Prince Valiant
06-18-2009, 06:33 PM
First, all I can say is WOW! I can see so much better at this point! I can read license plates from down the street...it's amazing!
Okay, now the details:
Process: I checked out several places and was comfortable that most all had the latest technology...and offered means to keep you comfortable in the end.
In the end, I wound up at the Lasik vision institute due to price.
First appt: Go in, they do a large variety of test and screening. They check your current prescription both via lens and by eye exam. They scan your eyes, take various measurements, etc. They do dilate the pupils, so reading was hard that day, and of course, you're sensitive to light.
They then come in and offer the array of services the offer, from PRK, to traditional lasik, to custom...with each having different prices. I chose custom lasik.
Then the scheduling...I was able to get in a little over a week later.
They offered enhancements like tear duct plugs to help keep the eyes moist and reduce pain, protection plans, etc. I at first chose a 1 yr plan, then went to lifetime (only 100/eye more than the 1 yr).
Surgery: They start with the right eye. They beging with numbing drops and then prepar your eyes.
First, they tape the lashes back. Then the put a spring loaded clapm on the lids to keep you from blinking. Then they put a device on that feels like it's sucking on your eyeball to help reduce motion. After that couple minutes it takes to do that, they then touch your eyeball asking if you felt it...much like a dentist asking if you're numb yet.
Of course, by that point you ARE numb, so the surgeon proceeds. He'll say, "okay...it's going to go dark", and for 10 seconds or so, it is. Literally, everything fades out, and you might see colored speckles...and then it comes back just as he says it will. Whne it returns, it's a little hazzy.
Of course, your encouraged to zone out, looking at a flashing light the whole time. The surgeon said, "okay, thumping sounds followd by bug zapping!" which is much what it was. The wierdest thing is you see what appears to be lighting during the zapping...and at the end, you catch a whiff of what smells like burnt hair.
Then the surgeon puts the flap back with what looks like a tiny brush, gives you a bunch of different eye drops, and onto the next eye.
If you're done and selected it, they'll give you tear duct block to help keep your eyes moist and duce discomfort afterward.
Post-op: They take you to a dark room for about a half hour or so, while the surgeon works on the next case...when he's done, he comes in and checks to make sure the faps are in place and sends you off.
I brought some benedryl and the sleep med from tylenol PM and took it as I rode home (buddy took me there and back). They encourage your to sleep as much as possible, so as to keep the eye moist and speed healing of the flap. I crashed for about 5 hours or so.
No intense cardio workouts for a week, no swimming/hot tub for 2-4 weeks. No rubbing the eye for 2-4 weeks. I'll continue to use anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial eye drops for a week...and eye moistening drops for as long as I feel I need it.
You leave wearing eye shields taped to your head and sunglasses. It's recommended to sleep with the shields on for two weeks.
Cost: The place adv. as low as 299/eye...but that's is bare bones minimum, traditional lasik, no coverage, meds, etc, and with all their incentives thrown in at once.
Custom comes in a bit more, but they immediately knock off 600/eye. You could probably go as cheap as 999/eye here (maybe lower?)...but with the lifetime plan plus eye plugs, mine came to 1399/eye ...or 2798 total. You pay 100 deposit, and the balance on surgery day.
If you finance any of it, they'll want 600 dollars on surgery day regardless...and then a year no interest on the balance afterward. I paid the balance, no needing financing.
As far as I can tell, other places would have me pay 400-1000 more for essentially the same tech. Though there are some newer ones with bladeless/laser cutting tech, which was a consideration for me, as I hate the thought of something touching my eyes.
So far so good...been keeping up with the eye drops, sleeping as needed. I'm fairly comfortable at this point.
And the biggest thing is the freedom from glasses! :thumbsup
Okay, now the details:
Process: I checked out several places and was comfortable that most all had the latest technology...and offered means to keep you comfortable in the end.
In the end, I wound up at the Lasik vision institute due to price.
First appt: Go in, they do a large variety of test and screening. They check your current prescription both via lens and by eye exam. They scan your eyes, take various measurements, etc. They do dilate the pupils, so reading was hard that day, and of course, you're sensitive to light.
They then come in and offer the array of services the offer, from PRK, to traditional lasik, to custom...with each having different prices. I chose custom lasik.
Then the scheduling...I was able to get in a little over a week later.
They offered enhancements like tear duct plugs to help keep the eyes moist and reduce pain, protection plans, etc. I at first chose a 1 yr plan, then went to lifetime (only 100/eye more than the 1 yr).
Surgery: They start with the right eye. They beging with numbing drops and then prepar your eyes.
First, they tape the lashes back. Then the put a spring loaded clapm on the lids to keep you from blinking. Then they put a device on that feels like it's sucking on your eyeball to help reduce motion. After that couple minutes it takes to do that, they then touch your eyeball asking if you felt it...much like a dentist asking if you're numb yet.
Of course, by that point you ARE numb, so the surgeon proceeds. He'll say, "okay...it's going to go dark", and for 10 seconds or so, it is. Literally, everything fades out, and you might see colored speckles...and then it comes back just as he says it will. Whne it returns, it's a little hazzy.
Of course, your encouraged to zone out, looking at a flashing light the whole time. The surgeon said, "okay, thumping sounds followd by bug zapping!" which is much what it was. The wierdest thing is you see what appears to be lighting during the zapping...and at the end, you catch a whiff of what smells like burnt hair.
Then the surgeon puts the flap back with what looks like a tiny brush, gives you a bunch of different eye drops, and onto the next eye.
If you're done and selected it, they'll give you tear duct block to help keep your eyes moist and duce discomfort afterward.
Post-op: They take you to a dark room for about a half hour or so, while the surgeon works on the next case...when he's done, he comes in and checks to make sure the faps are in place and sends you off.
I brought some benedryl and the sleep med from tylenol PM and took it as I rode home (buddy took me there and back). They encourage your to sleep as much as possible, so as to keep the eye moist and speed healing of the flap. I crashed for about 5 hours or so.
No intense cardio workouts for a week, no swimming/hot tub for 2-4 weeks. No rubbing the eye for 2-4 weeks. I'll continue to use anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial eye drops for a week...and eye moistening drops for as long as I feel I need it.
You leave wearing eye shields taped to your head and sunglasses. It's recommended to sleep with the shields on for two weeks.
Cost: The place adv. as low as 299/eye...but that's is bare bones minimum, traditional lasik, no coverage, meds, etc, and with all their incentives thrown in at once.
Custom comes in a bit more, but they immediately knock off 600/eye. You could probably go as cheap as 999/eye here (maybe lower?)...but with the lifetime plan plus eye plugs, mine came to 1399/eye ...or 2798 total. You pay 100 deposit, and the balance on surgery day.
If you finance any of it, they'll want 600 dollars on surgery day regardless...and then a year no interest on the balance afterward. I paid the balance, no needing financing.
As far as I can tell, other places would have me pay 400-1000 more for essentially the same tech. Though there are some newer ones with bladeless/laser cutting tech, which was a consideration for me, as I hate the thought of something touching my eyes.
So far so good...been keeping up with the eye drops, sleeping as needed. I'm fairly comfortable at this point.
And the biggest thing is the freedom from glasses! :thumbsup