f13.net

Finally have the money to get it done, so thursday is the day.

Getting the 2-laser HD Wavefront Intralasik (VX-4 laser) done, hoping for the best.

And yes, I realize the "HD" is just a marketing ploy, and that almost every LASIK surgeon around is using the exact same fucking machine, what can I say, I'm a sucker for marketing.

Hey good luck with that, let us know how it goes!

I plan going getting Lasik in a few years.

How bad is your eyesight? I'm interested in doing this but I have really bad eyes with a wicked astygmatism in one eye.

Anyways, good luck.

Nearsighted (I think thats it, I can see close, sub 18" or so, but not far), rx is iirc a 2.75 in one eye and a 3.25 in the other, with a slight astigmastism, which the doctors told me isn't very bad at all.

I'd say just go get a free consultation and see what they tell you, a doctor with a good rep isn't going to lie to you and tell you that he can correct to 20/20, if you'll still need glasses afterwards (which some people do, my neighbor has this problem), they'll tell you.  Just to be safe though, go see a couple, and ignore the price they throw at you, I jewed em down about $600 from their '30% holiday special'.

My only complaint so far was the "consultant" (read: salesman) that did my iniatial free consulation, he was trying some day 1 high pressure tactics on me and stuck to his guns even after I called him on it.  I'm sorry, but that price you gave me is not just good for today if I don't get my $150 pre-op done right now, this is major fucking surgery and costing me several thousand dollars, so I'm going to think about it.  Making a big deal out of the special note you wrote on the form that says "EXPIRES TODAY IF NO PREOP" does nothing but piss me off, I've sold longer than you and I'm better than you at it, so try your hack tactics on someone else.  When your manager calls me hours later, apologizing profusely, and assuring me that yes, that price is good whenever I decide to come back in, and that you're a jackass, don't come in all smiles and sunshine trying to shake my hand when I'm waiting for my pre-op.

Course, I still got it done, although I'm going to make a point (after the surgery of course) to express my disdain with his staff to the surgeon, and how if I wasn't fucking motivated to get my eyes fixed, he would've lost a sale.

You know how they lose a sale. You go somewhere else. If you hate the sales person and bitch enough to the manager, don't go back. Those salespeople learned nothing. You've sold before, why the hell did you go back?

Oh and good luck.

Eh, I've been in sales for over 5 years now, I know exactly how it works, truth be told they cut me a deal noone else would match, and I'm not one to waste money on spite, doubly so when we're talking a difference of $700-1000.  I will, however, waste some energy on spite whilst high on valium, and I get some solace in the fact that douchebag doesn't actually get commision, they just have a spiff program based on total numbers, and judging by his techniques, he's probably not going to make it.

Edit to clarify on yours:  I could get someone in Dallas to match it, but I'm in Arlington, and I don't really feel like an hour drive for my 1 day, 1 week, and 2? month checkups.  There are 2 guys in Arlington that do it, and the others wouldn't go below $1800/eye, money and convenience will win over me be angry about hack sales techniques that were entirely unnescessary.  I'm motivated, I wanted this done ASAP.

Not a bad answer. Still, I can't believe you couldn't have found a similar deal with people who didn't straight piss you off in a decently sized city. I'd probably do the same though.

Let us know how it goes. I'm 3.75/4.00 and I've considered it for a while at my age of 26.

A friend of mine got this done around a year ago and ended up with some fucked-up 20/18 supervision or something. Hope it works out the same for you. Go science!

I'll give you high as a kite post-op debriefing sometime after 4:00PM thursday, hopefully seeing 20/20 (or better!)

Also, it wasn't as bad as I'm making it out to be, I've got a mild head cold right now and am kind of pissy, everything went very smoothly and up until the very end where I started dickering on price everyone was professional.  When I went back for my pre-op, I had a different set of people run me through 4 or 5 different tests/scans, and all of them were extremely friendly and polite.  My only qualm was him trying to create a sense of urgency that I felt was inappropriate, I'm not buying a car here, this is fucking surgery.  Had he given me a 3 day window on the quote I wouldn't have been upset at all, hell, 24 hours and I would've been happy, but when you tell me at 11:00AM that this deal expires in 4 hours, I'm not going to like you.

The entire reason I went back was his manager (I think, it could've just been a different salesman), the one who had confirmed my appt. for 1:30pm in the morning and was more than happy to bump it up to 9:30 for me since I was already awake, called me back around 2:00.

Yes, I know he was just trying to close the deal on a walkout, but he was apologetic, courteous and professional, he did exactly what I would've done and it saved the sale for them.

Lesion - I've actually heard of alot of people ending up with 20-10 or so, which is what I'm really hoping for, I'll be dissapointed with only 20/20.  Mainly, because I won't be able to yell out "go-go gadget eyes!" and really/ mean it.

First thing I'm doing after I finish this stupid fucking diet is lasik. I'm stoked.

You might need some rhinoplasty too, wouldn't want to burn a hole in that big ol jew schnoz of yours.

Edit: What the fuck, diet? How does that have anything to do with lasik?

One thing at a time, dude.

He doesn't want to be able to see how fat he is.  :rimshot:

Signe's going to pinch you for that.

20\15 here.  It totally rules.  I was 20\300 in one eye and 20\200 in the other with a pretty noticeable astigmatism in the 20\200 eye (but not the other, go figure).  I had been dealing with trouble reading and concentrating due to the undiagnosed condition as well.  Now it is gone and I can actually see without glasses.  The new techniques they use map the entire surface of the eye and can individually correct any waves or ridges that shouldn't be there.  Expensive, but damn well worth it in my experience.

I've had a couple friends that have had lasik done.  I've thought about having it done, although my vision isn't quite that bad.  I can get away without wearing glasses but headaches and migranes really aren't any fun.  I don't know if I could ever have it done though.  I hate anything near my eyes; I can't even put eye drops in my eyes by myself.

Edit: Good luck!

So want to do this surgery. I'd say 'good luck', but I hope luck doesn't have to enter into the equation!

Good luck with the surgery. It's really not too bad at all.

I had it done about 5 years ago. I was worse than 20/400 in both eyes (legally blind ie.. I couldn't read that big ass E on the eye chart) with a pretty severe astigmatism in my left eye that made it impossible for my to even wear soft contacts.

After the surgery I was 20/20 in one eye and 20/30 in my left. My left eye still wasn't perfect but it was a VAST improvement.

5 years down the road now my right eye still seems pretty good but my left eye is starting to get a bit worse. I still don't wear glasses for anything but I imagine I'm due for a trip to the eye doctor in the next year or two. Luckily the place I had the surgery done has a life time guarantee so I can go back in for a touch-up whenever I decide. Or I can just maybe get a pair of glasses for reading & work.

The surgery itself is quite simple. It was over in a matter of seconds. The only freaky part was the smell of burning hair. I didn't really enjoy that.

I'm hoping to do it in 2008 (I've been saying "next year" for three years now) -- my eyesight is pretty much roughly what yours is, although my one-eye astigmatism is barely noticeable.

I've had an initial screening done for viability (my eye doctor is very helpful -- only thing she hasn't checked is corneal thickness, I think -- something requires eye dilation to check -- and feels I'm a good candidate). I'm mostly worried about haloing. A friend of mine had the surgery about 7 years ago -- the very early days of LASIK -- and not only has horrid problems at night (she won't even drive, the haloing is so bad), but is now back in glasses even during the day and pissed as fuck at her surgeon. OTOH, my father-in-law just had his done last year (he's 60ish) -- apparently the new machines are so damn good they were able to correct his vision in both eyes, even around what is a highly nasty and visible cornea scar. He's like 20/20 in the good eye, and 20/40 in the one with the scar (no shit -- you can see it if you look into his eye from close up. Took a chunk of glass in it when he was a kid).

I understand the machines they're using now (The wavefront ones are supposed to be ultra-spiffy) tend to be considerably better than what they hacked around her eyeballs with.

If it's any comfort to you, everyone that I know that has had the procedure done has been very satisfied with it.  Yes, there is some risk.  Overall, I think the benefits far outweigh the risks.  If my eyes continue to degerate from the 10+ hrs a day of reading that I do, I'll be following right behind you. 

Good luck! I've always been leery of life-changing items like this, but it's pretty much as safe as it gets at this point. I know several people who have done it and none of them have had any problems.

I'm just wondering what the next big thing is coming down the pike for eyes, I keep wanting a custom-generated lens using radar mapping or something. I figure the tech is getting better, but I'm not willing to take the plunge until I can actually get surgery that makes my eyesight better than the contacts I wear every day.

Edit: Oh, and I deeply value my night vision. I don't want to lose it.

I had this done a few years ago and mine was a very extreme case, I believe about 7.5 diopters in one eye, 7.75 in the other. The doc told me I was extremely lucky to have very thick corneas, because 7.75 diopters would have been the most they could slice off without risking corneal collapse. My vision isn't perfect, around 20/25 most days, but it's been a while since I've had it tested, but that's good enough to go around without glasses. Having worn coke-bottles all my life, it's been a real joy to wake up in the morning and be able to see unaided.

For the first year or so, I had recurring dry-eye problems, and it still happens once every few months. The symptoms, for me, would be itching eyes and degraded vision. This is readily solved by having some lubricant eye drops at home and in your desk at work; your doc should give you some after the surgery. Get a bunch of them and use them constantly for the first few weeks, it helps a lot; they're pretty cheap and I've had no problems finding them at various pharmacy chains whenever I've needed some and not had any around.

Recovery is pretty rapid, but it was a few days, in my case, before I could really see stuff. Prepare for a few days of music, books on tape or movies that don't really require any kind of detail beyond "the blob on the left is talking to the blob on the right."

One downside, at least in my case, is that my night-vision is significantly worse than I recall it being pre-surgery. I believe this is due to the pupil expanding beyond the 'optimal' central part of my corrected corneas and into less-optimally corrected parts. This has happened less and less as time has gone on, so it may have been just a side-effect that is now healing. Still, I'm leery of driving at night now, because I find it harder to see stuff in my rearview due to headlight glare.

Still, if you have any significant vision impairment and the means to do it, I strongly recommend at least getting a couple consultations to see what your prospects are.

Two things on the nightvision -

One, my nightvision is already really fucking bad, I get horrible glare off of everything, it's been explained to me as more little black dots than I should have, and the laser gets rid of them.

Two, from everything I've ready, the haloing is caused by the pupil dialating to the point where light is refracted off of the incision made to create the flap, and the 2-laser intralasik is supposed to leave MUCH less scar tissue than before, eliminating most haloing.  (no scar for the light to hit and cause it)

T-26 hours now, still not nervous, but I imagine that'll change tomorrow.

I was going to pinch him anyways. 

That flap of eye that never actually heals that's sliced open with a razor is one of the things that freaks me out about the procedure. Also there was that Everest documentary "Into Thin Air" and one of the guys who got trapped up there had gotten RK surgery and it turns out that at that altitude and cold it literally made him blind. Not that Lasik would necessary do the same thing and not that I would ever climb Everest but like others have said the long term effects are still not known. I'd rather put with the glasses I've been putting up with for so long than go blind in 15 to 20 years because of the procedure. I also don't like the idea that it's not "reversible"/"correctable" -- i.e. it permanently removes stuff and if there's a mistake or if my vision changes radically later on for some reason, like become more farsighted as people tend to do as they get older, I'm kind of screwed. I like the idea of some of the newer technologies that are being worked on like those "rings" that get embedded that reshape your eyes that can be removed and adjusted as needed.

That makes sense to me. My incisions were done with a microkeratome, as the two-laser stuff was just coming out of testing when I got it.


Radial Keratotomy is significantly different from LASIK, it's an ancient procedure long since superseded by PRK/LASEK (not a typo, it's distinct from LASIK). The rest of your concerns are perfectly valid. I anticipate that, if my surgery causes problems 40 years down the road, intraocular lenses (or other corneal replacement technology) should have advanced enough to correct what may arise.

Or maybe I'm fucked and will be blind at 50. Still worth it to me for now. :)

They don't use a razor anymore, the incision for the flap is made with a second laser now, which is what reduced the haloing side effect.

As far as it never healing, I've got to call bullshit on that, see a few posts up about the fellow with a chunk of glass in his eye that healed up and left a scar.  Our bodies heal, if your body stops healing, you're probably already dead.

The healing thing was from somebody at a place where I used to work who got it done around 2000. He said the flaps would never totally seal themselves up -- i.e. they could flap open again given a bizarre enough set of circumstances. Dunno if he was given incorrect information or if things have changed now with new technology.

I'll make a point to ask about that tomorrow, it just seems wrong to me though, it's a membrane, and it gets damaged and heals up all the time, ever had a corneal abrasian?

I got this done about 5 years ago. If I remember correctly my eyes were -4.0 and -4.5 and I ended up with 20/18 eyesight.

5 years later, I wear glasses when I drive at night and my vision isn't 20/18 anymore, but I would never change the fact that I can still wake up in the AM and see what time it is.

May I ask how old you are now, and what kind of glasses you wear at night?

I'm 31 and they're a very very slight adjustment. I don't have anything exact about what my vision is now, but the glasses clear the halos at night and just kinda put everything into focus again. I was warned before I got the surgery that they really didn't know how long it would last since I had a pretty severe astigmatism. Don't let that disuade you in any way though. Wearing glasses at night is a very small price to pay to not have to worry about contacts while water skiing, or playing any sports in general.

Plus, I hardly ever wear them during the day, unless I'm sitting at the back of a classroom and need to see something put on a screen by a projector.

Honestly, that is ancient technology by today's standards (compare Edison's victrola vs. CD audio technology).  Only semi-recently (2002-2003) have they been phasing out razors and nowadays it is completely done with a laser that essentially just pushes your cornea down compared to years gone by where they sliced the eye to make the changes.

The surgeon who did mine specializes in this.  He mapped out the entire surface of your eye to determine ridges, curves, and shapes of the cornea.  They then make a custom treatment for your eye and yours alone.  They also still use a razor to make the incision, but only if you choose.  I chose to spend the extra $100/eye to have the laser do the incision, I don't do razors near my eye.  When the laser does it, it displaces material rather than cutting it, which means you will heal and seal back up within 24-48 hours with very little scar tissue (if much of any).  My doctor did the consultation, the measurements, the double-checking, and the procedure itself.  I spent about 6 hours in his office just doing pre-op work and then 45 minutes for the procedure.  I've had it for 11 months now with no halos at night (or at least not any worse than before) and my night vision is just as good if not better than before.  I can read far away and see up close.  It's pretty nice compared to having to wear glasses just to get by.

It isn't a cure for future vision problems, but a restoration of what you have currently.  If your eyes get worse just by themselves due to your body aging (which they would have done anyway without Lasik), over time the surgery will need to be performed again.  My vision hadn't changed in 10 years, so I felt it was time to go ahead and get it done.

I'm in Selby's boat (AHOY DERE). Stable vision, pretty much ready because the tech has matured quite a lot.

And I could give a fuck about a bargain. IT'S MY EYES. If the doc tells me there's a $100/eye fee for anything remotely sensible, I'm on it. I'm not going to dicker about price for EYE SURGERY. You're fucking nuts if you want your doctor thinking about shit like that when he's applying a LASER to your EYES.

Fuck, I'll tip the dude a couple Benjies just to have him be johhny on the spot. I'll send his wife flowers and promise not to deflower his daughter.

YOUR EYES. IRREVERSIBLE.

Don't be a downer, man.  I'm pretty sure eyes are reversible.

No fucking shit. I've been researching Doctors in Houston, and the guy I'm looking at is widely regarded as the best. Not "the cheapest", but "the best". His clinic specialzes in eye restorations (my father and my mother both had their cataracts removed by one of his partners) and their reputation is stellar.

I want someone who is up-to-date, uses the best tools available, and recommends the best treatment for my eyes -- even if the treatment is "You should just stick to glasses".

It's my eyes. I use them all the freakin' time. I'm too old to learn braille.

Whoa now, don't go too far. It's just eyes after all, and she might be a super hot. (And her parents have money!)

Hotness becomes less relevant IF YOU CAN'T SEE.

T-2 hours til I get cut.

And your inner jew is weak if you're willing to accept a price up front, everything is negotiable, to think that the doctor is going to program the laser differently for an extra $100 is assanine.

In this case, I think it's better to see with your hands instead of your eyes. :hello_thar:

So..just got home..high as hell on valium  :awesome_for_real:..
Everything is reaaaaaaly blurry right now, but apparently it's supposed to be, the prcedure was fairly painless ecept for actually cutting the flap, the suction thing they put on your eye is quite fucking unpleasant.

Now it basicaly just feels like a bad corneal abrasian, which i've had dozens of so it's nothing too bad, and I should be seeing perfectly by the morning.

Will give another update then, gonna go nap.

...what in God's name do you do with your eyes?  Stare into sandblasting equipment?

Glad to hear it went well  :-)

He moderates the WoW forums, and volunteers as a community mod on 4chan.

His nap has taken too long.  He is clearly dead by now.  Rest in peace good buddy, I wish I had gotten to know you better.

This is now his remembrance thread.

(http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/8268/nerfll4.jpg)

I actually contemplated not posting after that last pic just to see what else popped up, that's some funny shit.

Fuzzyness starting to go away, gonna go nap again, eyes still scratchy, really sensitive to light, but I can see.

(http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/1460/nerf2st1.jpg)

Wake up Nerf, it's time to play some Team Fortress with your new eyes!

Post of the year.

Easily.  I havn't laughed that hard in a long fucking time.  My hat is tipped to you sir.

Which is exactly why I was so picky about my doctor.  He has been doing procedures since the mid 1980's and has been pioneering different techniques using the latest technology.  He was the most expensive I've ever heard quoted, but I sure as hell wouldn't go to a $500/per eye mill or a hack like Dr. Kawesch (or whatever his name is).  Vision right now is irreplaceable and I'd rather suffer glasses for the rest of my life than lose The Vision.

Ever stared at an arc blast or a laser discharge?  That will do it ;-)

I like how I look with glasses, I look too studly without them.

Gold.

Glasses humanize me. Otherwise people quickly noticed I'm an advanced cyborg from the FUTURE.

Stupid uncanny valley.

Cue evil monkey santa and bleeding walls!

Also, 20/25R 20/30L one day out from surgery, only supposed to get better from here.

Danzig motherfuckers!

Edit:  All hail Schild!

Good news.  Glad to hear it went well.

Yeah, cool beans. Enjoy seeing stuff!


 :hello_thar:

Nerf with better vision?

Note to self:  Never play TF2 again.

1 Week out, 20/20 left eye, 20/15 right eye, 20/15 blended, and it's actually supposed to get better.   :awesome_for_real:

Now if only it gave me x-ray vision too, perfect vision is kind of unfulfilling when I can't see through womens clothes.

I'd give you some kind of woohoo smiley thing, but I'm not Signe. Good for you, Nerf!

Uhm, how the hell is that possible? Unless by displacing he meant vaporized, but that doesn't sound so good.

Generally, fact that it's irreversible procedure and that two biggest LASIK clinic owners (both professors from near Research/University Hospital) still use old fashined glasses is a hint for a no for me:)

Joe -- LASIK and PRK do not correct for presbyopia or age-related weakening of the eye muscles.  That's why old people wear reading glasses.  They do offer as part of the procedure to set each eye slightly off near/farsighted to correct for this but it makes your regular vision weaker.  Not that this is why those Profs. wear glasses but it is a possibility.

I had PRK done back in May.  Hurt like nothing I've ever experienced before for the first 48 hours.  I spent that time in a percocet induced haze so I don't have much direct memory of it.  Vision was blurry and light sensitive for about two weeks.  20/15 in both eyes now and haven't had any dry eyes in months.  I always hated contacts due to difficulty putting them in as I have a Neanderthal type brow.  Glasses I can't stand because I had to have them perfectly clean or that one blurry spot would drive me crazy.  The procedure has been worth every penny to me.

So you look more or less like this now? :drill:

That smiley has a lazy eye beam.

Pretty much what happened to me (except 20/15 left eye dominant).  Any halos and night sensitivity problems went away in the first 3-4 weeks and dry eyes went away after about 2 months.

Halos and night sensitivity isn't really that bad right now, but I'm glad to hear it's going to get even better.

My question is if my eye dominance is going to switch now, being right handed and left eye dominant is a real pain in the ass when shooting, I'm hoping now that the right is stronger i'll end up dominant in that eye.

Weird....

Explain this too me.  Even with a weaver stance I assume it would not matter- not at perfect eye vision. 

I'm 20/20 and 20/15 .


Can Lasik help me become more awesome? My Canklevision is strong, but I could use some help in other areas.




But seriously, could Lasik actually be used on someone who already has normal (or superior) vision?

The lady in the room during my consultation had 20/20 and 20/30 vision and was wanting lasik to make it better.  The doctor said that she really wasn't a good candidate for it as the best results they typically see are 20\20 with some people getting 20\15, but any more than that just doesn't normally happen due to the way the eyes focus (it is a lens and whatnot).  He essentially told her that she would be wasting her money and that he would not really feel a need to operate on her (especially since her vision was still changing).

I have the same "problem" or situation.  Left eye dominant and mostly right handed - I shoot and throw left handed and can do almost anything with both hands without much issue besides writing pretty.  It's kind of bizarre because so many people in my life have said that I obviously can't be left eye dominant because I am right handed, but it doesn't necessarily follow that rule.  I do know that right now my left eye is the strongest at 20\15.

I'd have to pull a medical exam file from my room somewhere, but just from closing one eye and then the other, pretty sure I am right handed/left eye dominant.


Which sucks, because how am I supposed to be an elite sniper when the zombie hordes come if I can't snipe left-handed?

It's not as bad with pistols cheddar, but I'm also cursed without the ability to close my left eye (wierd, huh?), so when I go out trap&skeet shooting or playing with rifles, I have to shoot southpaw.
That being said, I can drop some fucking clays southpaw.

OK That makes sense.  I was honestly confused (having shot plenty of firearms) as to why this would be so detrimental. 

If we ever meet, I'm going to be staring at your left eye.

Just a warning.

I understand how he feels.  I can't whistle. 

Ya'll, I dun shoot 'em southpaws like no other sonofabbitch.  Me and my Remi and a fifth of jack, and that's what I call a hoop-hollerin' goodtime.

So how much did it come to Nerf?

I had this problem as a child. I can't remember which eye it was now but I could only wink one of them. On a long plane flight to Asia I started practicing winking the other one using my fingers to help "train" the muscles (using them to keep the one eye closed while forcing the other to stay open) and by the end of the flight I could wink either eye.

$3000

That's about what it cost me in 2001, but you probably got a fair amount more advanced procedure for your money.

I'm cleared for take off @ 3:20pm today!   :woot:
Hopefully I can throw my glasses away after having to wear them since fourth grade.   :yahoo:

Good Luck!  I like you so don't die! 

Have you priced out cornea transplants?  You know, just in case?

So did the flap cutting really fucking hurt for you too, am I just a little girl?

And good luck, let us know what your numbers are after your morning apointment.

Mine didn't hurt while it was happening but for about 2 days afterward it felt like I had been punched in both eyes. Not blinding pain but definitely sore.

Just got back, right eye (OD) is 20/30, left eye (OS) is 20/25, together (OU) is about 20/20.  It is amazing!  My doc said it should keep getting better and better each week (I was one of the candidates that might improve to 20/15).  No pain today, the first cut was weird feeling and more a startle than a hurt, the second eye was easier since I knew what it was, but then I'm a great patient, hell I let the student nurses and paramedics start IV's on me and keep cheerful and encouraging as they do it.  The hardest part for me was not to giggle, OMG Valium is a trip (and I kept it undercontrol and didn't hit on his cute nurses).  I was 4.05 in the right eye, 4.15 in left, something like 20/300 or 20/400, I couldn't see anything without my glasses (but hey it was easy to party till she's cute, i just had to take off my glasses), It is so wonderful to see!  Oh I got what was called custom view and a lifetime guarantee (if it changes as I age he or whoever buys his practice will re do them) for $3900.  As soon as my kid stops growing I'll pay for his (he is 12, and freaking growing and eating like a weed!), this is so much better than lugging around glasses.  Of course I'll never have the picture of me fresh out of basic training wearing my "catch me fuck me glasses, or BCG's" anymore.

That's awesome man.  Congrats! I'll start researching and get mine done sometime this summer I think.

Happy Birthday, Son. This man is going to shoot you in the eye with a fucking laser. :)

I'm just waiting to have the money to pay up front for mine -- your vision sounds slightly worse than mine, so I'm hoping for similar results.

Eye surgery sounds like the new pet rock.

Huh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgC0UpAFgk4

My eyes sound more like Jack Johnson.

Gratz jimbo, and welcome to the club, i was almost exactly the same one day out, expect 20/15 next week.

My only question is..an IV?  The place I went to just had me pop a valium pill an hour before the surgery, no needles, and only a topical anesthetic drop for each eye right before the laser hit.  I'm assuming they gave you the valium via a drip, which is probably why the cutting laser didn't hurt nearly as much (:

My only advice is while you have to be super careful not to rub your eyes, make sure you very lightly kind of wash around the eyelids with at least some warm water, at the most some baby shampoo so you don't end up with a stye, getting rid of this thing has been a pain in the ass.

Good luck mate, keep us updated next week!

Run hot water over a metal ring (like a wedding band, etc) and gently touch\dab the ring in the middle of the stye for a few minutes while the ring is still warm.  It will go away or at least severely reduce itself within a day.  I used to have them all the time until I was told about that method and haven't had one last more than half a day since.

Wash the ring first.

I'll give that a shot, I've been heating up one of those lavender eye packs that israelis sell you in malls in the microwave, and holding it there on the stye for a few minutes, but maybe it's just not localized enough.  It *has* gone down signifigantly though, when I first went to the doctor for it I was expecting spiders to burst forth or some other horrible thing, it's barely noticable now.

Oh hey, I'll clear it up a bit, was still excited I could see.

I got oral Valium and Motrin about 1 hour prior to the eye surgery.  The Valium pill made me giggle and feel good, I was captain of the carpet ship (http://twolumps.net/d/20040526.html).

As far as hurting, no not really, it was more a startle response on the first eye, then real easy on the second eye.  But I suck @ judging pain, since I let students poke me with sharp objects.  Hell, when I had a bad GI bleed from 2 ulcer and ended up in the hospital and needed 5 units of blood, I thought that pain wasn't as bad as the time I broke my 3 biggest toes on my right foot.

The dry eye part is about the only thing weird, but my hospital is really dry anyway, so I'm just using more of the lubricating drops.

Arise Mr lasik thread.....

I am thinking of getting custom wavefront lasik (http://www.lasikmd.com/surrey/procedures-technology/procedures/lasik/custom-wavefront) done in the next few weeks. I just had a consultation and it is only $1580 for both eyes. The girlfriend's medical covers $500 an eye and mine covers $200 total so the end cost for me out of pocket is only $380. It seems like a no brainer for that cost.

I was just curious if anyone else has had Lasik or this particular procedure done and how their experience was? Especially Nerf and Jimbo now that its been ~5 years, any regrets? Issues?

Also I am a good candidate for monovision correction. I am now getting to the age where my glasses actually hinder my ability to read up close. This procedure is where the do my dominant eye(my right) 20/20 and then my other eye a bit less. This will allow my right eye to do most of the work for distance vision and my left eye will do most for up close and will prevent the need for reading glasses.  I was advised that no matter what as we all get older we will eventually start to need reading glasses, this should just put this off for another ~10 years. I am not sure this is the route I want to take though. Has anyone had this procedure?


*edit, fixed url

I can't have any of this shit done due to my lifestyle.  Flying and Diving don't combine well with piercing holes in your eyeballs.   :oh_i_see:
I found out in the military if you get it done they'll dismiss you btw.

I have Lasik and I fly and dive. Not wearing contacts while diving is awesome.

No issues here, except I am worried about my eyesight when I get into my 40s .. expect to wear reading glasses *and* near sighted glasses, which sucks.

If I were to go back in time, I wouldn't do it again. Wearing constant wear contacts worked just as well for me, without the weakening of your eyes from Lasik.

I got lasik 3 years ago.

It's amazingly awesome not having to wear contacts or glasses every day, especially to see the clock on the other side of the room at night.

On the other hand, I know my eyesight is getting worse slowly and I don't know exactly when it will stop.  When I first had lasik I was 15/20 (or 20/15, I forgot how that crap works).  The next year I was 20/20 and last time I went I was 25/20.  Still Great eyesight, but I definitely notice that it's not as clear as day 1 (especially in my left eye).  My wife keeps saying she wants it, but I'm kinda holding off a few years to see if it will stabilize for good.
 

KallDrexx did you have any side effects? halos? dry eyes?
Did you just have straight up lasik? Not sure if the custom wavefront (or whatever other companies may call it) was available for you?

Don't really have any regrets here, afaik I'm still 20/15 (blended, 20/20 in one eye and 20/10 in the other).  I think what they did on mine was the wavefront as well.
No issues with halos or dryness or anything, the only thing that's annoying is you don't realize how much contacts actually help to 'shield' your eye from certain discomforts.  Smoking while wearing sunglasses for example - without contacts, the smoke can sometimes get wisped behind the glasses and sting your eyes a bit, whereas it never happened with contacts.  Same thing with campfires/bonfires/grilling/etc, smoke in your eyes is a real PITA without contacts there to block it.
Totally worth it though.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Also, plenty of folks in the military have had corrective surgery, even pilots.  I can't remember off the top of my head if LASIK is approved for pilots now or if it's still PRK only.

I'm assuming I had straight up Lasik, since I never heard of "custom wavefront" but I dont know 100%.  I didn't have any halos or side effects really, and I (stupidly) drove home the same day.

To be clear, I definitely don't regret it (especially with 2 year no interest financing).  I just worry a little bit on how well it will hold, but to be fair I spend 8 hours at work staring at my computer screen and more at home, so part of it could very well me not exercising my eyes properly (I try to adjust to far away objects every half hour or so though I odn't always remember).

Pretty sure wavefront is just lasik, except it's got a leading laser that (1) maps your cornea precisely and (2) adjusts for minute eye twitches. (IIRC, the software and math behind it were developed for telescopes to adjust for minute tremors and such).

I think it can correct a few things better because it's got a custom, on-the-fly map of your cornea -- things like astigmatism and such.

I've been "meaning" to have LASIK for 10 years now. Still haven't. Still want it.

This is pretty much the truth of it.

I had it over 6 years ago and am still 20\15.  No dryness, halos, etc.  I actually see much better at night now.  My eyes have always been sensitive to light, but that's just me.  The price of $1500 for both eyes seems cheap to me, but maybe the procedure has come down quite a bit since I had it done.  It was still relatively newer back then.

I don't think it's come down in price that much -- speaking for myself, I'm not going to the cheap "shoots you in the eyes with lasers" place. :) Luckily, we have the Mann Eye Clinic down here, and they're supposedly top-notch.

I think all the new bells and gizmos basically just make it quicker to heal, safer, fixes a few more things, and has fewer side effects. I get the impression it's entirely automated these days. You lay down, they numb your eye, the machine then stamps it with some markers, the eye guy tells the machine "Go go gadget!" and it does like everything.

Controls the laser. Maps your cornea and works out the correction factor (again, thank NASA -- space telescope stuff!), locks onto the guides, and then the machine itself cuts and raises the corneal flap, zaps your eye, and drops the flap back. (So heals super quick, less chance of getting crap under the flap, etc). Then it does the other eye. I think the eye doctor pretty much just sanity checks the machine and applies your eye drops.

I mean, I'm sure there's lots of technical stuff and learning and stuff behind "sanity checking it" and maybe doing some choices and stuff, but I get the impression the laser robot with scalpels does all the hard work.

Is this the same as the "All Laser LASIK" that I keep hearing advertised on the radio?

Yes, and no.
If it's a wavefront setup, it will be 'all laser', however not all 'all laser' setups are necessarily wavefront.
As someone else said, wavefront is on-the-fly cornea mapping etc software, but they were cutting the flap with the laser before they had wavefront.
Non all-laser lasik would be where they cut the flap with a blade and then do the correction with the laser.

I think before that they actually just abraded the top of the cornea off, rather than slicing open a flap. I think a huge number of the LASIK complications come from that flap (or the abrasion) not healing properly. Mostly particles getting under it.

So they lase the flap, and then the bit of the machine that's stuck to it just lifts. Everything's all surrounded by super-clean machine, and the cut is so fine that it starts sealing instantly when they put it back. Lower chance of particles getting in there, lower chance of misalignment when they put it back, lower chance of scarring....

Still, you know, it's black magic. They shoot you in the eye with lasers and you see better. That doesn't sound exactly right, does it? That's right up there with "To heal your burns, we will scald the skin!".

"To cure your cancer: ionizing radiation and mustard gas."

In theory, I want Lasik.  In practice, I struggle through reading this thread without getting the willies.  THEY SLICE INTO YOUR GODDAMN EYEBALL.  It's as if nobody understands that part.

Don't do it. It's not good for your eyes long term.

I got lasik done in 2002 and I have never regretted it. I'm using reading glasses and need them for driving at night, but it was life changing and I'd never go back.

I've reversed my position on this one. I'm glad I didn't get it done, because doing the detail work painting miniatures is greatly aided by my microscopic close vision.

I do.  It's the main thing that keeps me from researching it further.

Same.  I realized the tech was only 10 years old at the point I was considering it ('98-2000) and frankly we're all too happy to take a consumer mindset on radical medical procedures.  Nothing bad's ever happened long-term with new body-mod techs like implants and plastic surgery, right?  I decided I'd give it 20 years from '89 and then look in to it   

So I held off when it was first getting big and everyone I knew was having it done. Now they're all turning out to need reading glasses before 40 and complain about starry night-vision.  Glad I skipped.

That is really a excellent point!  I know artists who do very intricate detailed work and their near vision is so good they can even see a flaw in a diamond without aid.  LASIK would change everything for them.  I have a friend who had eye surgery not LASIK) and while they were in there, they replaced his lenses to improve his vision.  He misses his old fucked upped eyes badly.

Gotta sort them out into types of surgery. The late 80s, early 90s stuff wasn't LASIK -- it was RDK (I think that's what it was called). They sliced and diced your eyeballs, and let them heal. Doing so changed the shape of the cornea.

Early LASIK was about a zillion times better, but prone to night blindness and halos. But the late 90s, early 00s the side-effects had radically dropped in both % and severity.

The stuff now? It's moved into the realm of not only mapping the changes exactly to every individual bit of your eye, but to do so to a precision that was unimaginable 10 years ago.

Hell, my father in law just had his eyes done two years ago. (he's 60). He'd been trying to get it done in his bad eye since 1990 (he took a shard of glass in the eye when he was in his 20s, left a visible scar on his eye -- right through the middle. Seeing a scar line running through the iris is freaky). Nobody would do it because of the big honkin scar, and he was legally blind in that eye. Now? 20/30 in that eye. (He did, of course, do one eye at a time. He didn't figure he had a lot to lose on the bad eye).

I'm pretty sure the guy who did it wrote a paper on it. (The aforementioned Mann Eye Clinic? The guy that did the surgery was the semi-retired original "Mann" who came in to consult on it).

I don't think switching to reading glasses iin your late 30s and early 40s is LASIK -- or so swears all three eye doctors I've asked about it, none of whom did LASIK themselves. (They were happy to talk about haloing and night vision problems, and two of the three had had LASIK. The last had perfect vision already, the evil bint). Just eyes getting old.

Eye site is still great. Best thing I ever did. Glasses suck.

No dry eyes, no problem with vision. Vision is holding, I'm at the age where my Dad got his reading glasses, but that is something I would have happened even if I didn't get lasik.

"We shoot you in the eyes with lasers and get in fights"?

Its good to hear that those who have had it done have no regrets. I am going in on the 25th.

Oh and the custom wavefront is not necessarily an all laser procedure. It just refers to how they map and apply the laser to your eye. 
With custom wavefront you can still have the flap physically cut instead of being done with a laser. I have heard/read conflicting reports on which is best/safest. With the blade, there may be a very slightly higher chance at flap complications, but from what i understand the eye heals pretty well. As for the all laser, there is a higher chance at light sensitivity after the fact and this may not go away.  Although that being said people get wierded out by having something physically slice into your eye so they often opt for the laser cutting of the flap.

Some people have commented on the fact that its fairly cheap. I think it is becoming such a common, quick, safe procedure and this coupled with the fact that once they have the equipment and everything else in place there is probably not *that much* overhead. I'm guessing these clinics are making money hand over fist.

here is the bio of the guy doing my surgery http://www.lasikmd.com/surrey/our-surgeons/laser-eye-surgeons/dr-paul-denton

You're having your eye cut on by a cyborg?

My only recommendation is to never ever have elective surgery on a Monday morning or Friday afternoon.