LASIK vs. PRK Anecdotes?
February 21, 2013 4:06 PM Subscribe
I have all the details set, but I'm looking for personal stories about laser eye correction, particularly LASIK and PRK.
I had the consultation today and was told I am an ideal candidate for laser correction. I'm planning for this summer. I have to do one eye at a time because I'm using my FSA to pay for the surgery and the max per year is a bit more than the per eye cost.
I know about each surgery and the pros and cons, but I'm looking for personal experiences with each type of surgery. Other anecdotes are helpful, too. I just want to know what your overal experience with PRK or LASIK was like. I also realize that if I choose LASIK there's a chance they won't be able to do LASIK that day and may end up doing PRK after all. I'm not worried about that. If relevant, I am seeing Dr. Stephen Orlin at the Scheie Eye Institue in Philadelphia. Thanks!
I had the consultation today and was told I am an ideal candidate for laser correction. I'm planning for this summer. I have to do one eye at a time because I'm using my FSA to pay for the surgery and the max per year is a bit more than the per eye cost.
I know about each surgery and the pros and cons, but I'm looking for personal experiences with each type of surgery. Other anecdotes are helpful, too. I just want to know what your overal experience with PRK or LASIK was like. I also realize that if I choose LASIK there's a chance they won't be able to do LASIK that day and may end up doing PRK after all. I'm not worried about that. If relevant, I am seeing Dr. Stephen Orlin at the Scheie Eye Institue in Philadelphia. Thanks!
I had LASIK about 12 years ago and had what is generally considered a pretty good outcome - no degradation until the last year or so, when my optometrist diagnosed some very mild astigmatism. I have eyeglasses that I wear as needed for distance clarity but can otherwise function just fine without them to wear sunglasses and whatnot.
The surgery itself was...strange. The sensations and so forth. You're awake, of course, and they put a sort of suction cup thingie on your eye to extrude it a little bit. Then the blade cuts a flap, he lifts it up and the clicking of the laser starts. He asked me to try to fix my vision on a small red light. I had problems sort of holding the image still, and told him so, but he said it was going just fine. That went on for a few moments, he brushed the flap back down, covered that eye, uncovered the other one and repeated the process.
The part I wasn't prepared for was that my vision basically went away completely during the suction bit. That was a bit unnerving the first time but he did a really good job of talking me through it.
The LASIK process, as I recall, was choreographed down to the second by the ophthalmologist and his assistants (I was not sedated at all and very clearly remember various countdowns). It ended with him raising the chair and asking me to look over my shoulder to read the time on the clock across the room. It was crystal clear, and the best I had been able to see since I was probably 8. I think the whole process was done in 25-30 minutes, tops.
After-care was pretty minimal - some drops as needed for dryness, and a follow up visit with my optometrist at the time. That was pretty much it for eye doctors until last year when I consulted one about a stye. He did a quick eye exam and diagnosed the astigmatism, which I had just started to sort of notice.
In any case, I was very happy with the procedure and the outcome. Good luck - I'm sure they've refined the whole thing even further since then, so maybe it's even faster and less freaky than 12 years ago.
posted by jquinby at 4:59 PM on February 21, 2013
The surgery itself was...strange. The sensations and so forth. You're awake, of course, and they put a sort of suction cup thingie on your eye to extrude it a little bit. Then the blade cuts a flap, he lifts it up and the clicking of the laser starts. He asked me to try to fix my vision on a small red light. I had problems sort of holding the image still, and told him so, but he said it was going just fine. That went on for a few moments, he brushed the flap back down, covered that eye, uncovered the other one and repeated the process.
The part I wasn't prepared for was that my vision basically went away completely during the suction bit. That was a bit unnerving the first time but he did a really good job of talking me through it.
The LASIK process, as I recall, was choreographed down to the second by the ophthalmologist and his assistants (I was not sedated at all and very clearly remember various countdowns). It ended with him raising the chair and asking me to look over my shoulder to read the time on the clock across the room. It was crystal clear, and the best I had been able to see since I was probably 8. I think the whole process was done in 25-30 minutes, tops.
After-care was pretty minimal - some drops as needed for dryness, and a follow up visit with my optometrist at the time. That was pretty much it for eye doctors until last year when I consulted one about a stye. He did a quick eye exam and diagnosed the astigmatism, which I had just started to sort of notice.
In any case, I was very happy with the procedure and the outcome. Good luck - I'm sure they've refined the whole thing even further since then, so maybe it's even faster and less freaky than 12 years ago.
posted by jquinby at 4:59 PM on February 21, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for the great stories so far! I would be interested to hear more recent experiences, but really anything is great. Especially pre- and post-op care.
If relevant, I'm 28 and my vision has been stable for the last 4-5 years. Thanks!
posted by two lights above the sea at 5:15 PM on February 21, 2013
If relevant, I'm 28 and my vision has been stable for the last 4-5 years. Thanks!
posted by two lights above the sea at 5:15 PM on February 21, 2013
I had LASIK surgery done in 2010, at LasikPlus in Kansas City. I wrote a series of blog posts about my experience which are probably too long to post here, so here you go. Hope that helps :)
posted by bayani at 6:07 PM on February 21, 2013
posted by bayani at 6:07 PM on February 21, 2013
I had surgery a little over three years ago; I was in my late 30s. I had originally scheduled LASIK. So the doctor successfully cuts the flap in the epithelium on one eye, then goes to do the other. But apparently my superpower is that I have superstrong eyelids (or at least one eyelid) because I keep managing to squeeze off the ring that snickerdoodle describes (not the Clockwork Orange-style prong-y thing that holds your eyelids open, it's a separate device which goes directly on the eyeball to hold it immobile). After a few tries where the surgeon manages only to cut about 20% of the flap in that eye, he stops the procedure and recommends I try PRK at a later date instead. He hadn't done any of the laser ablation at that point, so my vision was unchanged, but I had to wait about three months to be sure the flaps were fully healed.
So I had PRK about three months later, and that went fine. The recovery is a bit longer and more painful than with LASIK, but I had been warned to expect that. Whereas people who get LASIK are often able to drive the next day, I had to wait about four days until I could see well enough to drive. And it takes several months for your vision to fully stabilize, but I understand that's true of both procedures. There were times in the first few months where I could tell my vision at that point was not as good as it had been with glasses before surgery, and I had to take a deep breath and remind myself that I was still in the period where my vision was still improving, and it wouldn't always be like that. I'm completely happy with the results now. I will likely need reading glasses sooner than I would have without surgery, but that's a price I was willing to pay—and so far, although I have noticed a slight deterioration in my near vision, it's not enough that I need reading glasses yet.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 7:01 PM on February 21, 2013
So I had PRK about three months later, and that went fine. The recovery is a bit longer and more painful than with LASIK, but I had been warned to expect that. Whereas people who get LASIK are often able to drive the next day, I had to wait about four days until I could see well enough to drive. And it takes several months for your vision to fully stabilize, but I understand that's true of both procedures. There were times in the first few months where I could tell my vision at that point was not as good as it had been with glasses before surgery, and I had to take a deep breath and remind myself that I was still in the period where my vision was still improving, and it wouldn't always be like that. I'm completely happy with the results now. I will likely need reading glasses sooner than I would have without surgery, but that's a price I was willing to pay—and so far, although I have noticed a slight deterioration in my near vision, it's not enough that I need reading glasses yet.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 7:01 PM on February 21, 2013
I went to Pacific Laser Eye Centre, a pioneer and very high quality operation, 5 years ago, your age. My vision was -2.5, -2.0 (nearsighted) with moderate astigmatism. I had good thick corneas, though, so lots of material to work with (ideal subject).
Cost $1,250 per eye plus examination and aftercare, and (bi-?)monthly checkups with a different MD optometrist for 6 months, then 4 times a year (so they wanted, I said no thanks after the second of these) indefinitely. So that's additional money.
Recovery was mildly annoying but reasonable. I hated the taste of the Prednisol (?) anti-inflammatory eyedrops as it dribbled through my tear ducts and drained into the back of my throat. I definitely had to keep a big bottle of normal eye drops and viscous lubricating eyedrops (less-so) with me, at home, and at my place of work for a couple of years (if what you have on you runs out, you've got some more close at hand). Reliance on them tapered off by the end of the 2nd year, and I can't remember the last time I'd need either. But that could get expensive, for someone on a graduate student stipend, but hey, no more contacts. If you can manage, I think both eyes at once is a far better option than one at a time. Your recovery time (protective eye patches at night, sunglasses all the time, medication, &c.) doubles.
My eyes are still almost perfect. Last checkup (bi-yearly) showed normal vision. Only mild haloing at the beginning as the corneas were healing, and its either gone away or I've gotten used to it. I love it, it's great. Best money I've ever spent.
During the surgery, one eye is clamped open and I was asked to stare at the red (?) light and not to move my eye. Then I saw an intermittent green (?) light which cut up my cornea. Then I smelled the burning. Which was a little freaky. Zero pain, the light was pretty bright. Procedure lasted "a while," probably close to 1 but not more than 2 minutes.
I was pretty adrenaline-y for the second eye, couldn't hold still, and twitched away from focusing on the red light and saw a big bright flash of green (probably just a coincidence). I scared myself witless, but that's my slightly better eye now (which messed up my eye dominance, but no biggie unless I'm drunk enough to see double).
posted by porpoise at 7:53 PM on February 21, 2013
Cost $1,250 per eye plus examination and aftercare, and (bi-?)monthly checkups with a different MD optometrist for 6 months, then 4 times a year (so they wanted, I said no thanks after the second of these) indefinitely. So that's additional money.
Recovery was mildly annoying but reasonable. I hated the taste of the Prednisol (?) anti-inflammatory eyedrops as it dribbled through my tear ducts and drained into the back of my throat. I definitely had to keep a big bottle of normal eye drops and viscous lubricating eyedrops (less-so) with me, at home, and at my place of work for a couple of years (if what you have on you runs out, you've got some more close at hand). Reliance on them tapered off by the end of the 2nd year, and I can't remember the last time I'd need either. But that could get expensive, for someone on a graduate student stipend, but hey, no more contacts. If you can manage, I think both eyes at once is a far better option than one at a time. Your recovery time (protective eye patches at night, sunglasses all the time, medication, &c.) doubles.
My eyes are still almost perfect. Last checkup (bi-yearly) showed normal vision. Only mild haloing at the beginning as the corneas were healing, and its either gone away or I've gotten used to it. I love it, it's great. Best money I've ever spent.
During the surgery, one eye is clamped open and I was asked to stare at the red (?) light and not to move my eye. Then I saw an intermittent green (?) light which cut up my cornea. Then I smelled the burning. Which was a little freaky. Zero pain, the light was pretty bright. Procedure lasted "a while," probably close to 1 but not more than 2 minutes.
I was pretty adrenaline-y for the second eye, couldn't hold still, and twitched away from focusing on the red light and saw a big bright flash of green (probably just a coincidence). I scared myself witless, but that's my slightly better eye now (which messed up my eye dominance, but no biggie unless I'm drunk enough to see double).
posted by porpoise at 7:53 PM on February 21, 2013
I had PRK surgery in the fall of 2008, when i was 31. I have better than 20/20 vision, and no real side effects to speak of. (My eyes get drier faster than others do, but not in a very problematic way - ie. if your eyes start to feel dry after 4 hours on a plane, mine feel dry after about 3.)
I went for a bunch of consultations about Lasik vs PRK, and what it really came down to was that 2 out of three doctors i met with were certain that that's what i'd need, and the third wasn't sure. (I have astigmatism.)
If you get PRK, i would very much recommend that you find a way to do both eyes at the same time. (Like, maybe your doctor will agree to give you two separate invoices, but do the surgery all at once?) This is why: while PRK surgery doesn't hurt, the recovery does - and it takes time. I was on significant pain killers for the first 48 hours, tylenol for a day or two after that. I couldn't really keep my eyes open much until about day 4. I needed a whole week off of work, and then it still takes about a month for your vision to really get up to 100%. (I could function, but in the afternoon when my eyes got tired i found myself needing to increase the font size on my computer.)
Am i glad i had the surgery? HELLS YES. Best decision I ever made. Would i have wanted to go through that twice? NOPE.
posted by Kololo at 8:26 PM on February 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
I went for a bunch of consultations about Lasik vs PRK, and what it really came down to was that 2 out of three doctors i met with were certain that that's what i'd need, and the third wasn't sure. (I have astigmatism.)
If you get PRK, i would very much recommend that you find a way to do both eyes at the same time. (Like, maybe your doctor will agree to give you two separate invoices, but do the surgery all at once?) This is why: while PRK surgery doesn't hurt, the recovery does - and it takes time. I was on significant pain killers for the first 48 hours, tylenol for a day or two after that. I couldn't really keep my eyes open much until about day 4. I needed a whole week off of work, and then it still takes about a month for your vision to really get up to 100%. (I could function, but in the afternoon when my eyes got tired i found myself needing to increase the font size on my computer.)
Am i glad i had the surgery? HELLS YES. Best decision I ever made. Would i have wanted to go through that twice? NOPE.
posted by Kololo at 8:26 PM on February 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
I had LASIK in 1998, and very much regret it.
Long story short: two days after the procedure, my vision was 20/20 and I walked around for 5 years telling everyone it was the best thing I'd ever done.
Then I noticed I...couldn't see so well. So I went back to the surgeon who did the original procedure, asking for the 'touch-up' I was promised. He then told me that they'd had to take too much off my cornea the first time, and it is now inoperable. These days, I wear RGP contact lenses which I have specially made every 18 months at about $1,000 per pair. I have big problems with dry eyes, and find the lenses quite uncomfortable. However, nobody can fit soft lenses onto my eyes, as my eyeballs are now essentially flat at the front.
I don't know how much of this is down to my surgeon doing a bad job, or the fact that I had it done so long ago, or that I was an unsuitable candidate in the first place (which was never indicated to me, but which has been hinted at since). But there's my story, for what it's worth.
posted by Salamander at 10:26 PM on February 21, 2013
Long story short: two days after the procedure, my vision was 20/20 and I walked around for 5 years telling everyone it was the best thing I'd ever done.
Then I noticed I...couldn't see so well. So I went back to the surgeon who did the original procedure, asking for the 'touch-up' I was promised. He then told me that they'd had to take too much off my cornea the first time, and it is now inoperable. These days, I wear RGP contact lenses which I have specially made every 18 months at about $1,000 per pair. I have big problems with dry eyes, and find the lenses quite uncomfortable. However, nobody can fit soft lenses onto my eyes, as my eyeballs are now essentially flat at the front.
I don't know how much of this is down to my surgeon doing a bad job, or the fact that I had it done so long ago, or that I was an unsuitable candidate in the first place (which was never indicated to me, but which has been hinted at since). But there's my story, for what it's worth.
posted by Salamander at 10:26 PM on February 21, 2013
I had LASIK in one eye and PRK in the other, about ten years ago. My experience having the surgery itself was very similar to what jquiny described. One thing I read beforehand was not to breathe through your nose during the actual surgery because apparently you can smell singeing, which is frightening. (I can't confirm that though, because having read that I did not breathe through my nose :-))
My recovery was super-easy: I went home alone fine, put in eye drops and went to sleep. The next day I was astonished at how clearly I could see, and I had no pain or dryness at all. I was using my computer the same day, and went to work the next work day.
I have never regretted having the surgery. My only regret was that I didn't do it years earlier.
What surprised me most was how *convenient* it is to have good eyesight without needing any correction. Never having to think about running out of saline solution / what if my glasses break / what if I am hit in the face with something / what if I step on them / glasses getting fogged up: it was amazing. I also found swimming surprisingly pleasurable once I could do it and actually see at the same time, and I very much enjoyed going to bed without needing to remove contact lenses or even take off glasses.
posted by Susan PG at 12:01 AM on February 22, 2013
My recovery was super-easy: I went home alone fine, put in eye drops and went to sleep. The next day I was astonished at how clearly I could see, and I had no pain or dryness at all. I was using my computer the same day, and went to work the next work day.
I have never regretted having the surgery. My only regret was that I didn't do it years earlier.
What surprised me most was how *convenient* it is to have good eyesight without needing any correction. Never having to think about running out of saline solution / what if my glasses break / what if I am hit in the face with something / what if I step on them / glasses getting fogged up: it was amazing. I also found swimming surprisingly pleasurable once I could do it and actually see at the same time, and I very much enjoyed going to bed without needing to remove contact lenses or even take off glasses.
posted by Susan PG at 12:01 AM on February 22, 2013
I wanted to get LASIK done more than 10 years ago, but before I could I moved abroad and when I came back I decided not to spend what little cash I had on the op. Fast forward 10 years and I was -3.25 in each eye, and stable. I and went to go see a very good consultant in London, the same one recommended to me 10 years previously. I had had a 3 month waiting time to get an appointment.
Having completed the hour of initial checks on the Friday, I went to pay. They normally let people cool off, and make their decision in their own time. I enquired what waiting time there was for the op itself. It was 4-5 weeks. But the booking manager told me that someone had cancelled. There was a spot at 10am the next day, the Saturday. I booked it.
Annoyingly, Mrs MM was busy. So I went on my own. I got public transport there and took some sunglasses, as advised to. I arrived at the hospital at 9.30. At 9.45 I got my briefing with the nurse. At 10am I went in. The operation itself was a minute on each eye. It was unpleasant, but unpleasant like having your teeth drilled under anaesthetic rather than painful. At 10.20 I was out. At 10.50 I was cleared to leave and, with cloudy vision, I left and got a cab home. I was home by 11.20.
The next two hours were painful and I was glad to have help putting in the eye drops. I had an afternoon lie down. Because I'd got the op done at short notice we had scheduled a friend to come stay and have dinner that night. Although my eyes were bloodshot and a bit sore, it wasn't a problem carrying on as normal. My eyesight had a cloudy tinge through the weekend. On Monday morning I went back for a scheduled check up. My eyesight was better than 20/20. Two steps better. I was worried about haloing at night, but the consultant said it would disappear quickly. It disappeared quickly. The cloudiness dissipated completely through week 1.
I went to work on the Monday too, although I avoided too much time in front of a monitor. Those first two weeks were a faff with the eye drops, but manageable. I kept them in a plastic container in the fridge at work, and took them home each evening. I had to wear a set of hilarious plastic goggles at night in case I poked myself in the eye for the first 2 weeks. Through weeks 3-4 I still did eyedrops as requested, but the scheduled frequency was now every 4 hours rather than every 2 hours. A really good tip if you have surgery is to get get used to using eye drops before you do the op, by the way.
Fast forward 12 months and I've completely forgotten I ever wore glasses or contacts. It is like it never happened. It's weird like that. I don't have dry eyes. My night vision is great. Worth every penny. Without hyperbole, I would say it feels life changing.
I do know of people, like Salamander, who have had problems with LASIK. A friend got it done 10 years ago and does get haloing at night. My understanding is that the quality of modern LASIK surgery, particularly the precision of it, has advanced since then. They can, for example, now treat a larger % of the cornea, which mitigates the risk of haloing. 10 years ago eye surgeons still wore glasses. Now many of them have, apparently, had surgery. That said, I would still be inclined to pick the best place/person you can afford to be on the safe side. They are your eyes, and you only get issued with one pair.
posted by MuffinMan at 12:17 AM on February 22, 2013
Having completed the hour of initial checks on the Friday, I went to pay. They normally let people cool off, and make their decision in their own time. I enquired what waiting time there was for the op itself. It was 4-5 weeks. But the booking manager told me that someone had cancelled. There was a spot at 10am the next day, the Saturday. I booked it.
Annoyingly, Mrs MM was busy. So I went on my own. I got public transport there and took some sunglasses, as advised to. I arrived at the hospital at 9.30. At 9.45 I got my briefing with the nurse. At 10am I went in. The operation itself was a minute on each eye. It was unpleasant, but unpleasant like having your teeth drilled under anaesthetic rather than painful. At 10.20 I was out. At 10.50 I was cleared to leave and, with cloudy vision, I left and got a cab home. I was home by 11.20.
The next two hours were painful and I was glad to have help putting in the eye drops. I had an afternoon lie down. Because I'd got the op done at short notice we had scheduled a friend to come stay and have dinner that night. Although my eyes were bloodshot and a bit sore, it wasn't a problem carrying on as normal. My eyesight had a cloudy tinge through the weekend. On Monday morning I went back for a scheduled check up. My eyesight was better than 20/20. Two steps better. I was worried about haloing at night, but the consultant said it would disappear quickly. It disappeared quickly. The cloudiness dissipated completely through week 1.
I went to work on the Monday too, although I avoided too much time in front of a monitor. Those first two weeks were a faff with the eye drops, but manageable. I kept them in a plastic container in the fridge at work, and took them home each evening. I had to wear a set of hilarious plastic goggles at night in case I poked myself in the eye for the first 2 weeks. Through weeks 3-4 I still did eyedrops as requested, but the scheduled frequency was now every 4 hours rather than every 2 hours. A really good tip if you have surgery is to get get used to using eye drops before you do the op, by the way.
Fast forward 12 months and I've completely forgotten I ever wore glasses or contacts. It is like it never happened. It's weird like that. I don't have dry eyes. My night vision is great. Worth every penny. Without hyperbole, I would say it feels life changing.
I do know of people, like Salamander, who have had problems with LASIK. A friend got it done 10 years ago and does get haloing at night. My understanding is that the quality of modern LASIK surgery, particularly the precision of it, has advanced since then. They can, for example, now treat a larger % of the cornea, which mitigates the risk of haloing. 10 years ago eye surgeons still wore glasses. Now many of them have, apparently, had surgery. That said, I would still be inclined to pick the best place/person you can afford to be on the safe side. They are your eyes, and you only get issued with one pair.
posted by MuffinMan at 12:17 AM on February 22, 2013
One thing I read beforehand was not to breathe through your nose during the actual surgery because apparently you can smell singeing, which is frightening. (I can't confirm that though, because having read that I did not breathe through my nose :-))
Yep, I can confirm it. Nobody warned me, and I breathed through my nose, and it smells like burning skin. No biggie, but pretty gross if you're not expecting it.
My understanding is that the quality of modern LASIK surgery, particularly the precision of it, has advanced since then. They can, for example, now treat a larger % of the cornea, which mitigates the risk of haloing.
I would suspect, and hope, that this is the case. Hopefully there are less complications all around, although I would like to clarify that although I have haloing, that is far from my biggest issue. The major problem is that my vision has deteriorated a lot, I can't have LASIK or any other surgery again, and I can't wear soft contact lenses. Which puts me in a worse position than before I had it done, frankly.
My vision pre-LASIK was something like -10 in one eye and -9.5 in the other, plus some hefty astigmatism in both. I've since been told that the surgeon should probably have advised me not to have it done.
I'm not trying to put you off, because my procedure was a long time ago, but I do think people make decisions about LASIK too lightly. Much of what they do is not reversible. So I agree with MuffinMan: get the best surgeon possible. And if you have a strong prescription, get a second opinion.
posted by Salamander at 1:49 AM on February 22, 2013
Yep, I can confirm it. Nobody warned me, and I breathed through my nose, and it smells like burning skin. No biggie, but pretty gross if you're not expecting it.
My understanding is that the quality of modern LASIK surgery, particularly the precision of it, has advanced since then. They can, for example, now treat a larger % of the cornea, which mitigates the risk of haloing.
I would suspect, and hope, that this is the case. Hopefully there are less complications all around, although I would like to clarify that although I have haloing, that is far from my biggest issue. The major problem is that my vision has deteriorated a lot, I can't have LASIK or any other surgery again, and I can't wear soft contact lenses. Which puts me in a worse position than before I had it done, frankly.
My vision pre-LASIK was something like -10 in one eye and -9.5 in the other, plus some hefty astigmatism in both. I've since been told that the surgeon should probably have advised me not to have it done.
I'm not trying to put you off, because my procedure was a long time ago, but I do think people make decisions about LASIK too lightly. Much of what they do is not reversible. So I agree with MuffinMan: get the best surgeon possible. And if you have a strong prescription, get a second opinion.
posted by Salamander at 1:49 AM on February 22, 2013
On what Salamander said: my friend, an eye surgeon, recommended her mentor partly because he had enough integrity, standing and wealth to turn away people who shouldn't have surgery. He specialises in difficult and edge cases. As it turned out mine was about as simple as it gets for him but that is why I avoided the cheaper places who run a lot of promotions. If I was an edge case I wanted to know.
posted by MuffinMan at 2:28 AM on February 22, 2013
posted by MuffinMan at 2:28 AM on February 22, 2013
I had LASIK done last year at the Cleveland Clinic. I paid a little more than I would have at places like TLC or LasikPlus, but I think it was worth it for the peace of mind.
It went off without a hitch, and I am still seeing better than 20/20 to this day (superhuman vision baby, yeah!).
posted by Thanquol180 at 6:37 AM on February 22, 2013
It went off without a hitch, and I am still seeing better than 20/20 to this day (superhuman vision baby, yeah!).
posted by Thanquol180 at 6:37 AM on February 22, 2013
I had laser vision correction 3 months ago, but INTRALASE (aka 'bladeless LASIK' where the flap is cut by a femtosecond laser instead of a microkeratome). My decision to go with INTRALASE is because I had a high prescription, astigmatism, and was at risk for dry eye. I also went with the best practitioner in the area, which while $$$, was also known to turn DOWN clients if they are not a good candidate for surgery. The fee also covered a 'lifetime guarantee' and all post-operative visits and medication.
Short version: I'm overjoyed with the outcome and would totally do it again but my recovery has been SLOW (but steady).
My biggest challenge has been DRY EYE.
However, this did not take me by surprise as I specifically asked about my dry eye risk during the consultation. I was informed after my initial consultation that I had some minor dry eye, but the optometrist suspected it was due to contact lens use based on the location of the dryness. She told me to leave off the lenses for 6 weeks at which point they will reevaluate my eyes (the dryness was indeed gone after 6 weeks). We also discussed management options should dry eye issues arise - essentially I might be on a more aggressive drop regiment for a longer period of time. If necessary, tear duct plugs might also be used.
I'm glad I had that chat because BOY DID I GET DRY EYES... to the point where I had post-operation haze for several weeks - not because I wasn't healing properly - but entirely because dry patches were blurring my vision. I was given a mass of eyedrops to use obsessively which I supplement with personal measures such as taking fish oil supplements, drinking lots of water, and using a humidifier. My dry eye was exacerbated by the fact I work in a terrible office environment: computer work, dry office air, bright lights. For the first few weeks I could barely use my computer/ read a Kindle, even after I ratcheted the fonts to a huge size.
So specifically what took my by surprise was that I could see distance but actually lost my NEAR VISION because of dryness. So while I was prepared to have dry eye and to deal with it, I did not expect that dry eye would have manifested itself this way.
The good news is that my eyes have gotten much better with time. I'm told that three months is a key milestone for dry eyes as it takes that much time for the nerves in the eye (which detect dryness and therefore regulate tearflow) to regenerate. This much seems to be true in my situation.
So I'd say that a big thing to keep in mind is that the recovery period is considered to be ONE FULL YEAR. So manage your expectations - yes while you will have a noticeable improvement in vision right after the procedure, be prepared to address challenges such as dry eye, halos, blurriness etc and understand that these issues may take time to resolve.
posted by kitkatcathy at 7:13 AM on February 22, 2013
Short version: I'm overjoyed with the outcome and would totally do it again but my recovery has been SLOW (but steady).
My biggest challenge has been DRY EYE.
However, this did not take me by surprise as I specifically asked about my dry eye risk during the consultation. I was informed after my initial consultation that I had some minor dry eye, but the optometrist suspected it was due to contact lens use based on the location of the dryness. She told me to leave off the lenses for 6 weeks at which point they will reevaluate my eyes (the dryness was indeed gone after 6 weeks). We also discussed management options should dry eye issues arise - essentially I might be on a more aggressive drop regiment for a longer period of time. If necessary, tear duct plugs might also be used.
I'm glad I had that chat because BOY DID I GET DRY EYES... to the point where I had post-operation haze for several weeks - not because I wasn't healing properly - but entirely because dry patches were blurring my vision. I was given a mass of eyedrops to use obsessively which I supplement with personal measures such as taking fish oil supplements, drinking lots of water, and using a humidifier. My dry eye was exacerbated by the fact I work in a terrible office environment: computer work, dry office air, bright lights. For the first few weeks I could barely use my computer/ read a Kindle, even after I ratcheted the fonts to a huge size.
So specifically what took my by surprise was that I could see distance but actually lost my NEAR VISION because of dryness. So while I was prepared to have dry eye and to deal with it, I did not expect that dry eye would have manifested itself this way.
The good news is that my eyes have gotten much better with time. I'm told that three months is a key milestone for dry eyes as it takes that much time for the nerves in the eye (which detect dryness and therefore regulate tearflow) to regenerate. This much seems to be true in my situation.
So I'd say that a big thing to keep in mind is that the recovery period is considered to be ONE FULL YEAR. So manage your expectations - yes while you will have a noticeable improvement in vision right after the procedure, be prepared to address challenges such as dry eye, halos, blurriness etc and understand that these issues may take time to resolve.
posted by kitkatcathy at 7:13 AM on February 22, 2013
I had PRK about 4 years ago and my wife had LASIK about three. Neither of our surgeries were all that remarkable. Her recovery was very simple. Obviously mine took a few more days, but I didn't think it was particularly painful. I would equate it with the feeling you get when you wear contacts longer than you should.
After about a year or so, I started getting headaches when working on a computer for extended lengths of time. I have been meaning to get a touch up on the offending eye, but in the mean time I use glasses when at the computer because they don't bother me and I can go without them for short periods of time if I like.
posted by Silvertree at 8:54 AM on February 22, 2013
After about a year or so, I started getting headaches when working on a computer for extended lengths of time. I have been meaning to get a touch up on the offending eye, but in the mean time I use glasses when at the computer because they don't bother me and I can go without them for short periods of time if I like.
posted by Silvertree at 8:54 AM on February 22, 2013
kitkatcathy - i just wanted to give you one random point of anecdata that you may find reassuring: I had TERRIBLE dry eyes for several months after the surgery. TERRIBLE. Like, i googled about the problem, and found a story about a guy who'd committed suicide in part because he had an unbearable dry eye problem, and i thought "i can totally see that." It gradually got better over about six months, and then all of a sudden it i realised that i hadn't used my drops in a week. And now i haven't used drops in years.
posted by Kololo at 7:16 PM on February 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Kololo at 7:16 PM on February 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
Hope I'm not too late, but is YESTERDAY recent enough for you? I had my "both eyes corrected for distance" customer LASIK with Intralase done at TLC in Rockville less than 24 hours ago. The whole affair went like this:
First appointment was my evaluation at the center - they did piles of tests, including those weird string things to test tear production, and numbing my eyes to see how my corneas responded to pressure. They asked me to schedule an appointment with my own eye doctor for a dilation exam, scheduled a pre-op appointment at their center, and put me on the surgery schedule. They put me on Restasis and told me to start taking fish or flaxseed oil and Vitamin C.
Dilation appointment was a week ago - standard eye doctor stuff, but my eye doctor actually worked at a laser center a few years ago, and spoke very candidly about things that the center performing the procedure would not (funny smells! weird sounds!).
Pre-op was a mirror of the first evaluation appointment - they re-did every single thing. I was given 3 prescriptions for different eye drops (anti-inflammitory, antibiotic, prednisone) and a list of other OTC things to buy (two different kinds of eyedrops and an ointment to use before bedtime for a few days pre-op).
Yesterday morning I showed up at my "arrive time" - 10:40. No makeup, no perfume, no lotions, no jewelry above the neck. I got a name tag and had to sit and wait for almost an hour. JUST enough time to start overthinking and being more nervous than I thought I would be. When they finally took me back (my husband was with me for everything except the laser suite, BTW), we went into a regular eye-exam room. Someone sat me down to tell me "what I needed to know" about the procedure. It had been explained before, but this was the first time anyone said out loud "we will use the first laser to do the flap on both eyes, then move you to the other laser" - logistics kind of stuff. This was also the first time they described the process of keeping your eyes still while they cut the flap. After I signed a couple more things, they gave me a bag with eyedrops, a surgical cap, and my post op instructions. I gave the bag to my husband. Next the doctor came in with a student who'd been shadowing him - he asked if it was ok if she stayed, I said fine. He sat down to talk to me and asked if I was nervous - I was; I was crying a little, and stressed. He gave me two Aleve and a half miligram of Xanax, explained that my only job was to remember to breathe and to keep my facial muscles soft, and that he couldn't wait to see how thrilled I would be when we were done.
I was led into a "relaxation room" for about fifteen minutes - the doctor basically talked to me, put me in that room, ran into the surgical suite to do another patient, then sent someone to get me. The room was big but cramped with equipment, quite cold, and there was music playing (Pandora station stuff). I was asked if I liked "calming music? spa-type music?" I said "oh, hell no" so they just left it on with whatever was playing.
I was asked to lie on a long, padded table thing, and a foam wedge was placed under me from my knees to my feet (my feet were on the high end of the wedge). someone gave me a teddy bear so I would have something to do with my hands. Both eyes were numbed, one was taped shut. I was asked to stare at Ben's finger while they inserted a kind of clear plastic collar inside my eye (I could see it a tiny bit, and could feel them lifting my eyelids around it so it was fully inside. Then everything got dark - this was when they sat something on my eye to use gentle suction to pull it out just a bit. Someone was very gently holding my head the whole time, reminding me to breathe, etc. It did not hurt, it was just weird and uncomfortable. They can see how long the laser has left to fire, and were counting it down out loud - my countdown for this part was 17 seconds for each side. They removed the plastic collar and repeated the process on the other eye. My vision at this point was just like without my glasses, but a little bit underwater.
I was walked about 8 steps to the other laser chair. Same wedge under my legs, but this chair/table had a recessed place to cradle your head. More drops were put in my eyes, I'm guessing numbing, they were totally numb the whole time but drops of one sort or another were put in 5-6 times. There was a panel right above me with lots of white/blue lights (tiny ones) on the periphery, a blinking green light in the middle, and kind of a "net" of tiny red lights that moved around. One eye was taped shut again, the other was taped open with really soft tape, while they inserted something to hold my eye open. This was the part I was most freaked out about, but I could barely see it go in. I was asked to focus on the green light, and the doctor went in and raised the flap out of the way - my vision went instantly blurry and swimmy and I could barely see anything - just light and shape. I was told that the laser would begin firing, and it would make noises, so don't worry, and it would make smells, too, but the smells were the laser emitting something, not my eye burning - I did smell something, but it was a very chemical smell. It was not pleasant, but it didn't smell like "OMG EYE IS FRYING". We did a similar countdown here, but because my astigmatism was really really bad, it was "longer than usual". I think 45-55 seconds? Once, I moved my head a bit too far, and the laser stops immediately. "Look back at the green light, Katrina, you're doing great" and it picked right back up. Lots of drops and wiping my eyeball with a q-tip looking thing, which I realize was the doctor smoothing the flap back in place. Eyeball tongs come out, eye is taped closed, repeat for the other eye.
I was walked to a chair in the laser suite when we were done - I could see/mostly read the clock on the wall - it was swimmy/watery because I had so many drops in my eyes. They gave me a pair of wraparound shades, took my picture with the doctor, and helped me out to the waiting room where my husband was hanging out. We got in the car to head home (about a 30 minute drive). About halfway home, my eyes really started watering, I couldn't even stand the light through the sunglasses, so I wrapped my scarf around my head. When we got home, I had him put some numbing drops in - it wasn't really a painful feeling, more of an itching/burning kind of thing. I'd been instructed to nap for 2-3 hours, but knew I couldn't if my eyes felt like that. Two drops, instant relief, slept for an hour, did two more drops, slept for another hour. I did notice some halos last night, but they weren't what I expected - it's like a soft glow around things, not a big, bright ring. They say for most (but not all) people that goes away you heal.
I have a chart of eye drop application for the next two weeks, but this morning I honestly feel great. I see my own eye doctor at 11 (gotta run get a shower), but the light sensitivity seems ok, I have literally no pain, a touch of dryness. I know I will need reading glasses at my age (very early 40s) and I'm totally ok with that. I cannot WAIT to buy an outrageously cool pair of non-prescription sunglasses!
posted by ersatzkat at 6:28 AM on February 28, 2013 [1 favorite]
First appointment was my evaluation at the center - they did piles of tests, including those weird string things to test tear production, and numbing my eyes to see how my corneas responded to pressure. They asked me to schedule an appointment with my own eye doctor for a dilation exam, scheduled a pre-op appointment at their center, and put me on the surgery schedule. They put me on Restasis and told me to start taking fish or flaxseed oil and Vitamin C.
Dilation appointment was a week ago - standard eye doctor stuff, but my eye doctor actually worked at a laser center a few years ago, and spoke very candidly about things that the center performing the procedure would not (funny smells! weird sounds!).
Pre-op was a mirror of the first evaluation appointment - they re-did every single thing. I was given 3 prescriptions for different eye drops (anti-inflammitory, antibiotic, prednisone) and a list of other OTC things to buy (two different kinds of eyedrops and an ointment to use before bedtime for a few days pre-op).
Yesterday morning I showed up at my "arrive time" - 10:40. No makeup, no perfume, no lotions, no jewelry above the neck. I got a name tag and had to sit and wait for almost an hour. JUST enough time to start overthinking and being more nervous than I thought I would be. When they finally took me back (my husband was with me for everything except the laser suite, BTW), we went into a regular eye-exam room. Someone sat me down to tell me "what I needed to know" about the procedure. It had been explained before, but this was the first time anyone said out loud "we will use the first laser to do the flap on both eyes, then move you to the other laser" - logistics kind of stuff. This was also the first time they described the process of keeping your eyes still while they cut the flap. After I signed a couple more things, they gave me a bag with eyedrops, a surgical cap, and my post op instructions. I gave the bag to my husband. Next the doctor came in with a student who'd been shadowing him - he asked if it was ok if she stayed, I said fine. He sat down to talk to me and asked if I was nervous - I was; I was crying a little, and stressed. He gave me two Aleve and a half miligram of Xanax, explained that my only job was to remember to breathe and to keep my facial muscles soft, and that he couldn't wait to see how thrilled I would be when we were done.
I was led into a "relaxation room" for about fifteen minutes - the doctor basically talked to me, put me in that room, ran into the surgical suite to do another patient, then sent someone to get me. The room was big but cramped with equipment, quite cold, and there was music playing (Pandora station stuff). I was asked if I liked "calming music? spa-type music?" I said "oh, hell no" so they just left it on with whatever was playing.
I was asked to lie on a long, padded table thing, and a foam wedge was placed under me from my knees to my feet (my feet were on the high end of the wedge). someone gave me a teddy bear so I would have something to do with my hands. Both eyes were numbed, one was taped shut. I was asked to stare at Ben's finger while they inserted a kind of clear plastic collar inside my eye (I could see it a tiny bit, and could feel them lifting my eyelids around it so it was fully inside. Then everything got dark - this was when they sat something on my eye to use gentle suction to pull it out just a bit. Someone was very gently holding my head the whole time, reminding me to breathe, etc. It did not hurt, it was just weird and uncomfortable. They can see how long the laser has left to fire, and were counting it down out loud - my countdown for this part was 17 seconds for each side. They removed the plastic collar and repeated the process on the other eye. My vision at this point was just like without my glasses, but a little bit underwater.
I was walked about 8 steps to the other laser chair. Same wedge under my legs, but this chair/table had a recessed place to cradle your head. More drops were put in my eyes, I'm guessing numbing, they were totally numb the whole time but drops of one sort or another were put in 5-6 times. There was a panel right above me with lots of white/blue lights (tiny ones) on the periphery, a blinking green light in the middle, and kind of a "net" of tiny red lights that moved around. One eye was taped shut again, the other was taped open with really soft tape, while they inserted something to hold my eye open. This was the part I was most freaked out about, but I could barely see it go in. I was asked to focus on the green light, and the doctor went in and raised the flap out of the way - my vision went instantly blurry and swimmy and I could barely see anything - just light and shape. I was told that the laser would begin firing, and it would make noises, so don't worry, and it would make smells, too, but the smells were the laser emitting something, not my eye burning - I did smell something, but it was a very chemical smell. It was not pleasant, but it didn't smell like "OMG EYE IS FRYING". We did a similar countdown here, but because my astigmatism was really really bad, it was "longer than usual". I think 45-55 seconds? Once, I moved my head a bit too far, and the laser stops immediately. "Look back at the green light, Katrina, you're doing great" and it picked right back up. Lots of drops and wiping my eyeball with a q-tip looking thing, which I realize was the doctor smoothing the flap back in place. Eyeball tongs come out, eye is taped closed, repeat for the other eye.
I was walked to a chair in the laser suite when we were done - I could see/mostly read the clock on the wall - it was swimmy/watery because I had so many drops in my eyes. They gave me a pair of wraparound shades, took my picture with the doctor, and helped me out to the waiting room where my husband was hanging out. We got in the car to head home (about a 30 minute drive). About halfway home, my eyes really started watering, I couldn't even stand the light through the sunglasses, so I wrapped my scarf around my head. When we got home, I had him put some numbing drops in - it wasn't really a painful feeling, more of an itching/burning kind of thing. I'd been instructed to nap for 2-3 hours, but knew I couldn't if my eyes felt like that. Two drops, instant relief, slept for an hour, did two more drops, slept for another hour. I did notice some halos last night, but they weren't what I expected - it's like a soft glow around things, not a big, bright ring. They say for most (but not all) people that goes away you heal.
I have a chart of eye drop application for the next two weeks, but this morning I honestly feel great. I see my own eye doctor at 11 (gotta run get a shower), but the light sensitivity seems ok, I have literally no pain, a touch of dryness. I know I will need reading glasses at my age (very early 40s) and I'm totally ok with that. I cannot WAIT to buy an outrageously cool pair of non-prescription sunglasses!
posted by ersatzkat at 6:28 AM on February 28, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for all the wonderful stories! Turns out, because of an autoimmune disorder I have, I have to get PRK. This is fine for me, and obviously I want to do what's best for my eyes.
I also found out that I can get the procedure done one both of my eyes at the same time, thanks to a grace period in my FSA. That won't be happening until July, but I'll definitely update this post afterward! Thanks again!
posted by two lights above the sea at 3:41 PM on March 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
I also found out that I can get the procedure done one both of my eyes at the same time, thanks to a grace period in my FSA. That won't be happening until July, but I'll definitely update this post afterward! Thanks again!
posted by two lights above the sea at 3:41 PM on March 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
« Older I have 30 minutes to do something nice for my wife... | Help me translate a phrase into Quenya Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
I was religious about my eyedrops, and there are about a million. I drank a ton of water, and I rested for that week. I also had an issue where one of the contact lenses folded over and that was exceptionally painful. Being who I am, I refused the numbing drops as they told me before surgery they slowed healing, but that's only if you use them a lot. This I did not know.
They were really surprised I did not use them when the contact folded over as, yeah, that hurt. A lot. In fact the whole thing was pretty achy and scratchy and ugh, but here I am 10 years later with better than 20/20, my night vision is still really pretty good, I don't get dry eyes all that much at all, and the only issue I really have is sometimes if I open my eyes in the morning too fast they can hurt quite a bit. It is hard to explain. I would do it again tomorrow if I had to, but it was a PIA at the time. No one really makes that clear, LASIK or PRK. Sleeping in goggles for a week is not a lot of fun.
My brother had LASIK a year before I did and his is degraded pretty good, but it could be his eyes, his age (he is older) or a host of other things.
posted by oflinkey at 4:30 PM on February 21, 2013