I heard from one person that it is painful but everytihng I have read everywhere else says that the anesthetic they use leaves no room for pain during the procedure. I have a real issue with anyone but myself touching my eyes. How uncomfortable is the tool they use to keep your eyes open during the procedure and finally, how long does the procedure last?

Have I asked enough questions? Hehehe!

let talk! i found that everyone had a horror story about someone who did it..but the ones who did it love it...total actual surgery time was minutes..they spent 15 telling me what they would do..and the noises and smells...they numbed my eye..used this suction cup thing that pulled the lens away...one eye tickled the other felt like they were pressing my eye a little bit..the suction thing also cut the lens...when that happened your vison fades..they lay the lens back... lasered my first eye 14 seconds the other one 19..and smelled something kinda like a hair burning..but not as strong..after..they smoothed the lens back over with this mini spatula looking thing..again this tickled my eyes..i could tell my sight was crisp..but kinda like the room was smoked filled...no pain at all for me..and even after..my eyes felt dry...but no pain at all..i hated glasses too..i wore hard contacts for 30 years and was stuck in glasses 10 months before my eyes had gone back to normal shape..so i could have lasik! I had mine done 3 weeks ago..and I love it!!! I wish you well in what you decide ;o)

Thank you for your thoughtful response. My biggest issue will probably be with the suction thing. I have a huge issue with others touching my eyes. But, I find that I am determined enough to have it done if I am a candidate (I was supposed to find out tomorrow but due to unforseen events, have been rescheduled for Wednesday) so I think I have actually mind over mattered myself into giving up this ridiculous case of the willies that the very thought of someone, other than myself, touching my eyes gives me. I can now actually think about the suction thing without getting the worst case of the willies up and down my spine. I hate glasses. Cleaning them, re-cleaning them for an obstacle sized particle of dust, recleaning them because I sneezed and accidentally touched a lense with the tip of my finger while going to cover my nose and mouth. Glasses suck. I know that I may not be completely out of them after the procedure but, I really look forward to not having to depend on them for all of my waking hours.
I appreciate your response. You have relieved me a great deal. Now, if only my doctor could have kept my appointment for tomorrow!
Thank you again!

I found the worst part, by far, was the metal clamp that the doctor places to keep your eyes open. It hurt particularly on my left eye for some reason. The doctor did the right eye first, and the clamp was moderately painful, and then when he put it on my right eye it was very uncomfortable. I said "Wow, that really hurts" and he said "Yah, the left eye is always worse than the right." I didn't ask why that is the case.

But don't get me wrong, it's not like it's unbearably painful. I guess I noticed because the rest of the procedure was pain free. Even the suction thing on the eye didn't bother me.

I found the worst part, by far, was the metal clamp that the doctor places to keep your eyes open.

hmm, i thought the one they used on me was a kind of eye shaped plastic clear tool and it suctioned on my eye...then after the cuts were made, they just used tape to hold my lids back i think...it all happened so fast was hard to remember some parts ;)

hmm, i thought the one they used on me was a kind of eye shaped plastic clear tool and it suctioned on my eye...then after the cuts were made, they just used tape to hold my lids back i think...it all happened so fast was hard to remember some parts ;)

Yes, the technique in your procedure does sound slightly different. The metal clamps I talk about are exactly like the ones used on Malcolm McDowell's eyes in the desensitization scene in "A Clockwork Orange."
(sorry if you haven't seen the movie!)

Nonetheless, they hurt.

My biggest issue will probably be with the suction thing. I have a huge issue with others touching my eyes. But, I find that I am determined enough to have it done if I am a candidate (I was supposed to find out tomorrow but due to unforseen events, have been rescheduled for Wednesday) so I think I have actually mind over mattered myself into giving up this ridiculous case of the willies that the very thought of someone, other than myself, touching my eyes gives me.


You sound exactly like I did till 3 years ago tonight (that's when I had it!). It hurt a little tiny bit, but it wasn't real pain, it was more like unfamiliar discomfort, and by the time I realized it, it was over.....

I was also told the left eye hurt more than the right. I asked why and they said they didn't know, that was just what most patients said. I couldn't tell much difference myself.

Another thing you'll need to "mind over matter" yourself for (or at least I did) was about 20-30 drops in each eye for about 2 weeks. Let me tell ya, until the procedure, I was the biggest wimp on the planet about drops going in my eye! I was at my eye doctor about 2 weeks before I was to have it done, and he tried putting drops in to dialate my eyes, I almost squirmed right out of the chair! I just had to keep telling myself "Self, you HAVE to have these drops after the surgery. If you make it thru the surgery then can't handle the drops, BAD things will happen." But at the procedure, they put so many drops in my eyes while I was on valium, that it made me realize that nothing bad was going to come from the drops.

It does smell weird though. I didn't notice it so much during the procedure because of the valium, but for a month or so afterwards I'd get a whiff of it. No one else could smell it though, except for just a few hours right after it.

I could see as soon as they sat me up though. It was awesome! I went from legally blind to near perfect in 10 minutes! When I went for my one day follow up the next morning, I was seeing about 20/50, and by about a week later it had improved to 20/20. It was the BEST thing I've ever done for myself. I have no regrets whatsoever.

Hey Sooner,
I had my procedure 2 weeks ago and, you are right...there was practically nothing to it.
I did smell the scent of burning hair, skin or even almost a match. And, until you said it yourself, I wasn't sure if I did actually smell that same smell post-op for the first day. I thought I might have been imagining but, if you say you smelled it for such a long time afterwards than, I tend to think it wasn't my imagination. That was kind of gross and a little weird that I could smell it all day afterwards but, nothing that I couldn't handle. Plus, I had already heard from another person that I knew that had it done (about 4 years ago) that there was a burning smell. It actually made my ex-co-worker nauseous but, since I knew to expect it, it didn't bother me.
I am glad to hear that you are doing so well. My vision wasn't as bad as yours was before my procedure so, I was seeing 20/20 the day after and when I went in to make sure that my clumsy rear didn't mess up the cornea in my right eye after I tapped it with the eye drop bottle, I was seeing 20/15. I have my 2 week post-op follow-up tonight after work and am looking forward to my results.
I have had to use alot of eye drops too and my doc says that after about 45 days it will get dramatically better and then some months after that it should stop. My eyes have their good moisture days and their really bad 2 or more vials a day moisture days. If I weren't a slightly vain girl, I could go without eye makeup (not that I use a huge amount) and that might keep them a little more moist. I noticed that that was the case over the weekend when I didn't wear any makeup. But, I am slightly vain (barely at all) and feel that I need a little eye makeup to look slightly less tired! Hehehe! What's a girl to do? Hehehe!

You said it about it being the best thing you ever did for yourself! I couldn't agree more! I would pay twice the amount to be able to see like I can now! I have never spent so much money and felt so guilt free about it!

I had mine done about two years ago. I even had it video taped for me. I felt alittle pressure on my eyes, but it did not hurt at all. They gave me a vicodin 30 minutes before the surgery and then they put numbing drops in. After wearing glasses and contacts for over 31 years, it was well worth it and still amazes me to wake up and not reach for my glasses. I still catch myself trying to slide those glasses up my nose and remember they are not there. I would do it all again.