# LASIK surgery. Know anyone that's done it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 24, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasik-surgery-know-anyone-thats-done-it/230847 "2004-02-24T06:40:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasik-surgery-know-anyone-thats-done-it/230847/1 "2004-02-24T06:40:17Z")
So I found out I’m getting a few grand from my tax return. After 20 years of glasses, contacts and eye exams I’m ready to cash in. I want to go 24 hours a day being able to open my eyes and see stuff without poking my eye or reaching for glasses. Therefore, LASIK. However, I can’t stand getting my teeth cleaned without about 10 mg of Valium, so I can’t imagine what it’ll be like having someone cut open my eyeballs while I’m literally watching him do it. I was told I’ll be given Valium, but don’t know how much. I’d prefer general anesthesia, but doubt it’ll happen. So the crux of this is, has anyone had it done, or do you know anyone that had it done? If so, please tell me what to expect, and is it as bad as I envision it? (heh, unintended pun) I know it only takes about 3 minutes an eye, but watch a timer set to 3 mins and you can see how this can seem an eternity under the circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![Reader99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@Reader99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reader99)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasik-surgery-know-anyone-thats-done-it/230847/2 "2004-02-24T07:04:20Z")
lots of lasik discussions on sdmp, some within the last few weeks. just search for posts containing “lasik.” many people happy with their results, some less so: [http://www.surgicaleyes.com](http://www.surgicaleyes.com) [http://www.lasikdisaster.com](http://www.lasikdisaster.com) ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasik-surgery-know-anyone-thats-done-it/230847/3 "2004-02-24T07:15:43Z")
without checking them first, I’ll say thanks for now. (off to the links) ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasik-surgery-know-anyone-thats-done-it/230847/4 "2004-02-24T07:36:52Z")
Yeah, search the forums for LASIK. There have been at least two threads this month alone. That is, I know I posted my experience in at least two threads, and I just got my eyes done a few weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasik-surgery-know-anyone-thats-done-it/230847/5 "2004-02-24T08:43:39Z")
thanks again, many links and all informative. I really appreciate it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasik-surgery-know-anyone-thats-done-it/230847/6 "2004-02-24T14:02:10Z")
I believe **Libertarian** just had it done. So did my brother and one of my sisters. Both swear up and down that it didn’t hurt. I am not eligible because my correction is so great. ☹ Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasik-surgery-know-anyone-thats-done-it/230847/7 "2004-02-24T14:08:39Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > However, I can’t stand getting my teeth cleaned without about 10 mg of Valium, so I can’t imagine what it’ll be like having someone cut open my eyeballs while I’m literally watching him do it. I’m the same way. I won’t go to a dentist who doesn’t give me laughing gas because I never find the amount of novocaine they give you sufficient. And you know what? When I had my eyes LASIK’d, it wasn’t sufficient either. And it _hurt_. Oh boy, did it hurt. I’m glad I had it done, but in retrospect I would have asked for a double-dose. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasik-surgery-know-anyone-thats-done-it/230847/8 "2004-02-24T14:17:19Z")
I replied to one of the other threads, so I’m sure you’ve seen it by now, but I’ll chime in again and say it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. There is nothing like waking up in the middle of the night and being able to see the clock. 🙂 They gave me a nice dose of valium before the procedure, and the only anxiety I had was that I might have a fit of the giggles. The first couple weeks afterward can be trying, because you can’t touch your eyes. And more than three years later, I still have a nervous habit of pushing my nonexistent glasses up my nose, but it definitely beats messing around with smudged glasses and easily-damaged contacts. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasik-surgery-know-anyone-thats-done-it/230847/9 "2004-02-24T15:51:37Z")
I’m a confirmed anti-dentite, but the Lasik I did about two years ago happened so quickly that I barely had time to think. And I didn’t take the valium. Rather, the first eye was done, like, before I could blink. I hardly knew what happened to me. The second eye I started to think about it a bit, got a bit nervous, but again, it was like time flew by. It was not at all like the dentist, which seems to go on and on and on and on… even though a quick teeth cleaning takes only a few more minutes than the whole lasik procedure. In my experience, at least, it was a _very_ quick five minutes per eye, not at all like the “frozen in time” sort of five minutes. YMMV, of course.