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Lasik eye surgery

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naturday
Posts: 493 - Karma: 238
I am getting lasik eye surgery. Does anyone have any experience with this surgery? I am basically blind without my glasses so the thought of being able to see without contacts or glasses is beyond me. I am pretty nervous, but really want to go through with the procedure. Anyone have a bad experience with it? Thanks.
Apr 26 2012 6:59AM
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grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
personally i woulnt have it done, who knows whats gonna happen to your eyes 20 years down the line, eyes are the one thing i wouldnt mess with, then again my sight is ok, i love a girl in glasses anyway
Apr 26 2012 7:22AM
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JamesR
Posts: 3396 - Karma: -12
From what I've read there are risks, but complications have become rarer over time. Personally, I feel more comfortable with the hassle of having to wear glasses and contacts than risking permanent damage to my vision (even if there's only a very small chance of that occurring). The longer you wait, the better the technology will be, the lower the risks will be, and the better the sight you'll have afterwards.
Apr 26 2012 7:56AM
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KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,629
i ski on the regular during the winter in our Vip group with 2 of the leading eye surgeons on long island and talk tot hem all the time about it. IT requires so much practice to become one so most of them are amazing. Basically they use a laser to bend different lenses inside your eyes depending on if your near or far sighted. Thats all they really do
Apr 26 2012 7:58AM
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shea.
Posts: 1606 - Karma: 193
Do it! I didnt find it painful at all mayb a little uncomfortable for like 10 minutes but its changed my life. Its totally worth it. Its amazing!
Apr 26 2012 8:07AM
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JamesR
Posts: 3396 - Karma: -12
How bad was your vision before and how good was it after?
Apr 26 2012 8:10AM
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DubV134
Posts: 1541 - Karma: 690
growing up one of my best friend's dad worked as an optometrist and when my mom decided to get lasik he was more than happy to do it for her for cheap. she only needed it in one eye but the mother fucker put my mom under anesthesia and forgot which eye it was. so he did the surgery on her left eye instead of her right eye. the fuck up was realized shortly after my mom woke up and they were able to correct it mostly but her vision is still not right..... last time i saw my "friend" was at the bar and i called his dad a dumbshit which lead to a pretty decent fight
Apr 26 2012 8:18AM
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aussieskier
Posts: 805 - Karma: 182
My dads a eye surgeon in sydney,
he refuses to do corrective lasik, he claims that it was rushed out and the is no historical data on the procedure, he wears glasses as does most of the dr.'s he works with,
saying that he says that he doesn't do it because wearing glasses is not a bother for him, he reckons that if it is so important for you not to wear glasses (want to be a pilot, soldier, that sort of thing) then go for it, the real risk is that when your 70 + your eye sight will deteriorate faster then others, and the fact that you will need reading glasses by the time your 50. its safe, for the short term can drive pretty much the next day.

Hope that helps!!
Apr 26 2012 8:39AM
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shea.
Posts: 1606 - Karma: 193
Couldnt watch tv without them. Couldnt drive. Basically if i was watching sport on tv, i couldn;t read the score on the tv. After the surgery my vision improved to greater than 20/20 now its stabilised at about 20/20.
Apr 26 2012 8:42AM
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shea.
Posts: 1606 - Karma: 193
I must point out, one of the main reasons i decided to go for Lasik was because i wanted to become a police officer.
Apr 26 2012 8:44AM
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Twinjibber77
Posts: 6239 - Karma: 2,354
I'm thinking i'll eventually do it but i'm at a "when" debate too because the military could pay for it. The only thing i have to add to this constructively though is that for a pre-screening at an eye doctor they told me if i ever wanna be a pilot or Airborne i need to get lasik because the one where they do the slice and dice can OPEN AT HIGH ELEVATIONS!!!!! WTF!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Apr 26 2012 9:12AM
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PopsicleStand
Posts: 6890 - Karma: 147
Putting money in a flex account currently so Wifey can get it done. She wants it really badly.
Apr 26 2012 9:15AM
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naturday
Posts: 493 - Karma: 238
appreciate all the feed back. i think im going to do it. ill update ya all with how it goes.

Apr 26 2012 7:33PM
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AWALLRUS.
Posts: 5762 - Karma: 223
a friend of a friend went blind forever.

but that probably won't happen to you.
Apr 26 2012 7:36PM
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deleted5
Posts: 14507 - Karma: 13,507
roommate was in the army and got his for free. best thing that has ever happened to him.
Apr 26 2012 7:38PM
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Backyard.Skier
Posts: 5397 - Karma: 1,497
ya a friend of a friend i know had his brains fried with the laser through his eye, now he's dead.


but that probably won't happen to you.
Apr 26 2012 7:41PM
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dex.
Posts: 2973 - Karma: 62
got mine done a month ago. payed $3700

vision was so poor that i couldnt read a beer can that was two feet away, now i see things that friends with 20/20 cant see. (im 20/15 now)

it only took about 10 minutes to get it done and i could see very good within a day.

the only thing that is concerning me is that im still experiencing some glare on headlights and streetlights at night. if you work in front of a computer or outside in a windy area then the recovery time for side effects can take up to 3 months to dissipate. i talked to my surgeon about this problem at my one month check up and she assured me that it will go away (shes had people call her crying that they ruined their vision only to have it fully recover within another month.

its seriously a life changing procedure. when you first walk outside after recovering for a day you see more than youve ever seen. everything is crystal clear, i can read signs with tiny font from a long ways away, and colors even look more vibrant.

i say if you have the money then go for it. it can be stressful coping with the side effects (sometimes you get anxious or even depressed) but in the end its so totally worth it.

sucks insurance doesnt help with the cost since its considered a cosmetic surgery
Apr 26 2012 7:44PM
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AWALLRUS.
Posts: 5762 - Karma: 223
true story


Apr 26 2012 7:50PM
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Backyard.Skier
Posts: 5397 - Karma: 1,497
see??
Apr 26 2012 7:52PM
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KEVTRON
Posts: 3545 - Karma: 1,222
Ill quote this because its exactally what I was going to say. I had it done last summer. Couldnt be happier.  The glare thing can take up to 6 months for it to go away. The Procedure took like 10 min like he said and litterally right after that you can see. it is fairly irritating at first, but you just go home and sleep it off and then when you wake up you should be fine. DO IT! and yeah you will prob have to get reading glasses by the time you are like 50, but even someone without Lasik will most likely end up with reading glasses by 50. The doctors say I have better vision than 20/20 now but idk how thats possible.
Apr 26 2012 8:05PM
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throatyogurt
Posts: 153 - Karma: 13
do it, my mom used to work for a doctor that does that stuff. she had it herself and has had no side effects. im getting it when im 18
Apr 26 2012 9:47PM
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naturday
Posts: 493 - Karma: 238
hahhaaha well fuck, this changes everything....but as long as it probably wont happen to me i guess ill do it.
Apr 26 2012 10:18PM
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t-roy
Posts: 4041 - Karma: 52
MAKE SURE YOU GET THE BLADELESS SURGERY. The new technique where the create the corneal flap with a laser is much safer and more accurate. Most people are very successful with the surgery. Your vision will most likely improve, but perfect vision without glasses is not guaranteed. Common side effects are dry eyes and sometimes halos around lights.

Keep in mind, you will still need glasses when you get into yours 40s since you will get into presbyopia (needing reading glasses).

I'm an actual eye doctor (not surgeon) so I'd be happy to answer questions!
Apr 26 2012 10:34PM
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Shark.
Posts: 3158 - Karma: 270
how much does that shit cost? I've been thinking about it too, my eyes are terrible
Apr 26 2012 10:44PM
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.ALOC.
Posts: 202 - Karma: 19
I've been thinking about doing it too. I don't think I will just because you only have 1 pair or eyes and for some reason if they fuck up the procedure then your screwed. Im just not into taking any risks like that withmy eyes.
Apr 26 2012 11:51PM
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Backyard.Skier
Posts: 5397 - Karma: 1,497
just like a one in a million chance so ya you should be good
Apr 26 2012 11:57PM
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thenightman
Posts: 766 - Karma: 132
my mom got it done like 10 years ago and her vision is still perfect, just make sure you go to a really good doctor for it. you get what you pay for.
Apr 26 2012 11:59PM
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Lt-Aldo-Raine
Posts: 2309 - Karma: 120
I've heard anywhere between 500-2000 an eye. Depends on your eyes and surgeon.

But I think i'll get one eye done after summer. I've been wanting to get it for awhile and now my eyes have finally matured.
Apr 27 2012 12:06AM
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ejm
Posts: 794 - Karma: 196
Getting mine done in September, everyone I know that have had it done even people who had it done a long time ago have no problems at all, a few said dry eyes for a bit after but it goes away after a few months, worst part is no contacts for 2 weeks prior.
Apr 27 2012 1:38AM
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naturday
Posts: 493 - Karma: 238
got it done. Had the bladeless surgery. I was super nervous. I wont lie it was not comfortable at all when it happened and the first 8 hours all i could do was sleep and i couldn't really open my eyes at all, which was pretty fucking scary. By that night i could see but for the next 2 days I had to wear these sunglasses. My eyes also had red marks in the whites but they are slowly starting to go away. I have to put three types of drops in a day. I love it, it is amazing, it is still new so my eyes are still adjusting. The one complaint I have is at night lights get these crazy halos around them, but I'm hoping that goes away a little over time. But it is fantastic and I would highly recommend anyone with very bad eye sight getting it done.
May 2 2012 7:34AM
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nhudson
Posts: 248 - Karma: 28
My dad had it 10 years ago, he loves it still to this day, his is slightly wearing off, but he says its not a big deal at all, I'd go for it, i'm thinking of getting it my self!
May 2 2012 10:09AM
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AT-AT
Posts: 3281 - Karma: 3,256
I'm glad to hear it turned out well
May 2 2012 10:31AM
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Lucas
Posts: 4881 - Karma: 1,575
That would be so fuckin wierd
May 2 2012 11:24AM
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.SHAGGY.
Posts: 1068 - Karma: 3,280

That would be very handy.

May 2 2012 11:28AM
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Dr.Gnar
Posts: 896 - Karma: 197
I just got PRK done 3 days ago. The surgeon and staff laughed when it was done and I said "that was fun!" They used an alcohol solution to dissolve the outer later and brushed it away with a little sponge tool. Of course, my eye was numb from drops. The lasering was 10 seconds per eye or so and like a Pink Floyd music video! I could smell burning like burning hair as some solids on the outside of the eye get vaporized. The tech was going "10%....25%....50%....etc." as the laser did its thing, reminded me of the Death Star powering up or something out of Star Wars. As soon as I stood up I could read the clock across the room, amazing! Eyes have been uncomfortable but hardly painful. The bandage contact lenses get removed in a few more days. I'm keeping low expectations as not to feel disappointed because it can take 3 months to get perfect vision and fine detail and stuff. I got PRK because my cornea was a bit too thin for LASIK, but I like the idea of no flap better. Who knows, if I get into the military and ever come to do hand-to-hand combat or diving it may come in handy. I'm super happy with the results so far and feel like a new person. I wore contacts but still I feel more confident. It's the little things, like taking a girl home, I won't ever have to deal with shitty eyesight or deal with contacts in and out or any of that shit! Camping, crashing at a friends, lots of logistics I won't have to worry about anymore. Not to mention the odds of infection and permanent issues are greater wearing contacts than laser eye surgery. From a cosmetic standpoint I love the natural look of my face without glasses, it's like people treat you like you're smarter when you wear them, just a different reaction from strangers and stuff, I dunno it's weird but there is a difference, and now things are more straightforward.
May 25 2012 4:31PM
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