Anyone have Laser vision correction?

[Prince Valiant]

If so, or are close to someone who has, please discuss the experience and cost.

I'm considering it for myself. Thanks...

[Karps TA]

I had PKR almost 5 years ago now. My vision was too bad to have Lasik. I've had no problems and my vision is still as good as it was.

I wake up everyday happy as hell that I had it done. To look over and read the clock without reaching for glasses is great. The process itself was long and difficult though. And PKR is way more painful. Like I paid for lifetime adjustments, but I doubt I would ever go thru it again. My folks both had Lasik done and their recovery was nothing compared to mine.

I want to say I paid around $1700 an eye back then. I went to the Laser Vision Institue on Bluemound. I think the cost depended on the amount of correction needed. My dad's was only like $450 an eye.

[Sleeper Sierra]

I had lasik back in 2004 it cost about 1200 total and was probably the best 1200 bucks i ever spent I also went to the place on bluemound.

[Waver]

my buddy had it, says that is one of the best things he has ever done

[moels]

My ex had it and I was hoping the lasers would burn her to death.

[TheRX7Project]

3 of my good friends have had it, and they all love it and are glad they did, although one of them still has to wear glasses sometimes (but he's old).

[pOrk]

My dad had it done, and only needs glasses to read things up close. He wore glasses most of his life, and now only when reading a book. I think it was less then 2 grand for both eyes

[URLOZIN]

Both of my parents wore glasses their whole lives. They both got it done a few years ago for under 1500 for both eyes. My mom just wears glasses every once in a while for reading, and my dad never has worn glasses since.

[Goat Roper]

My ex had it and I was hoping the lasers would burn her to death.

That is just full of win.

Anyway good subject, I am considering this as well

[Al]

I've considered having it done too.

[Goat Roper]

I want to say I paid around $1700 an eye back then. I went to the Laser Vision Institue on Bluemound. I think the cost depended on the amount of correction needed. My dad's was only like $450 an eye.

Laser Vision Institute's pricing is in this fine print, not terrible

http://lasikvisioninstitute.com/imgs/anipol07.gif

[Cryptic]

Paid 1600 total back in 2001. I came from worse than 20/400 vision and got 20/20 in both eyes after lasik

I wear glasses now, but just for that extra sharpness and nighttime. My eyes are probably 20/25. Age is just going to do that.

Most of my issues are with night. I see halos or star bursts from light sources. My glasses really help clean it up a lot. My vision during the day outside is still 20/20.

I have a guarantee, but I was going to wait a few years before having the procedure again.

Give me a call Chris...

[95 TA - The Beast]

I had it done back in 2006, was done at Lasik Plus on Moorland & Bluemound. It was a VERY quick procedure and I have better than 20/15 vision in both eyes due to it.

Honestly, do some research into which locations (had an ex-neighbor who's wife was in the 'should not have it done' category because of the various criteria and LVI still did the procedure and she has horrible starbursting, huge problems with driving at night and is very sensitive to daylight), as well as if you are truely an 'ideal candidate' for the procedure. As it was I was just about a 'perfect middle of the road' in the various criteria, thus I felt fairly confident about the results and wasn't disappointed.

I will say, the worst part of the whole procedure was smelling your own eyes being burnt by the laser...

My cost was around the $2700 mark for both eyes, but that includes lifetime adjustments.

I will say there was an issue with sensitivity to sunlight and starbursting at night as well as a slight contrast loss for a while, but most of that resolved within the first year and I really have zero complaints a few years later... It is great to be able to wear sunglasses, to be able to pull focus immediately when waking up as well as just the lack of hassles of dealing with contacts/glasses. Probably the best money I ever spent on something for myself.

We have decided we will be doing the same for my wife sometime this summer if she is a good candidate for the procedure.

[03CVLX]

I want to do this also so this info is really helpful. I have a pretty severe astigmatism though so im not sure if its 'right' for me.

[Prince Valiant]

I guess I'd be an "ideal" candidate....vision correction is fairly mild and has been stable for ~12 years. I'm 35 years old (your vision/eye generally changes until my age or so, so an 18 y/o may have a greater need for future correction). The only caveat is that one eye has an ever so slight astigmatism...so much so that one optometrist opined that it wasn't what she'd consider an astigmatism.

If I get mine done, I'll probably just go without the lifetime correction feature...simply because if they don't screw up, by the time I may need it again, the price will be much much less.

I'm going to go to several places (vision correction institute, optivision, Hale vision center, Foote Laser Vision Center).

Thanks for the input guys...glad to see real prices.

[Deggy]

I've actually been considering saving up to get this done. I am sick of glasses and contacts.

[07ROUSHSTG3]

do it. my wife had it done at Lasik Plus a couple years ago. she was very nervous, but afterwards was sooo glad that she did it. she has better eyes than me now, LOL!

[Voodoo Chick]

I wear contact lenses, and am happy that way......no way in hell do I want a laser by my eyes. I'm a p*ssy that way, though.

[gottwins?]

My dad had it done like 5 years ago...worked out fine as far as I know.

[srt4eh]

i plan on getting this done when I get home...then again...the army will pay for it

[BoosTT]

The way my health insurance works, I can get it done for free. But I'm too nervious and only 24. Plus I don't think I am an ideal canidate either.

[BigSnailBuick]

I need to do this sooner or later as well :stare

[ND4SPD]

I had mine done in 2002 (so, just over 7 years and a month ago) at Anderson & Shapiro Eyecare in Madison... cost about $2900 (they're not one of those fly-by-nite companies). I came out 20/15 and I'm still doing great. They weren't kidding... that first morning you wake up, take the shields off and can read the clock across the room without your glasses is one of the most incredible feelings in the world. Definitely some of the best money I ever spent. Contact lenses were nice... but they were such a pain in the rear. Won't help with needing reading glasses... but just about everyone needs those eventually.

[Voodoo Chick]

Stupid question....but.....can you feel anything while they are doing it?? Does it hurt?

[Karps TA]

No they numb your eye. You feel a little pressure. The worst part is the smell, and when your vision goes black for a second or 2.

[Anakonda69]

i'm looking into getting it too. my wife had it done like 4 years ago at i believe it was the lasik vision institute. i plan on going to get looked at for it within the next few months.

[Voodoo Chick]

No they numb your eye. You feel a little pressure. The worst part is the smell, and when your vision goes black for a second or 2.


The smell???? OMG......burning eyeball......I think I'll stick to contact lenses! :wow

[Karps TA]

It smells like burnt hair. The first time the whole process freaked me out. But by the 3rd one I was like whatever.

[ND4SPD]

He's BS'ing you... I never smelled anything. Course I have chronic sinus problems. :D Yes, the part where you go blind for a second is a little scary, but They also have all-laser lasik now so they don't need to use the keratotomer anymore so they might not even use the vacuum thing that makes your vision go black. Relax... most places will give you a sedative (Valium or something similar).

[Voodoo Chick]

How many times do they have to do it??

[Karps TA]

I had to have PRK done because my eyesight was terrible. I had worn glasses since I was in kindergarten. I think my prescription was like -12.5 in both eyes. So because of that I had the PRK.

This may be a bit untechnical but it'll give you the jist.

Lasik they cut a flap, laser shape the cornea and lay the flap back down to heal.

PRK they essentially scrub away the top of the eye so the have more cornea to work with. Because of this where Lasik heals quickly, it takes PKR about 6 months for your eye to heal near completely.

Because of that they only do one eye at a time, and they prefer to err on the side of doing less then more for obvious reasons. So they did my right eye in December. I came back in June/July and it wasn't good enough yet so they did an adjustment. Then the next December I had them do the other eye.

What sucks is PRK is way more painful especially the first couple days cause your eye is literally all raw nerve ends. So anytime you move your eye against your eye lid it hurts like sand in your eyes. Each time was worse. They put in a contact bandage which I would have sworn was the thing causing all the pain, but on my left eye I had them remove it early cause they were going to be closed for Xmas and I then spent 2 days in bed in the dark wanting to end my life. lol

But a couple weeks later I was like 20/40 and I think I ended up being 20/15 in the end. So the pain was worth it.

The weirdest was having to live life with one contact lense, which is okay during the day, but at night trying to wear glasses with only one lense in was awkward to say the least.

[Voodoo Chick]

Wow........it sounds pretty intense....Glad it worked out for you, though.

[Holeshot]

I watched my wife have cataract surgery with laser. It was cool as hell. She has 15 20 in both eyes now. To bad she can't hear for shit. :durr

[Moparjim]

my wife had it several years ago. it was life changing for her. she was so happy she regularly cried lol. things most of us take for granted like being able TO SEE when you wake up in the middle of the night and don't have your cotacts in and have to go to the bathroom would blow her mind... she constantly was messing with contacts, they would irritate her eyes, losing glasses, etc. etc. lasik makes all that go away. its really not even all that expensive once you consider what you are spending on glasses, contacts, supplies, etc. everyone I know that has had it says one thing - GET IT DONE.

[JC70SS]

I need to get mine done....my eyes get so dry after only a few hrs of contacts and I use the accuvue oasys which are expensive as heLL

[Karps TA]

I need to get mine done....my eyes get so dry after only a few hrs of contacts and I use the accuvue oasys which are expensive as heLL


Laser surgery does promote some dry eyeness as well. So it may actually make it worse for you.

[Cryptic]

The smell???? OMG......burning eyeball......I think I'll stick to contact lenses! :wow

it's vaporized tissue.... becuase its so close to your tear duct its why you smell it. I'd compare it to hair in a curling iron. It's not horrible.

[Sprayaway Fox]

I wanted to have it done a couple months ago in Sheboygan Lasik and it was 4500 with a warranty on it. My eyes are not that bad but where did everybody go? Post it up, and did yours come with a warranty or did you opt for the one and done kind?