Laser eye surgery

[Offensive Threat]

On Monday Sept 10th I had laser eye surgery performed on both eyes. I just came back from my one week checkup an hour or so ago. Heres my thoughts on how it went:

My eyesight was not as bad as some people for sure. I hated wearing glasses and never got used to contacts. My eyesight was at the point where I probably shouldnt have been driving without corrective lenses. The numbers of 55/65 were tossed around during my pre surgery checkup.

It was expensive. I did not choose my surgeon by price. I didnt call the "$495 per eye" guys. I chose King Lasik in Burnaby. With Dr King as my surgeon. He came highly recommended by both people I know well who have had the surgery before. He is also the official laser eye surgeon of the Vancouver Canucks if that means anything to you. Total cost was $3990 plus 3 eye drop prescriptions. This gave me the iLasik procedure with wavescan eye digital imaging, tear duct plugs,6 follow up checkups,and a lifetime guarantee that if any further surgeries are ever needed they are free. The PRK type of surgery would have been cheaper to the tune of around $2900 total but I wanted the best with as little downtime as possible.

Some people dont have a choice as to which surgery to get as their eyes may have certain problems that rule out one of the other surgery choice. I had the choice of either.

My understanding from the research I did is that the $495 per eye is a gimmick and everything, including non optional things, get added on until its over $3000 total anyways.

So I went in for a consultation on Friday Sept 7th and after an extensive list of tests of my eyes we discussed the options and I chose the iLasik proceedure to be performed the following Monday.

The procedure itself is over pretty fast. Maybe 15 minutes total time in the operating room. I was able to watch the fellow ahead me do his procedure through the glass wall of the operating room and he survived so I took that as a good omen. The surgery is very strange feeling but not really painful. They numb your eyes considerably to the point where you can feel everything happening but no pain. At first they put a small metal ring around my eye and then the feeling is like the eye is partially scooped out of it socket and then clamped in a vise. Its the only time ever in my life I could not look around as the eye was completely clamped in place. A very unique and unpleasant feeling. But it was all over soon enough. Much sooner than I expected. Right off of the operating table I could see enough to get around. Dr King sat me down right away to check the results and after that I was good to go. Had to have someone to drive me home after the surgery and straight to bed. One of the other effects of the pill they give is that it also helps you to sleep afterwards. The first 6 -8 hours after surgery is when the most healing occurs and it is best to keep the eye closed for this. Sleeping during this time is best.

After that it is time for eye drops . 3 different prescription drops. 1 every half hour, 1 every 2 hours, 1 every 4 hours while awake. They are an anti inflammatory, a anti bacterial and a sterile lubricant. Plus I needed to sleep with plastic eyeshields taped to my face for the week. Sun glasses whenever outdoors during the daytime regardless of cloud cover.

But the first week is over now. Only 1 of the eyedrops still needs to be used every 4 hours or as needed for 1 more week. I dont need the eyeshields any more. I still cant splash water directly on my face or do anything causing me to sweat into my eyes but thatll soon be over too.

I have never felt any real pain in my eyes from all this. There is some itch there ( the reason for the eyeshields) that has faded day by day and I could see although a little wobbly right from when I had the surgery onward. After the first night my sight was back and then some.

The result of my eye exam today is what I could have told them without it. 20/20 vision. Distance detail is amazing. Sunny days like today I can see for miles.My night vision is about as well improved also. Anything held within a foot of my face is now blurry but reading and using the comp arent that close so its no big loss. this was explained to me before hand anyways. Also I can no longer squint to see better. Well I can still squint but it makes no difference to my vision now. Im so used to squinting it feels odd to have my eyes wide all the time now.

Was it worth it? Hell yes. I should have had it done years ago. Everybody seems to say that but its true. I took last week off work but could have gone back 2 days after the operation.

If anyone is thinking of getting it done and has a question I can answer feel free. Or even better just go in for a consultation to get a good idea of your options. The consultation is free at pretty well every laser surgery place.

EDIT: Schedule for checkups is Day after surgery, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1year. At the 3 month checkup it is decided if any further work needs to be done. Unless something unusual happens I dont think that will be necessary.

[Opmac]

I have always wondered about laser eye surgery myself. You said it cost you $4000. How bad was your eyesight? Astigmatism?

[Offensive Threat]

I have always wondered about laser eye surgery myself. You said it cost you $4000. How bad was your eyesight? Astigmatism?

Astigmatism and Nearsighted. My left eye was considerably worse than my right but I dont have an exact number for how my eyesight was. Would I have passed the eyesight test for driving? No. Most likely I wouldnt have.

[MrMooresBeard]

Great read ... thanks for that. I just got off glasses and have been putting in contacts the past 6 months but eventually want the eye surgery

[shawn antoski]

I have wanted laser eye surgery for sometime now, but Im to scared. is there an option where they can do one eye at a time.

out of the 10 people i know that have had the surgery 4 of em have minor issues.

-1 has dryness issues

-2 have night vision loss

-1 guy has to wear sunglases all the time

i want to do it but im scared

[î мцšт вяздк чфµ]

i had both done approx 1 year ago @ london place eye center. im very happy with the results, not wearing glasses for the first time in 30+ years is awesome.

edit: never go for those 2 for 1 special type deals, ensure you know what you're getting into, its your eyes not a shoe sale.

[Offensive Threat]

I have wanted laser eye surgery for sometime now, but Im to scared. is there an option where they can do one eye at a time.

out of the 10 people i know that have had the surgery 4 of em have minor issues.

-1 has dryness issues

-2 have night vision loss

-1 guy has to wear sunglases all the time

i want to do it but im scared

Maybe check and see where the 4 with problems had their eyes done compared to the 6 without problems and you might find some correlation. Also which type of surgery was done. Did they follow the proper eye care procedures after surgery? Theres a lot of variables.Go to a surgeon you feel comfortable with and get a assessment done and tell them your concerns.

I would think one eye at a time would be possible but dont see any benefit to it.

[Opmac]

Astigmatism and Nearsighted. My left eye was considerably worse than my right but I dont have an exact number for how my eyesight was. Would I have passed the eyesight test for driving? No. Most likely I wouldnt have.

If you could tell me what the number is for your eyesight it would be very helpful in my decision to decide whether or not to get it.

I feel like if I go in to one of the consultations, I will be pressured into getting done.

[The Hornet]

This thread is brought to you by:

King Lasik

- 'The Official Laser Eye Surgeon for The Vancouver Canucks'

[canucks_dynasty]

Had my eyes done about 12 years ago at Lasik Vision. Don't know if they are still around anymore. Spent $2500 at that time.

I was like -3 (contacts...no astigmatism) in both eyes. I did the surgery twice as after 3 months my vision dropped a bit from 20/20. No real problems. Except partial dryness of the eyes. Not enough to warrant eye drops but enough to stay away from smoky places. My eyes were like 20/20 for a long time. But it doesn't stay that way forever. Now I'm 20/30 in one eye and 20/40 in the other eye. Still good enough to watch TV and legally drive.

But I do have glasses for when I want a sharper image on TV or movie screen. Also sometimes wear glasses at night when I'm driving to read street signs if I'm in an unfamilar place (ie. road trip).

I don't regret it one bit.

[aGENT]

Had mine done at London Place about 10 years ago. Life altering (in an entirely good way).

A couple of suggestions:

-Get the surgery in the winter (less sunlight/easier to recover...plus it sucks less than sitting inside on a sunny day)

-Unless it's changed, the surgery is tax deductible as a medical expense. If I recall, I got back about 1/3 or ~$1000 of my ~$3000 surgery.

[Bang Bang Boogie]

Thanks for posting. I've always wanted to know what the whole laser eye surgery experience was like since I don't know anybody who has had it. I wear contacts and I want to stop using them soon.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Did mine years ago when it was a relative bargain. $1200 for both. Now it's quite the racket.

The 'better than perfect' vision doesn't last forever, (it's now average), but the pain of wearing glasses and contacts going away forever? SO worth it.

Spend the cash if you have it.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Btw. DO go by price. What? You expect your eyes to explode? Lol.

The procedure and equipment is exactly the same at every place and the results are guaranteed. Doesn't meet your expectations? Go back. The only difference is that the more expensive guy has more time off for golf and probably a bigger house.

Pop-pop! "My eyes! Aaaaaiiieeee!" pfft

[Tortorella's Rant]

Good to see that it went well. I guess you might not be posting here if it didn't

[canucks_dynasty]

Study the different types of laser surgery available.

My brother did the no touch laser a few years ago. He took about a week to recover. I did Lasik. Which require cutting, lifting the flap, and then laser. Supposed to be a faster recovery. I was OK within 3 days. As I recall, the laser portion smelled like burning hair. But definitely you need someone to drive you home. Don't try to take the bus home...you will be tired/drained and out of it as it is still surgery.

[aliboy]

My distance vision is excellant, but I can't read anything without glasses. So, would laser surgery work?

[CIA]

I asked the dr.king how many Canucks players he's worked on. Zero on the Canucks. A few minor league players and some staff.

Just a FYI

[Pouria]

On Monday Sept 10th I had laser eye surgery performed on both eyes. I just came back from my one week checkup an hour or so ago. Heres my thoughts on how it went:

My eyesight was not as bad as some people for sure. I hated wearing glasses and never got used to contacts. My eyesight was at the point where I probably shouldnt have been driving without corrective lenses. The numbers of 55/65 were tossed around during my pre surgery checkup.

It was expensive. I did not choose my surgeon by price. I didnt call the "$495 per eye" guys. I chose King Lasik in Burnaby. With Dr King as my surgeon. He came highly recommended by both people I know well who have had the surgery before. He is also the official laser eye surgeon of the Vancouver Canucks if that means anything to you. Total cost was $3990 plus 3 eye drop prescriptions. This gave me the iLasik procedure with wavescan eye digital imaging, tear duct plugs,6 follow up checkups,and a lifetime guarantee that if any further surgeries are ever needed they are free. The PRK type of surgery would have been cheaper to the tune of around $2900 total but I wanted the best with as little downtime as possible.

Some people dont have a choice as to which surgery to get as their eyes may have certain problems that rule out one of the other surgery choice. I had the choice of either.

My understanding from the research I did is that the $495 per eye is a gimmick and everything, including non optional things, get added on until its over $3000 total anyways.

So I went in for a consultation on Friday Sept 7th and after an extensive list of tests of my eyes we discussed the options and I chose the iLasik proceedure to be performed the following Monday.

The procedure itself is over pretty fast. Maybe 15 minutes total time in the operating room. I was able to watch the fellow ahead me do his procedure through the glass wall of the operating room and he survived so I took that as a good omen. The surgery is very strange feeling but not really painful. They numb your eyes considerably to the point where you can feel everything happening but no pain. At first they put a small metal ring around my eye and then the feeling is like the eye is partially scooped out of it socket and then clamped in a vise. Its the only time ever in my life I could not look around as the eye was completely clamped in place. A very unique and unpleasant feeling. But it was all over soon enough. Much sooner than I expected. Right off of the operating table I could see enough to get around. Dr King sat me down right away to check the results and after that I was good to go. Had to have someone to drive me home after the surgery and straight to bed. One of the other effects of the pill they give is that it also helps you to sleep afterwards. The first 6 -8 hours after surgery is when the most healing occurs and it is best to keep the eye closed for this. Sleeping during this time is best.

After that it is time for eye drops . 3 different prescription drops. 1 every half hour, 1 every 2 hours, 1 every 4 hours while awake. They are an anti inflammatory, a anti bacterial and a sterile lubricant. Plus I needed to sleep with plastic eyeshields taped to my face for the week. Sun glasses whenever outdoors during the daytime regardless of cloud cover.

But the first week is over now. Only 1 of the eyedrops still needs to be used every 4 hours or as needed for 1 more week. I dont need the eyeshields any more. I still cant splash water directly on my face or do anything causing me to sweat into my eyes but thatll soon be over too.

I have never felt any real pain in my eyes from all this. There is some itch there ( the reason for the eyeshields) that has faded day by day and I could see although a little wobbly right from when I had the surgery onward. After the first night my sight was back and then some.

The result of my eye exam today is what I could have told them without it. 20/20 vision. Distance detail is amazing. Sunny days like today I can see for miles.My night vision is about as well improved also. Anything held within a foot of my face is now blurry but reading and using the comp arent that close so its no big loss. this was explained to me before hand anyways. Also I can no longer squint to see better. Well I can still squint but it makes no difference to my vision now. Im so used to squinting it feels odd to have my eyes wide all the time now.

Was it worth it? Hell yes. I should have had it done years ago. Everybody seems to say that but its true. I took last week off work but could have gone back 2 days after the operation.

If anyone is thinking of getting it done and has a question I can answer feel free. Or even better just go in for a consultation to get a good idea of your options. The consultation is free at pretty well every laser surgery place.

EDIT: Schedule for checkups is Day after surgery, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1year. At the 3 month checkup it is decided if any further work needs to be done. Unless something unusual happens I dont think that will be necessary.

I always wondered why optometrists who wear glasses don't get eye surgery. I mean, either there are things about eye surgery we don't know or those optometrists are cheap.

[cj_coolcat]

I always wondered why optometrists who wear glasses don't get eye surgery. I mean, either there are things about eye surgery we don't know or those optometrists are cheap.

Or laser eye surgery just isn't for everyone. There are preexisting conditions that disqualify you for laser eye surgery (or should disqualify you) and they tell you about those and check for them in your consultation. But you should always get a second unbiased opinion from a qualified optometrist to be sure.

I had laser eye surgery last December. It was blade-free custom wavefront lasik. Mine cost $2700, but that was with a $1000 discount because they got the blade-free technology in after my first consultation and it wasn't initially offered. I definitely would not say the surgery was pain-free. I found it quite uncomfortable actually. I'm really not sure if the numbing drops didn't work as well as they should have or it was just psychological (probably the latter.) They did offer me a muscle relaxant prior to the surgery and I said no (like an idiot.) Yah, if you get it, say yes to the drugs for sure. The surgery is seriously terrifying, especially the part where you can smell your eye burning.... I also had a fair amount of discomfort for a couple of weeks after. It kind of feels like sand in your eyes. You can still work with it though. I had the surgery on Friday and went back to work on Monday.

Also for me it took quite a while for my vision to fully adjust. I think my right eye was perfect right away but my left eye took a few months. I had some dizziness for the first couple week whenever I changed my field of vision suddenly because my right eye would focus right away but my left eye would be lagging behind so I'd get this weird roller-coaster effect.

Anyways, despite all this it is definitely the best money I ever spent. I have no long term effects and I absolutely love not wearing glasses, especially for sports and swimming. You really don't realize how much of your life is affected by your need for corrective lenses until you don't need them anymore. It's awesome.