26 answers

Lasik Eye Surgery

i am seriously considering having lasik eye surgery to correct my severe short sight.
have you ever had this done - what is your vision like now? is it worth it?
thanks everyone

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Featured Answers

My daughter, son-in-law and a co-worker all had it done. They, like some of the others, wish they had had it done sooner. My daughter wore thick heavy glasses for years and now is blessed with the fact that all she needs are sunglasses when the sun is out or since she lives up north when there is snow on the ground. My so-in-law says it is so nice to be able to do his job without having to wear glsses. Good Luck, I think you will be glad you had it done, also.

Marie

I was the first in my family to do it. It was FANTASTIC! Since then, my mom, dad, and sister have all had it. My husband wants it too.

It was totally worth it. Good luck!

My best friend and her husband had it several years ago in their 40's and they have no regrets. We're the same age and she can see everything without problems while I have to get my glasses or strain my eyes.

More Answers

I didn't see that anyone suggested this yet, but you might want to look into the Visian ICL. Instead of me trying to describe it, take a look for yourself. Here is the comparison chart to LASIK http://visianinfo.com/cwc/_premium/refractive_chart.php?s... ,
Roam around the other parts of the page too. This seems like the best option to me-I have been researching for my hubby.
Good Luck with whatever you chose to do!

4 moms found this helpful

OMGosh!!! Do you wear contacts or glasses now?? I had the surgery done last November and it was seriously the BEST 7 MINUTES OF MY LIFE!! You get off of the table and you can SEE the clock and actually tell time without having to squint. I have recommended this to all of my friends who still wear contacts and glasses. Don't get me wrong, your eyes will hurt after the surgery, but only for the evening..which I slept the whole rest of the day anyway. It feels like sand is in your eye and it does hurt, but only if you're trying to try out your "new" eyes. Just keep em shut and you won't have a problem. You wear some racket-ball type goggles for about a week after your surgery so you don't rub your eyes...so the cornea can heal correctly-which, BTW heals within hours of completing the surgery. My vision is Superman-like and sometimes I feel like I have eagle-eye sight! It has really gotten better over the course of this past year. No more stinging contacts in the early morning hours or dry eye from leaving your contacts in from a nap or sleeping through the night. You can see leaves...Individual leaves on trees!! It seriously is a miracle surgery and you won't regret having it done. Also, I used LasikPlus and you can finance the surgery for like 24 months at 0%!! Everyone there is so nice and the Doctor is just fun and makes you feel secure. Anyway-I hope you get it done for yourself and I hope I have helped you get a little bit more insight into the deal...I mean, it's your eyes!! I was nervous but totally excited...now, I'm a new woman who can wake up in the morning and see the alarm clock!!

3 moms found this helpful

I personally haven't had it but I'm going to. We are waiting till our house sells and then I'm sooo there!. My husband had his eyes done about 10 years ago and he now has 20/40 vision. That's better than average! The things he sees that I don't is amazing! That street sign that is just a little too dark is no problem for him. Also, the rest of my extended family have had theirs done and are so happy and grateful they did. I've already had consultations on it an am ready to go!

Our doctor is Dr. Shawn Wong in Austin. He's one of the top eye surgeons in Texas. His father opened their practice and his son followed in his footsteps. Interesting note too, his father was either one of the first or the first, I can't remember which, asian person to be born in Austin. Just a little tid bit that I always found fascinating. Yes, we are personal friends with Dr. Wong but that doesn't change his credentials. He's just plain good at his job. And he's nice and comforting too.

I say do it! Enjoy your new eyes! And one day I'll be able to see you around!
Smiles,
J.
http://www.mommysjoy.com

2 moms found this helpful

I had Lasik done 2 years ago and haven't regretted it one bit! In fact, I occasionally give my husband a hard time about how he hasn't done it himself. He said he would once I had a successful surgery.
I went to LasikPlus at 9705 Research Blvd. I liked that they did a free exam to make sure that you were a good candidate. They also seem to have good payment options, although I paid for mine in full with money I had been saving up.
Good Luck!!
R.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi M.,

I highly recommend lasik. I had mine done in May 2006 and I still can't believe how blessed I am. All of my life I was dependent on glasses or contacts so things such as reading the clock in the morning required me to get up. Now I open my eyes and I can see what time it is and I thank God. It was expensive but I have no regrets. I went to the Mann Eye Institute. I was very pleased with their professionalism. Definitely not the cheapest and not a place you are guaranteed to be accepted as a candidate. But if it is an option for you they will certainly tell you. Good Luck.

L. T.

1 mom found this helpful

I had it done about 10 years ago and was so impressed by my doctor I started working for the Lasik company. There are pro's and con's regarding having Lasik. You have to be a candidate first. I had to have a touch up surgery after my eyes healed from the previous surgery do to regression. Don't be put off by this because this is usually covered in the expense of the Lasik Procedure. This is something that you will want to ask in the interview to see if you are a candidate. Here are some other things you'll want to be aware of also. Your pupil size matters whether you have double vision, night blindness, or halos. The bigger your pupil size the greater the risk of one of these things after surgery. You'll also want to be aware that Dry Eye is a possibility sense the ph balance will become unbalanced because you’re changing a physical property in your eye. This however is usually correctible or goes back to normal after you heal. After surgery, you will be using eye drops to keep your eye nice and moist so that it can heal properly. You will be advised not to ware make up for 2 weeks after your procedure because you don't want any foreign contaminates to get into your eye. Don't let any of these things discourage you. Lasik is wonderful and coming from someone who couldn't see her clock without glasses/contacts. My vision was so bad that all my other senses had to take up the slack.
For the procedure they usually give you a mild sedative like Vicodin then they put drops into your eye to numb it. You will need a driver to take you home. Rest is extremely important to do directly after surgery. Also after surgery you will most likely be able to see without any aid. It is the most amazing thing. I thought all the colors looked so much more vivid as if I'd had been looking through cloudy glass the whole time. You'll get some rather large sun glasses. I suggest you wear these at least 2 weeks following if you are in a heavily lighted area and for sure, if you go outside in the daytime. My vision after my touch up was 20/15 but now it is regressing again and I'll need to have another one. But that’s also do to age and environmental hazards. Don't get me wrong I still think its worth it and every case is different. I just don't want you to have unrealistic expectations. I also added up the cost of Lasik verses the cost of glasses/contacts to see when it would be a financial benefit. Mine came out to 3 years when I'd break even. I have 7 years of saving money. wooo hooo! The only problem I had was that now everyone could see how big my nose was especially since I didn't have my glasses to balance my features. lol
I hope this helps and by the way I still think Lasik's AWESOME!!!

1 mom found this helpful

I had PRK and not Lasik because my corneas were too thin. My husband had Lasik. Both of us are beyond happy with the results. I have gone through wearing glasses, soft contacts and hard contacts with my vision being best with the gas-permeable contacts before my surgery. After my surgery (2 1/2 years now), I see better than I did even with my hard contacts. Your vision is very precious so make sure you do your research on the doctor. And make sure an ophthalmologist, rather than an optometrist, will be doing your surgery. If you are a good candidate for the surgery, it is definitely well-worth the expense. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

HI M. - Well, now you know that pretty much everyone recommends LASIK! I do also - best thing I ever did for myself. However, I wish there were some things they would have told me <before> I went under the laser. I did ask a lot of questions and was reassured time and again, but after the surgery is when they give you the "go home" instructions (when you are all fuzzy-eyed!)
So - be prepared! Here's a list from my surgery in April '08:
Wear eye shields (they provided) for 2 weeks while sleeping to prevent rubbing your eyes in your sleep (and you will, even though you won't realize it!). You'll be using anti-inflammatory eye drops and antibiotic drops for at least one week after surgery. You'll be using a TON of artificial tears, so look for coupons now. Ask the doctor which type they recommend.
No eye makeup, aerobics, contact sports, saunas or steam rooms for 2 weeks after surgery. No pools, hot tubs, lakes, rivers, oceans for one month after surgery. No scuba diving or snorkeling for 6 weeks (ie: don't have Lasik right before your tropical honeymoon). Ditto for scheduling surgery during allergy season if you're one who gets red, irritated eyes.
Toss out your mascara and eyeliner the day you go in for surgery and buy fresh stuff after the two-week time limit.
My big thing was DO NOT RUB YOUR EYES for 6 MONTHS. I laughed at my doctor - how can anyone not do that for six months? Especially when they say you can start wearing eye makeup after 2 weeks? Anyway, I haven't had any problems yet, and my vision was better than 20/20 after LASIK. Huzzah!
Oh, and one other thing I can share... I went in for my initial consult and booked a surgery date for two weeks later. They give you a free consult/exam, but expect you to put down $100 towards the surgery when you pick a date. I had to cancel my surgery due to family issues, and didn't immediately book another date. Well, I guess the company really wanted my business (or not to refund my $100) because after one month they called me and offered 50% off my surgery! Not saying that happens regularly, but if you're not in a rush...
Good luck with your decision on LASIK!

1 mom found this helpful

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