Lasik/PRK

[clodhopper]

What happens after you have surgery in your 20's or 30's and your vision naturally starts to deteriorate (for most people in their 40's). I would guess glasses/contacts would become an option again.

Think of lasik as zeroing your scope. You aren't changing the span of your vision, just moving it down into the range where you use it most. The effect of age will happen no matter what, so with lasik you end up needing readers later in life, without you end up in bifocals. Wearing readers for less than 5% of my life vs glasses 100%, pretty simple decision.

My wife and I went Icon nearly 10 years ago, about $1000 per eye. Doesn't look like the price has changed much since then. She had regular lasik, was 20/20 out of the chair after surgery, no pain. My eyes mapped outside of lasik ranges and I had PRK. Maybe it is different now, but basically burned right through the membrane to adjust the lens and let it heal back. Pretty effing painful the first night and I was functionally blind for 3 or 4 days. Still believe it was worth it. I am 20/15 and need readers, but only 1.0 which is the lowest power reader you can find.

Before you get all worked up about the importance of a high quality doc, understand that nearly every aspect of lasik is computer controlled. Sure, the doc's experience comes to play if something goes wrong, but the rate of error is super low, and even that error means you just need a re-cut, not going blind. When I say there is little human input, I mean it. Not unlike a CNC machinist putting the slug in the machine and standing there to watch the process to make sure the program runs as expected. Your eye is computer mapped, the computer calcs the adjustment, the computer runs the laser. The human cuts the flap and has to input/adjust the anticipated heal-back of your eye that will adjust your vision slightly.

My anxiety about the whole thing was pretty high, so my wife did hers first and it still took me a few months to get mine done. Once in the chair, they put so much pain med in your eyes you go blurry really quick and just stare at the little red light, which is about all you can see anyway. You do smell burning, which is disconcerting since you know it is your eyeball smoke. They will have small stuffed animals for you to hold during the procedure if that helps calm you. The happy pill was good enough for me.

[kidicarus13]

since you know it is your eyeball smoke.

They there is funny