Well, I'm getting tired of my contacts and breaking my glasses. I currently have -4 in my left eye and -1.5 in my right eye (can't see far too good). I'm thinking of getting surgery done...I've heard postivies and negatives about both.

Biggest thing that worries me about LASIK is its durability. After its fully healed, will simply rubbing your eyes (lets say when you wake up or whatever) dislodge the flap? Or will this only occur on extreme levels? Thanks folks! P.S. can anyone recommend one in L.A.?

 

Because of a slight aberration in the surface of my eye, I chose PRK and wound up with 20/15 in both eyes. I had it done at Stanford. It was worth the money.

If you're worried about LASIK in the least get PRK. The difference is a few weeks of recovery with PRK versus one or two days of recovery with LASIK. There is some pain during the healing process in PRK, but I found it to be negligible (just my experience)... While I have read the same things you probably did about flap reattachment and healing, the kind of trauma that can dislodge the flap would injure your eye regardless. I.e., the flap detaching wouldn't be the only thing you had to worry about.

 

Thanks proto....yeah, just the healing of the cornea is my biggest and probably only concern with Lasik. Just wasn't sure how durable it was. Have there been improvements in PRK? Or is the future pretty much in wavefront Lasik? Man...this feels like a plasma vs. lcd debate....

 

It's my understanding that you can't rub your eye for a few weeks, but after that, it's fully healed. Everyone I've talked to has said to go with Custom Lasik with Wavefront, although the docs I talked to said that the results with PRK are the same, the only difference is the cost (Lasik is more expensive), and the recovery time (Lasik is faster recovery).

I just went through a whole bunch of consultations, so if you have any questions, shoot me a PM.

I can also recommend some good docs in So. Cal.

 

Sweet info. DB8! How about night vision? I heard PRK vision is less accurate at night vs. Lasik (halos, starsbursts etc). Will PM you shortly.

 

It's my understanding that night aberrations are much less frequent now than they were previously, due to the custom wavefront process.

In the past, if you had a -1.5 in your left eye (for example), they would treat your left eye with the standard -1.5 treatment. NOW, they scan your eyeball, and see how light reflects inside your individual eye (not just on the surface) and are able to take that into account when correcting your vision. So your -1.5 treatment will be different from MY -1.5 treatment. This is supposed to cut down on glare and starbursts.

Also, one thing I have learned is that if you've been wearing contacts or glasses for a long time, you most likely already experience glare and starbursts to some level, you just don't notice it anymore.

 

BTW, I went through the consultation process several weeks ago, but have not yet elected to go through the surgery until I get a chance to talk to my primary eye doctor.

(Although not because I doubt the results/technology... but for other medical reasons).

 

Thanks, mang!!

 

NP. I'll send you to a consultation with a doc in Bev Hills... swankiest doctor's office EVAR!!!

 

You can get the wavefront correction with PRK or LASIK - it is just a more detailed mapping of the corneal topology. I don't have any problems with halos or starbursts and I am very, very anal about vision.

Unless you've got a medical reason to do so, LASIK is probably easier, but the end result after a few months is the same.

I was SUPER conservative about having this done, I waited for about 5 years before risking my vision. My issue was that I would not be satisfied with ANYTHING less than perfect vision as I had with contacts. Spend the extra time to set up a medical spending account (so the operation is paid for pre-tax) and inquire about the patient satisfaction rate for your local doctors.