im thinkin about gettin lasik done, so i was wonderin does it really make your eye sight perfect?

It depends on the individual, the doctor and the level of correction you need. It worked for me, I have 20/15 vision in both eyes whereas before surgery I couldn't drive, cook, watch tv or see the alarm clock right next to my face without glasses or contacts. You should have a consultation and decide from there.

I would ask you - how old are you and what is your general health condition? You will see on here a lot of people have complications. There was an article in our local paper today about Lasik complications. The doctors are telling people 2-3% but the FDA is saying as high as 28%.

I had it done about six weeks ago and my right eye did OK but my left eye is blurry. I've had constant dry eyes and have to put in drops every few hours. My eyeballs are still sore weeks after surgery. I'm having to get used to carrying reading glasses everywhere I go - but I'm 51 years old.

I had a very respected eye surgeon do my surgery - I did not go to Lasik "mill".

Study up and learn all you can before deciding.

okay, you know that big letter E on the eye chart? well, prior to my lasik surgery last december, i couldn't see it. i could barely tell there was an eye chart on the wall! my vision was BAD!!!!!!!!!

now, i see 20/12.5 in both eyes.

yeah, it works.......

but like nugeme said, do your research first!!! :)

well my eyes are kinda badd off i cant see far. i just dont wanna be wastin my money if it don't work also, is there a plan where i can pay month to month untill i get it paid off or do ya'll have to pay all at once?

Most doctors offer payment plans

If you wanna partially scrap of your eyes go for it. I'm sorry to be so direct but that's the reason why too many people are suffering of dry eye problem (i do). When they say that, after healing, your eyes are solid same as before they're lying. After lasik surgery if you're hit hard on your eye the flap could be dislocated then you'll have to go to the emergency, replace it and wait it will heal again...with PRK that thing will never happen (if i knew before).

I guess you really need to be hit very hard to dislocate the flap. This problem is more known to happen in violent car accident with airbag.

One more thing, if you already see some floaters (i have a lot now, do some research on this) maybe you should avoid the surgery with blade (microkeratome) cause the floaters seems to be moved up during thye succion of the eye for the cut of the flap.

I've heard there's wavefront PRK, if i had to do it again i would go for this (IMHO). Good luck in your research!.;)

It worked for me! I see beautifully now. I may have some dry eye, but it's not even noticable and I use eye refresh drops about every other day whether I need it or not just because. My correction was easy though and I think alot depends on your prescription. The worse the script, the more lasering needs done and the more potential for complications.

I'm 4 months post-op and am still elated that I see so well.

People are very hung up on the "flap" that is cut. I look at it this way: There's much worse that can be done to your body...look at all the cosmetic surgery, the implants, the foriegn objects being put into bodies whether it be cosmetic or due to injuries.

Yes, you will go to your grave with healed over flaps and my BIL will go to his with pins and screws in his back....so what? It enhanced our lives when we needed it.
some have died on the table just to remove a few wrinkles on the face.
Nobody has ever gone blind or lost their lives with lasik.
It's one of the risks we chose to take when having any kind of surgery. ;)

FYI: There are a few cases documented of legal blindness from Lasik...some from venal complications and some from botched surgery - but, they are very rare.

i read that too somewhere, but i've always been curious as to the actual definition of "legal blindness?" because before my surgery, without corrective lenses, i was considered "legally blind" but i could still see, just not well. and with corrective lenses, i could see 20/15.

so by "legal blindness" does it mean scary blind where there is NO vision whatsoever (helen keller blind), or does it mean can't see the big E on the eye chart (my pre-lasik blind)???

also, did those worst case scenarios happen recently, or way back in the day when lasik was still considered an "experimental" procedure? AND, did those cases happen in reputable lasik centers, with reputable lasik specialists, or in a portable lasik center that used stolen lasik equipment (i read about a case like that! scary what people will do to save some money!!!).

i'm asking because i have a friend who is dead set against lasik, and one of her arguments is that is HAS caused "blindness," but she can't say how bad it was, who the patient was, who the doctor was, where it happened, etc....

I had Intralase done in Denver 4 years ago & it's one of the best things I ever did! I had a high astigmatism in both eyes. I can't remember what my strength for glasses were but they were pop bottle lenses. For the first few months my eye sight was 20/15, then they changed to 20/30 & now it's back to 20/15. I was 42 when I had the Intralase done & my doc said that it would probably push me into reading glasses with in a year. Still at 46 I don't need reading glasses but my distance vision & night vision is a little blurry. I called my doctor a few months ago & he said that it could be that my eyes are changing & I'll probably need reading glasses soon. He said my eyes are still so good that there's no way they would do a re-touch. I agree with others here, it's worth the extra cost to go to an independant doc, not to a lasik for $499 deal!
Mine was $3000 in 2003 but Intralase might have come down some since then. A lot of docs offer a payment plan or a free interest for a year deal. I think this is ok to post, I hope, my doc's name is Jon Dishler & I'd recommend him to anyone.

I had Lasik June 6, 1998. Before that my eyes were somewhere around 20/250 meaning I couldn't read a pepsi can 6" in front of my face. After Lasik I was 20/20 in my left eye and 20/25 in my right eye. I also had astigmatism in my right eye. It was the greatest feeling in the world not needing glasses for all those years. In May I needed to start wearing glasses again because the vision in my right eye returned to 20/50. I went back to my doctor and asked about getting it done again and was told because of scaring from the original surgery Lasik would no longer be an option but PRK would be. Yesterday I ad PRK done on my right eye. Needless to say the pain is pretty bad but my doctor is confident I will be 20/20 in about a month. Although I’m suffering now I’m confident I’ll be better off for it in the long run.
I would highly recommend anyone get it if they can. 20/20 vision is truly a gift.

I had Interlase 2 days ago. I'm 31 and have never needed reading glasses. Now my distance vision seems great but reading is really hard-is that normal healing or could the surgery have pushed me into reading glasses?

Sky-I was told that at my age, which was 42 then, I could need reading glasses after my lasik. Doc said it happens a lot when people in their early 40's have lasik. I'm now 46 & don't need them yet, but when I do I'll just go to the store & buy some of those cute little Mr. Whipple glasses. If you don't know who he is, you're probably too young for reading glasses!

Champ-I'm sorry you had to have the PKR, what a bummer! I was whining because my vision had changed just enough that I may have to get glasses just for driving at night. I won't complain anymore! I hope your vision stays put this time!

Sky-I was told that at my age, which was 42 then, I could need reading glasses after my lasik. Doc said it happens a lot when people in their early 40's have lasik. I'm now 46 & don't need them yet, but when I do I'll just go to the store & buy some of those cute little Mr. Whipple glasses. If you don't know who he is, you're probably too young for reading glasses!

Champ-I'm sorry you had to have the PKR, what a bummer! I was whining because my vision had changed just enough that I may have to get glasses just for driving at night. I won't complain anymore! I hope your vision stays put this time!

Thank leelee - 5 days later I am still very blurry in my right eye. In fact it's driving me crazy! On Wednesday I go back to the doctor and she will take out the contact bandage and I'm praying that helps. The funny thing is now I can see close up perfectly in my right eye and not so good in my left eye. I'm amazed at how clear i see within 12" but after that it's a no go.

I had my lasik on September 21st, so I'm going into my 3rd week. I do not regret the surgery at all! Prior to surgery I had trouble seeing distance (-2.50 for contacts so not TOO bad, but bad enough), and then the day after surgery when I went for my follow up I was seeing 20/20. Doing the drops all the times gets a little annoying, but it's definitely worth it.

I live down in the middle of nowhere, so I had to travel about 2 hours away for the surgery. You're supposed to go to sleep right after you leave so your eyes will have a chance to heal. Well when we left (Friday around 3 something) we hit rush hour, so it took 3 1/2 hours to get home! needless to say that was a painful trip home, and I wish I could have just slept through it!!! They say that pain is caused when the numbing drops wear off.

If anyone that doesn't have it's done is interested in the procedure I do have a video of it being done on my eyes that I could send.

PS-on another note...my friend got the lasik done the same day (the intralase) and he seems to be having trouble seeing up close now. He also had an astigmatism so I'm not sure if that is a factor or not. He now also has red spots on the whites of his eyes, which look like blood vessels burst or something...the doctor said it is just bruising though and that it will go away.

Oh my gaud..??Red spots on the eyes?? I am very interested in seeing the video I am schedualed to go in for this lasiks procedure end of October.. after reading all this? I am not so sure about this now? This is all very informative...


I had my lasik on September 21st, so I'm going into my 3rd week. I do not regret the surgery at all! Prior to surgery I had trouble seeing distance (-2.50 for contacts so not TOO bad, but bad enough), and then the day after surgery when I went for my follow up I was seeing 20/20. Doing the drops all the times gets a little annoying, but it's definitely worth it.

I live down in the middle of nowhere, so I had to travel about 2 hours away for the surgery. You're supposed to go to sleep right after you leave so your eyes will have a chance to heal. Well when we left (Friday around 3 something) we hit rush hour, so it took 3 1/2 hours to get home! needless to say that was a painful trip home, and I wish I could have just slept through it!!! They say that pain is caused when the numbing drops wear off.

If anyone that doesn't have it's done is interested in the procedure I do have a video of it being done on my eyes that I could send.

PS-on another note...my friend got the lasik done the same day (the intralase) and he seems to be having trouble seeing up close now. He also had an astigmatism so I'm not sure if that is a factor or not. He now also has red spots on the whites of his eyes, which look like blood vessels burst or something...the doctor said it is just bruising though and that it will go away.

Did you go to a private doctor or to a franchise?

okay, you know that big letter E on the eye chart? well, prior to my lasik surgery last december, i couldn't see it. i could barely tell there was an eye chart on the wall! my vision was BAD!!!!!!!!!

now, i see 20/12.5 in both eyes.

yeah, it works.......

but like nugeme said, do your research first!!! :)

What was your prescription?

It worked for me! I see beautifully now. I may have some dry eye, but it's not even noticable and I use eye refresh drops about every other day whether I need it or not just because. My correction was easy though and I think alot depends on your prescription. The worse the script, the more lasering needs done and the more potential for complications.

I'm 4 months post-op and am still elated that I see so well.

People are very hung up on the "flap" that is cut. I look at it this way: There's much worse that can be done to your body...look at all the cosmetic surgery, the implants, the foriegn objects being put into bodies whether it be cosmetic or due to injuries.

Yes, you will go to your grave with healed over flaps and my BIL will go to his with pins and screws in his back....so what? It enhanced our lives when we needed it.
some have died on the table just to remove a few wrinkles on the face.
Nobody has ever gone blind or lost their lives with lasik.
It's one of the risks we chose to take when having any kind of surgery. ;)

Cheryl,
The red spots are actually like hickies from the suction used to keep your eye still during the surgery. It is very common and nothing to worry about. They simply go away with time.

What was your prescription?

Mine wasn't bad at all. Oddly the optometrist down the road had me at -1.25 and -1.75. The lasik Dr. had me at both eyes -1.50? I trust the lasik place..they put you through a whole gammut of tests and machines.