Lasik Eye Surgery

[j_d_mcnugent]

The doctor seats you in the chair, and props your eyes open with clamps that look like they come out of a Tool video (or Rammstein' Sehnsucht album cover). They look creepy, but I don't think they bothered her.

i was thinking a clockwork orange.

anyway, my advice is not to go to the mall to get it done. you dont want to bargain shop here. find someone with new equipment and has done it for years. also, find someone with that has a selective acceptance policy. not everyone is a good candidate for lasik. you can reduce the risk of having a horror story if the doc has a good screening policy.

i did it five years ago. went from 20/eleventy billion to 20/20 vision, but i get halos/glare in low light. i still think it was worth it though. the procedure was pretty painless. nothing to worry about.

there are risks. some bad things could happen. it isnt guaranteed.

[bigh0rt]

im 18.. i plan on getting it at somepoint.. just im curious as to the say 10, 20 years after surgery... cause we havnet hit that point yet.. so i think if i wait another 3-5 years it should be better.. and hopefully covered by insurance

I don't see insurance covering this anytime soon, as their simple answer is, "Get glasses; this is purely cosmetic surgery..." this I guess it essentially is. I'm currently in the pre-process of getting the surgery, getting all the tests done thouroughlly, with the no change in prescription clause...

Luckily for me, my mother's been a technician for the optical surgeons for years now, so they're only taking what my insurance covers for the surgery.

[Minor League Skilz]

I really wanted the surgery and did all my research. I found the best doctor in my area and went for a consultation. He told me I was a high risk candidate. Something about my pupils being too big. He advised me to wait a year or two and there would be a new laser that could better handle my type of case.

Other doctors would have just done the procedure. I am holding off for now and hopefully I can get it down the road.

Good Luck.

[Coppermine]

I've read that Canadian doctors are more reliable because Lasik surgery was there like 10 years before it was approved here.

[curious_george_43545]

I've read that Canadian doctors are more reliable because Lasik surgery was there like 10 years before it was approved here.

Canada is always ahead of the curb.

[MMoNeY24]

I've read that Canadian doctors are more reliable because Lasik surgery was there like 10 years before it was approved here.

Canada is always ahead of the curb.

Isn't it ahead of the curve?

[curious_george_43545]

I've read that Canadian doctors are more reliable because Lasik surgery was there like 10 years before it was approved here.

Canada is always ahead of the curb.

Isn't it ahead of the curve?

Here in the midwest we are pretty slow.

[Fireball Express]

I've read that Canadian doctors are more reliable because Lasik surgery was there like 10 years before it was approved here.

Isn't the waiting list for any kind of surgery in Canada something around 10 years.

[Madison]

anyway, my advice is not to go to the mall to get it done. you dont want to bargain shop here.

Where do you live? Malls here in the Fort Worth/Dallas metroplex are crazy expensive. You pay at least double for things you can get elsewhere, and sometimes triple or even quadruple! Malls here are definitely not cheap.

I don't see insurance covering this anytime soon, as their simple answer is, "Get glasses; this is purely cosmetic surgery

True, but at the same time, some insurance companies pay out for glasses and/or contacts. You take someone under 30, and it's cheaper in the long run to just shell out for the surgery.



As to Lasik, we've got probably the best doctor in the world down here. Dr. Booth. He's done Emmit Smith, and all kinds of sports stars, models, actors, etc. People fly into Dallas specifically to have him do the surgery.

Price range varies from place to place, but I've seen it as cheap at $299 an eye (from a very reputable set of doctors with over 50,000 happy clients), to $1,299 per eye for a custom job. I myself have started to look into this as I pay out $300 every 6 months to have custom contacts made. At $2,600 for the custom job, I'll make it back in less than 9 years (not including lens solution, drops, etc), and I'm only 30, so that's not a huge gamble or anything. What's nice is that this should all be totally perfected by the time my 7 year old son reaches 18. He's already in glasses, so I'm sure this is something he will want to do when the time is right. I know I would have done it at 18 if the option was availiable, and safe.

[Melo255]

I just had Custom PRK done a little over a month ago. I had it done at the New England Eye Center which is more expensive than a lot of places, $4200, but they are so professional and I felt totally and completely comfortable with them that it was well worth it. PRK is a little different than Lasik but it's the same general idea. My eyesight went from 20/400 to a little better than 20/20 with no glare or halos. I see better now than I ever did with glasses or contacts which continues to blow my mind. I just could not be happier with my results.
The one thing I recommend to EVERYBODY who is considering laser eye surgery is to find a very reputable place even if it costs more than others. Virtually all decent places include multiple checkups and any future fixes or tweaks within the first year in the original surgery cost. IMO the extra $1500 I spent was absolutely worth the peace of mind and yes flawless surgery. Some people say they want to wait a few more years for safety reasons but nowadays, with a good doctor, the chances of complications are virtually nonexistent. Be safe, investigate as many places as you can and good luck.