I am somewhat considering Lasik (or one of the other cornea treatments) more as a medical procedure than strictly vision correction.

By the way, frequent corneal erosions (like every other week), royally sucks. For about 3 hours, I'd rather break my leg again.

Did it back around 2006 in my early 20s. Still perfect vision to this day. No complaints. Went to Tylock.

Got it Oct last year. Completely worth it.

Take the time and visit an Opthamologist ( not your local optometrist) and get their opinion on Lasik. I was convinced I wanted to get the surgery done and my opthamologist advised against it.

Had it done in 2008. I was basically blind before and I am still 20-15 now. Best money ever spent. Had it done at Texas Regional Eye Center in College Station by Dr. Terry Perkins.

I went to Green Eyes in Bryan to get my screening and then they sent me to Austin for the iLASIK procedure. This also allowed me to have all my follow up sessions in Bryan at Green Eyes.

When I had the procedure, I took the Valium. It was a little freaky staring at the red dot when I knew what was happening. They started with my right eye and I think I was a little nervous and didn't keep my focus on the dot 100%. The left eye was much better and I held it on the dot the whole time. I'm pretty sure that that's why my right eye is slightly weaker now, but it's still 20/20 while the left eye is 20/15 (almost 2 year later). Drove to Austin the night before and got a hotel room. Took a taxi to and from the clinic, then slept for a few hours after the procedure. Felt fine and drove back to Bryan that evening.

Having it done was one of the best decisions I ever made. My contacts would always bother me during allergy season, and now I never worry about it.

After my last follow up, the optometrist said there was zero sign of the procedure. Not a single scar and he said he almost couldn't tell I had it done.

Berkely Eye Center for me.
Cost about $4,000.

I wore contacts for about 15 years.
I think it was worth it. I was always paranoid about losing a contact at the worst possible time or being in a situation where I had limited or no access to replacement lenses. (traveling, hunting, SHTF, whatever)

I also had gotten an eye infection related to the contacts and that made me a little paranoid.

If you are perfectly satisfied with glasses or contacts and aren't paranoid about ever losing your lenses then stick with that. Avoid the risk associated with Lasik.

Another thing for those considering Lasik, If I would have had the time for an extended recovery, I might have gone the PRK route. As I understand it, it is not quite as accurate as contemporary Lasik and the recovery time is much longer and painful, but the long term results are better. There is no "flap" that needs to be protected. From what my Dr. told me, professional sports players and active duty military opt for PRK due to its durability.

Had mine done in '99 at Gary Tylock in Irving. At the time, it was a fairly new procedure, and my cost was $4k. I was concerned with the long term effectiveness, and had heard that if you had a violent impact like a car wreck, your corneal flap could come loose.

I could not be happier, and it was the best $4k I ever spent. Almost 15 years later, and I can still see things at a distance that many of my friends can't. There was absolutely no pain during or after the procedure for me, although, you are a little nervous knowing that your cornea is being cut with a laser.

Interesting side note...back when I was in the golf business, I was working on one of the large golf course sprinklers, you know the kind that will blow a hole in your leg if they hit you. While I was working on it, the computer program kicked it on, and I took a direct (and I do mean direct) hit straight into my right eye. I was really worried (see previous comment about cornea coming loose) that I would have major issues. My eye was swollen shut for about 2 days, and I could not see out of the eye. I went to the optometrist in Tyler after the swelling reduced, and tested 20/20 with no damage other than a little temporary redness.

OP....

I had mine done at Mann Eye in Katy. I was legally blind without glasses. Left eye has astigmatism. Right eye had a negligible amount of astigmatism. Both eyes are currently corrected to 20/10.

There was no pain at all when they cut the cornea. Its all done with laser and the Doctor was very good. I took the valium or whatever because...well, why the f--- not?

Anyway, I could SEE the tool they used for the cornea, but I could not feel it touching anything. He pulled back the cornea, things when slightly more blurry than before, the laser did its thing for 6 seconds, he put the cornea back....and on to the next eye.

When I was done...like immediately afterwards when I stood up from the chair, I could see there was an improvement made. My eyes were a little uncomfortable for the first 30 mins, but not too bad.

Seriously, the most ass pain and trouble is wearing the guards at night.

They used a local on my eye. It is like the stuff they put in your eye before testing your pressures.....except they put like 10 drops in.


You don't feel anything. And...I use a Groupon...YES...a groupon for it so it was better than the insurance discount. It was the best money I have ever spent.

Also, as for the red dot, Mann Eye equipment (and probably all) has a 'tracker' on it. Your eye will be suctioned still and the eyelids pulled back. If you somehow manage to move your eye anyway, the laser stops immediately. It has no bearing on the quality of the procedure.

[This message has been edited by BrazosDog02 (edited 10/28/2013 2:03p).]

Ursus,

I didn't know what a corneal erosion was until I saw your post and googled it. Even though I had LASIK, I get those sometimes, too. Not fun.

PineTreeAg
Is PRK cheaper/more expensive?

And I also have had an infection from contacts...that hasn't affected your sight after the procedure, correct?

Xpress, I didn't even get pricing on PRK due to the recovery time. I didn't want to miss that much work. I don't think you are even supposed to drive for a couple days after PRK. However, I have heard the cost are about the same.

My eye infection was due to wearing a pair of contacts longer than I should have. I had it treated quickly and waited for it to heal and it didn't affect my LASIK at all. Eye infections can be bad news though.

I had PRK at Baylor College of Medicine about 4 years ago. Can't remember the docs name. Recovery time was a bit longer than Laksik and it was very painful for about a day the day after the procedure. I am more light sensitive now and wear sunglasses outside without fail, unless it is raining or overcast. Nothing painful just have to squint a bunch. The procedure was very quick, less than 5 minutes for both eyes. Fantastic experience overall.

Was literally looking into LASIK this morning and was about to settle on Tylock. You guys have me sold. Thanks!

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heard that if you had a violent impact like a car wreck, your corneal flap could come loose.

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I asked about this before having mine, and the doc pretty much told me that it was a mostly overblown worry and that after the flap fully heals there is no additional concern.

So for a few days, you do need to worry (one reason why they make you wear the goggles at night), but after a relatively short period of time you eye heals as if nothing ever happened.

I had PRK (surface ablation of the cornea with no incision) 12 years ago and it was one of the best bennies of military service. The (Navy) ophthalmologist told me that most private doctors probably would not perform the procedure on me because I had borderline "large pupils" but he said that it was not a problem if the person operating the laser knows what they are doing. I went from 2/200, 20/250 to 20/15, 20/20. That lasted until about a year ago and I am now at 20/25 in both eyes but as a 45 year I am not complaining a bit. I can still read newsprint as close as 8" away from my face to the predicted presbyopia has not become a problem yet either.

I had serious dry eyes and halo effects for about a month and a half after the procedure and dryness that was little more than an annoyance for a year afterward and then it just stopped. I would not have complained if I had to live with that level of dry eyes the rest of my life but it went away completely. The post operative discomfort was not significant in my opinion. My eyes have hurt far worse and longer from exposure to CS gas than from PRK. I was extremely light sensitive for about 48 hours but after flying back from the Naval hospital three days after the procedure I drove myself home from the airport with just some sunglasses to deal with the glare.

I strongly recommend PRK over Lasik if you have three or four days to convalesce. The moderate discomfort on the front end avoids the incision and the remote chance that it becomes infected under the flap or delaminates at some time in the future. Those are small risks but (according to the Navy ophthalmologist) PRK actually results in a stronger epithelial layer that what you were born with. That's why it was the only refractive surgery procedure the Navy would allow on pilots and spec warfare personnel.

I was a scrub tech for a LASIK surgeon for a while and I'd be glad to answer any questions.

It's definitely a buyer beware type of procedure. If you have thin corneas or are already prone to dry eye, or are uncorrectable to 20/20 then this procedure may not be for you. That being said it is incredibly successful for the large majority of people.

No it won't fix the need to wear reading glasses later in life unless you can handle monovision, which most men can't.

PRK should be considered as your first option if you have large pupils, or must drive or fly at night as part of your job. ( this is just my opinion) but it does have a prolonged recovery period.

Also see a few doctors and their staff who will be measuring your eye. Some doctors are more interested in performing a wallet biopsy instead of making the best decision for you and your vision: if it feels uncomfortable or not right at any time walk away.

One more thing... I had asked before I got iLASIK if there were any concerns about diving. I couldn't find much data on it at the time. I went diving about 6 months after the procedure with zero issues. It was awesome being able to see clearly and not worry about my contacts possibly coming out while SCUBA diving.

I had it done at Mann/Berkeley in Houston in 1998---went from 20/850 to 20/20. My left eye has developed some astigmatism and needs a slight correction to see at a distance.

I am almost 50 and have to wear progressives with distance/computer/reading. The distance is correction is almost negligible. Even though I am wearing glasses, it is such a huge improvement over 20/850 I am a happy person.

Being on the OB how did the Lasik surgery help or harm your ability to shoot or hunt with open sights or scopes?

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I didn't notice any difference with open sights, other than being able to see the target I was shooting at much, much better.

I was told that there was a chance I'd have to re-zero my scopes due to the changes in my vision imparted by the laser. I honestly don't know how true that is as I ended up changing up load data with my deer rifle anyway, and every scope I've had since then has been upgraded.

I would guess that, at worst, you need to re-zero your scoped rifles. Which you should be doing at the beginning of the season anyway.

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Being on the OB how did the Lasik surgery help or harm your ability to shoot or hunt with open sights or scopes?

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Big improvement. The front sight post looked as big and sharp as the outline of the Washington Monument against the sky.

Had mine done in 97. By Stephen dell in Austin. Still test 20/15 or better. Now 51, I am starting to use readers. Nothing you can do about that.

Ahh, now that I see it mentioned, PRK is what the doctors have discussed doing as sort of a last resort for the corneal erosions. There is a lot of debate about whether it would be elective or a needed medical procedure. Next step is stomal punctures, after that PRK is about the last option.

Apparently if I can deal with complete corneal debridement, the PRK isn't too bad.

[This message has been edited by ursusguy (edited 10/28/2013 9:06p).]

AggieMPH2005

What are your thoughts on the names of Doctors being listed here?

Serious talk, what are the chances someone goes blind or has significantly worse to legally blind vision as a direct result of LASIK?

Dr Bowman at the Cornea Institute of Dallas did mine Oct '99. Still doing great

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AggieMPH2005

What are your thoughts on the names of Doctors being listed here?

Serious talk, what are the chances someone goes blind or has significantly worse to legally blind vision as a direct result of LASIK?

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There is always a chance something bad will happen - just like with any surgery, even the most routine and mundane of surgeries. The odds are decidedly against anything bad happening. I don't recall exactly what they were, but it was a decimal point and then several zeros before the 1 and percent sign.

The big questions to ask are things like:

1. How many procedures had the doctor personally done?
2. Will he personally do the surgery?
3. How old is his equipment?
4. When was the last time the equipment was calibrated and certified?
5. Is it owned ot leased equipment (owned is generally better)?
6. When was the last sheduled and unscheduled serive performed?
7. What are the credentials of the doctor, their fellow partners, and the staff?
8. Any complaints against them from customers? Can you get a personal reference to contact?

Things like that anyway. I understand the hesitancy, because they are your eyes, but don't work yourself into being so nervous you get the drizzles. LASIK is a tried and true procedure with an extraordinarily low rate of failure.

After my wife compilations I was referred this from a doctor. Has a lot of information.

RY

1. LASIK causes dry eye
Dry eye is the most common complication of LASIK. Corneal nerves that are responsible for tear production are severed when the flap is cut. Medical studies have shown that these nerves never return to normal densities and patterns. Symptoms of dry eye include pain, burning, foreign body sensation, scratchiness, soreness and eyelid sticking to the eyeball. The FDA website warns that LASIK-induced dry eye may be permanent. Approximately 20% of patients in FDA clinical trials experienced "worse" or "significantly worse" dry eyes at six months after LASIK.(1)

2. LASIK results in loss of visual quality
LASIK patients have more difficulty seeing detail in dim light (loss of contrast sensitivity) and experience an increase in visual distortion at night (multiple images, halos, and starbursts). A published review of data for FDA-approved lasers found that six months after LASIK, 17.5 percent of patients report halos, 19.7 percent report glare (starbursts), 19.3 percent report night-driving problems and 21 percent complain of eye dryness.(1)  The FDA website warns that patients with large pupils may suffer from debilitating visual symptoms at night.

3. The cornea is incapable of complete healing after LASIK
The flap never heals. Researchers found that the tensile strength of the LASIK flap is only 2.4% of normal cornea.(2) LASIK flaps can be surgically lifted or accidentally dislodged for the remainder of a patient’s life. The FDA website warns that patients who participate in contact sports are not good candidates for LASIK.

LASIK permanently weakens the cornea. Collagen bands of the cornea provide its form and strength. LASIK severs these collagen bands and thins the cornea.(3) The thinner, weaker post-LASIK cornea is more susceptible to forward bulging due to normal intraocular pressure, which may progress to a condition known as keratectasia and corneal failure, requiring corneal transplant.

4. There are long-term consequences of LASIK
•  LASIK affects the accuracy of intraocular pressure measurements,(4) exposing patients to risk of vision loss from undiagnosed glaucoma.

• Like the general population, LASIK patients will develop cataracts. Calculation of intraocular lens power for cataract surgery is inaccurate after LASIK.(5) This may result in poor vision following cataract surgery and exposes patients to increased risk of repeat surgeries. Ironically, steroid drops routinely prescribed after LASIK may hasten the onset of cataracts.

• Research demonstrates persistent decrease in corneal keratocyte density after LASIK.(6) These cells are vital to the function of the cornea.  Ophthalmologists have speculated that this loss might lead to delayed post-LASIK ectasia.

5. Bilateral simultaneous LASIK is not in patients’ best interest
In a 2003 survey of American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) members,(7) 91% of surgeons who responded did not offer patients the choice of having one eye done at a time. Performing LASIK on both eyes in the same day places patients at risk of vision loss in both eyes, and denies patients informed consent for the second eye. The FDA website warns that having LASIK on both eyes at the same time is riskier than having two separate surgeries.

6. Serious complications of LASIK may emerge later
The medical literature contains numerous reports of late-onset LASIK complications such as loss of the cornea due to biomechanical instability, inflammation resulting in corneal haze, flap dislocation, epithelial ingrowth, and retinal detachment.(8) The LASIK flap creates a permanent portal in the cornea for microorganisms to penetrate, exposing patients to lifelong increased risk of sight-threatening corneal infection.(9) Complications may emerge weeks, months, or years after seemingly successful LASIK.

7. LASIK does not eliminate the need for glasses
Since LASIK does not eliminate the need for reading glasses after the age of 40 and studies show that visual outcomes of LASIK decline over time,(10) LASIK patients will likely end up back in glasses – sometimes sooner rather than later.

8. The true rate of LASIK complications is unknown
There is no clearinghouse for reporting of LASIK complications. Moreover, there is no consensus among LASIK surgeons on the definition of a complication. The FDA allowed laser manufacturers to hide complications reported by LASIK patients in clinical trials by classifying dry eyes and night vision impairment as "symptoms" instead of complications.(1)

9. Rehabilitation options after LASIK are limited
LASIK is irreversible, and treatment options for complications are extremely limited. Hard contact lenses may provide visual improvement if the patient can obtain a good fit and tolerate lenses. The post-LASIK contact lens fitting process can be time consuming, costly and ultimately unsuccessful. Many patients eventually give up on hard contacts and struggle to function with impaired vision. In extreme cases, a corneal transplant is the last resort and does not always result in improved vision.

10. Safer alternatives to LASIK exist
Some leading surgeons have already abandoned LASIK for surface treatments, such as PRK, which do not involve cutting a corneal flap. It is important to remember that LASIK is elective surgery. There is no sound medical reason to risk vision loss from unnecessary surgery. Glasses and contact lenses are the safest alternatives.


References:

1. Bailey MD, Zadnik K. Outcomes of LASIK for myopia with FDA-approved lasers. Cornea. 2007 Apr;26(3):246-54.

2. Schmack I, Dawson DG, McCarey BE, Waring GO 3rd, Grossniklaus HE, Edelhauser HF. Cohesive tensile strength of human LASIK wounds with histologic, ultrastructural, and clinical correlations. J Refract Surg. 2005 Sep-Oct;21(5):433-45.

3. Jaycock PD, Lobo L, Ibrahim J, Tyrer J, Marshall J. Interferometric technique to measure biomechanical changes in the cornea induced by refractive surgery. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2005 Jan;31(1):175-84.

4. Cheng AC, Fan D, Tang E, Lam DS. Effect of Corneal Curvature and Corneal Thickness on the Assessment of Intraocular Pressure Using Noncontact Tonometry in Patients After Myopic LASIK Surgery. Cornea. 2006 Jan;25(1):26-28.

5. Wang L, Booth MA, Koch DD. Comparison of intraocular lens power calculation methods in eyes that have undergone laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis. Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc. 2004;102:189-96.

6. Erie JC, Patel SV, McLaren JW, Hodge DO, Bourne WM. Corneal keratocyte deficits after photorefractive keratectomy and laser in situ keratomileusis. Am J Ophthalmol. 2006 May;141(5):799-809.

7. Leaming DV. Practice styles and preferences of ASCRS members--2003 survey. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2004 Apr;30(4):892-900.

8. MEDLINE database of citations and abstracts of biomedical research articles. PubMed

9. Vieira AC, Pereira T, de Freitas D. Late-onset infections after LASIK. J

I had RK 19 years ago. No pain, several months of starburst but went from 20/1600 to 20/20 almost instantly but definitely overnight. I was able to read menu at Subway within an hour of having eyes done. Would do it again with out a doubt. Wore glasses since 5th grade, contacts since college and only readers now. BUT old age is catching up with me and I'm afraid I may have to go back to lenses. Had it done at Key Eye Clinic in Dallas.

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Serious talk, what are the chances someone goes blind or has significantly worse to legally blind vision as a direct result of LASIK?

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Roll the dice!

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I had RK 19 years ago

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RK as in Radial Keratotomy, and not PRK as in Photo Refractive Keratectomy? I didn't know that RK was done in the US after ~1990.

I would recommend Kleinman Evangelista in DFW. I know the staff there and they are very very good. Custom LASIK depends heavily on measurements which are not taken by the doctors but the staff at their office.

The people I know that work there I trust and have a lot of good things to say about their docs.

There are other good ones out there and some bad ones, so I'll just repeat, if your experience feels like buying a used car or a cattle call stay away.

One of the last ones to have it done I guess. Remember watching the tug of the incision. Still would do again.

I had it done by Dr Starck at UltraVision (San Antonio).

Very happy with the results. For the first 3-4 weeks, I noticed significant halos around lights at nighttime, but that has subsided. There are still slight halos, but I can't say for certain whether I saw slight halos before the surgery or not... could be that my vision is exactly what it used to be, but I'm just monitoring for halos now when I wasn't before...

My wife had significant dry-eye after she had hers done. She had her procedure in January, which is the height of Cedar Fever season here in S.A. She has it bad and LIVES on benadryl thru Dec-Feb. Benadryl dries your eyes, along with your sinuses, so in hindsight, we should have waited to have hers done in March or so. If you have allergies, DON'T do Lasik during your allergy season.

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I would be curious if anyone approaching 50+ or creeping toward bi-focal vision needs has done Lasik.

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Lasik reshapes your cornea to adjust your vision. Age related far-sightedness is due to your lens getting less flexible. One doesn't affect the other. However, if your cornea is reshaped to increase the focal length of your vision (i.e. give you better far vision) then that means your lens has to work harder to give you good focus on near objects. I'm 47 and just seeing the first effects of age related hyperopia. I definitely can't thread a needle or find a splinter like I could pre-surgery.

I was nearsighted and had astigmatism (primarily the astigmatism, actually). The doctor gave me monovision... i.e. my right eye is "full bore distance" while he left the left eye somewhat nearsighted. I can focus up close better with that eye. It took about a week to adjust to monovision, now I don't even notice. He said that by doing my eyes that way, it would put off my need for reading glasses by 3-5 years. Once I need the reading glasses anyway, he will tweak my left eye to match the right one. I get free corrections for the rest of my life, as long as I go in for an annual exam to maintain my "warranty."

I figure I picked the most appropriate icon for this post...

[This message has been edited by TX AG 88 (edited 10/29/2013 7:44a).]