epi-lasik and prk surgeries

[MotF Bane]

Sourceninja, if you haven't already, run a few searches in OT - there's tons of other threads you can find information in too.

 

[sourceninja]

I just wanted to post an update. After MUCH research, I decided NOT to do any laser eye surgeries. I talked to and read many write ups from happy customers and their experiences (where they were telling people they loved the surgery) actually convinced me that I would not be happy. I guess it's back to boxing blind, but at least I'm not down $3700.00.

What I saw was that for most people, the problems they experience don't go away, they just tolerate them better over time. Most say things like "I'm so glad I got this done, sure I see halo's now and then and I need eye drops every day, but at least I'm not wearing glasses!". It seemed like for them success was 2 years later finally not wearing sunglasses to go outside in the daytime or only using eye drops 2 times a day. For me it was not about getting rid of glasses, it was about being able to swim/run/box/etc without being fairly blind. I decided that my current vision is good enough to box, and I don't want to wait 6 months with PRK to have stable vision, and I can't box and have lasik (I won't be able to be sanctioned by the athletic commission). Compounded by that was that may success stories reported that with PRK it took 3-5 weeks and sometimes as long as 3 months to be able to handle using a computer for a few hours. I am a computer programmer, I have 3 weeks vacation and if I was not able to use a computer for 8 hours+ a day after that time I'd be unemployed.

To be fair I don't think the surgery is the wrong thing to do for many people. If I was not heavily into contact sports I would probably get lasik. As I am not PRK is my only option. After reading about the real healing process involved with PRK (by happy customers who highly recommend the surgery) I realized that I don't feel I would be happy. I can't wait that amount of time (6 months to 2 years) for my vision to not look like seeing though Vaseline, and I honestly am not willing to risk halo's and starbursts. The decision was solidified when I found out that I have really large pupils.

I'm sure nobody really cares, but I started this thread and I felt I should end it. I'm thinking maybe I'll give contacts another shot.

 

[dr150]

Sounds like me.....tolerating the "defects".

i have a piece of torn retina in my left eye. It looks like a black dot (like a large stuck pixel on an LCD screen) that moves center in any direction I look at--like a gunsight. At first, it was ANNOYING as shit(!), but after 6 months, my brain learned to "overlook" it....mostly. Some days are better than others in terms of annoyance though. I know I'll always have this shit in my eye.

I view lasik treatments in the same manner. The risk of many annoying defects until the day I die may be worse than wearing shitty eyeglasses or contacts.

One time, I asked my eye doctor why all the eye doctors I know all wear eyeglasses and don't get Lasik done. He just smiled sarcastically and said "no comment." That's all that needed to be said. if eye doctors don't trust it, I won't either...

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

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.

eye surgery has been around forever. PRK was just becoming popular in the 90s. My mom did RK surgery where they use a freaking blade to cut your eye up. No lasers. Real surgery. Yeah, now she looks back and goes "WTF did I do?" because her cornea is beyond scarred, and when my optometrist looks at her she just tells my mom about how bad her cornea looks.

My mom can't wear contacts anymore, and some of that myopia does return and combined with old age and stuff it just sucks.

With the amount of problems with LASIK right now, it's a little bit risky too. Many people are fine after a few weeks and they'll tell you how awesome it is in their first year or so, but it really takes until 5 years for you to judge all the side effects. I know at least 2 or 3 candidates that say that basically the operation was a failure after 5 years...

 

[slag]

I remember when I had it done. I had two friends do it first and they could see great the next day. I decided to get it done and was blind for about 3 days because my eyes were so much worse. It hurt to look at a computer screen and bright light gave me headaches. After using the drops for a couple weeks and wearing my sky-goggles to bed every night for a month, gradually, after about 5-10 days, my vision got to where I wanted it to be. I had worn glasses since 3rd grade and contacts since 9th grade, but had to take my contacts out by 6-7 pm every night because they dried my eyes out so badly and would get stuck to my eyes. I see great now and its so nice to be able to wear normal sunglasses, swim without worrying about contacts falling out, no mess with not being able to see at night, etc.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat. The guy who did my surgery was Dr. John Doan. Google him, he's one of the big guys in the field.