# Lasik?



## JeanMarie (Mar 2, 2008)

Several of my friends have had Lasik eye surgery and love the results. I am seriously thinking of doing this next year. Anyone have any negative things to say about this? (other than the cost....yikes!!!) All I hear is: I wish I'd done it sooner!

The Kindle has turned me back into a reader! I'd love to loose these darn glasses....


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Jean,

I had Lasik eye surgery 4.5 years ago and it was the best thing I've ever done! Money well spent for sure! And it is quite a bit cheap now than 5 years ago. Also, the procedure has changed some to. they no longer cut with a scalpel, but use laser for the entire procedure.

Go for it!!!

Ryan


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I have a number of friends who've had it done and all are happy they did it. One complained about not seeing things close after the surgery but was still happy with the results.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Jean,
I am the only person I've ever heard of with regrets for doing it. 

I had mine done about 10 years ago. I went to a highly recommended place, "the" place to have it done. They overcorrected my near-sightedness, (which is normal because they expect your eyes to slide back a bit once they are done,) and it left me far-sighted. I still had to wear glasses, but for the opposite problem. More importantly than that, though, is that close-up work is very important to me, (in needleturn applique' you sometimes need to be able to see the exact threads to cut down to...) and I found out later that "if close up work is important to you that you might not want to do Lasik." I can't see to pluck my own eyebrows, and if I get anything in my eyes I have to go to the eye doctor to have it removed (since I live alone.)

I had hoped to save money on the expensive glasses that I'd worn for decades, but continued to need expensive glasses-just for far-sightedness, now. 

The only benefit I've had is that I CAN see without any glasses on for safety reasons (like the house was on fire, or the kids were drowning and I was without my glasses.) But, it was sure an expensive solution for that when I could just as easily have grabbed my glasses, anyway.


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## Rita Nelson (Jul 13, 2009)

Jean, I had Lasik done 3 years ago and love the results. I had been extremely near sighted since early childhood and I'm 62 now. I never thought I'd be able to see without glasses and now I can. To me it's almost a miracle. Yes, I do wish I had it done sooner, but I was afraid to. I do wear readers for reading and other up close activities.


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## tabby2 (Jan 19, 2009)

Someone in my office had it done a few years ago. She saw "halos" around lights at night for months afterward although she said it decreased over time and doesn't bother her now. She also said her eyes tend to be dry now, so she uses drops several times a day.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Best thing ever!!! I'd worn glasses since 8th grade and had it done when I was 31, 11 years ago. I'm just getting to the point where I need reading glasses occasionally but my eye doctor said that it was normal "at my age" anyway. Funny, I'm hearing that term more and more often lately. 

I love swimming and being at the beach and really hated dealing with contacts and glasses, being able to see while swimming was the greatest thing ever for me. It was worth every penny! The first morning you wake up and realize you can see across the room is amazing, it was all I could do not to cry.


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

DH and I did it about 3 years ago and we both love it. We did one eye for distance and one for reading. No glasses anymore for either one of us. "Should have done it sooner".
Carole


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## JeanMarie (Mar 2, 2008)

Thank you all so much! I have very good sight for distance but need glasses for reading and seeing the TV clearly. ( I wondered what the fuss was with HD TV till I got proper glasses! OMG...getting in focus was amazing) 

I was so worried about anyone messing with my eyes but the more I talk to folks, the more convinced I am that it's the way to go! Thanks for the info, Sheri. I don't do close work but that's good to know. Bummer you didn't get the results you were after.

Hmmmm...one eye for reading and one for distance. Wow. I am getting excited!


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

I had it done 14 years ago. It was brand new and had just come out. I was in my early 20s. No regrets here!


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## Jake&Jazz (May 24, 2008)

I had Lasik done two years ago and I am so glad I did it. I suggest you go for a free consultation where they can examine your eyes and tell you exactly what they can and can't do for you. I was told that I may need glasses to see up close after the surgery but it turns out, I see just fine - no glasses needed. At the consultation, I was able to watch the Doc perform surery on several patients via a TV screen and it was amazing to watch. If I remember correctly, I was only on the table for no more than 5 mintues and it was all done. Warning - when the laser hits your eye - it smells like burnt hair. Anyone else notice this ??


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## JeanMarie (Mar 2, 2008)

> Warning - when the laser hits your eye - it smells like burnt hair. Anyone else notice this ??


ound: Now that builds up one's confidence!!! ound:

(Gives a new meaning to the phrase: "giving someone the hairy eyeball"-please tell me I am not the only one who's heard that phrase...)


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## Chasza (Dec 10, 2008)

Jean, some people cannot tolerate one eye for distance and one for close up. If you are considering this, find out if there is a way you could somehow mimic this by using contacts for awhile to find out how you like it. I know that if you have the surgery that way, and your brain can't get used to it, that they just re-do one of the eyes to match the other one.

I wonder how many people only chose to do one eye at a time, wait awhile, then do the other eye versus doing both at once?


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## Laurasch (Jul 1, 2008)

Hey Jean I want to do this too but have been totally stuck with fear about possible problems. Maybe we should go together ??? 
(I know of 3 folks who managed the 'one near, one distance' thing, but trying it before hand is evidently critical. Not everyone's brain is willing to tolerate the difference. I did a little test run on myself and I got really nauseas.)


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

My mom had laser eye surgery about a year and a half ago. She is really happy with the results!

She had bad distance and close up vision, so she decided to go ahead and get her distance vision fixed and keep using reading glasses for up close.

I WISH that I could get it. I'm so sick of wearing contacts and glasses, but my opthamologist says I need to wait because my eyes are still changing too much


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## JeanMarie (Mar 2, 2008)

Hey Laura! We'll talk....

I have a couple leads for local Drs and we can compare notes! I have to wait till February but this is a good time to gather info, etc. I definately need it for reading. My distance is pretty darn good. Mid-range, is a bit fuzzy but nothing I can't live with- HD TV just looks the way TV used to look...:suspicious:

I now wear "progression" lenses that have "normal" on top, midrange corrected in the middle and reading on the bottom. It took me about a week to get used to these. I did get a bit dizzy for a few days....but I adjusted just fine. No idea if this is at all the same.


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## Renee (Mar 27, 2008)

I would definitlely recommend a consultation with a well known doctor that does the lasik surgery. (Not an area where you want to "find a bargain" in my opinion!) That way you know what they can do/cannot do for your specific vision problems.
DH is getting his Lasik surgery done next Thursday...I'm SO excited for him! I've always had great vision, so don't know what it's like not to see across the room without glasses. I told him if he's decided he's going to do it, do it NOW and reap the benefits sooner. No more expensive contacts, solutions, glasses, etc. And he doesn't have to worry about getting debris in his contacts when it's windy out. So many pros to having the surgery...it's truly amazing what they can do now!
Good luck and keep us posted!


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## Mraymo (Oct 30, 2007)

Has anyone had ICL surgery? My DH wanted to get Lasix but his vision is too bad and his cornea's are too thin to have lasix. They recommended ICL which is where the permanently place a contact lens over your own lens. He put money into his HSA to have the laser surgery then found out he can't have it so now we have a big chunk of money in the HSA and nothing to spend it on unless he gets the ICL surgery. It's much more expensive than lasix. I was just wondering if anyone has had it done?


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## hartman studio (Feb 14, 2008)

I'm an RN who worked for TLC laser eye center for 4 years and my husband is an eye doctor, so I can answer several of your questions.
Progressive contact lenses are not the same as "monovision" which is when you have one eye corrected for near vision and one eye corrected for far vision. I agree with everyone else that if you want to try this you need to try with contacts first as many people cannot adjust to it. Also it interferes with depth perception so if you golf or play tennis for example you may not want to try this. JeanMarie, the fact that your distance vision is good and that you are in progressive lenses- do you just have presbyopia as opposed to hyperopia? If so, lasik cannot correct this as it is a natural aging process of the eye and not correctable with a laser. It's important to get a consultation with a good lasik surgeon- check them out and find out if they have had any lawsuits, also make sure they are "board certified corneal specialists". 
As far as ICL's are concerned, most people do well that opt for them. Again just be sure to check out the surgeon very carefully and make sure they have done alot. Ask how many procedures they do a month (for both lasik and ICLs). You want someone who does alot, not just a few- there is a learning curve.
I will say that when I worked at TLC most people were very happy they had it done and there were few complications- but there were some. Also, most people that were unhappy were unhappy that they still would need reading glasses due to presbyopia. Sorry for the long post (I could go on for pages), but hope this helps a little.


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## susieg (Aug 28, 2009)

Hi Jean! I had lasik done about 9 years ago and had it re-done about 3 years ago. They were able to use the same corneal flap for the second surgery that was made for the first....crazy! I think part of the problem with my first surgery is that I was too young and maybe my eyes were still changing, the surgery was also pretty new at the time. Also, I had really dry eyes and my first doctor did not treat them before the surgery. My second doctor treated the dry eye first, he had much more high-tech equipment than the first doc and ran many tests to make sure the dryness was better before doing the surgery. I'm very happy with the results now!


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

I've been thinking about it too. I am near-sighted and wear glasses all the time. When I'm working at the gym, or tumbling, I wear contacts. I have a lot of trouble with the contacts though because I have such a bad stigmatism in my left eye.

The only negatives I've heard about the procedure is the tendency to have very dry eyes afterwards.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I had Lasik done almost 4 years ago and cannot believe that I waited so long to have it done! It was one of the best gift that my husband & I gave ourselves! 
Although Lasik does an incredible job of correcting your distance vision - helping me get rid of the contacts that I wore for 30 years-YAHOO - I was told, and it is true that it does not correct the "old age" reading glasses need. If you are truly far sighted, I am sure it would help,, but if you simply need glasses for close up work due to your age - there is no correction for that. I use reading glasses only for small work (phone books, menus, etc) but it is WORTH it!!! To wake up in t he middle of the night and walk to the bathroom without having to grab glasses is wonderful!

I can honestly that although I was warned about it, I did not smell the burning smell when they did it. But I was so nervous I was focused on other things. They did give a valium prior to the procedure which helped.

As Jocelyn said, I STRONGLY recommend that you find a Dr who has done tons of these procedures and have a good record. I went to the Dr. who did many celebraties (including Tiger Woods ([BAD MAN!! )[/B] But I felt confident that the best job would be done.

Good luck!!!


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## Mraymo (Oct 30, 2007)

My DH is having his done thru TLC. The Dr. he's going to is supposedly the best in the Northeast. We have to drive over about 1 1/2 hours to get there but it's worth it. The local TLC office sent him up there because his eyes are kind of complicated. TLC seems to be very conservative which I like considering they're operating on your eyes.


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