Lasik Eye Correction

Had it done.

Love it.

It's something like 6 or 7 years ago, and my eyesight is still 20/20.

The only thing that's changed is that I have to put artificial tears in my eyes when I first got up.

One thing I must emphasize though...Do NOT choose the doctor merely on price.

Do your research, and I mean clinically. Just because someone recommends someone, doesn't mean they know a thing about them. They might have just heard the name on the radio.

Go to someone who has done many, many of these procedures.

You are screened to see if you are a good candidate for lasik, and I would be very leary of someone who indicates you are borderline but says they will still go ahead and do it.

example...with me, there was some concern with the pressure in my eye...an indication of glacoma. After testing (a lot of tests) they determined there was no danger, it was my individual make up. I asked them out of curiosity, if I wasn't a candidate but had been willing to still go ahead and do it, and would have signed a release, they said "Abosolutely NOT!"...not that I would have done that. I only have one pair of eyes.

however....someone I know, who lives in another city, had been evaluated for lasik shortly after I had mine, and they told him no, he wasn't a good candidate. Maybe a year ago I was talking to his secretary, and she mentioned that "Jim" was going to be out the next day to have lasik.
I said "oh, I didn't think he could have it. Have they improved the techniques or something?"
She said "No....back then, he wasn't satisfied with the "no" that he got, so he looked around until he found someone who would do it anyway. Since then, he had been having nothing but trouble with his eyes, and this was something like the 3rd or 4th time he was going back in to try to correct it.

dumb ass.

hey...do a search for "lasik" on A2K, I know there have been other threads. With me going on how much I love it there too. :wink:

Very very very happy with my surgery!

It's been two years. Love it! Love waking up and seeing clearly.

I went with the best, not the cheapest. Wilmer eye clinic in Baltimore. It was pricey, but I didn't want to fool around with my eyes!
I have scars on my one cornea from a mistake with some contact lenses chemicals... The first time the doc looked at me to see if I was a candidate, she didn't like the way it looked, even after I had my regular eye doc send my files stating how long it's been like that... The doc wanted to make sure they were stable, and I waited to year before she looked again. Then it was a go!

Because my eyes have been corrected for so long, I know that I might not see as well after surgery. But it's still 20/30 at the worst and I am very happy! I don't even notice it now.
I got a floater after surgery, it's still there, but I can ignore it for the most part. Still happy!
The first 6 months or so, I didn't like night driving, cause of the glare. So I bought a pair of lightly tinted sunglasses, cheap, and they worked fine. Still happy!
They say I may need reading glasses sooner because of lasik. Whatever!
The surgery itself was terrifying, and I have lovely horror stories about it, but still happy!

I'm still happy I did it and it was worth every penny.

My cousin had it done years before I got brave enough to do it and she's happy too!

I've heard of one horror story, told to me days after my surgery, where they had it done at Wilmer too... well, she's a little nuts to begin with so...

One thing to remember, perhaps, and it took me a little to get used to, is that your vision after surgery may not be exactly the vision you have now. I know that, for me, having my vision corrected for 23 years, made me very aware of how I see. My left eye has aways been the weaker eye. And it still is after surgery. If that had changed, it might have taken longer to get used too... Besides those other things I've mentioned.

But I'm still thrilled! Some days it amazes me still.

I have known three people that I know of who have had the procedure. Every one of them sound like televised endorsements.

oh yeah caribou...I still get amazed too. I sure don't take it for granted.


one thing to remember if your considering lasik, it that it doesn't stop the aging of your eyes.

They are back at square one, but if your eyes are going to get worse anyway, the lasik has nothing to do with it.

funny...some people just don't think...someone was asking me about it and when I said how your eyes will continue to age from where they are, he said "Well, that's just a big rip off then"

I said, "What? you expect it to make your eyes perfect forever?"...jeez.

There is a new procedure, where they actually replace the lens of your eye...it's done with something called "crystal lens"

The lens has little tiny hinges on the sides, so when you use your eye muscles to focus on something, the little hinges move in and out.

facinating really.

Yeah, my eyes can age all they want...
I doubt they will ever be as annoying to me as they were.

Reading glasses possibly sooner?... who cares!

I'm happy to not wear the hated glasses on my face ALL the time any more!

Chai, not so fascinating to me with the four eye surgeries on one eye re lens replacement and facing more with the next eye (my present doc assumes I'll have futher trouble). My problem was not one of ordinary changing of vision with age. I'd not f/k with my eyes just to not wear glasses, but that is from the point of view of someone who has and will again face huge vision loss. Do you have a clue what you risk with whatever percent risk? I don't think of the eyes as cosmetic fixers though I know it is big business.


I've known people to do well with this surgery, and others with some troubles, which I described on some other thread. One person's troubles were fixed with a subsequent surgery, and another still can't see for a few hours in the morning these years later, no matter the drops. They both went to well regarded surgeons. And others are very pleased and continue to be.

But, statistics aren't my beef - being me, I simply can't imagine doing that to avoid glasses - it's more primitive reaction, as in how can you fool with your eyes?

osso...

I can fully understand your concerns, which is why I did such an enormous amount of research on the subject in general, and various doctors in particular. I'd actually considered it for years before I did it.

long ago, I went to an open house of the opthomologist I ended up using. Back then, I remember thinking how much of an education I was getting. Extended Q&A. Explaining exactly what was done. Giving the physicians credentials.

Here, in fact, is a summary of his current qualifications...


Dr. Steven J. Dell has earned a reputation as an internationally recognized leader in the field of refractive and cataract surgery. In fact, in 2006 Dr. Dell was elected by the worldwide physician readership of the medical journal "Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today" as one of the Top Fifty Opinion Leaders in the field of Cataract and Refractive Surgery for the second year in a row. As Director of Refractive and Corneal Surgery for Texan Eye Care and Medical Director of Dell Laser Consultants in Austin, Dr. Dell has performed more than 15,000 surgical procedures. More Central Texas and Austin eye doctors have chosen Dr. Dell for their own eye surgery than any other surgeon. In 2005, Dr. Dell was named a Super Doctor by Texas Monthly Magazine and was named one of America's Top Ophthalmologists for the third year in a row by the Consumers' Research Council of America.

Dr. Steven Dell is an award winning lecturer, textbook author and researcher. In addition to personally training several Austin area LASIK surgeons, Dr. Dell has elected to share his expertise with other doctors by sponsoring popular externships and lecturing on the topics of refractive surgery and cataract surgery at ophthalmology meetings around the world.

Throughout his career, Dr. Steven J. Dell has conducted research on the latest advances in eye surgery, often serving as an investigator for studies sponsored by the FDA. In this role, Dr. Dell has been instrumental in bringing new technology to the United States. He continues to work closely with ophthalmic companies in the development of new products and instruments, and is himself the inventor of several innovative medical devices used by hundreds of LASIK and cataract surgeons.

Dr. Dell maintains his status as one of the premier LASIK and cataract surgeons in the United States by continuing to update his knowledge of surgery. Dr. Dell currently holds positions on the editorial boards of several well-known ophthalmology journals and serves in a leadership role as a member of the Refractive Clinical Committee of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. He is also a member of the American Board of Ophthalmology, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Dell features some of the most sophisticated technology in the world at his practice in Austin. His consulting partnerships with leading ophthalmic companies allow him to utilize multiple laser systems to achieve the best results with LASIK eye surgery and ASA-PRK

No one else even came close.

When I decided I wanted to do something, I went back and sat through the education thing again, and felt totally confident in his skills.

I questioned of all these thousands of procedures performed if anyone had lost their eyesight...no.
Can't remember what all else I asked know...but I had questions.

Sure, part of the reason was cosmetic...but honestly, my eyes were getting so bad, it was getting unbelievable. If I took my glasses off I was totally helpless. I know it sounds kinda funny to say you couldn't see well enough to find your glasses....but I really couldn't, and couldn't even function in my own house. I often thought that if I was an animal out in the wild, I'd have been killed a long time ago. Made me feel...well, "less than"

So, yeah although I love the freedom, and think I look a lot better, it was mostly so I could get around in this world. I'd had bad eyes for it seemed my entire life, and it's unbelievable still that I can now see.

Well, your joy in seeing and my treasuring of what seeing I have are facets of the same thing. I'm not really arguing, but expressing myself and how I feel now.

And Osso, I'm sorry to hear about your sight problems.

Oh, and I remember my eyes getting tired easier after surgery.
Not as much now.


Just remembering, cause it'd bed time for me... and my eyes are tired.

I have something like eight things wrong with my eyes, so I won't go into them, especially since some of those seem neither here nor there. But, I've always been very nearsighted, and had my eyes being very different from each other, which I gather is relatively unusual. One doc said something like "other people would be falling down dizzy with your eyes", and that was before all this surgery whohah. I am admittedly a little weird in space, re steps, jumping over rocks, etc.

The point is, that I can see relatively fine print and the computer screen fine, sans glasses, and need my glasses to see the rest of the house.
Yes, I wear, once in a while, those old lady necklacey things, to put on my trifocals. (I've been thinking of working up a - ssssshhhhh - jeweled glasses thingy business).

I'm glad everybody's surgeries are coming out fine, and, Chai, your guy sounds really good.

I've had eye trouble all my life, have fallen in the best places. Wore glasses at nine, probably late from when I needed them. Was glad to have them, as I could suddenly see the blackboard. Another aspect of the joy of seeing.

My biggest problem with glasses was that earrings looked dorky with them. I've gotten over that, especially since the advent of thin lenses and smallish frames. Also, I got more self accepting, as in wtf. (I did wear contacts for a long time.)

This all sounds maudlin-ish, but, in daily life, people don't notice. I don't think of it as awful, it's just the way it is. Life doesn't care if I have glasses.

In the meantime, I've dozens of friends who need reading glasses who live most of the time without using them. So that's another wtf.

Thanks, caribou. I was pretty hysteric a few years ago, and have been in a quiet period for a while... but I just had to pipe up with my view on it all.

After all this time, I'm sort of amazed how people despise having to wear glasses, and by extrapolation, some look down on those who do - not that you or Chai think that. But, some do. I shouldn't be amazed, as for years now folks have been able to wear contact lenses (or at least some large portion of those needing correction on their vision have worn them). I don't mean just you and Chai re the ick - glasses thing, but that it is very normal not to want to wear them to see, for all, in 2007.

Glasses used to be a "miracle". Now lasik is. I guess I won't argue with that entirely, but I'm wary of wholesale rearranging of eyes. Oops..

I think that if I could have continued to wear contacts, I may have never gotten the surgery.

At 11 or so, I got the glasses. By 12, I got contact lenses, because I hated my glasses so much. (I'm thinking that by the early 80's, contacts were hitting their stride... I got soft cause I couldn't wear hard)
Everything was great until I was 28, and had what I call the "bad year". I had 3 eye accidents in one year. One being the wrong chemicals, and the bad decision not to go to Wilmer eye emergency. Instead, I went to a regular ER and ended up with scars on the cornea.
After a year of having enough eye injuries (possibly the most painful injury I ever had) to keep me in glasses, in addition to the scars, I couldn't wear contacts on a regular basis.

Another thing, I'm a scenic painter. I get covered in all kinds of things. My glasses were endlessly covered in overspray or paint or something. They got in my way, they warped the edges of my vision (sign layout was always fun) Whatever... there were plenty of reasons for me to hate my glasses. I saw them as the enemy, not my friends.

And I'm not arguing with you, Osso.
I think the person that asked the original question should really think before getting Lasik.
I don't think it's something someone should do on a whim.
I agree with most of what you are saying and questioning.
Yet, for me, surgery was the right choice.

I agree too, about the jewelry thing. While wearing contacts I amassed a large dangly earring collection. Then, with glasses, I was never comfortable wearing the earrings...
Too busy, too much going on, for me, on me.

Lasik Eye Correction


Have you tried progressive lenses? I hated my old bifocals, but progressive lenses make the change from far through middle to close so subtle that, wearing small frameless glasses, I hardly know they're there.

I do use a separate pair for computer and piano, but otherwise throughout my day, progressives are IT for me.

Progressives don't work with tri... but thanks for the thought.

I see what you're saying though, that the tri is just another pair of glasses.

I'll think about it next time I need a pair of glasses.

I've always been very myopic, started wearing contact lenses in 1952, and I've been happy with them ever since. Since 1990 I have been experiencing optical migraines (painless, with blind spots and aura effects and a bit of aphasia). They only last about a half hour and just fifteen minutes if I take an ibuprofin at first sign.
I wonder to what extent my time at the computer is straining my eye muscles. Does anyone else have negative effects from their PC use?

I don't know about that..

I do know you and I live in dry territory - maybe some of those artificial tears might help.

Will have to look up about optical migraines..





(as we always say here on a2k, consult your physician..)