Board 8 > Getting Eye Surgery in 2 weeks.

(+) Yeah! (+)

My pre-op appointment is May 11, sign paperwork and stuff on the 12th, and the surgery is on the 13th. And staying at a near by facility til the 19th for my post-op appointment before I can drive back home.

From my understanding I will have the option of getting Lasik or PRK, depending if my eyes qualify for either or. Has anyone gotten one of these procedures done before and how was your experience?

I'm actually terrified, but I would like to not wear glasses anymore, so.

I've gotten lasik! You can ask any question you want. A basic rundown is that they lay you down on a table, clamp your eyelids to stay open Clockwork Orange-style, and shine a laser into your eyes that you just see as whiteness. It's very uncomfortable. Immediately afterward, like next ten seconds, my vision was sharper, but the world was very blurry, if you know what I mean by that. I had the same vision I'd had with glasses about one day later.

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A basic rundown is that they lay you down on a table, clamp your eyelids to stay open Clockwork Orange-style

Well, that's kind of a relief and what I'd expect because there is no damn way I will be able to keep my eyes open without blinking/flinching. Even putting eye drops in my eye is difficult for me, which is also why I've never worn contacts.

Hoping for some heavy drugs while they do this.

Did you have a choice between Lasik or PRK? If so, what made you go with Lasik?

SwiftyDC posted...

Hoping for some heavy drugs while they do this.

I didn't get any. I would suspect you can't have any, because they might mess up the way your eye is focusing while you're drugged, but that's pure speculation from a non-doctor.

I'm hesitant because my eyes are sensitive. Like when I go to the eye doctor I can barely keep them open when they shine the light in my eyes. So I have this feeling I'd mess something up during the process of LASIK.

Got Lasik back in 2018. One of the best decisions I've ever made.

My corneas were barely thick enough for the procedure, so I'm thankful I even had the opportunity.

Few things to be aware of:

• If you're nervous on the day of the procedure, they will likely give you something to relax you (I got Valium)
• The actual procedure feels like you're being operated on in some alien abduction movie. It's pretty creepy but only takes a couple minutes. You'll be asked to keep your eyes open throughout the procedure. Just follow the doctor's instructions and you'll be fine.
• About a month after the surgery, the vision in my left eye got blurry while reading white text on a black background. This was due to an astigmatism (basically, my left eye is shaped like an American football, while my right is shaped like a basketball). I went for a follow-up Enhancement surgery a few weeks later and have been good ever since. The enhancement was totally free btw. Definitely ask the doctor what happens in the event that you need an enhancement because of an astigmatism or some other reason.
• The procedure was supposed to cost $5500, but I saved $1000 by attending a seminar, and then saved another $300 by paying in cash on the day of the procedure. Ask if there are any discounts they offer.
• I was able to go back to work the day after my surgery
• In the weeks after your surgery, you will be putting different types of drops in your eyes every hour. You will get used to this. I was initially squeamish about this, but I became a pro within a few day. If you're nervous, have a friend or family member do the dropping while you hold your eyelids open.
• When you drive at night, headlights with have a "halo" effect to them. This is normal.

Best of luck DC!

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I had the same vision I'd had with glasses about one day later.

Except you get 20-20 peripheral vision as a bonus!

For me, the best part was cutting the contact lens ritual from my schedule.

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I didn't get any. I would suspect you can't have any, because they might mess up the way your eye is focusing while you're drugged, but that's pure speculation from a non-doctor.

I got Valium before both surgeries (initial and enhancement). The assistant took one look at me and said, "Let me get you a little something..."

Menji posted...

I'm hesitant because my eyes are sensitive. Like when I go to the eye doctor I can barely keep them open when they shine the light in my eyes. So I have this feeling I'd mess something up during the process of LASIK.

The doctors will clamp your eyes open and drug you to ensure that the procedure goes smoothly. Remember, the last thing they want is bad PR from a botched surgery. If you want Lasik, go for it.

plasmabeam posted...

* The procedure was supposed to cost $5500, but I saved $1000 by attending a seminar, and then saved another $300 by paying in cash on the day of the procedure. Ask if there are any discounts they offer.

That sounds shady AF. "Oh yeah, pay up front and we'll charge you less, because if it turns out we don't know how to use these lasers right we're going to need that money to skip town." Never pay that much cash up front for anything unless you need to skip town in a hurry.

I got Lasik last year, its fucking amazing and worth every penny.

I have a slight sensitivity to bright light (like the sun) now, but when I can literally just throw on any pair of non-prescription sunglasses its not even an issue.

The actual procedure is stupidly easy, at my place they give you 3 Valium, one for the night before, one for the day of, and one the night of.

I didnt even have to use the 3rd one, after the procedure I took an hour long nap and was fully recovered, it was like magic.

But they put this tiny vacuum over your eye, you feel pressure for literally <5 minutes and youre done.

I've been saying for years that LASIK is the best decision I ever made, and I stick by it. Everything the above fellows said is true- you can't mess things up by blinking, your eyelids will be clamped. They'll give you some drugs ahead of time to calm you down a bit. I felt good the next day and was able to go back to work, and felt 100% by the day after that.

The most important thing IMO is to have someone else to drive you home after the procedure and then to use the eyedrops they give you to get through the initial night. I thought I was big and tough and wouldn't need them, but your eyes are healing in those hours and they get very itchy but you're not allowed to touch/rub them like you normally would. The eyedrops are a huge relief; pop them in and then take a nap if at all possible to let your eyes rest.

You might also want to cue up some music or podcasts or something for that day, because if you're too wound up to nap you'll at least want to be resting comfortably on the couch but without looking at the TV or your phone or tablet or anything.

Im getting the procedure done thru the Air Force , at Travis AFB, and I am required to stay in the local area for 7 days since Im from out of town. So Ill be staying at their Fisher House.

Hmm, so LASIK seems to be the way to go. PRK seems to be popular these days, but it looks like the recovery time is significantly more than LASIK.

I also have astigmatism, both eyes are football shaped.

I thought I remember reading that one approach was better than the other if you've got astigmatism. But maybe that's not true anymore since I believe at one point you couldn't get it done at all with "football" shaped eyes.

All I know is I've got astigmatism but don't wear glasses (usually) at the moment. Should (When?) my sight degrades, I'd like to think about doing the procedure but eyeball things always get me nervous.

I might be the perfect person to ask about this because I've literally gotten both - LASIK in my left eye and PRK in my right.

LASIK has better results, immediate results, and no pain. It's downright incredible. Literally 2 hours after the surgery I was seeing better than 20/20 vision and it hasn't changed since. PRK is quite a different story though. The results are still decent long-term, but my vision remains blurrier than I was hoping for in my right eye. The first week after PRK you'll be relegated to staying in a dark room because light hurts your eye intensely. The first three or so months you won't see very well out of it at all. Around 6 months you'll start getting closer to your final results, but it will still heal for over a year. And it never got as good as my left eye. I've thought about even getting contacts for my right eye because it's a little annoying, but like, it's not terribly blurry or anything. Just a little. If I didn't get a taste of LASIK in my left eye, I wouldn't know what I was missing out on.

Basically, if you can get LASIK in both, that's absolutely what you want. It's miraculous and there's a reason it's been the go-to standard, unless you simply have to get PRK because of your corneas. For me, I was blind in my right eye for 2 years because of a corneal ulcer, so the fact that I could even get PRK was kind of a miracle in itself. It's hard to complain about my results after being blind.

Good luck, DC! Here's hoping you qualify for LASIK.

StartTheMachine posted...

I might be the perfect person to ask about this because I've literally gotten both - LASIK in my left eye and PRK in my right.

LASIK has better results, immediate results, and no pain. It's downright incredible. Literally 2 hours after the surgery I was seeing better than 20/20 vision and it hasn't changed since. PRK is quite a different story though. The results are still decent long-term, but my vision remains blurrier than I was hoping for in my right eye. The first week after PRK you'll be relegated to staying in a dark room because light hurts your eye intensely. The first three or so months you won't see very well out of it at all. Around 6 months you'll start getting closer to your final results, but it will still heal for over a year. And it never got as good as my left eye. I've thought about even getting contacts for my right eye because it's a little annoying, but like, it's not terribly blurry or anything. Just a little. If I didn't get a taste of LASIK in my left eye, I wouldn't know what I was missing out on.

Basically, if you can get LASIK in both, that's absolutely what you want. It's miraculous and there's a reason it's been the go-to standard, unless you simply have to get PRK because of your corneas. For me, I was blind in my right eye for 2 years because of a corneal ulcer, so the fact that I could even get PRK was kind of a miracle in itself. It's hard to complain about my results after being blind.

Good luck, DC! Here's hoping you qualify for LASIK.

Sounds about right with PRK. A coworker of mine has gotten PRK, and swears by it, but warned me about it taking over a year to fully heal, and even after a few years, he says that his eyes are not at 100% but he's cool with it cause he can redo the procedure later on down the road if he needs to. LASIK is a one-time thing, but I'm heavily leaning towards that one if I qualify after hearing all your stories. Thank you!

ChichiriMuyo posted...

That sounds shady AF. "Oh yeah, pay up front and we'll charge you less, because if it turns out we don't know how to use these lasers right we're going to need that money to skip town." Never pay that much cash up front for anything unless you need to skip town in a hurry.

The doctor was the top Lasik provider in my area with over 20 years of experience. Nothing shady about it at all. I also got a receipt, and everything was on record anyway.

Ngamer64 posted...

You might also want to cue up some music or podcasts or something for that day, because if you're too wound up to nap you'll at least want to be resting comfortably on the couch but without looking at the TV or your phone or tablet or anything.

Highly recommend this, as you won't be able to read or watch screens.

SwiftyDC posted...

I also have astigmatism, both eyes are football shaped.

You'll be fine. Just be aware that you may need to return for an enhancement.

StartTheMachine posted...

The first week after PRK you'll be relegated to staying in a dark room because light hurts your eye intensely. The first three or so months you won't see very well out of it at all. Around 6 months you'll start getting closer to your final results, but it will still heal for over a year. And it never got as good as my left eye. I've thought about even getting contacts for my right eye because it's a little annoying, but like, it's not terribly blurry or anything. Just a little. If I didn't get a taste of LASIK in my left eye, I wouldn't know what I was missing out on.

Thank God my corneas were thick enough for Lasik. This sounds like a nightmare.

For those that got LASIK, any worries or fears of the flap reopening?

None at all, the actual flap seals in like a day or two.

The longest part is the nerves that tell your eye how to stay moist regrowing, which took me a few weeks(and wasnt really a big deal, I just needed some eye drops every few hours).

ChichiriMuyo posted...

That sounds shady AF. "Oh yeah, pay up front and we'll charge you less, because if it turns out we don't know how to use these lasers right we're going to need that money to skip town." Never pay that much cash up front for anything unless you need to skip town in a hurry.

As a corporate accountant it makes total sense and is not shady. CC take a % for the fee. Checks and ACH can bounce or be blocked and going after people for the money can be long and costly. Cash means no worry and no delay on receiving payment. Getting paid in cash is almost always better for the company.

It is not uncommon for places to give a discount if you pay by cash, money order, or certified check.

SwiftyDC posted...

For those that got LASIK, any worries or fears of the flap reopening?

None. They heal quickly with the help of special eye drops you'll receive.

Got lasik. It's very simple, I didn't get any drugs but I felt pretty calm during the whole procedure

You don't feel any pain, just some strange pressure in your eyes while it's doing its thing

The most important part is the after surgery
Don't skip any of the eye drops, keep lubricating your eyes from time to time
Get a pair of those eye shields for the night to prevent involuntary eye scratching. Try to avoid touching your eyes at all, you'll feel like you have sand in them, try to ignore
Use sunglasses constantly for a few days both indoors and outdoors

One more week.

firefdr posted...

The most important part is the after surgery
Don't skip any of the eye drops, keep lubricating your eyes from time to time

This. Don't skip your drops.

Get a pair of those eye shields for the night to prevent involuntary eye scratching.

I got a free pair from the place I had my surgery at.

https://youtu.be/Hruk1F6ahQQ

I always think of this when anyone talks about it.

So just got done with me pre-surgery stuff. I was told that there is some abnormal spots on my cornea but after further review they said I was okay for surgery.

They also recommended that I do PRK, since they have a 97% success rate at Travis AFB, while LASIK is 90%.

I also was told that my pupils are larger than normal which has a higher chance that they halos might not go away, that was concerning to hear

I'm pretty sure I have permanent night time halos, and honestly it's not that big of a deal.

It's a little annoying for nighttime driving, but I wouldn't take having it done back even if you paid me.

edit: also a 10% failure rate seems wild as hell to me. What are they doing differently to be that much higher than the national average of 0.3%?

By success rate, 20/20 perfect vision. They mentioned complications with the flap

Tomorrow I have a 2-hour brief so hopefully they go into more detail. But I think I can still opt for LASIK.

3 hours til my surgery. Cant sleep.

good luck swift!

ZenOfThunder posted...

good luck swift!

Thank you!

Its gonna go great!

Surgery went well. I ended up getting PRK. My eyes were hella irritated but after taking a long ass nap they feel pretty good. Decided to do my eye drop planner like so so I dont miss anything. Also taking Vitamin C and omega 3-6-9 (Fish oil, flax seed).

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/0/3/AACwWBAADOsL.jpg

Glad it went well! Whenever I read these I think about doing it more and more.

SwiftyDC posted...

My pre-op appointment is May 11, sign paperwork and stuff on the 12th, and the surgery is on the 13th. And staying at a near by facility til the 19th for my post-op appointment before I can drive back home.

From my understanding I will have the option of getting Lasik or PRK, depending if my eyes qualify for either or. Has anyone gotten one of these procedures done before and how was your experience?

I'm actually terrified, but I would like to not wear glasses anymore, so.

I got bait and switched on my experience.

When the doctor was doing the procedure he kept saying wow look at these pupils! Ive never seen any bigger then yours.

Giggitty.

He then proceeded to blind the shit out of me and turning the lights way up.

What made you opt for PRK?

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

What made you opt for PRK?

I didnt have a choice really. They recommended PRK and I trusted their judgment. Out of 11 of us, only one did LASIK.

Day 2 - woke up with my goggles off and was scared a rubbed my eyes at night. Looking at my phone my eyes are sensitive to light.

That stinks that you ended up having to get PRK, but you still made the right choice between it and no laser eye surgery. It's a long healing process but the results are still good! You'll be glad you had it done in six months' time. Good luck during the healing process - and avoid light for a while!

Thanks, Blur.

I am bored out of my mind. Any good podcast recs?

Day 3 - woke up with my goggles off again wtf

Vision is noticeably blurry today and I do see halos around lights.

Day 5 - I can see! Still a bit cloudy like I need to wipe my glass lens, which is kinda weird seeing as Im not wearing glasses. Also, cant rub my eye to clear it which is frustrating at times. Last couple days I couldnt even look at my phone with how blurry everything was but things are a lot better today.

How long until the blurriness goes away?

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

How long until the blurriness goes away?

I hope once they take these bandage contact lens out.

Glad to hear you're on the road to recovery!

Nice, sounds like you are improving regularly.

I'm jealous. A coworker of mine got lasik recently so I asked my eye doctor the path to doing the same for me and he was just like "lol no way. nuh uh. not happening. if you had one or two astigmatisms, i'd say maybe.... but with what you got, no chance in hell".

=(

Just got back from my final post op appt. My vision is 20/30 and will steadily improve. Thats Gucci. I have to continue to take eye drops which is annoying. These new drops they want are more of a lubricant that I can feel after putting them in, making it hard to keep my eyes open.

I was told to stay one more day before I drive back home (5hr drive). And they want me to keep my eyes close all day today ha, Ill try.

SwiftyDC posted...

Vision is noticeably blurry today and I do see halos around lights.

Yeah, I saw halos around headlights while driving at night for months, so that's nothing to worry about.

Happy to hear you're recovering nicely!