Laser Eye Surgery... - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Azure · 02-21-2007, 05:26 PM

I'm looking at getting surgery on my eyes from the LASIK MD clinic in Calgary.

Has anyone else had corrective surgery done there? Is it as reliable and trustworthy as I've heard?

OilersBaby · 02-21-2007, 05:56 PM

I got Lasik done this past December, and it's awesome..I can see better than 20/20. I didn't get it done at the place you mentioned in Calgary, but I just wanted to say the procedure is QUICK and PAINLESS and it's sooooo worth it. Just curious..how much is it there?

Azure · 02-21-2007, 06:09 PM

$390/eye.

Knut · 02-21-2007, 06:13 PM

Gimbel or Demong are your only options in my opinion.... as an Optometrist..

Here is why...

1) The Best surgeons go to those two... they are also the most prestigious clinics to work at in Calgary and attract the top of the heap surgeons.

2) LasikMD is very heavily marketed as it is a private corporation... it is a chain and thus has more resources to use in more intensive marketing.. that doesnt mean it is better. They also seem to fund lots of "unbiased" papers on the subject.

3) While the complication rate is low regardless... Gimbel and Demong will not do the surgery if you are not a candidate (which is possible), for this reason we recommend all our patients go to those two places. I am not so sure that LasikMD has a strict enough criteria.

4) Overall the cost of the procedure at Gimbel and Demong is somewhere in the 3000 dollar range for both eyes.. including pre and post op stuff. LasikMD's advertised price does not include that, and thus when all is said and done there is usually only about a 500 dollar difference.. Not enough to be worth the increased risk in my mind.

5) How does Discount Surgery sound to you???

Any further questions shoot me a PM... i will be glad to help

Knut · 02-21-2007, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

$390/eye.

Any sort of Moderate to high nearsightedness, astigmatism or bells and whistles this price goes up substanially..

TurnedTheCorner · 02-21-2007, 06:44 PM

Thanks very much for the info, Hesla. Gimbel is the place I have been considering for some time. But as a lazy, lazy man, I haven't done much to investigate the costs. I think I will talk to my own optometrist about this first, and if she's onboard, maybe I can set-up an appointment/consultation with Gimbel.

Azure · 02-21-2007, 07:06 PM

I will be talking to my own optometrist before I do anything.

But good advice Hesla, I was only looking through their site and noticed the price. The reason I feel the pull towards LASIK MD...is because they are a private company, so they invest in the best equipment.

And if their record out of 300,000 people is 0 people with blindness, and a very, very low amount having complications, I feel drawn to them because of that.

OilersBaby · 02-21-2007, 07:12 PM

WOW! It's so cheap there! It cost me $4200 for both eyes!!! And this wasn't the BEST clinic, it was somewhere in the middle. I chose this doctor cuz he was Canadian and used to work in the Gimbel Eye Center in Calgary. Wow, was it realy 390 an eye without any sort of insurance? Or is it cuz your insurance covers it????? I shouldve come up there to get it done!

Azure · 02-21-2007, 07:15 PM

It says $390 per eye.....but like Hesla said, they could drive the price up for what happens during pre-surgery, and post surgery stuff.

I have yet to figure out what the price is for all of that.

My eye doctor has already told me that my chances of getting accepted are very likely. My only problem is astigmatism....according to him, which is correctable through surgery.

Azure · 02-21-2007, 07:17 PM

Here, from their site..

Quote:

The price includes a pre-operative evaluation, LASIK or PRK surgery, and post-operative visits at 24 hours, 1 to 2 weeks, and 1 to 3 months after surgery.

*Prices start at $390 CDN/eye and may vary depending on prescription strength. Applicable at certain locations only.
Price applies only for bilateral surgery.

eazyduzzit · 02-21-2007, 07:17 PM

A friend of mine got his eyes corrected at the Gimbel Eye Center so he could pursue becoming a pilot in the air force. It corrected his vision, but he said the recovery was painful for a good week after. Not something i'd want to do. But definitely a positive review for the center.

Now my mom also had it done as well (not in Canada), worked wonders for her initially, but her eyes are now just as bad as they where before...maybe a bit worse. Whether thats because shes become dependent on wearing glasses or age, i don't know. Looks as though it was a good investment for 4 years and not so much now.

She is 61 btw.

OilersBaby · 02-21-2007, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eazyduzzit

A friend of mine got his eyes corrected at the Gimbel Eye Center so he could pursue becoming a pilot in the air force. It corrected his vision, but he said the recovery was painful for a good week after. Not something i'd want to do. But definitely a positive review for the center.

Now my mom also had it done as well (not in Canada), worked wonders for her initially, but her eyes are now just as bad as they where before...maybe a bit worse. Whether thats because shes become dependent on wearing glasses or age, i don't know. Looks as though it was a good investment for 4 years and not so much now.

She is 61 btw.

Well, I know they tell you that if you're young, your vision will be corrected, but your eyes automatically change when you get older and laser eye surgery can't prevent the changes that will happen in the future...so you may still need reading glasses. However, at the place I went to, if you were anywhere close to 40 (which Im not), they would fix it for you so that your eyes would be able to adjust to the natural change that happens as you age.

I was nervous before getting it done..I was thinking that maybe I shouldve done one eye at a time, just in case something went wrong. However, it's been an extremely positive experience. The only downside is that my eyes sometimes feel dry if Ive been online for a while or if Im watching tv and it's been a few hours. Otherwise, it's awesome. I can't believe its so CHEAP in Canada!!!!!!!! I wish I did it there....my parents live there, I shouldve flown up, gotten it done, and come back. The recovery period isn't very long.....most people are able to drive again in 1-2 days! I was fine the next day.

Azure · 02-21-2007, 07:23 PM

To my knowledge, the military only accepts PRK procedures.

Unless something has changed.

Interesting that your mom has her eyes go back to what they were before. According to what I've read, your eyesight should stay consistent longer then 4 years after surgery.

My English teacher in high school had it done about 10 years ago, and she still doesn't have a problem at all.

Azure · 02-21-2007, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OilersBaby

The recovery period isn't very long.....most people are able to drive again in 1-2 days! I was fine the next day.

Aye, and swimming a month after surgery.

Thats my biggest qualm about getting it done....how will the water effect my eyes? Most reviews I've read said that a month after either PRK and LASIK, your eyes shouldn't have a problem in the water.

FireFly · 02-21-2007, 07:26 PM

*shudders* I've apparently watched too many episodes of 10 years younger and watched the procedure. I don't think I could do it now. They peel back a layer of your eye! YUCK!

Azure · 02-21-2007, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireFly

*shudders* I've apparently watched too many episodes of 10 years younger and watched the procedure. I don't think I could do it now. They peel back a layer of your eye! YUCK!

Its pretty cool actually, how they do it.

Anything to get my vision back to where I don't need glasses/contacts.

eazyduzzit · 02-21-2007, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OilersBaby

Well, I know they tell you that if you're young, your vision will be corrected, but your eyes automatically change when you get older and laser eye surgery can't prevent the changes that will happen in the future...so you may still need reading glasses. However, at the place I went to, if you were anywhere close to 40 (which Im not), they would fix it for you so that your eyes would be able to adjust to the natural change that happens as you age.

I was nervous before getting it done..I was thinking that maybe I shouldve done one eye at a time, just in case something went wrong. However, it's been an extremely positive experience. The only downside is that my eyes sometimes feel dry if Ive been online for a while or if Im watching tv and it's been a few hours. Otherwise, it's awesome. I can't believe its so CHEAP in Canada!!!!!!!! I wish I did it there....my parents live there, I shouldve flown up, gotten it done, and come back. The recovery period isn't very long.....most people are able to drive again in 1-2 days! I was fine the next day.

Both my friend and my mom couldn't drive for atleast 3 days. In between the pain due to the sensitivity of the eyes and putting in the drops...driving was the last thing on there minds.

Maybe it's a more painful experience depending on how bad your vision is.

eazyduzzit · 02-21-2007, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

To my knowledge, the military only accepts PRK procedures.

Unless something has changed.

Interesting that your mom has her eyes go back to what they were before. According to what I've read, your eyesight should stay consistent longer then 4 years after surgery.

My English teacher in high school had it done about 10 years ago, and she still doesn't have a problem at all.

Not the Canadian Air Force

But it might have been PRK, i'm not entirely sure what procedure was done. To my knowloge PRK Correction is offered at Gimbel.

Sorry for the irrelivance to the LASIK procedure the op is asking about. Maybe both my mother and friend had the opposite done, and according to what I've just read, it is generally more painful than LASIK.

Sample00 · 02-21-2007, 08:37 PM

had it done at the gimbel eye centre in edmonton 10 years ago at $2000.00 per eye, best money I ever spent, drove home the next day and havent had an ounce of difficulty with my eyes since. Played in a hockey game within 3 days of the surgery.
I went from 20/400 in both eyes to 20/20 in one and 20/15 in the other. last check up 6 months ago, showed 20/20 in both eyes.
only thing now is that age is catching up and I might require reading glasses at some point in the future as the eyes wont adjust to near reading as quickly as they did 10 years ago.
best thing I ever did.

Azure · 02-21-2007, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eazyduzzit

Not the Canadian Air Force

But it might have been PRK, i'm not entirely sure what procedure was done. To my knowloge PRK Correction is offered at Gimbel.

Sorry for the irrelivance to the LASIK procedure the op is asking about. Maybe both my mother and friend had the opposite done, and according to what I've just read, it is generally more painful than LASIK.

One of the procedures is definitely more painful then the other.

When one of my brothers went through SEAL training a few years back, the only procedure they accepted, if the Navy didn't do it themselves was PRK.

Thats what he told me anyways.

10 years ago....eh Sample, and with the technology they have today....

Part of me worries 'what if' something goes wrong, but I guess just like any other surgery, you have to trust the doctors doing it.