In Holland, advertisements start appearing all over the cheap newspapers. They promise that with a non-risky 2 hour laser surgery by an private eye-surgeon, you never need your glasses again and have 20/20 vision again.
Prices start about 2000 $ . Does anyone have experience with this sort of private surgery? What could I expect? Were you happy with the results?
there are several people on the board who have had the treatment.
Search for LAISK and you will find plenty of information.
In the US, the surgery is maybe 10 minutes (not counting all the waiting and prep etc.), the cost is about the same, I think, or more, and the results can be very good. Except that sometimes it’s not. When the price comes down a lot, I’ll be all over it.
I’ve had this done just about 2 years ago. It was one of the smartest things that I’ve ever done. DaddyTimesTwo has it right, it lasted about 30 minutes from the time that I walked in until the time that I left.
Thanks, I ran the word LASIK through Google and that rendered a world of information!
I still would like to hear from more people who underwent LASIK. What prescription did you have? I have -2 , enough to look really stupid when I do’n wear my glasses and I meet someone i am not sure I should greet. :eek:
Normally I don’t correct typos, but this’ll cause confusion - search on LASIK.
Actually, I work in the ophthalmology department of a large medical center, and that’s one of the services we offer. It’s done in our clinic here, not in the hospital.
Checking our website about this… let me list some facts that they give.
The procedure takes about 15 minutes for both eyes, and the healing process as a whole takes 2-3 months - in other words, your vision will not be completely “set” until that time. The results last for a lifetime. You will need at least a couple of follow-up visits with the doctor merely to check on how your eyes are doing.
For patients age 40+ where they may need reading glasses as a result of aging, they should be aware that LASIK does not correct for this.
The anesthesia used is merely numbing eye drops. Patients can notice results as soon as when they’re ready to leave the office. Returning to work and driving are usually delayed only a day. You would wear protective eye covers to bed for about a week, to prevent accidental damage during the healing process.
Some patients may still need glasses for far distance vision, or for night-time driving. You would want to discuss the chances of this happening with your eye doctor.
It probably goes without saying, but check into how long the center you choose has been doing this procedure, and what their reputation is. Complications can happen anywhere, but with something that will have permanent effects on your vision, it pays to reduce the chances by going with a respected institution that has a lot of experience in this.
My SO is having Lasik done a week from today. He has already been to 2 pre-op appointments to make sure the procedure will work for him. If it goes well for him, I might have it done.
My sister did it and she loves it.
When she did it the place had a video moniter showing the person going before you getting it done. Just the eyes though. So there is this TV showing one big eye and you get to watch.
Be aware of complications and other factors as well, obviously.
My boss had the surgery 3 years ago. It corrected his vision nicely, save for a few months of really dry eyes.
However, he’s got a family history of cataracts (and he’s only 35), and so now he’s back with glasses, because of a cataract in one of his eyes.
So the surgery works, and it works great. But not for everyone, depending on your personal medical history.
–scout, who’s not bold enough (or rich enough) to do it yet
I had this done about a year ago, and it was hands-down the best money I have ever spent in my entire life (excepting perhaps for Ms. Undhow’s engagement ring six years ago).
Fifteen minutes is about right. The procedure itself isn’t painful, though it is uncomfortable in a fingernails-on-a-chalkboard kind of way (you’re awake the whole time – it is freaky). Go home, sleep for a few hours, wake up seeing perfectly.
You have to wear goggles when you sleep for about a week so you don’t accidentally poke yourself in the eye, and there are special eyedrops that aid the healing process you use for a few months, but that’s it. Periodic checkups are the day after, a week after, a month after and at the 3 and 6 month mark, and they only take a few minutes, too.
Just be sure to go to a good doctor, and not a quickie-surgery type place, so if (God forbid) any problems occur, they can be dealt with properly. You only get one pair of eyes in life, so this isn’t a time to go bargain-hunting.
Are there any known long-term effects/problems?
[Ned Flanders]It is great at first but, you know, at the ten-year mark your eyes fall out.[/Ned Flanders]
my doctor told me this:
getting the surgery takes you back to square one, sort to say.
If you have the type of vision where it gradually gets worse, then yes, you may need glasses again.
If you have had the same prescription for years, then you most likely will not, until you get older (i.,e reading glasses and such).
He also said somethings can change your vision, such as pregnancy. I don’t know if this affects you or not, but as for me, I am going to wait a while.
for now, my daily disposables work well for me and have no hassles what so ever.
yay, another opportunity to plug the thread about my LASIK experience!
I started at about 20/200 and woke up the next morning at 20/20. One month later I was down to 20/15. A year+ later, I still am at 20/15.
One of the best things I ever did…put an end to 25 years of hard contacts.
Does anyone know if you HAVE to be awake and fully conscious for this? sigh
I have a phobia about eyes… I literally broke down in hysterics when I attempted to get contacts put in. I don’t think I’d handle surgery on my eyes very well.
Glasses seem to be my only option. 
The way that my workplace’s site describes it says that sometimes some kind of medication can be given to help the patient relax. This sounds like it’s probably Valium or something similar, like one poster above already described. If you call a vision center about this, tell them your situation and ask what could be done - I’m sure you’re not the only person they’ve seen who had serious issues about having something done to their eyes.
I had this done about 3 yrs ago. I was great for the first two, corrected to 20/20. Last year I went back and now I have glasses for driving at night. Bad News Baboon was exactly right. My vision did get progressively worse a little at a time and that still happens. I am still glad I did it. I don’t wear glasses most of the time and even for two years of no glasses it was worth it.
Pretty much what they said. I had it done two years ago, having been extremely nearsighted before. To give you an idea of how nearsighted I was, I had to wear distance lense for reading. Anything farther than the tip of my nose, I could not bring into focus.
After I had the operation I found that the acute healing process took about a day. For about two months after that, my distance vision was good, but I needed reading glasses. I was sort of expecting that because of my age. But then I found myself more and more able to read without glasses, and can now handle anything down to newspaper fonts with no problem. I don’t even know where my reading glasses are now.
As for the comment I read above about never needing further glasses or treatment, I never heard that I could expect that to be the case. However, the place where I had it done puts a provision into its contracts that provides for lifetime adjustments at $150.00 each. I figure that’s about the same as getting a new pair of glasses anyway, so it sounded very good to me.
If anyone wants to know where I went they can email me.
I got my eyes blasted on two different times. I had differing vision in my eyes, but overall my vision was hideous. It’s been three years and I have to say that it’s well worth it.
There are a few problems however: My doctor (Mr. Johnson) told me that the surgery would take away the astigmatizim I suffer from. It didn’t. This becomes painfully clear when I go to the target range ever so often. I can’t seem to focus on the front sights.
The only other problem I have is occasional halos. At night, sometimes, objects such as street lights, have halos around them. It’s rather annoying and can make driving a bit of a nusiance…