Comments on: Recovering After LASIK Eye Surgery

By: shicken licken

shicken licken — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:02:28 +0000

I didn't have any pain at all. I could feel pressure when they put the suction on my eyes, but I didn't have any pain at all. ABSOLUTELY NONE!! I would definitely recommend going home and sleeping several hours after the surgery to sleep through the irritation that you might have. That is what I did. My doctor gave my Valium to take, and I went home and took Tylenol PM and went to bed. I slept like 10 hours and woke up and my eyes were fine. I never had any pain or anything. Definitely use the eyedrops as recommended and everything though. If you don't follow the instructions to a T, then you'll have problems!

By: sphinx_of_stonehenge

sphinx_of_stonehenge — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:48:36 +0000

OK…I really want to stat one thing for the record before I go into answering your question… you cannot go blind from Lasik surgery! It has never happened before…Ever!

Sorry, it just upsets me when someone gives a person who is considering having this incredible procedure false information like that!

The cost for Lasik surgery can vary greatly from center to center. There are a lot of different factors involved that can effect cost. The type of technology (or what model of laser) being used, if you are going to a corporate owned center or a private practice and whether they have a flat rate or adjust their fees according to your prescription. So, it is hard for me to say what fees you'll run into. The cost at the laser center I work for is right about $2500.00 for both eyes plus the cost of your Rx drops.

As far as how invasive…just the very top surface of corneal tissue is used to create the flap. That flap is then folded back exposing the area for treatment. The laser treatment is applied, altering the shape of the eye in order to correct the vision. Then the flap is replaced to act as a Band-Aid of sorts, to protect the treated area. The procedure is really quite simple and takes less that 10 minutes per eye.
Our patients are then instructed to go home and sleep for approximately four hours. This will reduce feeling any discomfort, allow the drops we put in to really work well, and jump starts the healing process. After the nap, they can get up and go about their evening, but we prefer little or not time spent watching tv or on the computer just for that night. The next morning…less that 24 post op…the patients see well enough to drive themselves to the one day post op exam. Most of them seeing at least 20/20.
Healing is fairly quick, like I said. But there can be some restrictions on activities, such as weight lifting, swimming and things like that.
Lasik is a really wonderful procedure, and I am thrilled to be part of a facility that really changes peoples lives. I truly hope the info I gave you is helpful and I would be glad to answer any other questions for you!

By: Kisu

Kisu — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:30:37 +0000

most dr's won't even consider you for lasik until you are 18+. and usually they'll recommend that you wait until you are 21+ just to be on the safe side that your eyes are completely stable.
the only way you would be able to get it before 18+ would be if the eye dr said that your eyes are already completely developed and stable.

and there really isn't much recovery time. most people can see perfectly clear immediately after surgery. but you have to wear sunglasses for the rest of the day cuz your eyes will be quite sensitive. with in a couple of days your eyes will be recovered fully.
there is no need to take "the summer" to recover.

By: OlympusHAXXX

OlympusHAXXX — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:15:24 +0000

Usually 24 hours for patient to resume driving, 1 week for swimming, 1 week for eye make-up. Full visual results after 3 months.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:58:16 +0000

I had LASIK over 10 years ago when I was 25ish. It was without a doubt the best thing i've ever spent money on. No it doesn't hurt. It's just a bit scary, which is all in your head. (they give you an anti-anxiety pill beforehand anyway). Yes you can see the laser, it looks like you're at the bottom of a swimming pool and you can see something touch the top of the water surface. Surreal!

It takes 2 days to recover? and then eye drops for a number of weeks, no biggie for someone who wears contacts!

Waking up in the middle of the night and being able to see is THE big reward.

You will not regret it, you won't regret the money you spent either.

By: emdem

emdem — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:24:58 +0000

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).

By: S J ?

S J ? — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:02:55 +0000

most likely scenario is residual refractive error. there's a good chance it could fix itself, but there's not much you can do either way. if you went to your 1 day appointment and you were deemed fine, then just keep the 1 week appointment, use copious amounts of artificial tears in addition to your Rx'd eyedrops & hope for the best.

By: catlin0915

catlin0915 — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:36:33 +0000

TWO HOURS?! Try 10 minutes.
I just had Lasik a few months ago. I went back to work the next day. School started a week after my procedure and I had a tiny bit of trouble the first two days with studying and with the climate control system inside the building. Your eyes are SUPER dry for about a month after the procedure and then kinda dry for a month beyond that. You have a regimen of eye drops for a week or two (I already forgot!) but I only had two, a steroid and an antibiotic. But the lubricating ones will be your best friend and companion for a month or two. You have to wear protective goggles while you sleep for a week and make sure that you don't get anything in your eyes while you shower for a week. Not even rubbing your eyes so it's a bit hard. Lasik is one of the best things I ever did in my life! I am so happy!!! The postoperative care was cake compared to contacs and glasses! I would recommend it to anyone. In one month I was back to doing everything like swimming, but I could see! I still can't believe it!

By: Christine

Christine — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:15:56 +0000

I had this procedure done several years ago and had some of the same symptoms your mom has, and they gave me Refresh to use as well. It took a couple of days for the Refresh to really start being effective, but after a week the improvement came pretty quickly. Hopefully it'll do the same thing for your mom, but going to the doctor on Friday if there is little to no improvement is still a good course of action. Good luck!