OK, this board has helped me with a lot of my questions so I thought I'd post my Intralase experience, for better or worse. I'm scheduled to have the surgery in 2 days. Here's my background:

-31 yo female
-slight astigmatism; -4.75 & -4.25
-told I was a good candidate by 2 surgeons (1 was 2nd opinion)
-considered "normal" on all pre-op tests (corneal thickness, scans, etc.)
-have slightly dry eyes pre-op when I wear contacts. I have a lot of problems wearing contacts so I rely on glasses, have no dry eye with glasses
-general health status is good
-surgery by a highly recommended surgeon at the medical college, supposedly the best around
-desire to be free of glasses due to active lifestyle
-pre-op: taking 1000 mg Vitamin C/day & using eye drops per surgeon's orders

OK, I'm getting nervous about my outcome & the procedure!! Will post to this thread after the surgery. Hope it helps someone in their decision making. Thanks, Skylar

Good luck Skylar! I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes.

wow, i was just thinking about you the other day! i know you're nervous, but don't worry! you'll be so happy you had it done! good luck!

Thank you both! I can't believe I'm having it done in just a few hours-really getting nervous now!! I'm sure I'm making a bigger deal of the procedure than it is, but it's intimidating. SEE you after the procedure ;-)

hey, skylar! how are you feeling???

okay, don't answer that now. you need to turn the computer off, and go lay down!!!! stay off the computer for the next couple of days so your eyes can rest a bit..... hope it's all going well for you! :)

Well, I'm now 2 days after my surgery and so far so good! For those of you on the other side of the surgery, here's what it was like:

The Surgery:
I arrived at the clinic scared silly-I was SO nervous. After the payment was taken care of I had my consultation with one of the techs-told how to do all the post-op drops, not to exercise for 72 hours, not to shower until the next day and most importantly to SLEEP after the surgery. They also rechecked my presciption. And gave me an Ativan to relax me (it had no effect on me for some reason). Then the surgeon came in, answered any last minute question and took me to the surgery suite.

In the suite I got on the table-the head part had pillows on each side to keep you from moving (the laser also checks itself 4000 times/second for any involuntary movement and will stop treatment). They gave me a teddy bear to clutch (yes I took it!!) and the nurse held my hand. Then they put on the metal clamp to hold my eyelids open. I am petite (5'3) with small features so I expected it to hurt, but it did not. Then they put a suction ring on my eye which also did not hurt-just slight pressure, not half as bad as I imagined. Then my vision went a little dim. Then the first laser, the one that cuts the flap. It was a strange feeling, but not painful. It was over really quick too. Then the same thing on the other eye. Then I got a new eyelid opener for the second laser that actually corrects the vision and the surgeon pulled the flap out of the way. I was told to focus on an orange light and for my vision (-4.75) this part took ~30 seconds. It takes longer the worse your vision is. It did not hurt at all. Again, it was a bizarre sight-you can see blue electric current generated by the laser and hear some clicking noises. The smell was barely noticable. I knew as soon as the laser finished that it went well because that nebulous orange light I'd focused on was now a small well defined orange dot. Then the surgeon smoothed the flap down, which did not hurt and looked kind of like someone washing a window you are looking out. Then I sat up and everything was much clearer but very foggy. Then had me sit in a recliner for about 20 minutes and put various drops in my eyes.

After the surgery:

I sat in the recliner and the numbing drops wore off. It did not exactly hurt but my eyes were stinging like I had salt water from the beach in them. I was also sensitive to light and my eyes were watering like crazy. Even my nose was running. After he checked my flap I was sent home to sleep.

TAKE A DRIVER. I could barely open my eyes on the way to the hotel (my surgery was out of town) and they were watering so much. I was beginning to wonder if I'd made a mistake with this surgery!!

I took a 3-4 hour nap in what looked like a ski mask. When I woke up the watering, red eyes, stinging were gone. The fogginess was gone. I was still a little light sensitive but I could see! I use the drops as directed and have been recovering well. At my 1 day check-up I could see 20/40 (they claimed a blurry 20/20 but I disagree). I could have driven the day after with no problems. The hardest part has been not to scratch my eyes. All the drops have made my eyelashes sticky and itchy, but you can't scratch. The light sensitivity is pretty much gone but I do see halos around lights at night-but it's similar to wha tI used to see with glasses when I was tired.

Here is my only concern, maybe someone can help me:
*My distance vision is really good but my close-up vision seems worse than before surgery. Reading a book/looking at the computer (I'm not doing either much to allow my eyes to heal) is very hard. Is it possible that the surgery compromised my reading vision OR is this a normal part of healing? I have a call in to my doctor to ask. I'm 31 and have never needed reading glasses. Thanks, Skylar

Hey Skylar,
I'm glad to hear things are going well. Your experience sounds very similar to mine. I wouldn't worry too much about the 20/40 vision, the halos, or the blurriness close-up right now. I was the same way after surgery. I'm now a little over 5 weeks post-op. The halos I was seeing around the lights are now gone. For the first few weeks after surgery, I was experiecing some ghosting whenever I would read or look at the letters on my keyboard. My vision, both near and far, is very crisp now (not sure what it has improved to as I have not yet had my 1 month post-op appt). The severe dryness issue I was having is almost completely gone. I'm only having to use the lubricating drops a few times each day. You're not at the age to be needing reading glasses so I think you'll be fine. Just give it some time :)

OK, I'm 5 days after the surgery now and my vision is fairly stable. The distance is fine, I'm driving and all without any problems. Halos are getting better, but still present. The near vision is still fuzzy, although better. I tried on various reading glasses at the drug store yesterday to see if it would help and it had no effect, so I think this is just part of the healing.

So far my eyes are fairly comfortable, except I keep having the thought, "I really need to take my contacts out"-that is the feeling, that your eyes are a little dry/tired from a long day of contact wear. I'll post again after my 10 day follow-up. Skylar

Just had my 10 day post-op follow up. My right eye was 20/20 and my left eye 20/25. Generally I am feeling pretty good about the surgery outcome. The doctor said everything looked good with the flap and my healing. I continue to use lubricating drops every time I think about it. Halos have gotten a lot better but when I'm tired they return, especially driving at night, but it's still at a functional level.

My reading/computer screen vision has improved but is still not where it was before surgery. Somehow the contrast of black ink/type on white paper/screen is hard to see. The doctor told me this is due to swelling and a natural part of healing. So, I'll keep waiting for that to improve. Even if it stayed as is I wouldn't be sorry I had the surgery-it's a dream to see so well at a distance.

However, there is one little thing that no one told me before surgery. Because my distance vision was so bad my close up vision was really good. I could focus on things ~4 inches from my eyes, like say removing a splitter from your finger or my fingernails. Now I can't do that anymore and have to back things up to ~8 inches or so. This doesn't affect reading-that is fine, it's closer stuff. For example, if I look at my shoulder it's all blurry. The doctor told me this is the trade-off for having 20/20 distance vision and that people born with 20/20 vision can't see at such a close distance anyway. It's not really an important skill-I mean what do you really need such close-up vision for. I just have to re-train my habits.

Well, I am really excited about my outcome and glad I chose the surgeon I did. More to come as I progress! Thanks everyone for all the encouragement along the way! Skylar

Thanks Skylar for your updates...I'm still thinking about making 'that' appointment so it's good to hear another positive outcome. At the end of the day,it seems you'll either be lucky or unlucky...like any surgery there are risks. Keep us informed;)

Hi Airline,

I think a lot of it also depends on the quality of your surgeon because ultimately, that is the person responsible for screening out those that are not good candidates. Good luck!

hey skylar! sounds like you've had a good experience so far! good for you! i had to laugh at the teddy bear, because i had a my little pony my daughter gave me that i squeezed the crud out of during the surgery!!!

as far as your reading vision goes, it takes time for that to get back to normal. i couldn't see jack up close for a couple of months post-op! your eyes are still in the recovery phase and will be for another several months so go easy on them. if they're tired, rest them, and keep doing those tears like a crazy person because that was the key to my healing!

also, don't spend too much time on the computer, and if you have to be on it, make sure you're sitting a good two feet back from the monitor. it will help and you won't strain your eyes as much.

it's great to hear such a positive story! keep us posted! :)

It's been one month since my surgery and I love the results!! I feel completely normal again and have to really try to remember to use the eye drops. (My doc said to use the lubricating drops even if you don't feel like you need them, they help with healing).

My very close-up vision is blurry, for example I had a mole on my shoulder and couldn't focus on it until I looked in a mirror. But, that is no big deal, It doesn 't affect any daily activities. No halos, no dry eyes, no fluctuating vision. I can see better than with glasses. Every now and then when I'm tired my eyes are a little blurry but still not too bad. Reading/computer screen is no longer difficult.

My husband is insanely jealous of my eyesight and wants his done now. Outside our bedroom window there is a field with all these birds that I never even knew were there. Now I can watch them first thing in the morning from bed. Of course you also notice all the dust in your house/mildew in shower tiles that you couldn't see before!!

Good luck to those thinking of having the surgery-choose a top notch surgeon, even if it costs more. You'll be glad you did! Skylar

Congratulations - enjoy!

so good to hear you're doing well! your close up vision will slowly continue to improve over time.... i love modern technology!!! :)

Hi Skylar,

Your original post leaves some confusion. Intralase is only the method of creating the flap. What kind of laser eye surgery did you have? Regular lasik? Custom lasik? Wavefront? Which laser exactly was it?

I'm curious to know what produced your results!

Sorry for the confusion-I had custom lasik with wavefront. Supposedly it was very high tech and I have the credit card bill to prove it. The surgery was done at Magill Vision Center (MUSC). They have more info on their website about exact lasers, etc.

I am still loving my results! I see as well or better than I did with glasses. Without the dry eyes I had with contacts.

Skylar,

Just wanted to THANK you for your post. It's perfect. I am scheduled for the same procedure as you in less than a month. I will post updates the same as you have done. I think it is very helpful to all...

Jeannie

2 MONTH FOLLOW-UP: (good and bad news)

I went for my 2 month follow-up yesterday and received both good and bad news. On the positive side my vision was 20/15!! That is better than the 20/25 I had with glasses so I am really excited. Also, I am having no dry eye or vision problems, so I am completely satisfied.

However, I have a rare complication in my right eye. I am the "less than 1 in 100" people who developed "epithelial ingrowth". Basically epithelial cells (natural part of the eye) got themselves under the flap and multiplied. This is not necessarily a problem but since mine seems to be growing quickly (not noticed at my 10 day appointment) and is growing toward the pupil they want to address it. So, tomorrow I will have the surgeon evaluate it and likely remove it. My understanding is that this procedure involves lifting the flap with a surgical tool and washing underneath. Afterwards I will take the antibiotic drops again and should be fine in a few hours. There is no laser involved, so not a long healing process. But I will need to have another follow-up appointment to make sure he got all the cells.

Well, I'll let everyone know how this goes and what the procedure is like. And I still do not regret my Lasik-it is wonderful. I'm glad the surgeon is being aggressive to handle this now before I've even noticed the problem.

Thanks, Skylar

ouch! that sucks! i was terrified of being one of those 1 out of 100 people for rotten side effects too - that's usually how it goes in my family! i was lucky this time, thank goodness! i sure hope everything works out and that you don't have any other complications! let us know how it goes!

Update:

False alarm. The doctor who diagnosed me with the epithelial ingrowth was brand new and the surgeon was out of town that day. When I returned yesterday for the procedure the surgeon checked me pre-op and stated that the mark in question was simply an old scar, likely from childhood. So, no procedure! I will however, be checked again in 4 weeks as a precautionary measure. It was a pain to go in twice but I'm very glad I didn't really have epithelial ingrowth!

Update:

False alarm. The doctor who diagnosed me with the epithelial ingrowth was brand new and the surgeon was out of town that day. When I returned yesterday for the procedure the surgeon checked me pre-op and stated that the mark in question was simply an old scar, likely from childhood. So, no procedure! I will however, be checked again in 4 weeks as a precautionary measure. It was a pain to go in twice but I'm very glad I didn't really have epithelial ingrowth!

I'm happy for you!:)

Skylar, I had to laugh at your comment about wanting to take your contacts out. I had custom lasik with intralase six days ago and that's exactly where I'm at. I keep thinking, "Man, I gotta take these contacts out" and then I realize it's just the dryness from the surgery. I wonder how long it will take my brain to retrain itself!

By the way, I noticed a teddy bear in the surgery room but didn't think about what it might be for ... and nobody offered to let me hold it ... I must have looked so cool and composed that they didn't think I needed it. But in fact I was pretty scared when they started moving the lasers into place! :D

Arlotone,

Hope it all goes well for you! The hard part is over now. My advice to you is to use the lubricating drops often, even if you don't think you need them. I used them about 10 times/day for the first month then back off to maybe 3-4 times/day. It will prevent future problems. Good luck!!

Still loving my results 3 months out! I've had a bit of dry eye this week, but think that is the winter weather/dry eye. Still using the preservative free drops 3-4 times/day. Sometimes have the feeling of something in my right eye, but it's not often or a real problem, just a little annoying. Have a follow up appt this week. My vision was 20/15 at my last appt. Skylar

Went for my 3 month follow up last week. My eyes were a little dry, which brought my vision from 20/15 to 20/20 (I'm still satisfied with that!)

I was prescribed steroid drops to use for a week, which has helped. However, my eyes are still a little dry-I think it's a combo of winter weather and being too busy to remember to use drops. I'll start using them more and see if it helps. Since using the steroid drops I no longer feel like something is in my eye-the doctor said that can be a symptom of dry eye.

I've always been prone to dry eyes in winter, so hopefully it will resolve, Skylar

I'm trying to give occasional updates so people can see the outcome. I took the eye drops for a few days for dry eyes and they cleared up. I'm still using lubricating drops several (3-4) times/day to avoid getting dry eyes.

My eyes are great and I am very satisfied. Had the surgery 10/3/07, so I'm about 5 months out. I barely even think about my eyes anymore-except when I see my husband fiddling with his contacts! I have another appt. at 6 months and will post again afterwards. Good luck to all making this hard decision.

**Another thing-I just did my 2007 taxes and Lasik qualified me for the medical expenses deduction, so perhaps something others can look into.

Skylar,
hello, I'm new to this forum and was reading all your posts, I'm also considering the custom lasik intralase soon. Just one question though, with all the eye drops how can you wear makeup? This is one problem I can't seem to overlook.

I did not wear eye make-up for about 2 weeks after the procedure just to avoid any problems. After that I wore eye make-up again and have not had any problems. Hope this helps!

Hi there! I just had custom intralase last thursday and my near vision is excellent but my distance vision is still blurry. I am curious to know about the average recovery time. I have no irritation, halos,or much sensitivity. I am taking the lubricating drops and have finished the antibiotic drops 4 days post op. I know I should be patient but I am just anxious and eager for my distance to improve and hope it's just as sharp as when I wore glasses!!!! I was 20/30 one day post op and four days he said i was close to 20/20 but the distance is still blurry. He mentioned that everyone heals differently...hope it doesn't take 3 months!!!! ok ...I'll stop rambling..I'm just a bit worried..I am sure things will improve with time..look forward to your reply and if anyone has any feedback I would greatly appreciate it!!! take care!!

Give it some time-it hasn't been a week since your surgery yet, so far too early to have concerns. My vision continued to improve for a few months and I now see better than I ever did in glasses. Good luck!

Thank you for your reply! I know, I just have to be patient :)

Give it some time-it hasn't been a week since your surgery yet, so far too early to have concerns. My vision continued to improve for a few months and I now see better than I ever did in glasses. Good luck!

Hi again. I was wondering if you have noticed "floaters".... occassional dots or lines appearing in your vision..especially when looking at a white wall or in bright light since you've had you surgery. I have noticed this on occasion and I am quite concerned. Hoping they are temporary. My eyes of course are still healing but I wondered if anyone else with intralase has noticed this. look forward to your reply, take care.

I did not experience that, but we are all different. Right now my eyes are a bit dry but it's late I suppose! I'd give your eyes time to heal, good luck, Skylar

6 Month Follow-Up:

I had my 6 month follow-up appointment this week for my 10/2007 Interlase Lasik surgery. This was my final appointment with the clinic.

This appointment involved more testing than the previous check-ups. I was given many of the same tests as my pre-Lasik appointment to check final progress. I am now 20/20!! Prior to surgery I needed a -4.5 prescription and the current prescription is -0.25, which is considered 20/20.

There were no concerns about the healing, everything looked right on target. I am still having a little bit of dryness, but nothing that using drops 3-4 times/day doesn't keep in check. Honestly I probably had the dryness pre-Lasik, so it's not significantly worse.

Overall I am thrilled by my Lasik experience and am glad I did it. I'd encourage anyone considering Lasik to get the best surgeon you can afford and get a second opinion (I did) if you feel the least bit apprehensive about your doctor. Good luck :) Skylar

Hi Skylar,
thanks for this update 6 months out! Sounds like you are doing great.
I go back in May for my 3 or 4 month checkup. I had mine done in January. I feel like i'm seeing great right now! My night vision for driving still isn't 100 percent but ever so slowly it seems to be getting to what I would say a complete normal state. Some halos still around lights/car lights/and some starbursts at night. But daytime sight seems perfect to me! My dryness has also almost gone away, only occasionally now do they feel dry/irrated. So i'm quite happy so far! Great to hear about people's experiences.