Lasik Answers

admin answers:

Hey, I feel your pain. I’m 18 and already my vision is -7/20

…pretty bad I know. I actually jsut recently spent $300 on a years worth of contacts -.- but anyways, I actually asked my eye doctor about the eye surgery and she said that I may not be able to qualify. One because at the age of 18 I am still too young to risk it. And two, because my eyes are so nearsighted, they would have to cut way to close during surgery,that it would possibly do a lot of harm to my vision.

However, they are in the process of creating these things called “intacs” I’m pretty sure they’re called. Basically they’re contacts that go…in your eye =P It’s a one time thing, so it’s basically an alternative to lasic.

Do some research on it in google, see what u find =)

good luck

edit: lol contacts that go in your eye…-shock shock- -.- sorry I was rushing. I meant to say, they are literally inside of your eye…i’m not sure how they are placed there but I assume the cut back the layering as they do during laser surgery and place it in there.

It is not out yet, but they are developing it, and by the time u are old enough, I’m sure it will be out there =)

admin answers:

1) Does it hurt?
No. But you will smell a strange odor when the laser is making the flap on your corneas.

2) Are you awake?
Yes

3) How long does the surgery take?
30 minutes total (around there, at least)

4) How long does it take to recover?
By the next day you’ll be able to drive, but you may experience some problems with night vision which are temporary. You need to go to a follow-up appointment to see that your eyes are healing well.

5) What can go wrong?
You can either have undercorrected or overcorrected vision, in which case you need to have a second Lasik procedure done to fix it

6) Can I go blind?
No, but there a risk that your vision may be WORSE than before

7) How old do you have to be to get it?
At least 21, with stable vision for two years. You need to get a consulation to see if you qualify. If you don’t qualify for Lasik, you may be a candidate for another laser eye correction surgery.
What is the range of pricing?
As of now, because of the economy, the price for Lasik may decrease or stay the same. (in 2008 it cost $1,500-$3,000 PER EYE).

admin answers:

You’ll need to wear your glasses (leave your contacts out) for two weeks prior to surgery (that’s the FDA recommended waiting time for soft contact wearers — it’s longer for people with hard contacts of toric or RPG lenses). This is necessary because your contact lenses change the shape of your eye; you want your eyes to get back to normal before they start up that laser, otherwise they’d be doing surgery on a surface that’s still changing!

As for getting the eyes done together or at different times…

These days, most people who have Lasik get both eyes done at once. If you have them done separately, you’ll find that it isn’t at all like when you take one lens out right now. As soon as the surgery is over, you’ll start seeing an improvement, so the vision in your “corrected” eye and the vision in the other eye (with the contact lens) are going to be a lot closer than you think.

I got mine done 1 month apart because I was having PRK (which has a longer healing time) and they wanted to make sure that Eye #1 was responding well before doing Eye #2. For two weeks before the second surgery, I had to wear my glasses, so I just popped one lens out of the frame. It looked a little goofy but it was well worth it knowing I’d never have to wear those glasses or lenses again!

Other than that, there’s not much prep involved until you get to the doctor’s office and they give you some drops and maybe some medication.

Afterwards, there can be side effects, some more likely than others. Glare and halos are most common. It’s also possible that your vision may not become “perfect” afterwards, and you have to accept that possibility. Mine isn’t perfect, probably because my eyes were so horrible to begin with (-9) — but I still consider this surgery the best thing I could ever have done for myself and my health! Do I get halos? Yes, at night, and I still say it’s worth it! Pick a doctor who has a great reputation. Don’t be afraid to google him or her to look into his credentials.

admin answers:

Can’t you just ring up the clinic or wherever you got the procedure done and talk to someone there about it? There’s no reason they wouldn’t answer your questions – that’s what they’re there for

admin answers:

This sounds like you are having more trouble with dryness than you may think. Some people get VERY dry during the night. If that is happening, then it may take you some time during the day for your tears to improve to the point where you can see clearly. I would recommend using wetting eye drops aggressively throughout the day but especially in the morning.