Author Topic: Lasik Eye Surgery (Read 1010 times)

Tbone · « **on:** December 20, 2004, 11:38:34 am »

Yeah, so I'm having this done over the break. Basically, it corrects your eyes so you don't have to wear glasses or contacts until you get old and need reading glasses. I go today to have my initial examination, and my surgery is scheduled for January 7th. I HATE eye stuff, which is why I'm having it done (can't even wear contacts). Apparently I won't be able to focus the rest of the day today after the examination because my pupils will be dialated. So does anyone have any info to share on Lasik Eye Surgery? Anyone else had it done?

Anonymous · « **Reply #1 on:** December 20, 2004, 11:49:42 am »

Yep. It has been great. Prior to surgery I was something like -7.0 for correction. Just on the verge of legally blind without glasses or contacts (at least that is what I was told).

Basically I could not see anything clearly unless it was about 3 inches in front of my eyes.

Got checked out and I was a barely a candidate (mind you this was about 3 years ago so the technology has improved greatly) and went in to have it done.

The dialation of the eyes does suck, but they should be able to give you some drops that cancel that effect once they have done all they need to with your eyes dialated.

The surgery itself is not too bad (and may even be better with the newer tech). I could see clearly (other than the haze of the goggles over my eyes) right after the surgery was done.

Fast forward to the day after when the goggles, etc came off and I had slept and I was seeing a little better than 20-20!

My wife had the same process done a year or so later and is at 20-15.

No complications and no regrets!

Anonymous · « **Reply #2 on:** December 20, 2004, 12:07:30 pm »

My younger brother had it done about two years ago. I went there to accompany him since he could not drive back

As he was getting the procedure, the was a closeup shot of the eye being worked on on a big TV screen. I found it to be kind of gross as I watched it but my brother said he didn't feel or see anything. He said he had no discomfort whatsoever. He spent something like 45 minutes in the chair and had both eyes done.

They surely explained all of this to you T but for those who don't know here's what they do. They basically cut an almost complete circle in the cornea, they just leave a small part attached. They then lift the cut part as if it was the cover of a can of soup. Using the laser, they vaporise a small part of the exposed tissue and then close everything down. They put a big patch on it and voila. You're done.

We drove my brother back home, he mentionned some minor tingling in his eyes, as if he had sand in them. He went to sleep with the eye patches on and the next day, he woke up, took his patches out and saw perfectly without glasses for the first time ever.

I'm sure the procedure was a lot tougher for me watching it than for his having it done on him. They used to not cut the cornea open and lift it, they just burned right through it with the laser. That took weeks to heal. Now only the area where the cut line is made needs to heal. That is a lot smaller than the whole cornea.

So good luck with everything T. Come back to us with a 20/20 vision. We'll need your good eyes to spot RIP members from far away.

Ketamininja · « **Reply #3 on:** December 20, 2004, 12:25:21 pm »

I don't wanna get it done!
My glasses are part of my identity now.... plus if something DID go wrong, holy cow that would be hard to come to terms with....

I won't wear contacts either. I'm happy the way I am just now. I just expect to be blind one day.

Anonymous · « **Reply #4 on:** December 20, 2004, 05:04:36 pm »

Hey SemiOctal, since you got it done, shouldn't you name be FullyOctal!?

/slap

Anyway, I have heard nothing but great things about laser eye surgery, but upon doing someresearch I discovered that it does greatly reduce Night Vision, so you will have a decreased ability to see in the dark. Depending on how well the perform the surgery, you could have minor to moderate diffaculties with Night Vision.

For that reason, I am not getting laser eye surgery, but instead the actual eye surgery, which a close family friend had done about 25 years ago, and said that it worked great, and she has had no problems.

The last thing I want to point out, is that you should be at least 25 to get the surgery, so if your planning on getting it done any younger, there is an increased risk that your eyes may chnge again after the procedure, which cannot be performed again safely.

Just thought I'd let you know. It's important to know all the risks before making a major change. I just can't wait 'till I turn 25...

Tbone · « **Reply #5 on:** December 21, 2004, 03:14:58 am »

I have a booklet. The Lasik eye surgery is much more effecient and effective than the old fashioned knife surgery. My dad had the non-laser done about 10 years ago, and he is having a lot of problems now. They like for you to be at least 21, but if you're eyesight has not changed in the past three years, you're pretty well set to go (mine hasn't changed). There's many potential side effects, but the most common is just increased sensitivity to light. Night vision problems are more commonly associated with the non-laser surgery. I went through the dialated pupils thing today, which is why you didn't see me online (I couldn't focus my vision on the computer). It's getting better now, though. Only the surgery itself left to do!