Lasik Eye Surgery

[Young-Sneezy]

So ive been seeing the advertisement for 490$/eye around town for a little while now and i finally stopped at the booth in market mall this afternoon to inquire. It seems like a decent deal, and i have a health spending account with my summer job which i can use for nearly the entire procedure.

My prescription is -4.25 right now, which is prettttyy bad haha, needless to say, i need to be wearing glasses or contacts whenever i am awake.

Has anyone had this procedure done recently? has it become considerably safer? pros/cons? I heard stories of nighttime driving being horrible... is that from the procedure in the past or recently?

Thanks!

[Sample00]

I had exactly the same eye sight as yuo have and had it done about 12 years ago.
I am still 20/20 in one eye and 20/15 in the other.
worth every single penny!!!

[burnin_vernon]

Is that price based on minimal vision strength? The last time I saw a deal like that it was much much more because of my poor eyesight.

[MJK]

Lasik is worth every penny but only if you get the right procedure IMO. If you are paying that much you are getting the lowest quality procedure. I got "Custom Lasik" 2 years ago but it cost me $5000. If you care about your eyes and want the very best vision, get the best. Don't settle for the cheapest route.

Do some research and see what packages they offer before you commit.

[Vox]

Originally Posted by MJK

Lasik is worth every penny but only if you get the right procedure IMO. If you are paying that much you are getting the lowest quality procedure. I got "Custom Lasik" 2 years ago but it cost me $5000. If you care about your eyes and want the very best, get the best. Don't settle for the cheapest route.

Do some research and see what packages they offer before you commit.

Agreed. It's your eyes, after all.

Check out van Westenbrugge at the Gimble Eye Center (Gimble and Kassab are good as well) and Ellen Penno at Western Laser Eye Associates. I'm pretty sure van Westenbrugge is the Dr. that some other prominent surgeons have gone to for their own eyes, so that's a pretty good testimonial. I'll confirm that and correct my post if I was wrong.

[speede5]

It's been ten years since mine, i was 2.5 in one and 4.5 in the other and I am still 20/20. My only problem is night, and it is because my pupils dilate quite wide. I don't think I would have done it had I really known the downside (which was downplayed heavily by the clinic). It isin't debilitating, but I don't enjoy movies, or driving near as much as I used to. I think they make a bigger cut to aviod this problem and if so you should be good.

[Sample00]

would highly recommend Gimble as well. thats who did mine!

[username]

So what's the verdict? To the people on this board who've had it done - would you do it all over again?

Hindsight is afterall, 20/20

[Eagle Eye]

Just got it done in January. Would do it a million times over.

I was -5.25 in both eyes, and it cost me $3,200.

I ended up getting the custom Wavefront Lasik

[OldDutch]

Got mine in 1999 (LASIK), paid $3500 for Dr. Demong himself to do it. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I don't have any major problems 10 years later. However, I need to stress that if you do go ahead, go with a top of the line doctor himself, ie: Dr. Gimble, or Dr. Demong, not even an assistant.

It is your eyes, you want the best care you can get in case something goes wrong. Save up, do research (I went to a seminar put on by Gimble), ask lots of questions.

I have another friend who went in 2002 (LASIK) to Dr. Demong himself and has had no problems. On a side note, another friend got hit in the eye by a puck, and Dr. Demong ended up saving his eye, after the Foothills told him it needed to be removed. Nothing but praises for the guy.

[username]

OK, now what if I have pretty bad eyes. I think I'm around -5.5 and I have a pretty bad astingmatism in one of my eyes.....is there any chance in your opinion this can be corrected, safely?

[Discoste]

Originally Posted by username

OK, now what if I have pretty bad eyes. I think I'm around -5.5 and I have a pretty bad astingmatism in one of my eyes.....is there any chance in your opinion this can be corrected, safely?

I'd recommend you schedule free consult to be fully informed. They will discuss the different procedures, check your eyes, give you a quote.
Then they will try to book you in for a procedure right after the consult.

Four of my friends had Lasik done over the past 12 months with varying prescriptions. Three were done using the flap procedure: one with -2.0 no astigmatism, other two people had -6.0ish with some astigmatism. My other friend, had a different procedure since her corneas were too thin. All were done around $4000.

There have been some compliants about blurry/ghosting vision at night. That guy is going to book another appt to get that checked, and vision corrected again if neccessary.

[Sample00]

I would do it again in a heartbeat!!!

[hkstylez]

Dang, If I do Lasik, mine would forsure cost about $5000+. My eyes are nearing the 7 mark. I am blind as a bat without my glasses/contacts.

[Huntingwhale]

Noob question...so what exactly does the difference in cost relate too? Better laser/equipment? Reputation of doctor? If l go with the $500 procedure does that mean that the Doctor is less experienced? Will l see 'better' if l pay 5 grand?

[Discoste]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Noob question...so what exactly does the difference in cost relate too? Better laser/equipment? Reputation of doctor? If l go with the $500 procedure does that mean that the Doctor is less experienced? Will l see 'better' if l pay 5 grand?

Its the laser PRK vs LASIK...I believe
Lifetime guarantee of 20/20 for the pricey option.
The "490 per eye" is a one shot deal.

[3 Justin 3]

I was going to get this done last year with Gimble, but as I was 19 at the time and they recommended I wait a few years (until I am like 24+) so I grow more. They told me my eye sight may change during this time (without the surgery), so that I wouldn't need to get correction surgery in only a few years time.

I am sure you're not as young as I am though so it shouldn't be a problem. But I'd go to Gimble, they are expensive as hell, like $thousands, but it is worth it when it comes to your eyes. I don't know why anyone would choose the option, even if they were poor.

[Kipper is King]

This is critical IMHO- get one eye done at a time. I do not care what doctor is doing your surgery or what equipment they use. If something goes wrong with both your eyes at once, life becomes quite difficult.

Four years ago, I had PRK done (I can't say which doctor did it, but he wasn't one of the ones mentioned in this thread). Severe corneal haze resulted, which left me legally blind in one eye, and with badly diminished vision in the other. They actually had me on the cornea transplant list for a while.

Only now is my vision starting to become reasonable again (I need glasses still, but life could be worse). My vision will never be as good as it was pre-surgery.

My experience is really rare, so do not freak out, though. Newer technologies have really reduced the risk of complications. Just do not play russian roulette with both your eyes at once. Waiting a couple extra weeks will seem well worth it in the unlikely event something goes wrong. That way, you still could get decent vision out of one eye.

[troutman]

http://www.docshop.com/education/vis...ik/statistics/

More than one million patients undergo the LASIK procedure in the United States each year. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that LASIK eye surgery complications occur in 1 to 5 percent of cases. According to the FDA’s LASIK surgery statistics:

• Glare and sensitivity to light affect 1.7 percent of LASIK patients.
• Visual fluctuations occur in 2.6 percent of LASIK patients.
• Halos around light sources are experienced by 3.5 percent of patients.
• About 3 percent of patients report vision worse than before LASIK.

Talk to your local surgeon about his or her personal LASIK surgery statistics and typical results for patients. Laser eye surgery complications, statistics, and results do vary among surgeons so it is important to discuss your surgeon’s experience in the field.

[automaton 3]

Both my wife an I had Lasik 4 years ago with Dr. Leger at the Edmonton clinic. We both had the wavefront procedure and it cost quite a bit more than the advertised rate. We did a fair amount of reserach and at that time Lasik was using one of the newest and most advanced lasers, some older technology at some of the other clinics but that may have changed by now.

Best money we have ever spent. I was about -3.5 with astigmatism, my wife slightly better. Both of us are still better than 20/20.

I had a bit of night "starburst" at first but it seems to have faded away, don't notice it anymore.