Laser Eye Surgery

[Chronus]

I know this is off-topic, but it is something I am considering and of course, we all need our eyes to look at our watches, and if I lost my eyesight, I'd be gone from the boards !

I'd like to hear advice from those in the medical profession and people who have had it done, or just stories of other people who have had it done.

I know one person on here who had it done and says it's great. I know a couple of other people round here who did it and also say it's great.

The way I figure it, at my age (late 20s), it shouldn't be until my 40s that I may need reading glasses, so economically this will save me money in the next 10-15 years, as opposed to spending so much on soft torric contact lenses and glasses.

Current prescription is

Left: SPH -3.25; CYL -1.75; AX 180

Right: SPH -3.25; CYL -2.25; AX 160

I've also been given this link by someone for better vision without surgery, but am not sure how genuine this is, or if it is viable... any experience is welcome!

http://www.program-for-better-vision.com/l...CFQSICwodAVDhOg

So far I hve been to 2 clinics, both of which vary in price but both say my eyes should be fine for LASIK surgery.

I am going to another clinic on Saturday for another consultation.

I've read through a lot of information, good and bad, and am thinking of whether to go ahead.

FDA Lasik Eye Surgery website

[Gerco]

I've had my both eyses lasered in januari 2006 in a private clinic in Rotterdam (Netherlands).

L - 3,75 r -4.00

It was a lasik procedure. Results: both eyes 0.0

left eye : eaglevison 150% best result possible

right eye: 100 %

The operation takes 5 minutes and went with no problem at all.

Siunce the operation i've had dry eyes, but over the monthts it's getting better. Night vision : more sensitive for lights (xenon) so I for driving I wear sunglasses (yellow) for better contrast.

Conclusion: first pick your clinic & surgeon ! That's the most important part: look at the equipment they use, look at their track record en ask a lot of question to the eye surgeon. Then look at the price....

(Good vision is priceless.....)

Good luck !

Gerco

[Gerco]

oh, by the way:

At a certain age you'll might need reading glasses. This has nothing to do with your cornea, but with the muscelles of your eyes ( they're weakening as your growing old.)

Nothing can stop that process, lasering eyes also. But by lasering your eyes you'll never have to wear glasses for de minus factor.

[Chronus]

Thanks for the info Gerco.

That's why I'm going around the top clinics I can find and see how I feel about the place.

There is a new version using a femtosecond laser that does not have a blade touching your eye at all. I think this should be much more accurate (and so far, procedures done with this seem to bear this out) but costs more. I'll find out more on Saturday.

[swdivad]

Just don't try it at home:

Do it yourself lasik

[4fun]

Just don't try it at home:

Do it yourself lasik

My goodness. I really don' believe this can be DIY

[Gerco]

Thanks for the info Gerco.

That's why I'm going around the top clinics I can find and see how I feel about the place.

There is a new version using a femtosecond laser that does not have a blade touching your eye at all. I think this should be much more accurate (and so far, procedures done with this seem to bear this out) but costs more. I'll find out more on Saturday.

My eyes were down with blades. The new methode is not common here in Europe. I've looked into that. They advertise: lasering without a knife. That's [censored]. Also with no knife lasering there are pro's and con's.

Be very critical, because they sell you dreams......

(by the way: before lasering the general director was waiting for me, because the indepth questions I've asked. Before lasering I checked the maintancereports of the laser, the report from the health department checkup, asked insight about the succesrate, spoke with the eye surgeon about here trackrecord, first time succes & complaints, law suits, liability insurance etc)

Gerco

[Gerco]

http://www.lasikathome.com/foureasysteps.htm

Unbelievable...............the world must be going mad !!!!

What's next: do iy youself brainsurgery kit ?

Or: the four steps hart transplantation kit ?

Gerco

[Chronus]

lasik at home is a spoof (joke) website

[exper]

Chronus, you know how I feel about this already If you haven't already check out Advanced Vision Care.. I have some friend vouchers for £200 discount lying about just in case you do decide on them, but great stuff on trying out as many as you can before lots of pepple skip this step

Also not sure if I sent you this link yet or you probably found it yourself but http://www.lasik-eyes.co.uk is a great resource

[Dani]

My problem whit this i also have like -1 on both eyes but if i do this laser and the doc screws up my eyes and they are more importent to me then my life no eyes no life so if he scews up what will i do in anger??

I think i stay away lol dont whant to kill some one if it goes wrong

[premiumdesigners]

i had it done 2 years ago, one of the best investments ive made in myself.

[dvn]

i know quite a good numbers of friends and relatives here in the US went to Canada to have them done cheaper and now their eyesight are all 20-20 now. It is a good investment if your eyesight are very bad IMHO.

[irongambit]

I had it done this past Feb. and it is amazing.

I had the interlase (laser cut) done on both eyes which was an extra $300 per eye.

I'm now seeing 20-15 and it is amazing.

I have some "halo-effect" in my left eye, but I was expecting that due to the extreme astigmatism in that eye. It's noticable if I look for it, but it's really not an issue.

I can honestly say that I see better now than I could with the glasses.

But like Gerco said about dry eyes, you will become dependant for some time on rewetting drops. It certainly gets better over time, but I still use Systane drops several times a day (it feels nice).

The strangest thing is breaking the habit of reaching for your glasses when you wake up or pushing your glasses back up your nose. If I'm especially tired, I will still reach for the nightstand about once every couple of weeks like an idiot.

I was able to get a significant discount on my procedure, but the method I was able to use is rare (and most likely only good in the US). This will be a little long, so you may want to skip if you're not interested...

In early 2005, the company I worked for announced that they were selling my division off and that the sale would close in May of 2006. In the US, there is a federal medical savings program (Flexible Spending Accounts) offered by most employers that allows you to withhold a certain amount of money from your paycheck tax free to be used for medical procedures. You elect the total amount of money that you want to have withheld for this and then it is taken out in equal installments from each check throughout the year (so since I was paid biweekly, any amount I elected to have withheld would be divided by 26 and taken out of each paycheck and put into my Medical Flexible Spending Account).

The catch is that if you do not use all of the money that you have withheld by the end of the year, you forfeit any remaining money. There is a little known inverse to that catch however, in that once you are enrolled in the program, you can go ahead and spend any money that you have elected to have withheld anytime during the program, even though you may not have already had that money taken from your checks (i.e. your account doesn't need to be fully funded yet to spend the money...they will reimburse you for the claim and then continue to pull the money out of your paycheck in the regular installments). Oh, and if you are no longer employed by the company, they can no longer take any withholdings from your paycheck, since you have no paycheck from that company!!!...I think you can see where this is going.

My company allowed us to withhold up to $3,000, so when our 2006 company benefits enrollment period began, I elected to have the whole $3,000 put aside. In addition, our company offered a Vision Savings Plan for a few bucks a month, which advertised a discount (didn't say how much though) on LASIK procedures. I had already gone to the eye surgery center and already had an appointment for early Feb (had to get it done before my division was to be sold in May) so I called back asking about the Vision Savings Plan discount...the lady at the eye center said that they no longer participate in that program because it was very difficult to work with, but since I had it, she would be happy to give me a 10% discount if I was able to pay via cash or check to save on the CC fees. That seemed reasonable enough, so I accepted that discount (and didn't sign up for the VSP plan at work since the eye center wouldn't want to see my card anyway ).

So let's do the math...The procedure itself was $3,600 for both eyes. Plus $600 for Interlase (the laser cutting) and another $300 for CustomVue in one eye (probably more marketing than anything else, but they claim better results due to a more customized setting...my left eye with the massive astigmatism wasn't a CustomVue candidate). So we're up to $4,500.

Knock off $450 for my 10% "Vision Savings Plan" discount and we're at $4,050. I immediately submitted the claim to my Flexible Spending Account for the $3,000 I had withheld from my checks, of which since I was effectively terminated from my job in early May (due to the sale of my division), the company would only see 9 of the 26 payments of $115, which equals $1,035. So we're at $4,050 - $3,000 + $1,035 = $2,085. Oh yeah, since those Flexible Spending Account dollars are tax free and I am taxed at 28%, I would only "feel" $745 of the $1,035 (since the remaining would have been taxed anyway had it not been put in the account).

So in all, my total net cost of the procedure was $1,795.

Certainly the best $1,795 I have EVER spent, however I would do it again at the original $4,500 if I had to...it is that worth it.

Sorry for the long manifesto...but maybe someone will be able to pick up a tip along the way to save a little money.

Best Regards,

IG

[crystalcranium]

I am an MD and will just advise you that every medical procedure has a risk/reward ratio that must be carefully examined befor making your decision. Certainly, lasik procedures have become common and simple as the technology has improved. I'm certain you can find a favorably referenced outfit to do your surgery and there are many that will testify to wonderful results, but do be aware what you are doing is an elective procedure. There are many in my profession, myself included, who believe ANY surgical intervention should be necessary and only after non invasive procedures have been exhausted. What you are considering, and the way you are framing it in terms of saving money long term on glasses, contact lenses, drs appointments etc, puts this procedure in the catagory of the cosmetic and not the medical. What are the chances of there being a problem? Very, very small. What are the chances of you having vision complications from the surgery if you do not have the surgery? Zero. What are the chances of that very small probably of problems affecting your vision for the rest of your life? Pretty high. That's your dice roll.

[kasigi]

lasik at home is a spoof (joke) website

I can't believe you had to say that, surely nobody took it seriously? *sigh*

[Chronus]

Sometimes, you just never know...!

[Chronus]

I went to an Optimax clinic today (in Finchley Road) and had a consultation and it seems fine. I did get to see a close up video of the operation which is not good watching for the squeamish...

I did meet the surgeon, a first at all these consultations, and thought he was nice and knew what he was talking about, and had practiced this surgery for over 10 years and rarely had problems, and not with my eye prescription.

As I may go to Spain next month I may give it another month or two and think on it, as well as get money together (this company is the only one I have talked to that does not give a 100% interest free credit option).

[JJFlash]

Have you ever noticed that none of the ophthalmologists have had this proceedure done on themselves?

[watchski]

I had my Lasik done 3 years ago now and my vision is still better than 20/20. It's incredible. Go for it.

My vision was EXACTLY the same as yours pre op..

[Nebakanezzar]

I had it done. It is awsome! I could not function, at all, w/o my glasses. It is a new found freedome to not have to wear them anymore!

the procedure is reletivly painless and very quick. DO NOT SKIMP! these are your eyes we are talking about! I went to the best eye guy in OC cost me almost 4K. I have had a few freinds who did the 1k special w/o any problems, but they did not have very bad vision to start with.

[docblackrock]

One unexpected side effect... on the next campout after LASIK, perhaps 2 weeks later, it was about -22F and I woke up before dawn with my eyes frozen shut. That had never happened before.

sorry can't help but laugh, but I'm sure it was a frightening and unpleasant experience (pffffff, hahaha.....)

Bob ---> --->

My advice on LASIK? Unless you look like this ---> all the time (i.e. it affects your social as well as physical well-being), then I wouldn't really bother. Sure it's a big success story so far, but then I'd like to see some 10-year retrospective safety data at least before I'd go for it....but then I'm a big old scaredy cat about anything or anyone poking me about (it's true, we make the worst patients ).

Edited August 7, 2006 by docblackrock

[crystalcranium]

The statistics speak for themselves. I can put you in touch with 4990 patients who will attest to the miracle of lasik surgery or the 10 who have suffered permanent, uncorrectable damage to their vision. I think, in elective surgeries, the fact that the risk is NOT ZERO must be carefully considered.

[docblackrock]

The statistics speak for themselves. I can put you in touch with 4990 patients who will attest to the miracle of lasik surgery or the 10 who have suffered permanent, uncorrectable damage to their vision. I think, in elective surgeries, the fact that the risk is NOT ZERO must be carefully considered.

True enough, but I'd stress that the same statement goes for any surgical procedure, elective or not. To a large extent, you are always at the mercy of the skill and concentration of the surgeon - believe me I've seen some scarily close calls in theatre

[Chronus]

I talked to the surgeon I was assigned at Optimax and asked how long he's been doing this and so on. Seems good. I may give it some more time though, especially as my money at work is cut quite a bit...