For those interest in LASIK...

[I-SIG]

...here's a few paragraphs about yesterday:

I got to the Dr.'s office a little after 0930. I got
signed in and filled out a few more last minute forms.
After my AMEX was charged (4000 SkyMiles, baby!), I
went to speak with a nurse about the day and she was
bringing in the surgeon.

Dr. Scott Perkins was nice. The meeting was short but
he seemed genuinely personable and had a good sense of
humor. He answered a couple of last minute questions,
like will a big sneeze jar the flaps loose? (No) He
also explained the procedure in more detail than had
been previously mentioned. Still didn't mention the
smell. :^D

Because I went ahead and got the custom WAVfront
procedure, they buumped me up in the line since it
would take longer to get the additional photos and
scans taken. In between all these steps, they have
like 8 leather recliners where you sit and relax.

The additional scans and photos were pretty
straightforward. I went into the surgery area for a
scan with the main laser. Then I went to another
little side room for the photos. A couple were taken
with my eyes normal, then I got some dilating drops
and more photos were taken with my eyes dilated.

Back to the recliner, I finally got the good drugs
which meant that I was getting close. First I was
taken in to one laser where they cut the flap. I
didn't notice any smells at this point. It took about
a minute per eye. The Doc counts down for you. It was
helpful to keep the concentration up.

To make the cut, they put a funny little suction cup
on your eye. It put a decent amount of pressur eon
your eye for this minute, kinda like a good poke in
the eye. It was weird when I got up from the flap
cutting. It was like I could see through a little
circular window with very blurry edges. Here they,
laid me down on the table for the WAVfront laser.

After a couple of minutes, they were ready for the
real business. Right before the they got me lined up,
I got a wiff of the burning eye. They were also firing
the laser, doing some kind of test, I presume. It
sounds like a taser or stungun going off.

At this point, I'm lined up ready to go and they reach
down and lift the flap. Throughout all the cutting and
shaping they keep loading me up with numbing drops.
Then the WAVfront is put into position. Right now I'm
focusing on a very blurry red flashing light. Then it
begins. All I can really see is the light, but I can
"see" the flashes form the laser zapping in some kind
of periphial vision, like it in the background or
something. Now I can REALLY smell the burning cornea.
The best way I can describe the smell is this: You
know the distinctive smell a motor or electronic piece
of equipment makes when it shorts or is overloaded?
Well the eye smell is a bit different, but it has the
same level of distinctiveness. That's the best I can
do on the smell.

Once both eyes are zapped and the flaps back in place,
I'm helped off the table and back out into the
recliner area. I sit down a couple of minutes and then
they sit me down to take a close look at my eyes to be
sure the flaps haven't shifted and in the right place
and to check for any trash that may have drifted in. I
get some of the drops that I'll be taking for the next
week.

Now, I'm walked out to the waiting area and offered
some juice and Nutrigrain bars. I decline. After I
came out of the surgery area, they called the hotel to
come pick me up. I wait a few more and they drive me
back to the hotel. I'm able to walk to the elevator
and to my room. I could have walked back to the hotel,
but was very thankful for the ride as the walk might
have been quite stressful.

At this point in my room, about 1236, I make all my
calls to the family, Rich, and a couple of other
friends. I fire up a CD on the my little radio I
brought and try to rest.

For the first 2-3 hours after surgey,my eyes were
burning quite a bit. I couldn't open them without
significant effort. When I did get them open, I had
tears running all over the place. I finally decide to
put on the sleeping goggles and see if I could nap
some.

About 1555, I remember being able to finally get my
eyes most of the way open and most of the burning was
gone. I could also tell already that I was seeing
better.

The rest of the evening was event free. I ordered a
pizza, listened to/watched the Braves game, listened
to another CD or two. listend to TV some more and
finally went to bed about 2300.

I feel I slept pretty well considering the goggles. I
sleep on my side mostly, so you can imagine the issues
I have with the goggles.

I waited till this morning to take a shower. (I'm
usually a night showerer.) I got dressed, walked down
to the Continental breakfast and had a waffle, and
walked over to the doctor's office for my follow up
this morning.

I graded out at near 20/20. There are still some haziness around whitelight sources, but otherwise thigns look great. If my eyes don't improve over the next few weeks like they say they will, I'll still be pretty darn happy. The haziness is also supposed to go away over the coming weeks.

Wes

[amulford]

I have to show Mary Ann this one, I've been trying to convince her to get this for years.

Good deal man..

[madmax]

I hope all goes well. I have heard good things about this but am still a little too worried to try it myself. From what I've heard 99%+ turns out great. Keep us informed.
madmax

[pjdami]

I had LASIK procedure about four years ago. I've got to say it was the best thing I have ever done. Went from 20 / 500 to 20 / 15 but recently tested at 20 / 25.. still very good.

That burning you smelled is very similar to the smell of burning protein like fingernails or hair... at least that is what it smelled like to me. We did this in grade school I remember. Burned hair and fingernails in a science class. Weird but that is what I immediately recalled during the procedure.

The epithileal cells (I think) in the cornea heal very quickly. No sutures are needed which is amazing due to the surface tension capability of the cornea and the eye.

My advice is to get the procedure done by a reputable physician. Money should not be a factor here... these are your eyes.

My physician was the first Dr. to perform LASIK in the USA and is the coauthor of the book that other physicians use to train on the procedure. Dr. Brint also had LASIK performed on himself and has done something like 15,000 surgeries. He is one of the best.

[warviper]

Ive had mine done for over a year now and everything is just great. You will need a good pair of sunglasses for the light sensetivity but seeing is believing.

[steveinaz]

Alright Wes!
Bev told me to email you and find out how the procedure went--sounds like it went well. Modern technology is something.

[I-SIG]

Thanks, Steve and everyone else.

I plan to keep y'all updated. The best I can tell, I was a textbook case of a good, maybe great, procedure.

Wes

[ken brydson]

Had mine done in Dec, 20/15 the next day. Unfreakin' believable since I've worn glasses for 35+ years. I still fumble around the nightstand in the am looking for the specs. Old habits die hard. Best $$ ever spent

[kberg]

I searched out this post after just having had a 2-hr LASIK evaluation/consultation appointment last week. I'm planning to have this procedure done by the end of January, but still have a handful of questions to ask as a result of the exam and doing some research. I'm really looking forward to having this procedure performed - about $3k is what it will cost, but well worth it to me since I've always HATED glasses (wearing them since age 7) and could never get accustomed to any soft contacts I've tried. I would still need reader glasses since I currently wear bifocals but I'm ok with that (and I also hear that a procedure called CK (Conductive Keratoplasty) could possibly address that issue.

The primary concerns I want addressed (as I believe any LASIK "candidate" should have) is to confirm that my corneas are not too thin and my pupils are not too large for the procedure - I was told I was a candidate which would lead me to believe that corneal thickness and pupil size are not issues for me personally, but I want to be certain before going through with the surgery.

For anyone who has had the procedure done since the last post in this thread, please respond with your experiences.

[cfrizz]

Also I would ask for those who have had it done, how has the surgery held up over time?

[bobman1235]

I've always wanted to do this as well, but just can't justify the risk, however small it is.

Also, this whole thread igged me out.

[kingtut]

I had mine done (regular LASIK), not the Wavefront, about 5 yrs ago. The physician was from Canada and had performed over 9000 procedures there. I went from 6.0 prescription to seeing 20/15. They had a "special sale" at the time. It's the best $1K I've ever spent; better than audio gears -- hard to believe, but it's true.

[kingtut]

After five yrs, I'm still seeing 20/15. However, this year my near vision is worst and may need light prescription glasses for reading fine prints. My Optometrist indicated that since I was extremely near-sided, the LASIK proceedure cured the near-sidedness, but LASIK might have quickened the need for reading glasses.

[Schris22]

wow good recovery...didn't know it was that fast!

I hope to get lasik one day but later...

Glad everything went well.

ENJOY!

Chris

[I-SIG]

Damn. I forgot about this post.

Anyway, I guess it's been about 19 months since surgery. Things are still great. I'd say 90%+ of the haziness around light has disappeared. I can tell when my eyes or myself is tired as the haziness increases. Otherwise, I'm certain this was the best money I spent until I bought a house. Every now and then I can still amaze someone (besides me) with my vision. It rocks.

Wes

[pjdami]

LASIK is the best thing I ever did...period. After 5 years, I've degraded somewhat to 20/30 (was 20/20) but a far cry from the 20/500 that I was most of my life. Doc said it is better to be a little conservative and undercorrect than overcorrect to minimize the potential for needing reading glasses sooner over 40.

My doctor was Stephen Brint who was the first doctor to perform the surgery in the United States and co-authored the book that is used to train everybody else.

I have had zero issues and at my recent eye exam the doctor couldn't even see my "flap" incisions as they have just about totally disappeared.

My advice:

1) Research your surgeon (this should be obvious). Go for one that other people have gone to and have good things to say. An experienced surgeon (1000 +) surgeries also helps. Remember these are your eyes and "cheap" is not what you should be looking for.

2) Don't rub your eyes after the surgery. Use the protective lenses for the recommended period so that you don't rub your eyes at night sleeping.

3) Use your drops as required.

4) I had some halos at night but those went away after a few weeks. This is normal for most patients.

[MacLeod]

Im skeered of having this done.

Ive heard too many people recommend against having it done plus Im very squimish about messing with my eyes. I think Im going to eventually try contacts because Im getting sick of glasses.

[bobman1235]

I did contacts for a while, but they were just too much of a hassle for me, PLUS I couldn't wear them to work (if you stare at a computer all day your eyes tend to dry out). I basically kept them just for "going out", and even then, you end up crashing somewhere and sleeping with them in .. ugh.

[kberg]

My advice:

1) Research your surgeon (this should be obvious). Go for one that other people have gone to and have good things to say. An experienced surgeon (1000 +) surgeries also helps. Remember these are your eyes and "cheap" is not what you should be looking for.

Agreed - the surgeon in my area has performed over 7,000 LASIK procedures, so I wouldn't be in a learning curve scenario!

Thanks for all the replies. I'll followup with reply to this email after I get the procedure done, but first I still have a number of questions for the eye center that need answering before I sign up for it.

[MacLeod]

I think they would work well for me. Im in and out of coolers all day and outside in the rain and glasses are just a pain in the ass to deal with.

I have about $1000 I need to dump in my truck but after that I will probably go contacts.

[pjdami]

Im skeered of having this done.

Ive heard too many people recommend against having it done plus Im very squimish about messing with my eyes. I think Im going to eventually try contacts because Im getting sick of glasses.

Just think of this.... Tiger Woods, Tom Kite, Vijah Singh, and countless other professional golfers have all had LASIK performed as a corrective procedure. Tiger by all means, the number 1 golfer in the world, less than 30 years old, everything to lose and he had it done.

Is it nerveracking... yes. Is it scary... well the thought of it is but once you go through it it really isn't all that bad.

I would do it again in a heartbeat in the hands of a skilled, reputable, and experience surgeon. A few weeks after the surgery I was internally "kicking" myself for waiting that long to have it done.

Ultimately, the decision is yours and I totally respect that. Any surgery has risk involved with it but they have this procedure down to a science now. If you take the plunge just get a good doctor and don't look back.

[beardog03]

I have wanted to do this for a long time...
I have been waiting for the "bugs" to be worked out first.
I had contacts in one year when I went (rode) to Sturgis...three weeks with them in(extended wear type) because I couldn`t be without my eyesight for any length of time...not saying I couldn`t trust those around me, but I had to stay "aware" of everything going on around me...at ALL times..
when I got back I took them out, and pulled part of my eye out with it, as the protien had grown over the contact...had to wear a pirate patch for a while, but at least I was able to watch my back, and made it home alive..
I don`t ride with those guy`s anymore, but I have always been afraid That I would sneeze or something, and end up with a hairlip eye..!!!

One thing that I always did when wearing contacts, was poke myself in the eye alot from trying to push up glasses that weren`t there....old (lifelong) habit..

What is the difference between LASIC and WAVfront ?

[kberg]

What is the difference between LASIC and WAVfront ?

I believe "WaveFront" and "WaveScan" are interchangeable terms, and is the highest form of LASIK surgery treatment, if recommended by your opthamologist (e.g., some people may not require it because they don't require a higher "level of correction").

The following information is from a website for the eye center I visited last week for my LASIK consultation:

With CustomVue™ Advanced LASIK, using WaveScan technology, individuals have the potential to see even better than 20/20. In fact, one (1) year after the CustomVue™ procedure, 70% of the participants saw 20/16 or better! (20/16 is higher quality vision than 20/20)

Computer Driven Laser Vision Correction

CustomVue™ Advanced LASIK uses WaveScan technology that was originally developed for use in high-powered telescopes that reduced distortions when viewing distant objects in space. This technology has now been applied to laser vision correction. It captures unique imperfections in each individual’s vision that could not have been measured before, using standard methods. This new level of measurement provides 25 times more precision than standard measurements for glasses or contacts.

WaveScan technology drives the CustomVue™ procedure using advanced technology to measure and correct unique imperfections in an individual’s eyes. Best of all, patients will notice results immediately and vision will continue to improve over the next few days.

Personal Best Vision

With CustomVue™ Advanced LASIK, individuals that are nearsighted or have astigmatism can achieve a new level of vision never before obtainable by previous technology; this is what we call your Personal Best Vision.

Glasses and contacts are limited in their ability to correct subtle distorting imperfections in each individual’s vision. In fact, thousands of people have the same prescription but with CustomVue™, no two “prescriptions” are identical. This advancement in laser technology enables us to achieve the full potential of each individual’s vision; hence the name Personal Best Vision.

A New Level of Excellence Impossible with Glasses or Contacts

At 1 year after the CustomVue™ Advanced LASIK procedure:

100% of the participants could pass a driving test without glasses or
contacts.
98% of the participants could see 20/20 or better without glasses or contacts.
70% of the participants could see 20/16 or better without glasses or
contacts.
Four times as many participants were very satisfied with their night
vision compared to their night vision with glasses or contacts.

[I-SIG]

My thinking was that since this is one time kind of deal, I shoul dget the best procedure available. After all it is your eyes. I also figured if the extra thousand spent now for the best procedure would be a bargain if it puts off needing glasses in the future for an extra 5 or 10 years. (say in 30years as opposed to 20.)

Wes

[kingtut]

... Doc said it is better to be a little conservative and undercorrect than overcorrect to minimize the potential for needing reading glasses sooner over 40.
...

Paul, you're right. I am younger than 40, and I can't read fine print under lower light w/out reading glasses assistance after the LASIK. Overall, it's a good trade-off. I need my far-away vision much more than my reading-fine-prints vision.

[RuSsMaN]

Had it done 6 or 7 years ago, 20/20 in my right eye, 20/10 in my left. No complaints. It was scary to go through it, had this big boy trembling like a scared puppy - but no regrets.

There was a fluke with the company health insurance, LASIK was under the catergory of an 'outpatient in office procedure'. Brandy and I both got it done for a $40 copay. ;)

Cheers,
Russ

[bobman1235]

If it wasn't so expensive I'd probably have an easier time talking myself into it. The cost just gives me a good excuse to say "eh, too risky."

[kberg]

Ya know, if you have a relatively strong prescription for nearsightedness, the LASIK procedure (or even just wearing contacts instead of glasses) significantly increases the size appearance of your (big screen) TV! When looking through my glasses, my TV looks like a 50", but when off (although blurry) it looks like its true 56". Now, isn't THAT reason enough to get LASIK (or at least contacts)?! ;)

I just spoke to the Refractive Consultant who answered all of my followup questions, and as a result I then just scheduled to have the procedure done on February 2. I'll post my experience just as soon as I can thereafter.

[I-SIG]

I just spoke to the Refractive Consultant who answered all of my followup questions, and as a result I then just scheduled to have the procedure done on February 2. I'll post my experience just as soon as I can thereafter.

Way to go!

Wes

[I-SIG]

If it wasn't so expensive I'd probably have an easier time talking myself into it. The cost just gives me a good excuse to say "eh, too risky."

You're looking at it wrong, at least price wise. I figured that before time-value of money, inflation, etc, LASIK would pay for itself within 7-8 years. If you factor in the "comfort & hassle" costs, I'd cut that time down to 5 years or less.

Wes