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First, my experience. Later, some sites that have more information.
Both my husband and myself have had laser correction. Mike had it done years ago, when he had to practice holding his eye still for the machine. Mine was done about five years ago, and the methods had improved dramatically. Both of us are very satisfied with the results, and our doctor claims that of the hundreds of patients he has sent to have the surgery, only two have complained. I know one of the unhappy patients, and her complaint is that her extreme nearsightedness used to allow her to work on some detailed, close artwork. Since the surgery, she has perfectly good vision, but has lost the ability to do some of the close-up art. Although she complains, I remember that prior to surgery she had to cut her mascara wand down to be able to see well enough to put on mascara!
My procedure was handled quickly and efficiently. Time from walking into the clinic to leaving was about ninety minutes. Half an hour (roughly) was for completing paperwork, pre-op tests, and taking a valium to make sure I was as calm as I claimed. Fifteen minutes in pre-op where, if I remember correctly, they put some drops in my eye and waited for them to take effect. Fifteen minutes in surgery, only about two of which were for the procedure. Most of this time was making sure I was securely in position. The laser can correct for eye movement now, so there's no concern about that any more. The procedure I went through involved retinal mapping, so the computer makes exactly the cuts programmed. About the only unpleasant part is that the machine is a little noisy and you can feel some moisture on your cheek.
Afterward, commit to a nice 24-hour nap to allow for healing. That's about all there is to the process. Initially, vision was a bit blurry. The next day, all was well.
Mike, my husband, is our doc's poster child for laser surgery success, as he was legally blind with an unusual stigmatism before the surgery. He has had far better than normal eyesigh for more than a decade now, and has only recently begun to use reading glasses as his eyes normally age.
I had only one eye corrected to see at distance, leaving one eye nearsighted so that I can read without correction. When my eyes are tired, I put on glasses, but otherwise I go uncorrected. My doctor says that he can only tell I've had the surgery if he looks carefully for the scar, and there's the barest hint of that in one spot only. I'm a happy customer.
I've read warnings such as those at http://www.usaeyes.org/lasik/faq/lasik-risk.htm . These warnings are on par for about any surgery that I've ever faced, from mole removal to arthroscopic knee procedures. I'm not a doctor, but believe that if you go to a reputable surgeon with a facility where you feel confident, much of your anxiety will be reduced. That's only my opinion, though.
Dry eyes or haloing are two risk factors, but as the first site sourced explains, a "small number" of the 8 million Americans who have had the correction have had problems. The second site claims that 2% have negative effects from surgery. The third site would indicate safety concerns have been increased since my surgery.
Your doctor should be able to tell you if you're a good candidate - good luck!
Both my husband and myself have had laser correction. Mike had it done years ago, when he had to practice holding his eye still for the machine. Mine was done about five years ago, and the methods had improved dramatically. Both of us are very satisfied with the results, and our doctor claims that of the hundreds of patients he has sent to have the surgery, only two have complained. I know one of the unhappy patients, and her complaint is that her extreme nearsightedness used to allow her to work on some detailed, close artwork. Since the surgery, she has perfectly good vision, but has lost the ability to do some of the close-up art. Although she complains, I remember that prior to surgery she had to cut her mascara wand down to be able to see well enough to put on mascara!
My procedure was handled quickly and efficiently. Time from walking into the clinic to leaving was about ninety minutes. Half an hour (roughly) was for completing paperwork, pre-op tests, and taking a valium to make sure I was as calm as I claimed. Fifteen minutes in pre-op where, if I remember correctly, they put some drops in my eye and waited for them to take effect. Fifteen minutes in surgery, only about two of which were for the procedure. Most of this time was making sure I was securely in position. The laser can correct for eye movement now, so there's no concern about that any more. The procedure I went through involved retinal mapping, so the computer makes exactly the cuts programmed. About the only unpleasant part is that the machine is a little noisy and you can feel some moisture on your cheek.
Afterward, commit to a nice 24-hour nap to allow for healing. That's about all there is to the process. Initially, vision was a bit blurry. The next day, all was well.
Mike, my husband, is our doc's poster child for laser surgery success, as he was legally blind with an unusual stigmatism before the surgery. He has had far better than normal eyesigh for more than a decade now, and has only recently begun to use reading glasses as his eyes normally age.
I had only one eye corrected to see at distance, leaving one eye nearsighted so that I can read without correction. When my eyes are tired, I put on glasses, but otherwise I go uncorrected. My doctor says that he can only tell I've had the surgery if he looks carefully for the scar, and there's the barest hint of that in one spot only. I'm a happy customer.
I've read warnings such as those at http://www.usaeyes.org/lasik/faq/lasik-risk.htm . These warnings are on par for about any surgery that I've ever faced, from mole removal to arthroscopic knee procedures. I'm not a doctor, but believe that if you go to a reputable surgeon with a facility where you feel confident, much of your anxiety will be reduced. That's only my opinion, though.
Dry eyes or haloing are two risk factors, but as the first site sourced explains, a "small number" of the 8 million Americans who have had the correction have had problems. The second site claims that 2% have negative effects from surgery. The third site would indicate safety concerns have been increased since my surgery.
Your doctor should be able to tell you if you're a good candidate - good luck!
source(s):
http://commonlaw.findlaw.com/2008/04/fda-plans-lasik.html
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2004/02/23/newscolumn3.html
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/reporter/index.html?ID=1148
http://commonlaw.findlaw.com/2008/04/fda-plans-lasik.html
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2004/02/23/newscolumn3.html
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/reporter/index.html?ID=1148
LASIK is a relatively new technology. The first laser was approved for LASIK eye surgery in 1998.
Therefore, the long-term safety and effectiveness of LASIK surgery is not known.
I would definitely recommend researching your exact condition and the expected results.
Take a look at http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/lasik/risks.htm
The U.S. Food and Drug Administrations Lasik Risk Assessment.
Also The FTC Consumer Alert Getting the Clear Picture on Lasik Eye Surgery http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt074.shtm
and Basik Lasik: Tips on Lasik Eye Surgery http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/health/hea04.shtm
Therefore, the long-term safety and effectiveness of LASIK surgery is not known.
I would definitely recommend researching your exact condition and the expected results.
Take a look at http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/lasik/risks.htm
The U.S. Food and Drug Administrations Lasik Risk Assessment.
Also The FTC Consumer Alert Getting the Clear Picture on Lasik Eye Surgery http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt074.shtm
and Basik Lasik: Tips on Lasik Eye Surgery http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/health/hea04.shtm
Generally lasik eye surgery is pretty safe if it is done on a good candidate. Most experts say that lasik horror stories come from people who should never have been operated on. With that being said, you should see several eye specialists and have them examine you to see if it is a good idea. If all of them say ok, then your probably pretty safe. If some of them say its a bad idea, you should think twice.
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