laser surgery

You prefer having slits burned in your corneas with a laser to wearing glasses? It's a lot easier to change the prescription with glasses. (e.g. as you get older)

Everyone I know who has had laser treatment has been 100% delighted. For more hearsay, I've heard a few negatives about contacts, but don't remember the type of complaint.

I do kind of understand that you can corrected for a near sighted condition, but not both, that is, you might still end up with glasses for either reading or driving, but not both.

Keep waiting for someone with personal experience, I guess.

The express purpose of my life is not necessarily to facilitate ease over aesthetics, should that be yours have at it.

Nice.

I had lasik done, can't remember, more than 6 years ago.

I'm delighted with the results.

The best advice I can give is do thorough research on the doctor performing the procedurel.

I picked the best opthamologist available.

Here's a bit of why...

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 and Medical Director of Dell Laser Consultants in Austin, Dr. Dell has performed more than 20,000 surgical procedures. More Central Texas and Austin eye doctors have chosen Dr. Dell for their own eye surgery than any other surgeon. In 2007, Dr. Dell was named a Super Doctor by Texas Monthly Magazine for the third year in a row. He has also been named one of America's Top Ophthalmologists 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 eye 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. He has personally trained over 500 surgeons on his advanced surgical techniques.

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 .

Do NOT go cheap, get the best, even if it costs more.

I was very near sighted and afterwards my sight was 20/20. If I am reading a novel, or something for a long time, I use a pair of those glasses from the drug store, with the lowest magnifying...+1. For reading @ work, normal paperwork, I don't use anything.

Your eyes will continue the natural aging process, but, as part of my procedure, if I ever need it refined, even multiple times, it's free. Since I had it done, my right eye has diminished slightly, but not to the point where it's bothersome. In a few more years probably, I'll need to have it redone.

chumley, seach Lasik here, I've talked a few times about what it was like.

or feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.



BTW contex....they don't make slits in your cornea.....that's old old technology.

What they do now (who knows maybe it's different from when I had it done) is, prior to surgury, they have exact measurements of your eyes mapped out and loaded in the laser machine. A flap, thinner than cellophane, is created by the machine with a micro scalpel, and flipped up so your cornea is exposed. The laser then does its work reshaping the cornea, and the flap is put back down. It's so thin is heals back to your eye enough not to shift literally within a minute or so.

It was quite facinating actually. You're awake the whole time, but don't feel a thing.
Upon sitting up after it was done, a few seconds later, the first thing I said was "Oh my God, I can see what time it is", looking at the wall clock. I was 20/20 when I went back the next day for the post op.

I had LASIK surgery back in 2000. I gather it wasn't an exact science back then because in my case they fell just shy of 20/20. I still use glasses for long-distance seeing (at theaters, the backs of classrooms, etc.). However, I still consider it one of the best services I've ever done for myself. I was extremely near-sighted beforehand--I couldn't read signs five feet in front of me--so even without perfect vision my life has been made immeasurably easier.

The only negative case I know of among my own acquaintances is a guy who had LASIK surgery and now has poorer night vision. It doesn't prevent him from doing routine things like drive around at night or watch movies in darkened theaters, but he says in general his night vision is askew.

There was a thread on laser eye surgery some time ago. You might find some useful information there as well:

http://www.able2know.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=77917

Sound promising everyone, I'll look 'round for the best doctor and report back!

My MIL (Granny Scotland) had laser surgery...

she could not believe the difference and wished she had had it done many years ago. She couldn't remember "life" and "colours" being so clear. She was petrified about the thought of having it done - but had no problems whatsoever.

Best to research it thoroughly tho.

Good Luck.

Most people, the very vast majority, it seems to me, have good to excellent results. I've known two people who had problems, one person with fairly long lasting problems re focusing in the morning for a few hours.. several years, last I heard. The other had another surgery which corrected the wrinkle in one eye.

I've posted before on this - I'm out of it, I'd never f/with my eyes to just not wear glasses, but sight is incredibly precious to me given my eye history.
And I'd certainly, being me, never do both eyes at once. Both eyes at once are/is by far the most efficient. To me, being me, oy.

I won't do a search, you can do it, but there is another well-responded to thread.

oh, osso....you reminded me....

There are some minor things you have to get used to chumley.

Dry eyes. I don' have them any more, but for a long time I had to put artificial tears in my eyes first thing. Then, no problem. In fact, I still put them in every morning, just because it feels good and I'm sure it promotes good eye health keeping them lubricated.

There is an adjustment period. I saw 20/20 the next day, but for the first few months sometimes you would feel a little eye strain, maybe poorer sight when you were tired, etc. I remember for the first couple of weeks having to set the icons on my puter on a larger size, but that quickly went away.

Here's the worst thing that happened to me. One day I'd had a tough day at work, by the end of the day had a headache, the drive home was bad...just one of those days. I sat down and picked up a book or magazine, and just couldn't focus well. I turned on the TV and it was bothersome too. My headache got worse, and I felt really frustrated. It was maybe a month afterwards. I put my head back, closed my eyes and thought "oh God, did I make a mistake?" Most of that was just my stressed emotions talking. Anyway, I went to bed, zonked out, and in the morning, I was releived to find that my eyesight was great. Guess I overdid.

One other thing, which to me isn't an issue since I seldom drive at night. Night vision is slightly bothersome. I've never felt unsafe driving at all, just that sometimes other headlights have halos around them, or it just seems darker than it should be. Cloudy days make me read road signs harder, but I don't know, maybe everyone does that on cloudy days.

oh yeah, the wrinkle in the eye? That happens if the surgeon doesn't flip the flap back properly. That didn't happen to me.

hmmmm....what else.....? Oh, see if you can finance it interest free for a year.

The deal I got where they will redo it? That's because I agreed to back to them yearly for an eye exam, which is a good thing.


oh....and do both eyes at the same time.

doesn't make sense to do them one at a time. Let's say the first one was fine, and you walk around for a week or a month blind in one eye and seeing out of the other. Then you go back and something goes wrong with the 2nd eye. If you'd done them at the same time, there would still in a good eye, and one they need to work on.

Wally had cataract surgery at the beginning of the year, which was covered by insurance, but he got his lens replaced with one that he will never have to wear glasses (except reading)...which was out of pocket.

he had to get each eye done separately so the doctor could charge the insurance company for 2 procedures. It was a royal pain in the ass during the 2 week break. If it had been totally private pay, they would have done both at the same time.

Thanks for the updates all, I'm covered for all things eye-ball-ish,
(twice over) so cost is a non-issue. I've heard night vision may be affected.

And yes personal aesthetics are very important to me, staying in shape, eating really well, looking young, having a full head of sleek long hair, not wearing glasses, dressing well.....I refuse to look all fat and old and blasé and bespectacled!

Excuse me, but ... snort.

I love looking great and I'm proud of it! I love like attention of youthful athletic sexy women!

Anyone I ever say this to looks at me like "huh?", but I know you'll understand Chumly....

I swear people treated me differently when I wasn't wearing glasses.

Sure I understand totally!

Cosmetic surgery (have not done it but think it's fine), diet, exercise, nice clothes, nice hair, fun demenaor, no glasses........why the hell not look and feel and act your best!

I agree you are judged depending on those types of things.

Actually, the main reason I had it done was because my eyesight was so bad I was depressed over it.

It got to the point that if I took off my glasses off for let's say a shower, and laid them someplace other than usual, I couldn't see well enough to find them.

I'd have to get my husband to find them for me, which wasn't hard, since they would be sitting right there. I just couldn't see them. I remember once or twice in frustration I'd start to cry. It was really upsetting to me to not be able to function as a normal person. Having to have them on from the second I got up, just to see the alarm clock. I'd say, "If I was an animal out in the forest, I'd have been killed long ago. My kind would have evolved out of existance."

Frankly, I think I could handle going totally blind better, since I wouldn't have to struggle so hard trying to see something. I don't know, maybe not. I wouldn't want to go blind.

It was also great not to have to worry about swimming, doing something where your glasses would get knocked about, which was all the time. Not trying to be too personal, but even making love was better, because you could see the other person. Oh yeah, really sexy when you had to put on your glasses in the middle of it to appreciate something you want to see.

Anyway, so many day to day things were just so much easier. The day after I had it done it was a beautiful sunny day, and I drove all around just marveling at how I could see it.....I bought myself a fancy pair of sunglasses that day. I'd never been able to do that, wear sunglasses. Just, well, everything was easier.

Back to the being treated differently, and for all those who say "huh?", it's like this....

My eyes were so bad, no matter how small my frames were, the lens were thick. I always spent extra to get the ones made out of some material that was much thinner and lighter. Plus I'd have the edges of the lenses rolled and polished, which made them look thinner too. Still, there was no hiding the fact they were thick lenses.

You go in a store and try on a really cute, fun dress, and on top of it are these stupid thick lenses. You want to get a different haircut, but know it would look ridiculous with these thick lensed glasses. You put on eye makeup, then cover them up with glasses.

Go out to a club and look around. How many guys are trying to pick up girls with big thick eyeglasses? Ever see models with glasses on the runway? Bathing suit models?

Also, going into a business or store you were treated sometimes like "the person with big thick glasses"....hard to describe. Just like you were maybe a bit on the "outside" of what it would take to be perceived as a well rounded person.

It's kinda the same feeling as a fat person gets.