I had it done 2 years ago after 25 years of wearing contacts. I would still be wearing contacts except I started to have problems with them and realized I had to go back to glasses or get the surgery. I'm VERY glad I had the surgery, but a few cautions for anyone considering it are in order.[list=1]
[*]Never go to any place that does both eyes at once and tells you that it's ok to drive home after. No way! In the extremely unlikely event that there are problems, they can not do the second eye till they're sure everything is OK.
[*]Make sure that the person who is doing the surgery is who you think it is. Many of the eye mills are using one name on the ads, but someone else does the actual surgery. This is not something you want done by someone who's still learning it.
[*]Find out how often the surgeon has done the procedure and what his success rate is. Be clear about what constitutes "success". And find out what complications folks have had with him and what that percentage is too. A reputable surgeon will not have any problems discussing this with you.
[*]Consider having it done at a "teaching hospital" or university. Many of these were involved with the pre-release testing phase and have YEARS of experience. Plus they are super careful about everything. I had mine done at San Francisco State University where my doctor had been doing Lasik for years as part of the FDA approval study.
[*]The cheapest price is not necessarily the best price. You want someone that has done it a lot, but you also want a place that isn't cutting corners.[/list=1]

In short, be cautious and conservative. These are the only eyes you get.

 

I had it done last Thanksgiving. I was considering it but when I started spending a decent amount of time at the track it became a PAIN putting glasses on and then the helmet. I now have 20/15 vision and love it. I highly recommend it. One caveat: I did a lot of research before I let someone touch my eyes and the one thing I've found that determines whether this particular surgery is successful or not is the number of surgeries a given doctor has performed. The recommendation I've heard is you should only go to a doctor who has performed 5000 or more. The doctor who did mine is making a lot of money FIXING the surgeries done by the cheap laser surgery places in this area.

 

I had it done 2 years ago, and there was a slight "accident" all caught on tape (I taped my surgery). The best part was the Valium I took before the surgery to calm the nerves, I love it!!!!

I'm 20/20, 20/15 now.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Strike
[B]The recommendation I've heard is you should only go to a doctor who has performed 5000 or more.

 

I agree with doing your homework, and most importantly, ask around for referrals! The doctor who did mine has done more than any other in the Tampa Bay area and was one of the first to do them in Florida.

I had Lasik a year ago. Mine did both on the same day, and the next morning, when I came back for my checkup, I was able to drive home with 20/30 in one eye (always a troublesome eye, they didn't know if it would correct all the way) and 20/25 in the other. Over the course of 3 months, both corrected to 20/20! I know what wirejock's wife felt like when she awoke and started crying... it was unbelievable! I had been in glasses and contacts for 19 years. A year later, I still sometimes reach over to the nightstand in the morning for glasses that aren't there...

The only "issue" I had was that because of the importance of keeping your eyes WELL lubricated, my doc didn't want me in the S2k top down for at least 2 weeks. Oh well, it's a fair thing to give for the result!

 

I want to get it done, but my eyes aren't weak enough for them to do it. My prescription is just too weak. Guess I have to wait for my eyes to get worse.

I used to work for a company based in Toronto. Some of the best laser eye surgeons are up there and you can get the surgery done cheaper, since it's in Canadian dollars. If you live near Canada, that might be an option.

 

how weak is your prescription? how do I know if I'm qualified or not?
I will be in toronto sometime next year, please tell me more about it. thanks

 

Great thread. Both my g/f and I are contemplating having the LASIK. A guy in my building had his done but he had trouble with them (a symptom called 'Sands of Sahara' apparently.) All is well for him now but I think he was in some discomfort for a few months and threatened to sue them.

Doing the 'ol prescription sunglasses swap every time I go outside is the thing that bugs me most. I want to be able to buy 'sunnies' off the rack.

[Edited by Muz on 06-06-2001 at 02:25 PM]

 

Many factors enter into deciding if you are a candidate for Lasik surgery (and please note there are other possible options as well, such as ring implants). It's impossible without an eye examination to know if you're a candidate. I'd suggest if you think you want to do it, start researching who the best surgeons are, then make an appointment for an evaluation exam. The charge for this is usually quite reasonable and is often deductable from your surgical cost if you decide to proceed. If you want to have it done in Toronto (and they have a long experience there), then plan around your Toronto trip, making your appointments accordingly. If you wear contacts now, you should stop wearing them for a month before your surgery for optimal results. (that was the tough one for me!)

 

blau-blau,

My prescription is pretty weak. In my right eye it's 1.5 and in my left eye it's 0.75. My eye doctor told me that the lasik guys actually shoot for correction to what my eyes are. Most people come out with 20/20 or 20/15, but that's not always guaranteed.

I'll try to find the Toronto contact for you. I'll ask one of my friends that had the laser eye surgery there.