’s also a totally painless procedure, though slightly uncomfortable when your eyes are kept open and you can’t blink for a few minutes straight.
The most discomfort you’ll have is afterwards, when your eyes feel all gritty and tear up but you have to keep your fingers away.
I have to disagree that it’s “totally painless”. Mine hurt like hell, at least in the first eye. The second eye was ok after they gave it an extra dose of novocaine.
Gneral anesthesia is expensive.
Modern anesthesia is very close to risk-free, but the setup required to do it requires a trained individual, fairly elaborate equipment, fairly extensive standby capabilities and so on, even if it’s just partial anesthesia. The addition of a recovery and observation period alone is costly.
The cost, more than the risk, is the main driver, although it is correct that unnecessary risk at any level is generally avoided where possible.
The most uncomfortable part for me was when they were clamping my eyelid open, before the numbing drops had fully gone to work.
You’re also told to keep your eyes as still as possible during the procedure. “Keep staring at the dot. Keep staring at the dot.” REM during LASIK would probably be a very bad thing.
I had no pain during the procedure but the urge to rub your eyes afterwards is very difficult to fight. I fought it by telling myself that I’d probably go blind if I did. For the first couple of days my eyes felt very tired, like having had contacts in for way too long. The drops they give you help some but there will be some discomfort. Still, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. I wish I’d done it a lot sooner.
I am probably a good candidate, but I’m terrified that the doc’s hand will slip and I’ll end up blind. I’ve known a couple people who have had terrible problems afterward. What are the chances of A) permanent damage or B) blindness resulting from LASIK?
That will vary not only based on the doctor but on your own characteristics. I had a very fine local LASIK doctor with an excellent track record tell me to NOT consider LASIK as I am at high risk for bad side effects and unlikely to be corrected to glasses-free vision even in the best case scenario. (Which is precisely the sort of objective screening one should get prior to this procedure)
Yes, horrible outcomes have occurred. Some doctors and clinics have worse records than others. Some patients never should have had LASIK. My suggestion is that anyone considering this procedure should perform careful research not only on the doctor and facility involved, but also what might put them at risk for side effects as well.
It can be a very, very wonderful thing. It often is. But sometimes it can be a bad thing. Some bad outcomes can be corrected or compensated for, but not all.
How do you find out about a given doc or clinic’s track record with LASIK?
I’ve always heard that advice, “research your docs first,” but I haven’t the first clue how to do that. It’s not like they hand over their resumes with a list of references I could call. I understand you can check with the AMA or something, but all you really learn is if the doc has had its license revoked. What resources are available?
The most painful part for me was removing the tape holding my eyelashes open.
The chances of permanent damage or blindness are smaller now than they’ve ever been; the technology has improved immensely, and doctors have a lot more experience performing the procedure. That being said, make sure you choose a reputable and experienced doctor; don’t trust your eyes to a drive-through joint.
“The doc’s hand will slip” isn’t really something that can happen; they map out the surface of your eye several times before the procedure is even begun, and the lasering is almost entirely computer controlled. The laser can detect even the tiniest movement of your eye, and can react in nanoseconds to avoid a mistake. The doctor essentially monitors the laser’s progress and makes adjustments if necessary.
I’ll tell you two things that may put your mind at ease. First, if I had known beforehand how easy the whole thing was, I wouldn’t have been remotely as nervous as I was; the procedure was an absolute snap. Second, the numbing eyedrops they use are phenomenal. A week before the procedure, they were measuring my corneal thickness, which involved putting in the same eyedrops they use to numb you for the procedure, then touching your eye with this little blunt probe. I could actually see the probe touching my eye (my vision “rippled” at that point), but I couldn’t feel a damn thing. That made me feel a whole lot better; those drops are effective.
Two pieces of advice: first, schedule for early in the morning, when you’re half asleep and have less fight in you. You’ll bee less anxious. Second, and this will probably gross you out: hold your breath while the laser is actually firing. It helps you stay still, and the smell of burning eyeball is nasty.
I posted a looooong time ago about my LASIK experience. That post is here, if you’re interested.
Actually, that’s exactly what they do. Any reputable doctor will happily give you statistics on their success rate and number and types of problems they’ve had. If they’re not willing to give you that information, don’t use them.
Word of mouth helps, obviously; if you know people who have had it done and are pleased, ask who did theirs and what they liked about it. The fact that a given person has been in the same location for years and years is a positive indicator. The simplest way is to go right in to the office and ask. Reputable places aren’t shy about telling you that “Doctor Flammond has been doing LASIK for 15 years, he developed some of the instruments used in the procedure, and has done over 4,000 operations.” Pick a place and go in for a consultation. If you feel they’re just selling you the procedure, rather than being interested in your health, keep looking.
Oh, this is cool. Y’all are definitely quelling my fears! Thanks.
There’s no pain–I had it done about 2 1/2 years ago. In fact, (not to be violating HIPAA), a very well known football player had it done immediately before I did (like 5 minutes before), by my opthalmologist. He now does commercials for the doctor (I guess if he didn’t want it known, he wouldn’t do the commercials). My eyes were so bad I believe the physician published a paper on my surgery–the best thing I did was having a correction for presbyopia, so I don’t even need reading glasses anymore. If you don’t mind having to use hydrating eye drops frequently, go for it!
What’s to stop a irreputable place from telling you the same thing?
This is why I’d suggest asking a different doctor. You know, the whole “ask the contractor who they’d recommend if they can’t do it” bit.