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Laser Eye Surgery


SanVal

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Has anyone had laser eye surgery? I'm seriously considering having it done once I get insurance/more money, but I have some concerns.

 

Does your vision keep getting worse after you have it done, or does it help stop the progression?

 

If it gets worse, is it dangerous to have it again?

 

How good are the results if you have very poor vision to begin with (-11 in my case)?

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Has anyone had laser eye surgery? I'm seriously considering having it done once I get insurance/more money, but I have some concerns.

 

Does your vision keep getting worse after you have it done, or does it help stop the progression?

 

If it gets worse, is it dangerous to have it again?

 

How good are the results if you have very poor vision to begin with (-11 in my case)?

I think Emil had it done, send him a PM. :)

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Has anyone had laser eye surgery? I'm seriously considering having it done once I get insurance/more money, but I have some concerns.

 

Does your vision keep getting worse after you have it done, or does it help stop the progression?

 

If it gets worse, is it dangerous to have it again?

 

How good are the results if you have very poor vision to begin with (-11 in my case)?

 

What sort of laser surgery are you talking about?

 

Of what progression are you talking about?

 

Since laser surgery is used for retinien reparation and other surgeries to correct internal damages, you need to specify if you're talking about a simple laser surgery to not having to ware lens or for other cases.

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In addition to asking the people who had the surgery, you also need to talk to a professional that will explain to you all the details. Although I havent done the surgery, I know some people that did. They had it done at Jules Stein Eye Center (at UCLA) which is also where I would recommend you to get. Some doctors charge less in other places, but this is not the time to be cheap. Better safe than sorry. The one bad thing about Jules Stein is that they want the money up front and do not do financing (monthly payments). Also, you have to choose what type you want: I would recommend the bladeless one.

 

Here is a link to some VERY BASIC knowledge about refractive surgery.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_Eye_Surgery

 

And if you would like to schedule a consultation with a pro at UCLA:

http://www.uclaser.com/

 

 

Best of luck!!!

 

:)

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Yes, "Lasik" surgery is what you want. I had it done August 4th of this year, best decision I've made. The relief from not wearing contacts/glasses is awesome. No more getting up and having to reach for your glasses so you can see. I have no problems seeing now, I don't have the "halos" some people experience at night. The reason I don't is my doctor used the "wavefront" technology which eliminates that problem. Everybody has an opinion about doctors, but I think mine is truley one of the best, he's done the Lasik on multiple family members/friends of mine. Don't go with one of those places that offer discounts, it's your eyes, cheaper isn't better.

 

I went to see Dr. Berg, http://www.bergfeinfield.com/ The consultation is free, they do about 45 min's worth of tests to see if you're qualified for Lasik.

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Yes, "Lasik" surgery is what you want. I had it done August 4th of this year, best decision I've made. The relief from not wearing contacts/glasses is awesome. No more getting up and having to reach for your glasses so you can see. I have no problems seeing now, I don't have the "halos" some people experience at night. The reason I don't is my doctor used the "wavefront" technology which eliminates that problem. Everybody has an opinion about doctors, but I think mine is truley one of the best, he's done the Lasik on multiple family members/friends of mine. Don't go with one of those places that offer discounts, it's your eyes, cheaper isn't better.

 

I went to see Dr. Berg, http://www.bergfeinfield.com/ The consultation is free, they do about 45 min's worth of tests to see if you're qualified for Lasik.

 

 

Thanks, that's a very helpful site...and congratulations. I hope I can get my Christmas present.

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Then no, it doesn't stop progression, that's why you should get it only after a certain age, when your sight has stabilised.

 

 

That is correct. I would say wait until you are 23 - 24 years old and then go for a check up. TIf you dont have the the history of yearly eye exams, then the check up will be for a few times over an extended period. If they see your eyesight is not changing, then they will go ahead with the procedure. If they are, then they'll wait until it stabilizes or changes VERY minimally.

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I told you he was your man :)

Don't let that hippo fool you, but probably he'll ask you out in a couple of days. :P :D

 

 

I already offered her my extra bedroom, she didn't respond. :angry:

 

Yes, you have to wait till a certain age. Even with Lasik, at some point in life your eyes will change again, it's just called old age.

 

By the way, insurance will not cover Lasik, so start saving up.

Edited by Emil
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That is correct. I would say wait until you are 23 - 24 years old and then go for a check up. TIf you dont have the the history of yearly eye exams, then the check up will be for a few times over an extended period. If they see your eyesight is not changing, then they will go ahead with the procedure. If they are, then they'll wait until it stabilizes or changes VERY minimally.

 

 

Well, that's disappointing. I'm already past that age and it keeps decreasing by about -0.5 every year...but some of that might be attributable to graduate school, and thankfully I'm not doing that anymore. I hope they don't make me wait until I can only see spots of colors.

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And why the emphasis on "stabilization"? Is that realistic?

I thought the average person's eyes are like their weight...your weight only gets worse with age, and the same with your eyes.

 

It is important, stabilization is primordial, while there is no direct limit on the number of times one could get lasic, there is no research on long term effect of continious uses of laser surgery. It also becomes expensive to get it 5,6 and 7 times. Consider that continual surgery could eventually lead to various eye conditions, some which will freak you.

 

Lasic is definitly not for everyone. I have stabilised eye sight for years, and I know I don't want to get it.

 

Also, consider that lasic is not a real correction, you seem to think that lasic correct the causes of the problem, it change the curvature of your cornea to compensate your crystalline lens inability to retract and focus the image on the retine. It is like using your cornea as contact lens.

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It's just that the other choices are terrible at this point.

 

After 13 years of wearing contacts, I seem to have developed allergies, and over the counter drops don't help anymore. You just have that itchy feeling all day, the way you feel when you haven't had enough sleep.

 

Wearing glasses all the time isn't a very good option either. Other than making your head, nose, and ears hurt, there are aesthetic reasons for not wanting to wear them. With my prescription, they make my eyes look a lot smaller than they are, and that doesn't look pretty to me.

 

And alternating between the two--which is what I'm doing right now--is alternating between two bad things.

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Be careful with your doctor. They should not consider you for corrective laser eye surgery if you have any of the following conditions:

 

-Severely dry eyes

-Pregnant and Nursing mothers

-Active eye inflammation or infection

-Excessive corneal disease or scarring

-Degenerative disease of the cornea (e.g. keratoconus)

-Uncontrolled diabetes

-Inadequate corneal tissue

-Certain rheumatological conditions (e.g. lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjorgens Disease)

-Pupils larger than 7mm in the dark - due to increased risk of glare and halos at night and decreased night vision

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Be careful with your doctor. They should not consider you for corrective laser eye surgery if you have any of the following conditions:

 

-Severely dry eyes

-Pregnant and Nursing mothers

-Active eye inflammation or infection

-Excessive corneal disease or scarring

-Degenerative disease of the cornea (e.g. keratoconus)

-Uncontrolled diabetes

-Inadequate corneal tissue

-Certain rheumatological conditions (e.g. lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjorgens Disease)

-Pupils larger than 7mm in the dark - due to increased risk of glare and halos at night and decreased night vision

 

 

wow, you did a lot of research

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wow, you did a lot of research

 

I think no one should blindly trust his physician's opinion, especially when it comes to having any type of surgery. It's always a good idea to do your own research and get a second opinion. I saved this list for myself a little while ago because I was considering this surgery too, and one doctor was ready to go ahead with the surgery, but the other one told me not to have it because my eyes were very dry and the condition would get worse after lasic.

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I think no one should blindly trust his physician's opinion, especially when it comes to having any type of surgery. It's always a good idea to do your own research and get a second opinion. I saved this list for myself a little while ago because I was considering this surgery too, and one doctor was ready to go ahead with the surgery, but the other one told me not to have it because my eyes were very dry and the condition would get worse after lasic.

 

More particulary when that physician happens to be the physician who would perform the surgery and who has all the interests in the world to advice you to get surgery.

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More particulary when that physician happens to be the physician who would perform the surgery and who has all the interests in the world to advice you to get surgery.

 

 

True, but there are ways to find out how much experience your physician has had and if he/she has ever been sued. Plus, there's an FDA website on the topic that's supposed to be objective.

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