Comment: I had it done, and am loving it (Score 1) 550
I am one who opted to get the surgery. It was a couple of months ago. I am in my mid thirties with mild astigmatism. (-2.75, -2.25) My prescription for glasses or contacts had not changed in more than three years.
I actually had pre-op workups done at several centers in town that perform the surgery. I did not like the way TLC, Spectrum, and some others have a medical office, but the surgeon only comes to town one day a month. There is an eye doctor that has her practice locally and specializes in cornea related problems. She has the same lasers and surgery equipment as the cattle car like outfits.
I was able to view her surgery equipment and she was very thorough in answering all my questions. My corneas were on the thin end of the spectrum so I knew if there were any mistakes that I would be in trouble. Very little room for any corrective procedures. My mother-in-law had PRK about 10 years ago and had a very rough time.
I finally decided to go ahead and have it done. Total cost was $4300. $4200 for the surgery and $100 in medication I had to purchase. The day of the surgery they did another workup to ensure nothing had changed from three days before, when they did the previous workup. Another commenter in the thread mentioned the suction on your eyes. Yes, they put a suction device on each eye to hold it still while a laser cuts a flap on the eye. One of mine did not seal properly and had to be re-done. This left a "bruise" on my left eye for 2-3 weeks. Once the flap is cut, I was moved over to the main laser and each eye was done. Total time was less than 20 minutes.
My regular vision has been 20/20 since the day after the surgery. I think it has improved somewhat in the months following surgery. I have two 27" 2560x1440 monitors on my desk and I can read text more easily now than I could with glasses or contacts. Night vision is every bit as good. One area they have improved in is the size of the flap the gets cuts. If the edges of the flap are not larger than your maximum pupil dilation, then you end up with permanent halos at night. I have had no halos from day one. The laser she used has the largest treatment size of any certified by the FDA.
Due to how recent my treatment was, I have no comment on long term effects. I do know that I will require reading glasses at some point. Probably between mid forties to fifty. This is a fact of aging. Were I to be wearing my regular glass I would need bifocals. I will need reading glasses, but they are cheap; unlike my regular glasses or bi-focal glasses.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. I live in the southern US and it gets hot. In the summer just a few minutes outside would cause sweating that made glasses a pain. If it were raining and I had to walk from car to a store, I might have to dry my glasses just to be able to see well. I can see from the minute I wake up until I go to bed. Glasses/contacts were not too much of a hassle, but freeing myself from the time and aggravation of them was well worth it. The fact that I can see slightly better is a bonus.
Thank you,
James
