Lasik - Seattle,WA

I know this isnt helpful but, I was just gonna post this question too because I'm thinking about getting it done! but I'm kind of scared. I'm interested to see what the responses are I also heard from someone that their brother had it done and then his vision went back to the way it was before so I'm wondering if that's true. I am very near sighted so I really need it.

I had it done 5 1/2 years ago and it was the best money I ever spent! I was blind as a bat before (literally couldn't see the big E) and now have at least 20/20 vision. The procedure itself wasn't bad - I was very anxious about it but there wasn't any pain. The weirdest part was when they pull the flap back and all you can see are fuzzy colors. But it is so fast that they are done before you know it! I do remember using eye drops a lot for the first few months but I did it a month before my wedding in Hawaii and had no problems. You really can see clearly that day!

Definitely DO IT!

Ditto to what others have said. No pain at all (I'm not tolerant of pain either.) It's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I was scared to do it but we had a really short window when insurance would cover it so that made my final decision. Soooo glad I did it! My vision was 20/800 or something like that and now I'm 20/20! I had it done about 5 years ago. LOVE it!

I had to wear the "goggle" type things over my eyes for sleeping the first week or so too but otherwise, nothing. It did take me a day or two to see good, not right after surgery but I do remember driving home and being amazed I could see trees. I'd recommend doing it for sure!

Good luck!!!

My husband had it about 8 years ago and said it wasn't bad. They might have made the process even easier since he had his.

here's about how his went:
lay down on a table, head held stationary
look at a green? light
hear snap, snap, snap, snap and a little bit of a smell of burning hair
less than 1 minute of snapping and then the machine rotated to do his other eye
Once both eyes were done, sunglasses, go home and take a nap

When he woke up, he could see nearly 20/20. He had to be careful of touching his eyes for a week or so and do eye drops for a couple days (if I remember right), but that was about it

He reports no pain during the surgery and only mild achiness afterwards but that the drops helped with that.

Depends on what kind of laser surgery you're getting (is it really Lasik or something else?). I had PRK, which was painful and uncomforable (not the surgery itself, but after the freezing wore off), I'm not going to lie. For about two days I felt like someone had thrown sand in my eyes and it took about four days before I could see properly, which they didn't really explain (why do all doctors here want to sugar coat the facts and not give you the real info?? Argh). Anyway, I went camping the day after surgery and it was pretty hellish as I couldn't see at all two days after surgery and so ended up hiking blind basically. It was interesting, to say the least! Kind of laughable in the end! Anyway, my sister had the regular kind - Lasik, I guess it's called (when they cut a flap in the cornea lens and flip it back over after surgery. She said it wasn't painful at all and she could see 10 minutes after she left the office!). That said, though, I don't regret it for a minute! It's soooo great! Short term pain for long term gain!

I had Lasik done in 2005. Like the others, no pain. To me it was like a bad Sci-Fi movie. When they started with the laser, all I saw were bad zappy graphics in red. Picture a 50's type SciFi laser and the film people scratching the flim to make the laser-type look of the gun shooting.

Every once in a while my right end seems to get a little dry,but nothing heinous. My eyes are 20/20 (so the eye doctors say), but it just doesn't seem as crisp as my left. With my left it's perfect, with my right I see great, but I don't believe lines are as defined, they aren't fuzzy, but they are just not as crisp...I hope that makes sense. I had an astigmatism in my right eye, so I don't know if that is why or not.

In the end? I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I'm very happy to not have to wear glasses or contacts.

NOTE: Just so you know my doctor pointed out that Lasik and most other surgeries (at the time I had my eyes done...meaning things may have changed since 2005) won't eliminate the need for reading glasses later on (if your eyes are predisposed for that).

I had it done 9 years ago and everything was awesome, until I got pregnant twice. I don't recommend doing it unless you're done having kids because your eyes COULD get worse. It wasn't bad having it done again, it just seemed like there was sand in my eyes for a few days afterwards, didn't rub them, but kept eyedrops in ALL the time. I would do it again in a heart beat. There is no reason why you shouldn't do it for the results that happen. The only thing during surgery is you feel "pressure" but no pain at all. They gave me a sedative before hand also. Oh, and when you do get it done (DO IT~!~) don't walk out of the surgery room and say "I"m blind" with a room full of clients waiting to get theirs done. (I'm so mean) but I told them I was joking. You can see awesome instantly and they tell you to go home and rest your eyes which is so hard to do, since you can see and want to look around. Good luck, you'll LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

I had it done back in 2004 when they cut the flap with the machine, Im pretty sure you wont have that done since my sister had it done last year and it was JUST with a laser.
No pain, all I did was go in to see if I could get it done, they approved it, then I went again to dialate my eyes and then for the "surgery" part which you lay down, there is a huge machine above you, they semi attach it to your eye, they count to 8 and everything goes black then comes back in focus, they do the other eye, same thing. Then at least for me, wore goggles to bed for a week due to not rubbing them or I would reopen the flap.
Some people see perfectly after the first day of rest while others it takes time. For me it was more of a mind thing..took 3 months to see clearly. I would put on fake sunglasses and see fine but without them I would see blurring but my dad, sister and brother didnt have that issue at all.

Not a real surgery..especially if you are getting just the laser and not the cutting of the flap which you dont even feel that at all.

Sometimes people have to go in for tweaking and then sometimes your eyes can get bad again. I am not sure on the percentages of all of that..I havent heard of my dad going back again yet (he had it done in 2001) and his eyes were HORRIBLE. But everyone is different.
The place i went to gave a huge discounted rate for tweaking on the off chance it wasnt corrected. Now sounds wrong to charge for that but its just one of those things. Some will offer it free, some wont..depends on where you go. I know back in 2001 my dads reasearch was to find a place that didnt move their machines as in sharing or had other buildings becasue then they always had to reset the machine which for whatever reason was bad.

Bottom line NO PAIN, just scary and you can request some meds to help calm your nerves too!!

I went for a consultation, I could choose between a LASIK and LASEK which was a different at how they get at your eye. the LASIK is where they cut a little flap and then do the surgery with a laser and flap that little bit of "skin" back onto your eye. You have to be careful not to rub your eyes for a few days because you can move that little flap of skin. This was not as good of an option to those who have very bad vision and a thinner cornea for whatever reason. LASEK is what was decided for me because I had absolutely TERRIBLE vision is where they remove that bit of skin that covers your eye using a very diluted alcohol solution then do the laser surgery. Afterwards they put a contact over your eyes as a bandage which stays on for a couple of days. This is a very uncomfortable way of doing things. The first few days after the surgery was absolutely awful. I was extremely light sensitive (covered the windows with blankets and still wore sunglasses) and it was painful (especially if you are not used to contacts). It is something I am glad I did, but really hope I do not have to go through a tweaking because I really do not want to have to do through that recovery again. from what I understand and why they recommended that for me is because of my astigmatism was so terrible and I had quite thin corneas and the LASIK would not have as good of an outcome.

I personally EXTREMELY happy I did this (I did it July of this year) my vision is great but it took a little while before it was really clear. The LASEK takes awhile because that layer of skin has to regrow and your vision will be affected by that regrowing. If you have any more questions about it I can try to explain a little more in detail if you would like.. just message me.

They give you valium! Yeah, I needed it more for my nervousness than pain. And unlike the other post about PRK being painful, I had PRK (was not a good candidate for Lasik b/c of thinner corneas) and it was like ZERO pain afterwards. Some people feel it with that surgery, and some people don't, I guess.

I had it on both eyes in Apr 1999 and again on my right eye in Mar 2007. I was initially -14 in my left eye and -12 in my right (my focal point was the tip of my nose) and I walked out with 20/20 vision. They numb your eyes and I didn't feel any pain at all. And they give you eye drops to help with initial dryness and pain. The first time I was a little light sensitive for a few days, but I healed up quickly. Lasering directly on the surface of your cornea is much more painful than shaping it under the flap and requires a longer healing time. When you go for a consultation, they should tell you what method they feel is best for you and your situation.