the optometrist knows what he knows and hes not a surgeon, fair enough he wont endorse it necessarily.
the guy with stories about dark glasses… sounds like bullcrap. the surgery thins the cornea, doenst affect the iris or muscles which change the pupil size at all, so no reason why anyone would be affected by bright light.
one side effect there can be are occasionally halos around lights at night, mostly people notice it while driving and generally not a big issue.
the only major thing that can happen is infection after the surgery, and these days even those who get an infection (5% or something) generally get it fixed with no probs. follow the instructions to the letter, as above.
prk is basically burning off the corneas outside surface… sometimes lasik cant be used (perhaps the cornea isnt thick enough for instance) but the cornea reattaches within minutes, so it wont get blown off weeks later… the operation takes less than a minute before they replace the flap.
do be aware, especially if you are getting older, that surgery isnt a cure-all. the cornea can be reshaped to correct vision, but when you focus on near objects its actually muscles that pull the lens into a different shape that do the focusing… as we age those muscles weaken and theres not much we can do about it, which is why old people need glasses to read even though they had good sight when they were younger… bifocals etc. so you could get your vision corrected with surgery, but you will still need reading glasses when you hit 50 (or whatever) and those muscles in your eyes get weaker. hope that makes sense.
i got lasik a few years ago and like the others above, best investment i ever made. definitely do it
I had it done about 5 years ago. I went to the Lasik MD in T.O. (it was cheaper than getting it done in my city). Absolutely the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. Within days I had completely forgot I ever wore contacts (for 15 years). I healed fast. No infections. My eyes did burn/itch that night, making it tough to sleep.
When I woke up, I was fine though. I remember driving home on the 401 that afternoon putting eye drops in my eyes at 100+ kph.
Also, I did it for the police application too. I don’t know if I could have balled up and done it for any other reason. Having my eyes sliced open is not something I looked forward to.
The only (slight) problem was that I did have the “halo” around lights (mostly traffic lights at night) for a few weeks. My eyes are 100% now.
It was a big mistake. I now have: dry eye, ghosting, extremely bad night vision and early onset farsightedness. At best, in extreme bright light, my vision is 20/50.
I can no longer wear contacts due to the dry eye.
I now must wear bifocals.
If you do have this surgery–and it is a surgery no matter how much they like to call it a procedure–do NOT have any caffeine during the pre-surgery measurement and prep; and none in the days leading up to the surgery. Caffeine can screw up both the pre-op workup, and the surgery itself. Also only use a doctor who puts you on Retasis medication BEFORE and AFTER the surgery as this helps to reduce the chances of dry eye.
Last word of advice: Read the posts on Dry Eye Talk website before making your final decision. When Lasik goes wrong, you’re really fucked.
I had the PRK and as the above poster said, I also was on retasis before and after. I would do PRK because it gives you the opportunity to have the surgery again down the road if you need to. Lasik is a one shot deal. The recovery is slower and more painful with PRK but it’s worth it IMO. I’m also not sure what the prices are like in your area, but I had mine done last year for 1800 bucks.
I mean if you are going to spend 5K on yours I can give you my docs name, he is great and you could fly in and stay in a hotel and it would still be cheaper.
[quote]Power GnP wrote:
Thanks for the opinions guys.
My optometrist in Nova Scotia told me today that since my prescription had changed (last time I went to see her was 2006) I should wait another year to ensure my prescription stabilizes before I look into surgery. This didn’t sound accurate to me so I did some research and can find little information to back up her recommendations. I’m going in to see another optomitrist in Edmonton when I get home for a second opinion.
For the record my prescription is as follows:
OD (right eye): -4.75
OS (left eye): -3.25
Which is considered low to mild myopia (nearsightedness).
I did call the recruiting department and I would need to have 20/40 uncorrected and 20/20 corrected for my application to be considered. I plan on appliying in March/April so I would need to start working on this right away.
I would definately follow this advice! I got the surgery done when I was early 20’s for the same reason as you. It worked perfectly at the time and my vision was at least 20/20. About 1 year after the surgery my eyes started to go blurry. I am now 32 and wear glasses fulltime. I cannot wear contacts as my eyes are too sensitive. The problem was not with the surgery but that my eyes have naturally continued to regress and my prescription changes every two years. If my eyesight was to stabilize maybe I would consider getting it done again.
I had lasik three years ago aged 39 and will agree it was the best money I ever spent. I was shortsighted (-2.25 in each eye) enough that everything was blurred, but not severely so. Not only did I get better than 20/20 vision but I also stopped getting as many migraines.
I had bad halos before the surgery so that didn’t really change (I actually thought halos/starbursts were normal until I was told otherwise. No wonder I had more trouble driving at night than my friends). I got Wavefront, which is basically like getting a made to measure outfit instead of off the peg. As one of the above posters said, you only get one set of eyes, so do the best you can for them.
I work with computers a lot and my prescription did change (for the worse) during my twenties. It stabilised roughly when I was 30-31 or so. I’d avoid getting the surgery done unless you know your prescription is stable. They usually recommend no change in prescription for three years.
If you have thick corneas you may be able to get a touch up if your eyes get worse again, but with thin corneas you only get one shot at it. Thin cornea people need to get lasek instead of lasik, which involves cells being rubbed away with an alcohol solution rather than a flap being made and peeled back. It’s also better for people who do contact sports (no risk of dislodging the flap - although that’s pretty unlikely anyway), but it takes longer to heal. With Lasik you can be back at work within 3-4 days. Lasek may take you 2 weeks before you can use a computer.
Your eyes will be dry when they heal and acuity will change. Some days your eyes will be blurry - don’t panic, it’s part of the healing process. Keep putting the drops in and stay hydrated.
Incidentally, don’t try to be macho when you go for surgery - take a friend/parent/partner with you because once the anaesthetic wears off it’ll feel like someone’s been rubbing onions into your eyeballs. Your eyes will tear up and close. Best thing at this point is to get to bed as quickly as possible and sleep. I did this and when I woke up I could see. It was fucking awesome.
Oh and another warning - one thing most people don’t expect is the smell as they laser your eyes. It smells like a horse being shod. Not nice. Just be warned.
[quote]audiogarden1 wrote:
My step dad is a Navy SEAL so i know quite a few SEAL guys and may of them (including my stepdad) had to get Laser eye surgery and everyone ive talked to has said the same thing. They all love it and could never go back to wearing glasses or contacts again. I say if money isnt a big problem, go for it. [/quote]
Money’s always an issue as a student and a personal trainer, but I look at this as investing in my future; I can’t let something like this derail my goals.
What type of surgery did your step dad get?, any issues, is his vision still 20/20? I’m definitely looking forward to not depending on corrective lenses (I hate feeling blind when I wake up) but policing is 90% of the reason I’d get the surgery…I probably wouldn’t consider it for another 5 years or so if I didn’t have to.[/quote]
Didnt mean it like moneys not an issue at all, more like if its feasible. Moneys ALWAYS an issue lol. I actually dont know the exact type of surgery he got is (id ask him but he’s in Africa) but yes his visions still 20/20 and he says its way clearer than it ever was with glasses or contacts, he says every morning when he wakes up hes still surprised by how everything looks haha. Thats gotta be a good feeling.
[quote]TYR wrote:
Also, I did it for the police application too. I don’t know if I could have balled up and done it for any other reason. Having my eyes sliced open is not something I looked forward to.
.[/quote]
Definitely ask your doctor and also research the differences between PRK and Regular LASIK . I went with PRK. I would still say that choice was a good one. No chance of a flap coming unstuck for the rest of my life. Since you want to be a cop PRK will probably be recommended.
The only downside to PRK is healing time. It took awhile to fully heal. And my right eye is still not 100%, hopefully it clears up a little more. Its been about 6 months for me. The first 2 months are pretty blurry. And night time lights still mess with me a little.
Good luck and just do a lot of reading into both styles of surgery because there is a huge difference and lots of positives and negatives to each.
I had custom bladeless LASIK from TLC early November and the results are awesome. TLC was VERY professional and made the whole process very easy. With TLC, you do all pre and post op visits with your local eye doctor (with the exception of your initial lasik consultation) and they are all free. The only time you pay anything is the day of the surgery (unless you finance of course).
The consultation is nothing more than a regular eye exam (with a few extra tests added in)and a talk with a lasik doctor. On the day of the procedure you show up, sign some papers, pay and then get some valium while you wait. After a few minutes they’ll take you back to the surgery room. You’ll lay down, they’ll put numbing drops in your eyes, shoot a laser in one eye at a time to cut the flap and then shoot a different laser in your eyes to correct. Takes 3-5 minutes tops.
As far as the police dept goes, they won’t care. Several people at my dept have gotten lasik before and after they got hired and it wasn’t an issue at all. Any other questions about police stuff send me a PM.
If your over the age of 30 and your eyesight is about 20/40 then it’s not worth it. This is what an optometrist explained to me: Since my eye sight is around 20/40 (near sighted), If I get LASIK or PRK, my farsighted will suffer due to compensation. Even if I get the LASIK or PRK, I will still need reading glasses by the age of 40.
That’s not exactly true. I had it done when I was 38 and I still consider it money well spent.
It’s true that if you have the surgery, you will suffer from presbyopia later on (age-related long sightedness). Your far sight will still be great, but you may, like people who never needed glasses when they were younger, require reading glasses for small print. This is simply due to the muscles of the eye weakening somewhat so that your eye has more trouble adjusting between focussing on objects that are near and objects that are in the distance.
Incidentally I am 42 now and don’t need reading glasses yet. I may do in a few years but I consider my crystal-clear distance vision well worth the trade. Before, even though my prescription was only -2.25, I could not go without glasses. I wouldn’t recognise people I knew until they were five feet away; a white sign with black writing would simply look like a blank white sign, and trees would not have individual leaves but resembled an Impressionist paining (probably by Monet, who ended up going blind). Being able to see all that now is like a miracle. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
As for presbyopia, there is also a fairly new treatment using radio waves which can help you read books and newspapers, etc. Since there is no cutting involved, it can be used on eyes that have had lasik in the past.
[quote]Power GnP wrote:
I’m planning on submitting an application for the police force in my city; as one of the steps in the application process I need 20/40 vision uncorrected and 20/20 correct…which after going to the optometrist today I know I do not have.
I’m not worried about any other steps in the application process, and this one is a very unexpected hurdle. I am considering getting LASIK surgery and would like to hear from anyone who went through it (or a similar surgery), or any police applicants for that matter.[/quote]
My wife got LASIK for the same reason as you. She considers it one of the smartest things she has ever done. She went with TLC and I’d highly recommend them. They actually rejected me for the procedure (after my wife’s success, I wanted to get my eyes done for purely personal reasons - not for work or anything) because my corneas were too thin. I was impressed by the fact that they were willing to lose out on $5000 for only a few minutes of work in order to ensure my safety.
[quote]Power GnP wrote:
I’m planning on submitting an application for the police force in my city; as one of the steps in the application process I need 20/40 vision uncorrected and 20/20 correct…which after going to the optometrist today I know I do not have.
I’m not worried about any other steps in the application process, and this one is a very unexpected hurdle. I am considering getting LASIK surgery and would like to hear from anyone who went through it (or a similar surgery), or any police applicants for that matter.[/quote]
My wife got LASIK for the same reason as you. She considers it one of the smartest things she has ever done. She went with TLC and I’d highly recommend them. They actually rejected me for the procedure (after my wife’s success, I wanted to get my eyes done for purely personal reasons - not for work or anything) because my corneas were too thin. I was impressed by the fact that they were willing to lose out on $5000 for only a few minutes of work in order to ensure my safety.[/quote]
$5000? I’ve never heard of it being that expensive. Did you ask about PRK instead?
JP, very interesting video; do you mind me asking how much you paid and explaining your results in a little more detail? You can PM me if that works better.
I paid nearly £3000 for mine, but that was Wavefront Lasek (however, this being three years ago, the cutting was done with a micro-keratome not using Intralase).
[quote]Power GnP wrote:
I’m planning on submitting an application for the police force in my city; as one of the steps in the application process I need 20/40 vision uncorrected and 20/20 correct…which after going to the optometrist today I know I do not have.
I’m not worried about any other steps in the application process, and this one is a very unexpected hurdle. I am considering getting LASIK surgery and would like to hear from anyone who went through it (or a similar surgery), or any police applicants for that matter.[/quote]
My wife got LASIK for the same reason as you. She considers it one of the smartest things she has ever done. She went with TLC and I’d highly recommend them. They actually rejected me for the procedure (after my wife’s success, I wanted to get my eyes done for purely personal reasons - not for work or anything) because my corneas were too thin. I was impressed by the fact that they were willing to lose out on $5000 for only a few minutes of work in order to ensure my safety.[/quote]
$5000? I’ve never heard of it being that expensive. Did you ask about PRK instead?
JP, very interesting video; do you mind me asking how much you paid and explaining your results in a little more detail? You can PM me if that works better.[/quote]
It was $3,600.00 for both eyes…that was after a military discount and a paid in full discount.
I’m about 3 weeks post-op right now and it keeps getting clearer and clearer. I was extremely near sighted…meaning I couldn’t see far away. My vision was 20/400. That means I couldn’t see the big E on the vision test without squinting. My eyes were so near sighted they were like microscopes…I could see details up close that other people couldn’t. I also had slight astigmatism.
When I went in for my next day follow up, I could read down to the 20/15 line uncorrected. It wasn’t sharp, but I could make it out. Over the last three weeks, the halos that I see around lights at night have decreased and text has gotten sharper. The doc explained to me that text in the beginning would look like a standard definition TV and over time it will sharpen to that of a high definition TV.
They say it can continue to improve over 90 days. But even if it stopped improving right now, it would still be the best money I ever spent. I can do everything from driving to shooting with no correction. It’s been awesome!
[quote]Power GnP wrote:
I’m planning on submitting an application for the police force in my city; as one of the steps in the application process I need 20/40 vision uncorrected and 20/20 correct…which after going to the optometrist today I know I do not have.
I’m not worried about any other steps in the application process, and this one is a very unexpected hurdle. I am considering getting LASIK surgery and would like to hear from anyone who went through it (or a similar surgery), or any police applicants for that matter.[/quote]
My wife got LASIK for the same reason as you. She considers it one of the smartest things she has ever done. She went with TLC and I’d highly recommend them. They actually rejected me for the procedure (after my wife’s success, I wanted to get my eyes done for purely personal reasons - not for work or anything) because my corneas were too thin. I was impressed by the fact that they were willing to lose out on $5000 for only a few minutes of work in order to ensure my safety.[/quote]
$5000? I’ve never heard of it being that expensive. Did you ask about PRK instead?
JP, very interesting video; do you mind me asking how much you paid and explaining your results in a little more detail? You can PM me if that works better.[/quote]
I think it was actually something like $4500 for my wife but I rounded. Its tax deductible, so in the end it cost us less than $3000. I don’t remember exactly the reason, but she felt custom lasik was her best option. I’m assuming the price for mine would have been the same, but I don’t recall exactly what it was (perhaps I was rejected before they mentioned the price).
I will say this, you get what you pay for it seems. I’d gladly spend that much at TLC rather than go somewhere cheap and take a risk with my eyes. As I said, the fact that they were willing to turn down the easy money really impressed me.
Went in for my consult with LASIK MD here in Edmonton on December 31st and was told I am a candidate for the surgery (huge relief). The two recommended options were Standard LASIK’s and Advanced Custom Wavefront LASIK’s. Cost for Standard was listed as $2500 CAD and $3300 CAD for Wavefront with a $400 Bluecross discount.
The latter came highly recommended as it is a custom tailored operation that is supposed to yield a better result and not effect night vision negatively (may even improve it).
I’ll likely go with the Wavefront–don’t really see the need to cut corners on something health related. I’ve scheduled my surgery for this Saturday, they’ve said to allow 4-5 hours for the surgery and a full day of recovery afterwards. I’m very excited but a little nervous at the same time.
Any tips to help me with the recovery process, or anything else related for that matter?
