# Lasik Experiences?



## rktman (Oct 25, 2012)

I would guess my fellow Engineers are Myopic (near-sighted). Has anyone had Lasik, good experience, bad?

Thanks.


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## blybrook PE (Oct 25, 2012)

I tried to have Lasik as my local eye doc thought I was a good candidate with my astigmatism. Went through the process with local lasik center (350 miles away &amp; only one in the state) to find out that my eyes were not thick enough. Combined with a 10 minute appointment that cost more than it should have and the 16 hour round trip, I was a little peeved (you cannot fly after the procedure). It would have been nice to know that it was to be a wasted trip before making it; so if you must travel to a lasik center, get with your local eye doc to find out if you are truely a candidate or not.

Since my experience, one of the local eye clinics has now obtained the proper equipment and training to perform the thickness measurements in preparation for the trip to the lasik center (several complaints about it) at a lower cost for those that are interested. It's best to know all the information ahead of time if at all possible. There is a minimum thickness that your eyes have to be, I think it's 450 micrometers, and even at that thickness, it's borderline possible; I was below the threshold by 20 or 30 micrometers.

A previous co-worker had it done and is enjoying the freedom from glasses and contacts. It was by his suggestion that I looked closer at having it done as he was a similar prescription and the technology for astigmatism repair had improved considerably since it first began. Everyone that I know that has had it has enjoyed the benefits of going through the process.


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## snickerd3 (Oct 25, 2012)

the whole idea of someone shoot a laser at my eyeballs is beyond scary for me.


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## kevo_55 (Oct 25, 2012)

^^ This!

.... plus, you kind of need your eyes to do engineering.

I think I'll continue to be a "4 eyes."


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## Flyer_PE (Oct 25, 2012)

Same here. I think I'll just stick with my old trusty eye-wear.


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## knight1fox3 (Oct 25, 2012)

snickerd3 said:


> the whole idea of someone shoot a laser at my eyeballs is beyond scary for me.





kevo_55 said:


> ^^ This!
> 
> .... plus, you kind of need your eyes to do engineering.
> 
> I think I'll continue to be a "4 eyes."





Flyer_PE said:


> Same here. I think I'll just stick with my old trusty eye-wear.


Those are the "uninformed" opinions for this type of thing. Once you understand the engineered technology is more than just "shooting at your eye", it's really a very safe and simple procedure.

People said the same kind of things when contacts first made an appearance. "Wha?!?! I'm not sticking that thing on my eyeball!!!"


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## snickerd3 (Oct 25, 2012)

I've made the jump to contacts...when I can wear them...but there is still NFW on the lasik...


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## envirotex (Oct 25, 2012)

Never worn contacts, hate wearing my glasses, so I never do...I am considering having the surgery done because it has been improved so much over the past ten years but I don't have any idea about the cost...anyone know?


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## Supe (Oct 25, 2012)

I see anywhere from $3k to $5k for both eyes.


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## kevo_55 (Oct 25, 2012)

I'm sorry, no one will be cutting the lens of my eyeball to even start the vision correction........


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## Flyer_PE (Oct 25, 2012)

I'm not sure what their current position is, but the FAA was really skittish about the procedure for a long time. I'm not about to do anything that will get me crossed up with an Aviation Medical Examiner.


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## Rockettt (Oct 25, 2012)

It is awesome I did it back in 2005 or so. would do it again. best 2400 bucks i ever spent. well there was that one time in vegas.... but yea.... Lasik the best money every spent! hahaha


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## ventilator (Oct 25, 2012)

My wife had it done. She had the same thickness issue so she had to wear glasses for a while so here corneas could thicken. After that in and out procedure in prob 30 min. Just an FYI to any of the ladies out there don't get it if you want to have kids. Apparently being pregnant can mess with your eyes so after 2 kids my wife now needs to wear glasses driving at night and sometimes watching TV. She is fine the rest of the time but sure wish someone had told us about the pregnancy thing before hand. I think the cost was something like 4K, I don't really remember it was before we got married.


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## snickerd3 (Oct 25, 2012)

I can definitely sympathize with the pregnancy messing up your eyesight. I went from having to wear glasses occassionally to having to wear them full time. The eye dr claimed the pregnancy vision issues should be temporary...but that was not my case.


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## wilheldp_PE (Oct 25, 2012)

I had it done around 2006 or so. I had the guys with the fancy laser to cut the flap (as opposed to them putting a jig on your eye and cutting it with a razor blade). I was the type of guy that wouldn't wear contacts because I couldn't stand the thought of touching my own eyeball, but I made it through OK.

The surgery itself doesn't hurt...they numb your eyes with drops before the surgery, so you can't feel anything. I can say that it is very disorienting, especially when they open the flap to actually laze your cornea. And all the drops after the surgery were kind of a pain in the ass. But I went from legally blind (20-200+) to "better than perfect" (20-15). There are halos when you see bright lights at night, and you are a little more sensitive to sunlight after the surgery, but nothing major.

I had a sub-conjunctival hemorrhage during my surgery which was largely my own fault. After they cut the first flap, apparently I was subconsciously squinting my eyes really hard, so they had to press harder to try to get the laser jig on my other eye. That broke a blood vessel which caused the hemorrhage. It looked like hell for a week or so, but didn't hurt at all.

I also squinted too hard after the surgery and wrinkled one of the flaps. This made my vision blurry. They had to straighten it out at the day-after follow-up visit, and put a no-correction contact in to protect it for a week, but also had no lasting effects. So basically, I had all of the common adverse side-effects to modern Lasik, and I still whole heartedly recommend the process.


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## EM_PS (Oct 25, 2012)

I had it done about 2 years ago - best $3800 I ever spent &amp; would do it again in a heart beat! My vision was pretty highly astigmatic, so more difficult to correct. They used the Z-Lasik procedure (all laser lasik). Painless though highly disconcerting - you feel an intense vacuum pressure during, and def burning post op. But the next day your vision's actually good enought to drive to your followup.

The main thing, besides corneal thickness, is correction stabilization - if its been changing from year to year, you might not wanna spend the $$ on what could be a temporary fix.


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## mudpuppy (Oct 25, 2012)

kevo_55 said:


> I'm sorry, no one will be cutting the lens of my eyeball to even start the vision correction........


This.



knight1fox3 said:


> .
> 
> People said the same kind of things when contacts first made an appearance. "Wha?!?! I'm not sticking that thing on my eyeball!!!"


Also this. I won't wear contacts.

It may be "uninformed" but there is no risk to not sticking shit in your eyes. As soon as you start sticking shit in your eyes there is a risk something could go wrong. I only have two eyes and there is no such thing as an eye transplant if something goes wrong. And things have a tendency to go wrong sometimes, as any good engineer should know.

Case closed.

Now, in the case of my step-mom, who had cataracts to the point where she could no longer see, that's a different story. The risk vs reward is much different in this case.


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## knight1fox3 (Oct 25, 2012)

mudpuppy said:


> I only have two eyes and there is no such thing as an eye transplant if something goes wrong.


http://www.redorbit....nsplant-083112/



mudpuppy said:


> And things have a tendency to go wrong sometimes, as any good engineer should know.


Perhaps only if the methodology has not been tried and true. Which for Lasik is certainly not the case.


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## jeb6294 (Oct 26, 2012)

If you do a search I think there may already be a pretty lengthy thread about this, but....

Had mine done on February 23rd 2006, the day after my son was born. I had contacts but they had gotten to the point that they were really irritating my eyes and starting to do damage. We didn't plan it that way, our son showed up 5 weeks early but my eyes were bad enough that my wife made me go get it done so I wouldn't have to reschedule and get pushed back another few months.

The whole thing was easy and painless. My vision is just as good or better than it was with contacts. I only wish I had gotten it done sooner.


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## Freon (Oct 26, 2012)

I had it done when I was on active duty back in 2005. No complaints, but I am starting to need reading glasses


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## cement (Oct 29, 2012)

I think the mishap rate is almost below 10% now...


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## rktman (Oct 29, 2012)

Well, I had my consult. I am supposedly a good candidate, $4500ish total.

Seems a bit high, so I will think about it for a bit longer.


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## jeb6294 (Oct 30, 2012)

rktman said:


> Well, I had my consult. I am supposedly a good candidate, $4500ish total.
> 
> Seems a bit high, so I will think about it for a bit longer.


Yikes, mine was about $1,800 if I remember right. I actually went in asking them about whatever the newest (and $$$$) laser was at the time and they told me that I didn't need it because I was just plain old nearsighted and the new laser was for complicated procedures.


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## Capt Worley PE (Oct 30, 2012)

Don't you have to forego contacts for two weeks before the consult and two weeks before the operation? That kills it for me (20-240 vision)


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## knight1fox3 (Oct 30, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Don't you have to forego contacts for two weeks before the consult and two weeks before the operation? That kills it for me (20-240 vision)


And you can't wear glasses?


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## snickerd3 (Oct 30, 2012)

if he doesn't have a pair that could cause a problem. I know lots of contact wearers without a pr of glasses


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## knight1fox3 (Oct 30, 2012)

snickerd3 said:


> if he doesn't have a pair that could cause a problem. I know lots of contact wearers without a pr of glasses


And from others I've heard they can get a temporary set. Since they are already spending a good chunk of $$ on the surgery itself.


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## Capt Worley PE (Oct 30, 2012)

knight1fox3 said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > Don't you have to forego contacts for two weeks before the consult and two weeks before the operation? That kills it for me (20-240 vision)
> ...


Negative.


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## rktman (Oct 30, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> knight1fox3 said:
> 
> 
> > Capt Worley PE said:
> ...


3 days before the consult, no contacts. Glasses were allowed. They do dilate you eyes which is a pain, but no big deal.

funny story afterwards: It through off my depth perception and wham, I accidentally hit a car door with mine (don't let your wife park you too close to another car). It made for an interesting meal to have some gal (that I couldn't focus on) giving me a lecture about hitting her car door. I was not happy, but it was funny I'm sure.


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## EM_PS (Oct 30, 2012)

^Yeah i remember that too, that what ever crap they put in your eyes to do the corneal thickness measure really scrambles your vision (temporarily), even with your glasses back on.


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## mudpuppy (Oct 31, 2012)

knight1fox3 said:


> mudpuppy said:
> 
> 
> > And things have a tendency to go wrong sometimes, as any good engineer should know.
> ...


Really, there is 0% chance of anything ever going wrong? I find that hard to believe when they are slicing open your eye.


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## EM_PS (Oct 31, 2012)

There's always going to be the FUD factor, I can't tell if I'm surprised that among engineering ilk it would be so vehemently clung to.


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## Flyer_PE (Oct 31, 2012)

EM_PS said:


> There's always going to be the FUD factor, I can't tell if I'm surprised that among engineering ilk it would be so vehemently clung to.


At least in my case, you have to remember that I'm the guy that had one of the most reliable engines in the GA fleet catastrophically fail before I reached 120 hours of flight time. I know guys with thousands of hours without a glitch. If it can go wrong, it will happen to me.


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## Capt Worley PE (Nov 1, 2012)

^ Flyer's new book "Murphy is my CoPilot' will be out next spring.


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## Flyer_PE (Nov 1, 2012)

It will start just like every other book written by a pilot: "There I was......"


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## snickerd3 (Nov 1, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> ^ Flyer's new book "Murphy is my CoPilot' will be out next spring.


in all seriousnessThat is a GREAT title btw


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## depolarization (Nov 1, 2012)

Any idea if they help to paralyze your eye. I know you can't blink (or shouldn't). Plus when they go in with the scalpel to cut your eye I might freak. Things near my eye always get to me. Advice?


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## Capt Worley PE (Nov 1, 2012)

Flyer_PE said:


> It will start just like every other book written by a pilot: "There I was......"


What's the difference between a fairy tale and a navy Story?

A fairy tale begins, "Once upon a time," and a Navy Story starts, "So, no sh!t, there I was..."



snickerd3 said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > ^ Flyer's new book "Murphy is my CoPilot' will be out next spring.
> ...


Thanks!


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## wilheldp_PE (Nov 1, 2012)

depolarization said:


> Any idea if they help to paralyze your eye. I know you can't blink (or shouldn't). Plus when they go in with the scalpel to cut your eye I might freak. Things near my eye always get to me. Advice?


They put a suction device on your eye to hold it in place while they cut the flap. During the surgery, the laser has an optical tracking device that updates a ridiculous number of times (&gt;1000 times per second) so that it knows exactly where your eye is before it fires a laser blast.


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## knight1fox3 (Nov 1, 2012)

mudpuppy said:


> knight1fox3 said:
> 
> 
> > mudpuppy said:
> ...


Of course there's always a chance. That wasn't my argument. You can play the "what if" game with anything. There's a 0.16% chance that a meteor will hit the earth. But with laser eye correction we are talking about a very proven science here (see post below). It's not like it's a 50/50 kind of thing. Not to mention the very thorough examinations that are conducted to see if a person is even an eligible candidate for the procedure.



wilheldp_PE said:


> They put a suction device on your eye to hold it in place while they cut the flap. During the surgery, the laser has an optical tracking device that updates a ridiculous number of times (&gt;1000 times per second) so that it knows exactly where your eye is *before* it fires a laser blast.


:thumbs:


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## mudpuppy (Nov 1, 2012)

Everyone I know personally who has had it done are all like "ooooh, it's great, you need to do this. . . "

I think they implant some sort of brainwashing device when they have your eye sliced open.


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## wilheldp_PE (Nov 1, 2012)

mudpuppy said:


> Everyone I know personally who has had it done are all like "ooooh, it's great, you need to do this. . . "
> 
> I think they implant some sort of brainwashing device when they have your eye sliced open.


I recommend it if somebody asks me if I recommend it. It does not affect me in the least if you choose not to.


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## knight1fox3 (Nov 2, 2012)

^ and I have not done it yet either. But I am a proponent of having it done.


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## pbrme (Nov 5, 2012)

So one question I have about the procedure: Heard from a guy who had it done that it speeds up macular degeneration. Something like, "If your the kind that's going to need reading glasses when your 65, having a corrective procedure done will make the reading glasses date closer to 55." Is this true?


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## wilheldp_PE (Nov 5, 2012)

pbrme said:


> So one question I have about the procedure: Heard from a guy who had it done that it speeds up macular degeneration. Something like, "If your the kind that's going to need reading glasses when your 65, having a corrective procedure done will make the reading glasses date closer to 55." Is this true?


I'll let you know in 23 years. Seriously, the current methods of performing the procedure aren't old enough to make those kinds of claims yet. They have only had the current generation of technology for about a decade. Plus, some people would need reading glasses at 55, some would need them at 65, and some won't need them at all. How can you make a claim that needing reading glasses at 55 is or is not due to having Lasik? Is there statistical evidence with a large enough sample size to even draw a comparison?


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## snickerd3 (Nov 5, 2012)

macular degeneration runs in the family...most of my grandma's generation (the eldest ones) and generation before that had it... my moms generation is just reaching late 50s to 60s so we shall see....we are hoping it was more from bad nutrition than genetics.


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## jeb6294 (Nov 6, 2012)

pbrme said:


> So one question I have about the procedure: Heard from a guy who had it done that it speeds up macular degeneration. Something like, "If your the kind that's going to need reading glasses when your 65, having a corrective procedure done will make the reading glasses date closer to 55." Is this true?


I don't think so. I know they said that if you're going to need reading glasses you're going to need them whether you get LASIK or not, but I don't think it's supposed to bring them on any faster.


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## pbrme (Nov 6, 2012)

wilheldp_PE said:


> pbrme said:
> 
> 
> > So one question I have about the procedure: Heard from a guy who had it done that it speeds up macular degeneration. Something like, "If your the kind that's going to need reading glasses when your 65, having a corrective procedure done will make the reading glasses date closer to 55." Is this true?
> ...





jeb6294 said:


> I don't think so. I know they said that if you're going to need reading glasses you're going to need them whether you get LASIK or not, but I don't think it's supposed to bring them on any faster.


That's what I want to know. The guy that told me was just a grunt piping super, and also had a stutter. Who knows where he got that information, or If I even heard it right.


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## EM_PS (Nov 6, 2012)

Nope haven't heard that. I know it won't correct the possible need for reading glasses, and anyone from mid-40's on up may find increasing need for reading glasses, whether one's vision is perfect or not.


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## ALBin517 (Nov 26, 2012)

I had to go back a second time. I was legal to drive after the first time but not perfect. I came out 20/20 in one eye and 20/15 in the other after the second procedure.

So it turned out well but not always the "no problem" deal that some try to say.


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