LASIK: Trip Report

[theBruiser500]

Hey guys I have a question I'd really appreciate if you could answer for me, becuase it affects whether I'll get lasik and how soon and eager I will be to do it. My fear is that they'll laser my eyes for 5 minutes or whatever it is and during the time I'll need to keep my eyes looking forward in exaclty the same place and can't move them at all. This seems really hard, and what if I mess up and ruin my eyes?

Could you please talk about this aspect of the operation please?

[7ontheline]

Well, it's important to look straight ahead but there are eye-tracking systems on the lasers so as long as you're mostly trying to look straight ahead it's OK.

[DesertCat]

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I've seen horrible LASIK complications, but they are rare.

7ontheline, Eye M.D.

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How about four (4!) operations on one eye (laser surgery followed by three flap repositions to fix flap wrinkles), including three in three days? My eye was so raw after the third it felt like the Doc had taken an ice scraper to the inside of my eye socket.

After the fourth I am still near-sighted in the eye (the original surgery overcorrected a far-sighted eye). The Doc recommended not doing another corrective lasar surgery, and I happily agreed.

[SmileyPSU]

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5000?

Aren't there places that do it for 2k?

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I had my eyes done at Kremer Laser and at their facilities they offer several different Lasik packages ranging from roughly $1,800 to $4,500. The cheapest, most basic packages covers just the cost of a single surgery, while the most expensive package covers the costs of any future operations.

Lasik was my graduation present so I did not have to spend anything, but my parents decided to go with the most expensive package because there is a very high probability that my eyes are going to deteriorate over time and I will need the surgery again 10-15 years down the line, again 10-15 years after that.

I don't know whether they made a wise choice about springing for the expensive package (maybe I will never need Lasik again, maybe Lasik costs will fall significantly, maybe it will be replaced by a new technology) but as I am likely to need the surgery a few more times in my life my parents felt it better to be safe than sorry.

As for my experience, it was a piece of cake. My eyes are sensitive to the point that when I see someone get poked in the eye, or doctors are probing an eyeball on some TV show like CSI, my own eyes immediately water. I can't touch them. But putting eye drops in has never been a problem for me.

I had a big case of the nerves going in, but the nurses there were very reassuring (and one was very cute, too). The procedure itself was painless. They used the blade to cut the flap, and you don't feel anything except a bit of pressure during the procedure. Once I was in the OR the entire process took 10-15 minutes and I was out and on my way.

I had a harder time dealing with the hours after the surgery, as you are not allowed to watch TV, get on the computer, be exposed to light, etc. I was not offered Vicodin or Tylenol PM to knock me out afterwards, which seems to be the standard from reading some of these other reports. Or if I was, my parents never told me about it...

This is the second time after minor surgery that they have refused to give me any painkillers. When I was 16 I had four impacted wisodom teeth removed...4!! And I got a prescription for Percocet and my mom never filled it because she thought I was handling the pain just fine. Child abuse, I say!!!

[theBruiser500]

SmileyPSU, do you have to keep your eyes looking in exactly the same place for a full 15 minutes? How is that even possible?

[SmileyPSU]

When you lie down on the table they use clamps on your eyelids to keep you from blinking (think Clockwork Orange), and after preparing the eyes before the start using the laser they asked me to focus on an object directly above me (I cannot remember what it was), and keep my eyes there the entire time.

It was alot easier than it sounds. Your eyes are numb at this point so you do not have the urge to move them around or blink to moisturize them.

I am awful when it comes to dealing with things involving my eyes but this really was a piece of cake procedure and the greatest gift my parents ever could have given me. Walking around without glasses or contacts has almost been life-changing.

[renodoc]

When you myopes get your retinal tears and detachments, please feel free to PM me. Having a scleral buckle done will make you wish a Milwaukee Light can fell on your head for whining about your LASIK.

[g3rkshz]

1. typically, how much does LASIK cost? over a grand?
2. does it hurt?

i wouldn't mind paying over a grand. but i'm such a big puss that if the procedure hurts, i'm just going to continue wearing glasses for the rest of my life.

[icepick]

Since there's so much intrest, here's the pre op and actual op report I wrote up last year.

LASIK exam notes:

It was intresting. I had filled out the eye history sheet before I went
in. They gave me a quick eye exam, but it wasn't like a normal one.
First up was the typical Big E projected on the wall (no glasses!)
"Nope, can't see it."

Next up they took two pictures of each eye. It was a weird device, it
was cone shapped, and I was looking into the big end of it. The inside
was black, with many concentric circles of purple light, with a lens at
the center. It made a topographical map of my corneas.

Next up was a device that measured my perscription. I had to stare at
a little picture while it zoomed in and out of focus. Apparently this
determines my exact perscription, none of that "Is this better, or that"
lens swapping. I wonder why eye doctors don't use this all the time.

Last of the inital measurements was another corenal mapper. Nothing to
see, just a red light.

Then I got a 10 minute vides summerizing LASIK. I knew all that stuff
already from my research.

Then I got to speak with the doctor. She did a few more measurements,
including measuring the thickness of my corenas. Then we got down to
the nitty gritty.

I am NOT a good canidate for LASIK. The corena mappings reveal that
they're buldging on the lower sides, kinda pear shapped. LASIK can be
done, but by pealing back the flap, my corenas loose some of their long
term strength, and I risk having them thin so much I may need a corena
transplant in the years to come.

However....I am an exceptional canidate for PRK, which is basicly LASIK,
but with no flap, they just burn off the extra portions of the cornea.
The recovery time is a bit more involved, and would likely be unable to do
much of anything for a couple of days. I'd have to wear contacts as
bandages while the areas where tissue was removed healed.

Lots of questions with the doctor, but generally very optimistic about
my final result being 20/40 or better. Like 95%+

Then I was off to the office manager for the bottom line. $3700, for
both eyes, all the pre and post care (7 appointments!), and any
additional corrections for life. This about what I expected. And
that's with 15% off from my insurance. I asked, normally they'd give a
cash discount, but I can't combine it with my insurance. Then she gave
me several consent forms and whatnot to review.


4 hours post op:

Well, I did it, and I'm not blind.

It went very smoothly. Arrived, filled out a couple (more) consent forms, one last cornea mapping, and had a last minute chat with the doc. Got a perscription for some vicoden, and got my final post-op instructions. Paid the nice lady, and she gave me some Advil and a valium. Back to the waiting room for 10 minutes.

The proceedure itself I can't really describe, as most of the time I was staring at a bright light 6" from my face. But, they gave me a stylish hair net, and ploped me in a dentist like chair. Leaned me back, and it slid me under the light/laser/camera.

They gave me a half dozen eye drops in each eye and let me sit for a few minutes. I know one of them was an anastetic, hence the wait. They put a plastic shield over my left eye, and taped it in place. Then they tapped my eyelashs/eyelids open on the right eye. They put in the thingy that holds my eye open, which wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. Few more drops, and then they (according to C) put a little white disk over my cornea. I couldn't see anything, but after they lifted it, I could see the q-tip removing the outer layer of my cornea. Then, he used what looked to be a ice scrapper, I swear. Couple more drops, and then "Don't move, stare at the light" Then they fired up the laser, it made a clicking noise for about 40 seconds. The light went from really blurry to mostly blury, and then they popped in a "bandage" contact, and removed the thingy and left eye shield. Wash rinse repeat on the other eye.

Got up, walked out, C drove me home. Took a good nap, that valium didn't really kick in until I got home. Woke up after about 3 hours.

Currently, they feel fine, a little scratchy. Like I'm wearing a old pair of contact. I can see alot better than what I could without my glasses/contact, but I'm only good for about 5' of distance right now. Kinda as expected for a few days. 2 different eye drops 4x per day for now. One of them I'll be using for 4 months.

Follow up appointments with my regular doctor tomorrow, Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday.

So, so far so good.


2 day post op:

econd followup with the doctor this morning. My left eye is healing normally. Somehow, I lost the bandage contact in my right eye. That's why it's been hurting more and healing slower than my left. She popped in a new one to replace it. Must of happened while I was sleeping.

Left eye is about 20/60, right is about 20/80, but both are blurly. They're getting better rapidly though. I'm proud to say that I can read the alarm clock with a bit of squinting now.

No pain or anything now, just a bit to scratchyness once in a while, and I've got drops for that. Next appointment is monday morning. She recommended that I stay home that day too. If everything is going as expected, I should have my left bandage contact out then, and the right on Wednesday. I probably can drive on Monday too.

[renodoc]

[ QUOTE ]
Then I got to speak with the doctor. She did a few more measurements,
including measuring the thickness of my corenas. Then we got down to
the nitty gritty.

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Did she look at your retina? A very bright light attached to a head piece and usually you would be leaned back in the exam chair. I believe many retina "LASIK Complications" are actually pre-exisitng tears or detachments that are missed by the refractive cutter.