[Lizza]

My husband has been wanting me to get Lasik's. My sister had it done last year and absolutely loves it. Well, the clinic sent her a coupon for $400 for friends and family. I made an appointment and now it's actually coming closer!

Do you think Lasik's is worth the money? It's going to be $1800, plus travel expenses (we have to spend the night in a hotel). It just seems like a ton of money and I CAN see, I just need my glasses or contacts for driving, watching TV/Movies, when I go walking ect. I don't wear them all day, maybe half the day or less, depending on what I'm doing.

My husband and sister feel like it is a medical expense and is very much worth every penny. I don't know, I probably just don't like to spend money on myself.

Just curious about if anyone else has had it done?

 

[gracegarden]

I have a friend that had it done a few years ago. She loves it.
I did some research and asked questions of my doc and he said it'd be really great. I could see without my glasses, except for really close up detail stuff.
I explained to him I do a lot of hand crafts, needlework, etc. He said, "No way! You'll hate it!" You'll have to wear glasses for any close-up stuff.
I wear glasses now, so why pay $2000, and still have to wear glasses :shrug:

He said something about the scarring (which is what actually improves the eyesight) makes "detail" sight worse.

This may not apply to you, but it'd change my life drastically - not for the better!

Good luck with your research. Ask lots of questions!

 

[Lizza]

My sister already used and loved the clinic, so that makes me MUCH more at ease. I don't think I could have gone first!!

Close up is no problem for me. I have to take my glasses off to read or anything.

 

[snv1492]

Most people do not realize how bad their vision is until it is corrected because the loss of vision is gradual and you have nothing to compare it with.

I'd go for it. Even if you think your vision is good now, it can no doubt be better.

Vision always deteriorates. No matter what age you are now, your vision is not as good as it was 5 years ago, and next year it will be worse than it is today.

 

[Lizza]

Thank you! You both are making me feel better! I really don't like to spend money on frivolous things....but everyone is right....it really isn't frivolous.

I go in this Tuesday with my local doctor for a pre-op and then get it done a week from Monday and am released the next morning (that's why we have spend the night in the big city, to wait to be released the next day).

Thanks again for your responses

 

[RachAnn in NW Okla]

I have asked the doc at my last visit if he thought it would help my vision and he looked at me like I had asked if he had gone to college....he said "Of course it will help!"

he quoted somewhere in the neighborhood of $1400 per eye

I have bad astigmatism and even contacts would have to be handcrafted for my right eye....contacts would be a long drawn out process because of something about the weights in them and the fact that my eyelids cover part of the 'colored' part of my eye.....I dont know the particulars except I cannot afford the expense of contacts and that our vision insurance wont cover the 'surgery' and the health insurance says that it is 'cosmetic' so for now I cannot afford to have laser correction done

DH on the other hand loves his contacts and he has a lazy eye that cannot be corrected (basically his mind doesnt even register visual stimuli from the right eye when both eyes are open)...the doc said that he is not a candidate because there is always a chance of complications and since DH only has one 'good' eye, they arent willing to risk it.

Rachel

 

[Shinsan]

Let us know how it goes Morningstar, (after your eyes have adjusted to the new vision), as there are probably quite a few people thinking of having the same thing done.

Rachel, That seems pretty mean-spirited of health insurance companies. How on earth could an operation or procedure to correct sight be considered 'cosmetic'?

 

[willow_girl]

I had it done 10 years ago and love it.
There are risks, though, and I'm not sure I'd take them if I didn't have to wear glasses all the time.

 

[Bink]

Vision always deteriorates. No matter what age you are now, your vision is not as good as it was 5 years ago, and next year it will be worse than it is today.

Yes it does. And the surgery will not halt that.

My husband's eyes were very bad. He had the surgery back when it was still done with scalpels. He had about ten wonderful years of being able to see without glasses or contacts. Now he's middle-aged and the corneas are beginning to stiffen up as they will, and they're very warped because of the surgery. His eyes are now as badly farsighted as they once were nearsighted. Night driving has always been difficult after the surgery because the oncoming headlights make starbursts over the scars.

My eyes are pretty bad, but I never had the nerve to have the surgery done. Now I'm glad.

 

[snv1492]

Yes it does. And the surgery will not halt that.

No it won't halt it, but it resets the clock 10-15 years. Presumably the technique will be improved in 15 years by the time you need it again. Just look at the change from scalpels to laser. There is little doubt that the results from laser surgery are more precise and longer lasting. You might even get 20 or 30 years out of it, rather than 10 or 15. It hasn't been around long enough to know how long the results will last, but it is almost certainly longer than the scalpel method.

I think I'd rather have the eyes of a 60 year old when I'm 80 than the eyes of an 80 year old.

 

[Alice In TX/MO]

It's cosmetic because you go from glasses to no-glasses.

 

[goatsareus]

DH had the surgery about 8 years ago. He was the perfect candidate. He had worn glasses since he was a toddler and by the time of his surgery, his late 40's, his glasses were like coke bottle bottoms. He could not be without his glasses for anything. Showers were hard for him, could not see the soap, wash cloth, his feet. The surgery was a miracle, it has changed his life. He does not need glasses at all. He would definetly do it again. He says the quality of life has dramatically improved.

 

[anniew]

I don't think you should do it because your husband or anyone on this board wants you to.
Make up your own mind.
Ann

 

[via media]

I had custom wavefront done almost exactly a year ago and I am thrilled (!!!) with the results. My eyes were 20/800 and 20/880 befoe and now I'm seeing 20/15 and 20/20+.

I had a couple of complications - epithelial ingrowth and diffuse lamellar keratitis ("sands of the Sahara"). I've recovered fully from both.

If I get only 10 years of good vision from this surgery, I won't feel like I wasted my money.

/VM

 

[SteveD(TX)]

My wife is one of those who suffered severe complications from lasik surgery. She had done RK about 10 years prior. Doctors contemplated a cornea transplant for her but finally decided against it, although it remains an option in the future. She developed an extruciating and debilitating infection while we were out of town (within a period of a few hours). She is now left with a very permanent scar (like a divot) on her cornea. After consulting with 5 separate ophthalmologists, she finally found a therapeutic optometrist who specialized in her condition and prescribed a special contact lens for her. Without it, she has very poor vision out of that eye.

 

[ellebeaux]

I had it done about 5 years ago and I LOVE it! I had bad astigmatism so I never could wear contacts. It's such a blessing not to have to worry about my glasses.

I did lose some close up vision but not bad enough that I need reading glasses. I may get some in the next year or so but I've been saying that for several years now...

 

[Westwood]

Both of my sisters were legally blind without their glasses, having had corrective lenses since 1st grade. Carol had the surgery about 7 years ago and absolutely loves it. She's 56 now. She's an accountant and doesn't need to wear glasses at ALL now. Connie is still trying to decide whether or not to have it. She still puts her glasses in one particular spot when she goes to bed at night or she can't find them.

Luckily, at 55 I'm still at the point where I really only need my glasses to drive. I can see across the room just fine, but not down the road. Seeing the difference it made in Carol's life, If I was Connie I'd get the surgery done. She's 58.

 

[Lannie]

I had Lasik 9 years ago, and I've never regretted it for a second. I had no complications whatsoever, just went from being blind to eagle-eyed.

It was worth every penny.

~Lannie

 

[Batt]

I had lasik about 5 years ago and love it. My right eye was adjusted to be farsighted and my left is set to be a little nearsighted. The brain blends both eyes together and you get a very good balance, about 20/20 overall. I tried this with contacts before the decision was made. Yahoo!! no more bi-focals!!! Lost just a little depth-perception, but I can live with it. Sometimes takes a couple of stabs to tie on a fish hook.

 

[shadowwalker]

Dear wifey and I had it done on the same day the 19 of may. I could drive home and she took almost three months to see as good as she was going to. I now have 15/20 vision. And she has 20/25. I think it was because of her constantly wearing contacts. And her eyes got too used to them. I hated contacts and almost never wore them. She had alittle more trouble with her eyes being very dry. I had tearing bad in mine. Both would recommend it to anyone who thinks they might like to get it.
The operation is alittle odd but they talk you through it well. It wasn't as bad a getting grinding metal took out of my eye from accident in 1980. The shields you have to wear after operation are a pain but that was the only bad part of it.
Do the prep with the cleaner and warm cloth before the operation as they tell you.