Laser Eye Surgery - anyone's experiences?

[ashey063009]

Dh bought me laser-eye sugery as a Christmas gift a few years ago--- it is AMAZING!

 

I didn't do Lasik, as the doctos recommended PRK for people younger than 30, as it limits the scar tissue (something that impedes any future treatment, should it be needed)

The surgery is pretty much identitcal, however the recovery time for PRK is about 6 days LONGER than lasik. My younger sister got lasik and was back to school and work within 3 days-- no pain during recovery.

 

If I could have done it again, I would have done lasik. Either way, it's AMAZING not having to worry about glasses or contacts! (especially when travelling!)

[Oryx]

BUMP!

 

I soooooooo want to get the lasik eye surgery before the wedding... how nice it would be to swim in the ocean without worrying about contact lenses! I was wondering if there were any Toronto ladies who have had some experience with the Herzig Eye Institute?

 

Or anyone else who wants to share their recent experiences. Thanks!

[Cindy*]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oryx BUMP! I soooooooo want to get the lasik eye surgery before the wedding... how nice it would be to swim in the ocean without worrying about contact lenses! I was wondering if there were any Toronto ladies who have had some experience with the Herzig Eye Institute? Or anyone else who wants to share their recent experiences. Thanks!

I highly recommend it. I had mine done at the Bochner Institute in December 2006. Best decision I ever made. I was legally blind (-8 and -7.5) and for the last 3 1/2 years I have had perfect vision. I almost forget I ever wore glasses.

My advice is go have a consult at several different places and go with the one you are most comfortable with. The consults are free. I went to four different clinics. Because my eye sight was so bad, it was a very important decision for me. I wanted to be assured that I was getting the best possible care.

I settled on Bochner because I was comfortable with them and I liked that they have a lifetime guarantee. They are very up front, no hidden costs and all your follow up care is covered. I was just as comfrotable with Hergiz, I found they were pretty much equal. Really they were my top two choices. The deciding factor for me was ultimately price in the sense that I felt I was getting the best possible service at both places but one was $1000 cheaper so I went with that one. Also a friend of mine is an eye doctor at the TLC in London and he recommended my surgeon at Bochner as being one of the best. He is super busy. When I made the appointment, my surgeon only had 1 opening and it was three months away but I took it. Honestly, best decision ever.

If you want any further info, just pm me. I am happy to tell you anything you want to know about my experience. Best money I ever spent. Oh and bonus, in Canada, you get to deduct it from your taxes. Yeah!

[*Heather*]

Great info Cindy! I've been wanting to do this for awhile but I heard that you had to have a steady prescription for like 5+ years before they'll allow you to do it. Does anyone know if that's true? My eyes have been about the same for the past 3-4 years, maybe only slightly worse (I find out tomorrow when I go for my eye appt). But I don't want to get this surgery done if my eyes keep getting worse because it won't really be worth it, know what I mean?

[Oryx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cindy* I highly recommend it. I had mine done at the Bochner Institute in December 2006. Best decision I ever made. I was legally blind (-8 and -7.5) and for the last 3 1/2 years I have had perfect vision. I almost forget I ever wore glasses. My advice is go have a consult at several different places and go with the one you are most comfortable with. The consults are free. I went to four different clinics. Because my eye sight was so bad, it was a very important decision for me. I wanted to be assured that I was getting the best possible care. I settled on Bochner because I was comfortable with them and I liked that they have a lifetime guarantee. They are very up front, no hidden costs and all your follow up care is covered. I was just as comfrotable with Hergiz, I found they were pretty much equal. Really they were my top two choices. The deciding factor for me was ultimately price in the sense that I felt I was getting the best possible service at both places but one was $1000 cheaper so I went with that one. Also a friend of mine is an eye doctor at the TLC in London and he recommended my surgeon at Bochner as being one of the best. He is super busy. When I made the appointment, my surgeon only had 1 opening and it was three months away but I took it. Honestly, best decision ever. If you want any further info, just pm me. I am happy to tell you anything you want to know about my experience. Best money I ever spent. Oh and bonus, in Canada, you get to deduct it from your taxes. Yeah!

Thanks Cindy! I really appreciate the info. And yes, I did go for the free consultation at Herzig and they pretty much sold me... I just have some lingering fears about complications, but also I know it would not be wise to spend that kind of money while trying to save for the wedding. But at the same time, it seems like there is never a good time to shell out that kind of cash! And yes, the tax deduction does help... I used that in my argument to try to convince FI, haha.

[Cindy*]

Heather if your prescription has been steady for 3 or 4 years you are likely fine. They do recommend that your prescription be fairly steady but a bit of change is fine I believe. If you are even considering it, my best advice is go have a consult. They will go through everything with you and let you know whether or not you are a good candidate for the surgery. The consults are free and I found most places were no pressure at all. They give you the info but don't harass you after the consult. There are many clinics here in Toronto with good reputations. I highly recommend going to a place where they have lifetime guarantees and include all your follow up care. These are your eyes so you want to be sure that they will take care of you. I found some of the cheaper places had a lot of fine print. When you see your eye doctor, you should also ask if he or she has any recommendations for you.

 

Honestly, I cannot stress enough that this is the best decision I ever made.

[Cindy*]

Renee, I think everyone is different but I had no complications whatsoever. I really agonized over this. With my eye sight being so bad I was really worried something would happen. My worries were for not, everything was fine. For a few days afterwards, I was very sensitive to light and wore sunglasses everywhere (inside and outside). Also for 5 days after the surgery I had to sleep in goggle. That was a pain because I sleep on my stomach but apparently most people touch their eyes when they sleep (who knew). Also there were drops for about a week afterwards that you had to take often. I went back to work after 2 days without problem (surgery Friday, back at work Monday). Some people say they see halos when night driving afterwards (around car lights) but I already had that before the surgery and there was no change afterwards.

 

It is a lot of money, but it is worth it in my opinion. Haha, can you tell I am passionate about this subject.

[Oryx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cindy* Renee, I think everyone is different but I had no complications whatsoever. I really agonized over this. With my eye sight being so bad I was really worried something would happen. My worries were for not, everything was fine. For a few days afterwards, I was very sensitive to light and wore sunglasses everywhere (inside and outside). Also for 5 days after the surgery I had to sleep in goggle. That was a pain because I sleep on my stomach but apparently most people touch their eyes when they sleep (who knew). Also there were drops for about a week afterwards that you had to take often. I went back to work after 2 days without problem (surgery Friday, back at work Monday). Some people say they see halos when night driving afterwards (around car lights) but I already had that before the surgery and there was no change afterwards. It is a lot of money, but it is worth it in my opinion. Haha, can you tell I am passionate about this subject.

Thanks again, Cindy! I'm definitely feeling better about the actual surgery... I guess I just need to see if it can fit into my budget with all this wedding planning... (I'm working on FI). Thanks!

[Thomasjsgirl]

Hi again Cindy! I've just read through this whole thread as it is something I have been seriously considering for a while now. It's good that both Herzig and Bochner are highly recommended. They seem to be the two most popular choices. I'm a little worried though because I'm over 40 and wonder if I'm still a candidate for this type of surgery or is it too late? Thanks for posting the info -- you've definitely encouraged me to do a bit more research.

 

Cheers!

[roxmysockz]

I had Lasik and it changed my life - absolutely amazing!

 

I cant say the actual surgery part was nice for me I had the surgeon cut the flap in my eye rather than the laser but its over SO quickly and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

 

No more stuck to your eyes lenses on the plane or worrying when your swimming someone might splash you and your lense comes out.

 

I had no after effects.