Lasik?

[Guoseph]

Ok I'm thinking this year is the year. Been wearing glasses since middle school and wanna have a few years of good eyesight before everything goes south.

Do you guys have any recommendations about the procedure (or the process of finding a provider) that you can share?

Any long term effects for those of you who have done it a while ago?

Any negative experiences or things to look out for?

Any recommended providers that you had a good experience with?

Any chance some insurance will pay for some of it or is it all elective? I have a chance to re-select my insurance plan/provider soon so it could be a factor.

Thanks everyone,

Alex

 

[Son-of-Ricardo]

Ok I'm thinking this year is the year. Been wearing glasses since middle school and wanna have a few years of good eyesight before everything goes south.

Do you guys have any recommendations about the procedure (or the process of finding a provider) that you can share?

Any long term effects for those of you who have done it a while ago?

Any negative experiences or things to look out for?

Any recommended providers that you had a good experience with?

Any chance some insurance will pay for some of it or is it all elective? I have a chance to re-select my insurance plan/provider soon so it could be a factor.

Thanks everyone,

Alex

Alex,
I qualified for and received Lasik eye surgery 11 yrs ago in Colorado Springs at the Air Force Academy while I was still in uniform. It was performed gratis because I was active duty at the time. The laser was on each eye for approximately one minute (less on my left eye). Recovery was relatively quick and painless for me. A different story for my wife who did not quality for Lasik and subsequently had PRK. Aside from the "starbust" effect (glare from lights) when driving at night and occasional dry eyes, my vision after 11 yrs has largely been pretty good. At my recent annual eye examination, I was found to still be 20/40 needing glasses only as an option for night driving.

Freeing myself of glasses and contact lenses was one of the best things I did for myself. As a motorcycle rider, cyclist, snowboarder... I could not believe I chose to wait as long as I did. I'd do it all over again even if I had to pay out of pocket. The procedure is typically considered elective by most insurance companies, but check your policy. Good luck and keep us posted...

 

[joeberentsen]

Hi Alex,

I had PRK laser surgery when I lived in South Korea in 2010. I paid out-of-pocket, but medical costs there are so much lower that I could easily afford to go to one of the top clinics in the country. It was roughly $900 per eye. The procedure was very quick and easy but the recovery was very, very painful. I could not look at any light at all for a whole day, at one point. But that passed quickly and I have perfect vision to this day, with the minor exception of night lights like Son-of-Ricardo said. My eyes are never dry and I love never having to wear contacts or glasses again until I am an old man.

 

[Guoseph]

So I've read about the starbust and halo effects, does wearing glasses at night help with that? Is it bad enough to be distracting for driving or riding?

I hate driving at night cuz I seem to get double glare from the windshield/faceshield then again on my glasses.

 

[zammer]

Also had PRK, recovery time was 6 weeks and was pretty bad. LASIK takes about 3 days and you're functional after 24h.

Wouldn't get it again. Contacts never really bothered me, I just got it for work reasons but would have made it work until that passed. Lasik yeah, trivial recovery.

Night vision isn't as good, bright lights bother me (not so much starburst because they do higher order correction now, just feels bright) but it is nothing debilitating just slightly annoying sometimes. Nothing really fixes it tbh.

 

[Guoseph]

Also had PRK, recovery time was 6 weeks and was pretty bad. LASIK takes about 3 days and you're functional after 24h.

Wouldn't get it again. Contacts never really bothered me, I just got it for work reasons but would have made it work until that passed. Lasik yeah, trivial recovery.

Night vision isn't as good, bright lights bother me (not so much starburst because they do higher order correction now, just feels bright) but it is nothing debilitating just slightly annoying sometimes. Nothing really fixes it tbh.

6 weeks! That's a long time, did you have pain for 6 weeks or vision problems?

Contacts are hard for me cuz I have small eyes and the doctor told me the shape of my eye does not match typical contact lenses so they sometimes pop off.

 

[davidmc]

Had my eyes done 12 years ago and it is one of the best things I have ever done. Recovery time was quick and in accordance with what the doctor told me. I get occasional dryness in the eyes, but not often and totally manageable. Insurance covered nothing and it wasn't cheap, but worth every penny.

I used Turner Eye Institute in San Leandro, they were top-notch and I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone.

 

[FXCLM5]

i wouldnt do it, give it another 20 years - if you can wait that long

ive seen some ppl have very successful outcomes and some fully regret it

worst thing is the nightvision shenanigans

some ppl can literally have 0 problems and some have issues where they can no longer drive at night.

fukdatshit, if im paying thousands of dollars per eye the shit better eliminate the need to see another eye dr for like 20+ years!

 

[HadesOmega]

TOTALLY DO IT! It changed my life. You realize how different it is without having to wear glasses. It's easier to put your helmet on and you can wear any sunglasses you want, any goggles you want.

I got LASIK surgery done almost 4 years ago and my sight still excellent. It was my only shot at applying for a helicopter pilot in the army national guard.

I was 20/15 the day after surgery. It is kinda of a bitch after surgery because you need to sleep with goggles on, can't rub your eyes, itchy eyes, you see halo glows around lights, need to put drops. But it's totally worth it in the end. I don't even notice the halos anymore. Your also awake when they do it I don't like anything coming near my eyeballs so it kinda freaked me out. If they offer you valium or some kinda drug to calm you do TAKE IT.

It cost me about $5000 and I had Scott Hyver in Santa Clara do it.

Best time to do it is when your eyes stop changing like when your in your late 20's I think. You can always get it again if it changes I suppose. Also you might not be able to get it done if you wear contact regularly because your eyeball is thinner than normal. It's a case by case basis so see a doctor first about it and see if there is any risk involved and what your options are. Typically the consultations are free so what's there to lose.

 

[zammer]

They put a protective lens on for the first week - that was hell. it gets clogged with protein and sticks to your (now raw) eyeball underneath all the time. After that just mega dry eyes and some pain for the next week.

Corneal epithelial stem cells are on the periphery of the eye - they grow inward when PRK ablates off a 1cm diameter spot to perform the correction. As they grow in the need to flatten to be transparent, and they meet in the center of your vision which scatters extra light. Means you'll be seeing through a foggy eye for the first 4-6 weeks, like unable to drive bad.

Lasik makes 3 cuts with a laser and then folds it up, meaning your epithelium only needs to 'sew' that up, and none of the damage is in your field of vision. So vision isn't compromised during the healing process.

 

[bikeama]

We are all going to get old if lucky. I had cataract surgery two years ago. First question asked was have you had Lasik surgery. I said no but why? Was told if done wrong they could not do the cataract surgery. Question I would ask before having it done.

 

[El Feo]

We are all going to get old if lucky. I had cataract surgery two years ago. First question asked was have you had Lasik surgery. I said no but why? Was told if done wrong they could not do the cataract surgery. Question I would ask before having it done.

Yeah, I'm just waiting to become an old enough fucker where they take out my God given lenses and replace them with man-made (i.e., cataract surgery).

 

[Guoseph]

We are all going to get old if lucky. I had cataract surgery two years ago. First question asked was have you had Lasik surgery. I said no but why? Was told if done wrong they could not do the cataract surgery. Question I would ask before having it done.

I'm totally hoping that by the time I get old enough for cataract surgery we'll have access to bionic eyes. I'd definitely sign up to be a 70 year old cyborg and get YouTube piped directly to my eyeball.

 

[El Feo]

I'm totally hoping that by the time I get old enough for cataract surgery we'll have access to bionic eyes. I'd definitely sign up to be a 70 year old cyborg and get YouTube piped directly to my eyeball.

You don't need milky vision to get it. But, docs prefer to wait until the mid-life reading glasses change.

Hell, it's better than the diffraction caused by the scar tissue produced from PRK or Lasik.

 

[Ogier le Danois]

So I've read about the starbust and halo effects, does wearing glasses at night help with that? Is it bad enough to be distracting for driving or riding?

I hate driving at night cuz I seem to get double glare from the windshield/faceshield then again on my glasses.

Every person I know in Meatspace who has done it has night vision issues, sensitivity to light or halos/contrast issues.

I know a former US Congressman who is now effectively blind in one eye due to a series of botched fixes. A former employee of mine has to care for her Husband when both eyes were damaged during the initial surgery and the various fixes after.

I did the consult and decided against it because I found those who recommended it would let slip their side effects when pressed. Likewise all Lasik providers require you to sign away their liability.

Ask a lot of questions. This is serious surgery.

 

[Moto Beck]

damn, i was considering this as well, recently changed contact brands and they're terrible when riding - they dry out quickly and move around when i'm pushing it. May go back to my previous brand but was thinking of saying screw it and going with lasik.

 

[born2lse]

I got lasik in early January and it has significantly improved my quality of life, I highly recommend it. Find yourself a reputable doctor with many proven cases and you should be in good hands.

There is risk to it and you have to be willing to accept the risk. One of my friend's sister had a botched surgery and took the doctor to court over it. Many people also go into it with unrealistic expectations and end up disappointed they cant see into the future afterwards. The FDA ran a study on the results of lasik and basically half the people who get the surgery will experience some sort of visual symptom (halo, dry eyes, poor night vision, ect) 3 months after the operation, but that is expected for up to 6 months after. 95% are satisfied with the results, and less than 1% need correction after the initial surgery.


The actual operation portion is ridiculously quick, I probably spent about 10-15 minutes on the reclining chair. Basic process goes something like this:

1. You sit down in the reclining chair and the nurse applies a couple eyedrops.
2. They slide a tool around your top and bottom eyelid to keep your eye open.
3. The doctor places the blade tool over your cornea and begins cutting, which takes about 5 seconds. This is the most uncomfortable portion, it's a slight pain and feel similar to getting something stuck in your eye. The tool also blocks out light as it cuts so don't worry if everything goes dark.
4. The doctor then flips up your cornea and everything will become extremely blurry.
5. The laser will start going off, you'll see some trippy lights and the edge of your vision may darken. This takes about 10-15 seconds.
6. Doctor flips your cornea back in place and it's onto the next eye.

When I got off the chair I saw an immediate improvement in my left eye but my right was a little blurry, but to be fair my right eye has always sucked. I felt my vision was good enough that I probably could have driven home but I took an uber instead. Once you get home your best bet is to fall asleep immediately because once the eyedrops wear off it's going to feel like you have gravel under your eyelids (ask how I know). 6 hours later my eyes were down to a dull soreness, 24 hours later I was totally fine and enjoying vastly improved vision.

Now that it's a month later I am still experiencing some of the visual symptoms. I work on a computer all day so my eyes will get dry every once in a while. I feel my night visions isnt as crisp as I remember it being with contacts. And I do get the halo effect. However I have noticed that all three symptoms are improving and I've accepted that it may never be perfect but I'm more than satisfied with the results.

If you have any specific questions let me know!

 

[asdfghwy]

Best decision I ever made. I'll never forget the next morning driving to my next day checkup and seeing the hillside by 280 so green and vibrant. Riding has never been the same (for the better!) ~$1700 for both eyes in san bruno a couple years ago, no issues and has 20/15 vision tested about a year ago

 

[kuksul08]

I've heard overwhelming positive reviews of lasik.

However the small number of negatives really freak me out, and I consider my eyes to be pretty damn irreplaceable.

 

[El Feo]

There is a correlation between positive reviews and small corrections.

Meaning, if you're legally blind--like I am--you ain't gonna achieve no happy, non-ghosting 20/15 no matter what.