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Lasik - The best choice

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by rockets36, Mar 8, 2005.

  1. rockets36

    rockets36 Member

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    I am considering getting lasik and I don't know the best place to go. I have looked at manns and berkelys website. It seems they are pretty much the same. Just wanted to get some opinions on the best place and if it's worth it.
     
  2. swilkins

    swilkins Member

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    I know many people that have had it and say that it is well worth it.
     
  3. MadMax

    MadMax Member

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    never met anyone who was disappointed. i know there are horror stories out there...i just don't KNOW any of them. 3 people from my family got it, and they swear by it. i need to get it done for my wife, who is blind as a bat without contacts.
     
  4. PhiSlammaJamma

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    All I know is that I would get one eye done at a time and I would get a second opinion. For a few hundred bucks it's gotta be worth it. But that's just me.
     
  5. DarkHorse

    DarkHorse Member

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    I got it done, and it was one of the best things I've ever done. I'm still very very happy with it and it's been over a year.

    But I got it done in Utah, so I can't help you out on finding a place.
     
  6. Faos

    Faos Member

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    I had it done, but there were a couple of drawbacks.

    If you have pupils that get large in the dark you may experience halos and starbursts. The technology may have addressed this since I had my surgery about 5 years ago. I am not happy with my nighttime vision. I had mine done at International Eye Care. The procedure was simple.

    Another problem no one will ever tell you about is down the road when you need cataract surgery. Everyone gets them when they are older. I'm one of the "lucky" ones, I had a cataract in my left eye in my freakin' 40's. This crap isn't supposed to happen until much later. Well, my opthamologist had to go in an put a new lens in my eye to replace the cataract. He was unable to calculate the exact prescription needed because of the Lasik. So now the vision in my left eye is not as crisp as it was. I now have a prescription for glasses. I don't wear them often because my vision is still decent but there are days when I need them.

    Also, you will probably still need reading glasses down the road regardless. I've been lucky and haven't needed them so far.
     
  7. francis 4 prez

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    can you get lasik if you have astigmatism? i wanna say i heard you couldn't but it seems like of all the people with bad sight who get it, some must have bad sight because of astigmatism.

    my sight is still good enough that i can do everyday things without glasses but in class glasses are essential to read the overhead/board and now it's to the point if i'm trying to watch sports laying in bed i basically can't read the score or time unless i squint a lot and really really focus.

    i'm not sure at what point i would do lasik. the potential to screw up my eyes or have some weird halos forever scares the hell out of me when my sight is still good enough for most things but as it becomes ever more annoying to squint, maybe i'd just rather skip past contacts and go for the correction. i assume at most reputable places, the procedure continues to get safer and more effective and maybe at some point that increase in safety will outweigh the fear. i don't care what it costs, money would be no object when it comes to having great sight.
     
  8. No Worries

    No Worries Member

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    I have astigmatism in my right eye and my eye doctor said I could have lasik done, if I chose to. Lasik can not correct my vision to 20/20, so I passed.
     
  9. Pipe

    Pipe Member

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    In my business I deal with ophthalmologists from time to time. Among ophthalmologists, Jeff Whitsett has an excellent reputation.
     
  10. JayZ750

    JayZ750 Member

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    I contemplated Lasik as well about a year ago. But after doing all the equations in my head, I decided against it, and probably won't get it done in the near-term future.

    Do I hate not being able to see when I wake up to go to the bathroom or in the shower or underwater without goggles? Of course. But other than that, wearing contacts is no big deal, and, you really can wear some brands for days at a time.
     
  11. Stack24

    Stack24 Member

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    I actually had Lasik done when i was back home in Iran this past summer. They have some of the best clinics over there and they get a lot of people from all around the middle east coming to get it done.

    The main reason of course i did it was because the conversion rate of money and how much it cost me to do it. Basically for all the exams, surgery, and follow ups and the drops i had to buy cost me a total of $500 bucks. I love it and i really think it is the best money i have ever spent in my life to get my vision perfect 20/20.

    i would never do it here becuase of expensive it is but when i went there i got it done as soon as possible. Hell all the doctors are actualy from the US and they just make a crap load more money over there so i wasn't worried one bit and a few of my aunts had already done it.
     
  12. PhiSlammaJamma

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    And one more thing to consider, there is no long term aging science supporting or negating the surgery. So you need to come to that acceptance as well.

    I'd say it is very safe procedure. Pretty much fool proof. But at least come to an understanding with what could go wrong before you decide to do it. Knowledge will give you comfort no matter what the outcome.
     
  13. SamCassell

    SamCassell Member

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    When I was a law clerk in college working for a small firm, we had a case we tried in which the plaintiff had been injured by an ophthalmologist's mistake during his operation to correct his vision (pre-Lasic, it was a RK surgery). He went in nearsighted, he left with a permanently disfigured eye that he basically could no longer see out of. He ended up getting a partial glass eye (an insert) both to protect the area and for cosmetic reasons. Took it out during the trial and passed it around to let the jury see.

    Anyway, long story short, I have no plans to get corrective surgery. I can see fine with glasses or contacts, and I just don't want to take the risk that elective surgery entails, no matter how rarely that happens. The benefit just doesn't outweigh the potential risk, imo.
     
  14. across110thstreet

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    im starting to develop double vision when i am reading without my lenses in, i dont know if it is astigmatism or not...


    so what kind of cost are we talking about these days for Lasik??
     
  15. rockets36

    rockets36 Member

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  16. drapg

    drapg Member

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    Call me crazy, but I like my glasses. I think they frame my face rather well.
     
  17. generalthade_03

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    Rocket 36, I used to work for Mann-Eye clinic a few years back(they were Mann-Berkeley Eye back then). Dr Mann did my eyes, I was very myopic L: -6.75, R:-7.00. He did an excellent job on me, because I was so nearsighted with astigmatism, I had to go back a second time for an adjustment(after 6 months if my memory serves me correct.

    Any way I'm seeing 20/20 now and that was done back in 1998/99. Now they have the new lazer machine which is much more accurate then the old one. Dr Mann without a doubt a pioneer in the field of corrective surgery, he has been a surgeon as well as a teacher in that field for more than 30 years.

    My brother in law is an acupunturist/opthamologist. He learned the original RK techniques in Russia in the 50s, he did many corrective eye surgeries with just scapels and acupuncture needles(for anesthetics). I saw some of the old tapes showing him operating on patients(pretty neat!).

    I don't how bad your eyesights are, but if they're not bad , you might want to investigate this program called SEE CLEARLY METHOD(go on Google type it and you'll pull up a website). The program was developed by opthamologists, it's a series of exercices design to strengthened the muscles surrounding your eyes so you can see better and eventually get rid of your glasses or contacts. Check it out, it doesn't hurt to explore other options.

    You should also check out some nutrients for the eyes. My favorites are: Bilberry, Lutein, OPC(Proanthocyanidin), Ester-C, they are potent anti oxidant that can really help your eyes.

    Hope I can help you out some. Peace!
     
  18. mateo

    mateo Member

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    The guys at Baylor (or Baylorvision) are the guys who clean up other doctors' messes.
     
  19. rockets36

    rockets36 Member

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  20. smoove shoez

    smoove shoez Member

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    Any update on you guys that had lasik surgery done.
    I'm thinking about getting it done myself. any problems with night vision or halos.
     

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