Getting my eyes cut

G

George Hill

Staff Alumnus
I am considering some "lasic eye surgery" to correct a stigmatism in my right eye...

Thats my shooting eye.
I am very worried about that. Yet is the surgery goes as advertised - I will be as good as I was way back when!

Anyone know a good page with lots of information about this?
Pros - Cons?

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You might laugh in the face of FEAR... but unless your armed, its a nervous, unconvincing, little laugh.
 
George, this is just my opinion so take it for what it's worth. I'm pretty nearsighted myself (natural vision is about 20/400) with a slight astigmatism in both eyes, but my contact lenses bring it up to 20/20. I figure as long as contacts or glasses can correct my vision, I have no intentions of letting anyone cut or laser my baby blues, even though my optometrist says I would be a good candidate. What scares me about the surgery is that if things do NOT go according to plan, what then? :eek: However, I know several people who have had the procedure done and are very pleased with the results. Bottom line is that I just don't think it's right for me.
 
Well, I've been thru 5 years of lasers...anytime a optomitrist looks in my eyes they freak. I also had a virectomy in the left eye...where they opened it up, sutured the retina down and then lasered it. Took almost 4 years before the blood cleared out. It's my best eye.

I think what you are considering is much simpler...but the stitches are gonna bug the hell out of you. :)

signed, 'dirty Steve'. ;)

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Satanta, the Whitebear
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I did it and love it. I was just nearsighted though. I understand astigmatism is somewhat more complex.

Go for it. Just find a competent optometrist.
 
I had RK. My eyes don't correct as well now as they did before the surgery. I cannot correct to 20:20, and my right eye has become my worst ... thus, I am now left eye dominant.

I hear the laser surgery is better. However, when they did my RK, they told me they had been doing it for 20 years, and no worries.

I settled with the doctor. I would have preferred trading my bad eyes for his good eyes. Money did not replace my vision.

Good luck with your procedure. But ... recognize that there is no sure thing. Be sure you can live with the consequences.

And, when you check out the doctor, don't rely on the Board of Medical Examiners. Pay an attorney to find out the guy's / gal's reputation, and whether they spend more than their fair share of time in court on malpractice suits.

Regards from AZ
 
George - There are tons of 'experts' on the web. I looked at EXP.COM and found a couple, but there's a lot of marketing in with the answers.

I'm kiind of where you're at. I'm saving some $$, doing some research, and trying to find the gumption. So far, the bottom line is that it seems to be a well proven and low risk procedure if you're a good candidate (i.e not severely astigmatic or myopic). The latest equipment monitors eye movement and adjusts the laser 4000/sec. and is producing very accurate results, some folks are correcting to better than 20/20. DO YOUR HOMEWORK - find the best doc in your area, check him/her out thoroughly, and go for it. Good luck, M2
 
My Aunt had it done recently and she was in PAIN for two weeks. She missed two days of work because she couldn't see straight.

It has been about 6 months and, at best, her vision is the same as it was before the surgery, but she thinks it's a little worse.
 
I work with a guy that had it done and he raves about it. The laser surgery is outpatient, but that doesn't mean there isn't risk. There is a webpage that is dedicated to sharing information from folks that got the short end of the stick.

I think about it all the time, but there isn't any kind of procedure to reverse damage done, if damage is done. Be very careful with your eyes!!! There is no turning back and with odds like 1:100 for you having a problem, think reallllllll hard before going under the light.

Research everything and everyone in excruciating detail before you even consider an appointment. Lots of research. Hours of it.

And, if you do go, make sure to lock your guns up in a friend's house with special instructions in case it doesn't go exactly as planned. Ain't nothing worse than that homicidal rage when you find out you're near to blind because the doc sneezed at the wrong moment.

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When Reason Fails.....
 
George, I can't tell you a thing about it. But whatever you do Good Luck with what you decide ;)

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We preserve our freedoms by using four boxes: soap,ballot,jury, and cartridge.
Anonymous
 
Had a girlfriend who was an opthalmic technicial...

For those of you who talk about stiches and 2 days of pian, you are referrinh to PRK, which is TOTALLY different from lasic. You walk out of a lasic operation with a pair of shades and 20/20 vision 99% of the time. PRK is different, a much older technique. It is very painful, and you should not do it unless your eyes are not good candidates for lasic. Personally, I would not even consider PRK. I'd rather wear coke-bottles.

George, if you can get a good deal, do it! I dated this girl for 4 months, and I have BAD vision. I'm legally blind without correction. Had to have a waiver to jion the USMC. I could have gotten my eyes done at cost ($500 per eye) when we were dating. I was still in the Marines then, and diddnt have the money.

I'm still bummed I diddn't take advantage of that one :-/
 
I've got over 5 diopters of correction in my eyeglasses. I'd love to discard my glasses for a permanent solution, but every time I think about it, I can't help but notice - there are a LOT of ophthalmologists and optometrists who still wear glasses. Bifocals, even.

Why? If LASIK is so wonderful, why hasn't every eye-care professional who needs vision correction had it done?
 
George, I had Lasix performed 4 1/2 years ago and it's been great. I still see 20/20 with no problems of any type. My vision was off over 7 diopters before (legally blind). Although it has worked for me, I'll caution you to be careful about who does it. My guy was at Emery University and he was one of 7 people who did the initial beta testing. By the time he cranked the ray gun up on me, he had over 5000 procedures done with less than a .001% complication rate. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
There is a new vision correction surgery that is going though trials right now called corneal ring. What they do is insert a silicone ring around the outside edge of the lens which reshapes it for proper vision. The nice thing about this one is that if you don't like the results or your vision changes all they have to do is remove or replace the ring.
 
George,

I had the procedure done 4-1/2 months ago and couldn't be happier. I, like blunder, required over 7 diopters of correction prior to surgery. Without glasses or contacts I was unable to function, period!

The procedure takes only minutes and is totally painless. There is a slight discomfort comparable to having your teeth cleaned. The morning after the procedure, I drove myself to the doctors for my post-op check up without glasses. My vision was 20-20. After 1 week it had improved to 20-15 and has stayed there ever since.

Call up doctors that do the procedure and find out if they will give you an evaluation. Ask for references to past patients and ask lots of question, both pro and con. This is something that you want to be completely comfortable with.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Cactus
 
George,

My son had this done in January '99. Within one day, both eyes were 20/20 (perhaps slightly better). No pain and no problems. I appreciate -- and share -- your apprehensiveness. There certainly are a few horror stories, but generally it seems most people are pleased with lasic. However, all this said, I am seriously considering having this done in '01.

Best regards and good luck if you have the operation.
 
As a non ophthalmologist M.D. I do wonder if there is ever a reason to perform surgery on a healthy organ.

More than that, I would suggest you consider how long you've had the same glasses prescription. Would you want to have the surgery done as often as you need a new glasses prescription? (If it is even possible which I doubt)

I do not keep myself up on the specifics of ophthalmological surgery but encourage you to gather as much information as you can before making your decision.

Bentley
 
Well, fellas, your in my territory here. I have just completed a 16 year career as an Ophthalmic Photographer, certified at the CRA level.(Certified Retinal Angiographer)
While the primary duties of a CRA involve photography and angiography of the retina(the light-sensitive tissues at the inside back of the eye), my duties included anterior segment( or "slit lamp") photography as well. This is photography of the front of the eye(the cornea, lids, sclera and the associated conjuctival tissues) In my years in this field, I have looked at and photographed in excess of 25,000 pairs of eyes. No, it's not a typo. 25,000.
And I can tell you this. Barring the worst of visual impairments stemming from deformation of the cornea, and lacking any other reasonable course of action, I would not let anyone cut(Radial Keratotomy) or use laser on(Lasik) my otherwise healthy corneas.
If you had seen some problems stemming from these types of surgeries, as have I--
If you had heard some of the complaints and regrets from patients who've had these procedures performed, you would not even consider having this done.
Take a look once again at the post right above this one. Listen to the good Doctor's advice, and research this thoroughly.
 
Thanks for the input guys - I'm going to take my time on this decision... I am not eager to get my eyeballs lightsabered.
But my insurance will cover it so its an option - that, and I am VERY tired of glasses.
 
George, my two cents.

I wear glasses, never even considered this for the reasons stated above. Note this: You have to wear glasses when you go the range anyway. Are your eyes so bad that you need it done to see for self-defense range shooting?

Good luck with your decision.

Ledbetter
 
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