epi-lasik and prk surgeries

[sourceninja]

I am thinking about fixing my eyesight. I'm 30 years old now and I'm sick of wearing glasses. I am very nearsighted but my eye doctor told me I should go see someone that he thought I was well with in the fixable range. So I made 2 appointments at different laser eye surgery centers in my area.

So I'm looking for feedback on these surgery types. I compete in a lot of combat sports (Boxing, kickboxing, bjj, judo, mma) and I do not want to risk the flap associated with traditional lasik surgery. I've read that both prk, lasek, and epi-lasik produce no flap and is safe for these activities. From my reading epi-lasik seems to be the best option in terms of healing time and pain management.

Has anyone here had those done? What was your outcome?

 

[Spydermag68]

I had PRK last year. I was very light sensitive for the first 3 days. I could not drive for a week and could not work on my computer very well.

I am very happy now.

 

[theeedude]

Just get the free evaluation and see what your options are. No point wasting time deciding between Lasik and PRK if you don't know if you are a candidate for either. Correctible range is a variable term, it's a function of your cornea thickness and dilated pupil size. I have large pupils and thin cornea, so no Lasik or PRK for me, even though prescription is -7, which is usually correctable.

 

[silverpig]

Well you shouldn't be doing any MMA stuff for at least a week or two after the surgery anyways. By that time any flap should have plenty of time to heal. I'd think it'd be a non-issue.

My dad had PRK a year or two ago. He had to go in for a touch-up several months later, but is really happy. He was bored out of his mind for a few days as he couldn't open his eyes due to the light sensitivity which meant no reading, tv, or going out.

 

[adlep]

I had LASEK (a variation of PRK) done in Feb of 07. It hurt like hell for about 3-4 days. The first day, you can't open your eyes. Second, your vision feels funny. Third - it gets much better and pain goes away. After about a week, everything was all set. The end result was definitely worth it and there is NO flap.
Also, you want to find the MOST expensive place around. Like a university hospital. I had mine done over at the Kellogg Eye Center at University of Michigan. It was almost double the price of a regular LASIK type of a procedure, but they took a great care of me.

 

[Sea Moose]

I had PRK last year. I was very light sensitive for the first 3 days. I could not drive for a week and could not work on my computer very well.

I am very happy now.

Same story here

it was worth every cent

Amazing how your lifestyle improves with good eyesight

 

[sourceninja]

Yea, I'm defiantly not going to get the LASIK that creates a flap. Everything I've read online has suggested the flap never really heals and can displaced even 12 years after the surgery if you suffer eye trauma or jolting impacts to the head. So if the doctor tells me I'm not a candidate for PRK, LASEK, or EPI-LASIK and that LASIK is my only option then I'm not going to do it. However my reading as suggested that being a candidate for LASIK by default makes you a candidate for the rest.

I'm glad to read some success stories. On the internet all you ever find is websites dedicated to the horrors of LASIK or eye doctors telling you how great it is. You never get to hear real experiences from success stories.

Finally, we are talking about my eyes here. So I'm not screwing around. I've got 3 different consultation appointments at 3 different places recommended to me in the area. It took me 2 weeks to get enough information to buy a blender, my eyes are a bit more valuable to me.

 

[wwswimming]

I am thinking about fixing my eyesight. I'm 30 years old now and I'm sick of wearing glasses. I am very nearsighted but my eye doctor told me I should go see someone that he thought I was well with in the fixable range. So I made 2 appointments at different laser eye surgery centers in my area.

So I'm looking for feedback on these surgery types. I compete in a lot of combat sports (Boxing, kickboxing, bjj, judo, mma) and I do not want to risk the flap associated with traditional lasik surgery. I've read that both prk, lasek, and epi-lasik produce no flap and is safe for these activities. From my reading epi-lasik seems to be the best option in terms of healing time and pain management.

Has anyone here had those done? What was your outcome?

yes, bilateral LASIK. i live with constant eye pain.

computer time before LASIK - 10 hours a day

computer time after LASIK - 3 hours a day - on a "good" day.

i've talked to over a hundred patients injured by LASIK during the last 10 years.

I have also met or emailed with more than 15 people who are wholely or partially disabled because of a bad outcome from refractive surgery.

They and each of the hundreds of people whom I have spoken with about refractive surgery in the last 10 years all report the same thing -
* their surgeon lied in order to sell them refractive surgery
* they were free from vision problems until the time of their refractive surgery
* in most cases, they are living with constant eye pain in addition to refractive error, post-surgery.

to put a name on some of these people -

1/ Tina, an Intel engineer who was on medical leave for vision problems which onset after her LASIK surgery, last time I spoke with her.
2/ Myself, career design engineer, currently living with constant eye pain which onset at the time of LASIK eye surgery.
3/ Donna, received a President's Award for Outstanding Performance in Customer's Service from a shipping company - last day at work, the Thursday after her LASIK surgery; currently on disability.
4/ Roger D. - research psychologist forced to retire early & moved to Florida for the humidity, currently a web designer specialising in Joomla.
5/ Mike M. - Anaesthesiologist in Florida, forced to retire early after LASIK eye surgery.
6/ Kashmira - schoolteacher in Florida who stopped teaching because of a bad outcome from LASIK eye surgery.
7/ Judy C. - mother in Beverly Hills whose surgery, performed by Extreme Makeover LASIK surgeon Robert Maloney, left her with a metal sliver embedded in her cornea. Maloney has followed a legal tactic of stretching her med mal lawsuit out for several years - the result being that she is not able to speak publicly about what happened to her eyes.
8/ Dominic M. - a computer programmer in Philadelphia; unable to work as a COBOL programmer because of vision problems which onset at the time of his LASIK surgery.
9/ Gary V., a microelectronics technician at Raytheon, forced to retire after a bad outcome from PRK left him unable to see well enough to work on fine-pitch devices.
10/ Cameron H., administrator at San Diego State - an RK patient; forced to retire early due to diminished vision.

My CG (computer graphics) time was about 10 hours a day until I had LASIK. Now, it's 3 hours a day - on a really GOOD day. The limitation is my capacity to use tools like Maya & Flash while working with eye pain.

The websites listed below were all created by some of these injured patients. they are trying to tell you something; most of them are not selling anything. 1 or 2 of them are optometrists who have turned the treatment of patients with bad outcomes from refractive surgery into a specialty.

http://www.LASIK-Flap.com

http://www.theLASIKReport.com

http://www.tlcbigskylasercenter.com

http://www.lasermyeye.org

http://www.lasikfraud.com

http://www.doctormyeye.com

http://www.lasikreality.com

http://www.flawedlasik.com

http://www.lasikSOS.com

http://www.lifeafterlasik.com

http://www.lasikmemorial.com

http://www.geocities.com/pifanon

http://www.mylasikstory.com

http://www.home.comcast.net/~joewills/LASIKSTORYKEITH.html

http://www.www.kathygriffin.net/lasik.php

http://www.www.lasikdisaster.com

http://www.www.visionsurgeryrehab.org

http://www.LASIKComplications.com

http://www.LASIKdecision.com

 

[sourceninja]

I've read a few of those sites. In many cases they all seem to refer to LASIK with the flap and finding info on LASEK/PRK/EPI-LASIK is a bit harder. I do see a few PRK's in there now and then but mostly just LASIK. In many of the cases I've read the patients had either been lied to and told they were good candidates when they were not, or were not good candidates yet insisted.

That said I do not dismiss the negative information. I'm not taking this decision lightly. I am a computer programmer by trade which makes my eye sight very important. I'm looking to improve my life and increase my abilities in my hobbies (being able to see more than blobs at ranges longer then your arms is very useful in boxing). This is also why I am consulting with many different eye doctors.

I want to know the risks, I want to see real numbers on the risks, and then I want to know details about my personal condition and how it applies to those risks. I should also point out again that I will not be letting them perform LASIK on me ever. The whole flap thing is far to scary to me. It compromises the eye forever and removes my ability to be licensed to fight.

 

[Cogman]

Well if you do go through with it, let me know. I have coke bottle glasses and would love to have PRK or Epi-Lasik (wwswiming has convinced me not to go with Lasik, or any flap based surgery)

 

[jtusa]

Same story here

it was worth every cent

Amazing how your lifestyle improves with good eyesight

Thirded. PRK is definitely a major life improvement.

 

[Connoisseur]

had lasik (the flap kind) back in january. Vision is perfect and i'm definitely happy. However there are a couple of caveats I see:
-You might get the haloes around lights (especially in hi-contrast situations) which won't go away for a long time
-I'm more light sensitive nowadays (once again hi-contrast situations). If I glance at a bright light such as hi-beams, i get that wicked after-image that temporarily blinds me

other than those two items, my vision is awesome. went to the best (most expensive) doc in manhattan. He definitely explained it to me, explained my options, and offered both (lasik/lasek). I went with the Lasik route. He mentioned that my cornea was pretty thick so it shouldn't be an issue and short of someone actually jabbing me in the eye with a sharp object, the flap shouldn't come loose. Since I don't do any extreme activities (like fighting), I'm pretty happy with the decision. PRK definitely has a longer healing time. Also, the doc mentioned that there's a 2-3% chance of getting fuzzy vision (i'm guessing improper healing of the cornea).

I've heard horror stories from others who went with a cheaper option. a couple of notes to remember:
-Make sure your doctor is the one who does the initial eval and confirm whichever process you're getting
-If the doctor wants to call an audible and switch processes on the day of the surgery, RUN don't walk away from there.
-Make sure you'll be seeing the doctor for all your follow up visits.

 

[bignateyk]

I really want to have laser eye surgery, but i'm only 26, and this just seems like one of those things that 20 years from now people will look back at and say "wow, how dumb was that!?"

I don't want to risk having it done now, and not being able to have something much better done 10 years from now because my eyes are already messed up from the laser eye surgery of today.

 

[Cogman]

I really want to have laser eye surgery, but i'm only 26, and this just seems like one of those things that 20 years from now people will look back at and say "wow, how dumb was that!?"

I don't want to risk having it done now, and not being able to have something much better done 10 years from now because my eyes are already messed up from the laser eye surgery of today.

Laser eye surgery has been around since the 1990s. You'll always be waiting for "the next best thing" if you take this approach. For the most part, it is a pretty stable field.

 

[sourceninja]

I made an extra appointment with a 3rd doctor. All for next thursday. I'll see what they have to say. I've got a ton of questions.

 

[darkewaffle]

Take swimming with a grain of salt, forum search LASIK and each and every thread has him shittin on it.

It's unfortunate that people have bad experiences, but such is life and medicine. Even the most trivial procedures have risks associated with it, and I'd wager that the blame in plenty of those cases lies with the patient for trying to take shortcuts to save money or heal faster or what have you.

It's very easy to vilify the person holding the laser. But for every person who comes out of it worse, many more walk away better and happier.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

I could have gotten it from the air force (free), but they won't let people with hypothyroidism get it even though it's the hyper version that can affect the surgery. Diseasists! (don't actually care that I couldn't).

 

[MrMatt]

See the Lasik thing, even with people who have success, they all seem to get those halos around lights, and they all seem to have problems with light sensitivity. The halos never go away.

I've got bad vision, but it's easily correctable with contacts. I'll stick with that. If I get more into Boxing I may look into Epi or PRK.

 

[sourceninja]

I've been curious about the halos. I see them now when I drive at night. I have poor night vision if it is night and raining (wet roads + lights at night makes it hard to see).

If those effects are no worse then what I currently have with my glasses then I wouldn't be bothered with them. If they had a good chance of getting worse, then it would be better to not do it.

 

[Pantlegz]

I've been curious about the halos. I see them now when I drive at night. I have poor night vision if it is night and raining (wet roads + lights at night makes it hard to see).

If those effects are no worse then what I currently have with my glasses then I wouldn't be bothered with them. If they had a good chance of getting worse, then it would be better to not do it.

I'm in the same boat, I've been thinking about getting some sort of LASIK but this worries me a lot. If it gets worse than it is, I don't think I could drive at night in the rain and that would make it not worth it to me.

 

[TechBoyJK]

I had lasik done back in 2006, so about 6 years ago. Had the flap, etc.

I get halos sometimes at night, but it's no big deal, and as I've told other people, it actually helps me with depth perception, believe it or not.

I love it. I know there is better tech now and I probably should have waited but I didnt and im ok with it. I love having nearly 20/20 vision after having worn glasses my whole life.

 

[nickbits]

Had LASIK. Now wear contacts because of double vision

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

And there will be better technology in 10 years. I had the flap deal, but cut with a laser, I have dry eye issues occasionally, but I would do it again. I had it done at the New England Eye Center. Great place, amazing to not have to reach for glasses first thing in the morning.
Best of luck in whatever you choose.

 

[sourceninja]

So after talking to 3 different practices I think I'm going with PRK. The doctor I selected used to do PRK for the Army and has done tons of surgeries and specializes in PRK at this practice. None of the practices near my house have much experience in epi-lasik.

One of the local 'big name' places really turned me off with their insistence that lasik flaps are not an issue in contact sports such as boxing. Yet the other two immediately told me I shouldn't do lasik once I mentioned that I box (although initially they were pushing the lasik angle). When I asked them about prk they told me it was old technology and I should go for the latest in lasik tech where they cut my flap with a laser. Needless to say the whole ordeal made me uncomfortable and I won't be using them.

I feel comfortable with my choice, now I just have to figure out if I really want to go though with it and if I really want to spend 3700 bucks.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

I had LASIK about 10 years ago. The first week after was pretty rough. I had trouble driving at night for over a year because oncoming headlights would create wicked halos all over the place. My eyes were really dry for almost two years after as well.

BUT... ten years later it was totally worth it. I'm very happy to not have to wear glasses and my prescription has held almost perfectly. 20/15 in one eye and 20/40 in the other. I don't know if I'd do it again but I'm glad I did.