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LASIK patients - what do you think of the new reports?
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Anonymous
I had PRK done two years ago, and have been very happy with the results. I don't think of this surgery as cosmetic at all, but rather as modern technology making 20/20 vision possible for those of us with very bad vision. |
Anonymous
I'm glad that things worked out so well for you! Most people do seem to do really well with the surgery. From what I understand, it's pretty non-invasive. I guess I just look at my contacts the same way - modern technology making 20/20 vision possible for me. 
I'm just a chicken. I'd hate to be that 1-2% of people who it doesn't work great for. (not sure what percentage of people get complications, just hypothetically) |
Anonymous
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another Dr Whitten patient here.
I had my surgery done 10 years ago, and to this day, I'm still about 20/20. It was a near perfect experience for me, and I would do it again in a heart beat! |
Anonymous
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From the Ellin article: "The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery reports a 95.4-percent patient satisfaction rate for Lasik, based on a recent analysis of research worldwide. The researchers found 19 studies specifically addressing patient satisfaction from the last decade, encompassing roughly 2,022 patients. (Some had been post-op for a month; others for a decade)."
Given that I can see okay with my contacts (even if I can't see anything more than two inches away without them), a 4.6% dissastisfaction rate is too high for me--especially since as others have said, we don't know what the truly long-term effects may be. I'm glad others have had good results, but I'm also too chicken to risk my eyes. |
Anonymous
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Count me among the chickens!
Also when I mentioned this to my eye doc, he pointed out that I would lose my ability to read without glasses, something I hadn't known. He does Lasik and said he would do it if I wanted him to but that he wouldn't recommend it. Decided not to take the risk, no matter how small, that something would go wrong I would have screwed up both my reading and distance vision. Then I bought these very expensive (well, for me, anyway) lightweight glasses fitted with progressive lenses and they work very well for me. |
Meconbear
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I had Lasik done eight years ago. I was -8 and hated that I couldn't see my bedside clock and was wearing contacts for fifteen years. The surgery was quick and painless and I still think it's a miracle that I can see so well! I have haloes at night and don't mind the reading glasses (which I can do without but am much more comfortable with).
Like everything else, it's up to the individual but I'm still really happy I did it! |
Anonymous
Wait, you had the haloes at night initially or still have them 8 years later? |
Anonymous
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Oh, no...sorry, was typing really fast. I had haloes for a few months afterwards and have just gotten reading glasses...but I've gotten them right around the same age that my brothers and sisters did and they didn't ahve the surgery..
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Anonymous
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I also had LASIK as a -8 patient, and am very happy with the results. I think it's been about 5 years now.
It wasn't a vanity choice for me. My glasses were so heavy (even with the featherlites and hi-indexing of the lenses) my ears and temples hurt by 5:00 if I chose to wear glasses. I wore soft contacts but always had 3-D (literally, they stood up from my sclera) red lines in my inner corners of my eyes - bloodshot. Gross! My doc explained the risks, including the part about needing reading glasses sooner than expected. I'm 39 and starting to notice it slipping up on me. It has been the single best medical treatment I've had in my entire life! I was not able to see the time at night, not able to feel safe in my bed when sleeping alone (because I wouldn't be able to call 911 or see an attacker), etc, etc. The difference between now and then is nothing short of amazing. I did have dry eye for about a month or two afterwards. Had to have restylene (??) drops to compensate, but it did go away after a couple of months. Even now, when I'm tired after really using my eyes for reading or on the PC during the day, I will get haloes at night. Not to the point where it's unsafe to drive, but one peculiarity that drives me nuts is when it feels like there's a fiber in your eye - - I used to take the contact out and clean it, and presto! Foreign object gone. Now, I just have to blink and blink and blink.... Gone are the days of yanking out the lens and offending lash/fiber. But other than that, it's been all good enough for me! |
Anonymous
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19:12 again - - One more thing: having a baby with 20/20 vision compared to before? Soooo much easier! Swatting at the night stand in search of glasses before bounding out of bed after said screaming infant? Forget about it! Jumping up without tripping over things to soothe the baby, much better! I had it done before my third child, and what a difference.
They will tell you to wait at least six months after pregnancy and nursing before having it done. |