Lasik

[dalek]

Hey Tex...

Give it a few more years to let the technology improve...remember..."breast implants" in the early 70's were all the rage...I needn't say anymore (silicone)...

LASIK risks understated

By Stephanie Armour and Julie Appleby, USA TODAY

By Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY
Leslie Woodlock, 40, says her eyes are so bad after LASIK surgery that she has trouble seeing and can't drive at night. She now runs a support group for other patients.

Laser eye surgery is being touted in advertisements as a quick, virtually risk-free procedure that can end patients' need for glasses. But with more than 1 million patients expected to undergo the procedure this year, thousands are learning what the ads don't say: The surgery can cause life-altering complications that sometimes can't be fixed. Problems include double or triple vision so severe patients can't watch TV or read, light distortions so blinding they can't drive at night and eyes so dry that goggles must be worn outside. Some patients have spent thousands of dollars trying to fix problems only to find the technology doesn't yet exist to provide a remedy. Industry analysts and reports from the Food and Drug Administration suggest that up to 5% of patients experience some sort of complication.

USA Today

Get as much info as possible before taking the plunge....

[Galiath]

I had Lasik back in October, and I wish I hadn't. Because the pupil of my eye was larger than the area corrected, I have horrible night vision, reading computer screens takes longer than it used to because of the light. My eye's have more problems now than they did with glasses.

The main reason I had the surgery was because they assured me that I was a prime candidate and that there should be no problems... As well as the fact that I enjoy dangerous outdoor sports that losing my glasses or a contact lense could cause fatal results. (rock climbing, kayaking, etc If I had known that I would have these kind of problems I wouldn't have had the surgery...

Oh and currently, they're unable to fix my problems... They prescripe drops that "might" help with night driving only, and have so many side effects, I'd never think of trying them.

To say the least I don't suggest Lasik.

[The Texan]

well thanks for the honest opinion... its good to hear the good and bad... not just the "everything was wonderful!" and i am sorry they F'ed your eyes.

[ZT3000]

I was thinking of going Custom Lasik. So this thread prompted me to read about it.
I found that there were a substantial amount of complaints about the cheaper Lasik, but less complaints about the more expensive Custom Lasik.

I read quite a few complaints (horror stories) and some of the American and Canadian Lasik mills shutting down and honestly, it scared the crap out of me. I found out the American Lasik wasn't as good due to inferior equipment as opposed to the better Canadian equipment.

The complaint rate I read about was from 3% (older Lasik surgery) to 1% (for the Lasik mills primarily where they don't properly qualify a patient), and much much less for Custom Lasik.

My job, just like yours, is so visually oriented that if my eyes get messed up worse, I'll be up a river without a paddle and without a boat.

I don't know that I could ever be I.T.'s version of Ray Charles.

[Galiath]

Originally posted here by ZT3000
I was thinking of going Custom Lasik. So this thread prompted me to read about it.
I found that there were a substantial amount of complaints about the cheaper Lasik, but less complaints about the more expensive Custom Lasik.

I read quite a few complaints (horror stories) and some of the American and Canadian Lasik mills shutting down and honestly, it scared the crap out of me. I found out the American Lasik wasn't as good due to inferior equipment as opposed to the better Canadian equipment.

The complaint rate I read about was from 3% (older Lasik surgery) to 1% (for the Lasik mills primarily where they don't properly qualify a patient), and much much less for Custom Lasik.

My job, just like yours, is so visually oriented that if my eyes get messed up worse, I'll be up a river without a paddle and without a boat.

I don't know that I could ever be I.T.'s version of Ray Charles.

Just so you know a bit more about my surgery. I had custom lasik, and I live in the D.C. area, which means I have access to some of the country's best eye surgeons. I had mine done through TLC, and they still say that the surgery went perfectly, although they didn't expect the night vision to be such a problem. They used the allegretto laser, which is considered to be the best laser available in the U.S. And the surgery was anything but cheap. Luckily I can still do my job, and the problem only slows me down a bit. But night vision can go from annoying, to painful depending on differing factors of ambient light, headlight beams, stop lights etc. I'm hoping that it will stabilize more over the next 4-5 months (the healing time period is a year). but currently I'd rather be wearing glasses.