Laser Eye Surgery
Lasik Surgery Information

Intralase Lasik

LASIK is short for Laser-assisted In Situ Keratomileusis. LASIK is a FDA approved refractive laser eye surgery with the purpose of improving patients' vision and reducing the need for wearing eyeglasses or contacts lenses.

The procedure of LASIK eye surgery mainly consists of three steps. The first step is to make a flap of the outer layer of cornea. There are two types of blades that can be used to cut a flap, the mechanical blade called microkeratome and the laser called keratome. The second step is to reshape the inner layer of cornea using an excimer laser. The last step is to replace the flap which is made in the first step.

There have been five instruments that used during the procedure of LASIK eye surgery have been approved by the FDA from the year 2000 to 2006.

The MEL 80 Excimer Laser System manufactured by Carl Zeiss Inc using a laser that cuts at the wavelength of 193 nanometers was approved on August 11, 2006.

The LASIK Eye Drape was developed to help protect both the patient and the surgeon by Odyssey Medical Inc. And this new style of drape was approval by FDA on May 10, 2005.

Alcon Laboratories Inc had two FDA approved instruments. The first one was approved on October 7th of 2003, which was used for their Wavelight Allegretto Wave Excimer Laser System. And the second was approved on October 10, 2003, which was used for the ophthalmic medical laser system that cuts at 193 nanometers.

Technolas 217A Excimer Laser System of Technolas GMBH Perfect Vision was approved as a class 3 medical device by FDA on February 23, 2000.

Above are the five FDA approved instruments used for the many LASIK surgeries in the United States. Check with your eye surgeon to see what he will use for you.

reference

Categories of Laser Eye Surgery

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. QUESTION:
    Is there a flap created with bladeless lasik intralase?
    Like the flap that is created with traditional bladed lasik. Does it exist with intralase? Because I am aware of the problem of the flap in bladed lasik never healing and being able to be dislodged under certain circumstances in the future and I am wondering if intralade bladeless lasik has the same flap concerns.

    • ANSWER:
      Yes, a flap is created with your basic LASIK. There is another option called PRK which they now say is actually better than LASIK. Keep in mind though with PRK, it is a 7 day recovery period vs 24 hours with LASIK. What they do with PRK is literally buffer off the top few layers of your cornea leaving abrasions on the eye. If you qualify for laser vision correction and go with PRK, make sure you get some post treatment pain killers and plan on taking a week off work. Believe me, when I had PRK done a little over a year ago, I didn't have anything for the pain and I wondered what in the heck I was thinking in the 1st place. When I had an enhancement a few months ago due to one eye settling at 20/40 I had post surgical meds and it was smooth sailing.

  2. QUESTION:
    I had Intralase lasik wavefront surgery and my eye still has a few red patches?
    I had surgery on friday and still red after 4 days is this normal?
    How long does the eye take before turning white?
    Any tips etc thank you?

    Thank you

    • ANSWER:
      It'll take a while... Depends on how sensitive your eye is...

  3. QUESTION:
    who's had lasik or intralase? I'm thinking about doing the all laser intralase...is this a better choice?
    I've looked at things online but some testimonials seem to be biased. I always find good answers on here, please help out and tell me what you've heard frm friends and family. Does intralase produce 20/20 effective vision and any problems after the procedure? Are people happier w/intralse or regular lasik?

    • ANSWER:
      generally intralase is considered by most (all?) to be superior to regular lasik. in intralase the flap is made with a laser instead of a microkeratome (metallic form of mechanized scalpel). the result is just a more precise flap.

      the rest of the procedure is the same as lasik. so the results are similar. no, i doubt intralase is SIGNIFICANTLY more likely to get you to 20/20. it just makes a smoother flap, which is probably a good thing, b/c it probably reduces the number of problems associated with a crooked or sloppy flap

  4. QUESTION:
    Im considering getting intralase lasik eye surgery?
    My main concern is what happens if I get punched or hit in the eye down the road will this cause the flap to become dislodged? and if it becomes dislodged am I basically blind for life after?

    • ANSWER:
      I am a Lasik Coordinator. The flap will heal on its own following the procedure. However, the corneal tissue will never fully or completely heal to its state prior to surgery. If you play alot of contact sports I would recommend PRK which is when they remove the corneal tissue and it grows back on its own eliminating flap complications. The negative of having PRK is that it will be a longer(5-7 days) healing process and more agitating then if you were to have regular Lasik or Intralase. Also, it is good to know that if you go to a Lasik Center they may sway you away from having PRK because Intralase is more expensive and a way for them to make more of a profit.

  5. QUESTION:
    What is the difference between bladeless Lasik and Intralase?

    • ANSWER:
      They are essentially the same thing. Intralase is a company that produces the lasers that the surgeons use. They use lasers instead of blades to create the flap in your eye. Then they use a different laser to do the actual reshaping procedure to correct your vision. Intralase is used by the Army, and other governmental organizations, and can cost about 0 more per eye than regular Lasik. Check out this site for more information and pricing. http://www.sandiego-lasiksurgery.com/2008/01/bladeless-lasik-san-diego.html

  6. QUESTION:
    should I have intralase LASIK?
    I have booked my eye surgery and cant wait, I have opted for the wavefront LASIK procedure without intralase. Anyone else not had intralse? what are the pros + cons and do I NEED to have intralase? its just that I had a budget and intralase adds £600 to that budget which I will struggle to afford.

    • ANSWER:
      Intralase is not any superior than microkeratome (Wavefront Lasik procedure). Both of this procedures can get the same result and It's just the way of creating a flap.

      Dr Yeoh Phee Liang
      Consultant Ophthalmologist
      www.advancevision.net.my

  7. QUESTION:
    Will I ever be able to touch/rub my eye again after intralase Lasik?
    Like will I ever be able to give it a little rub every now and then like EVERYONE does when their eye gets itchy or tired?

    • ANSWER:
      yes of course you will.

  8. QUESTION:
    Laser eye surgery; Lasek(PKR) vs. Lasik (intralase) vs. something else?
    I'm planning on getting my eyes corrected with laser eye-surgery

    I'm nearsighted (-6.4 on both eyes) and I wear contacts. I smoke and for my job, and school I have to stare at a computer screen all day (with a 15 minute break every hours)
    Which type of surgery is better for me?

    Thanks

    • ANSWER:
      Hi, I was -5,25 and -5,50 in my both eyes. I was also questioning a lot, since there are many tecnical terms which I at last find myself lost in it.

      I had my surgery with Dr.Nusret Bas, and made him explain all of my questions. So I believe these will help you.

      - LASEK is a new version of PRK. It is better. So, do not get PRK, get LASEK. And lasek is good for people who are less than -2. If the patient do have a high degree, there is a risk of regression, which is the re-growth of the eye sight.

      - Getting LASIK to that much of a high diopter is not good. Since, corneas are normally thin in this kind of high refractive errors, also the excimer laser treatment itself makes the cornea even more thinner. Since because in LASIK, the corneal flap is cut with microkeratome blade, it can not cut too thin. So, intralase is best of best. Intralase lasik is good for high dioptered eyes.

      For Laser eye surgeries, there is a Q&A section in Dr.Bas's web site. It is quite good.
      http://www.nusretbas.com/en/45.asp

  9. QUESTION:
    Intralase Lasik sugery procedure?
    I'm getting intralase Lasik surgery this week.

    Is it scary or painful to get Lasik surgery, or just any details would be great!

    I only want answers from people who had intralase Lasik, thanks!!

    • ANSWER:
      Step 1 : Before Lasik, you will be asked to lie down on an exam chair. The nurse applied a series of numbing drops to my eyeball, each stronger than the previous, and then clean your eyes. This part of the process is pain free and not too uncomfortable.

      Step 2 : The doctor clamped your lids back with a metal tool to hold your eyelids open. This is one of the aspects of LASIK that tends to frighten people, but rest assured, the numbing drops ensure that your eyes will not dry out while the speculum is in place. You will not feel the overwhelming need to blink that you normally feel.

      Step 3 : Beginning really Lasik. Create a corneal flap. A whirring sound commenced and your eyeball felt like it was being sucked up and out of your skull. Your vision will likely be blurry for the rest of the procedure. It is no pain, however, it may make you slightly nervous and frightened.

      Step 4 : Laser treatment. After the flap is created and lifted, the surgeon will position the laser over your eye and ask you to keep your eyes focused on the light. The light is not actually the laser itself, it just helps keep your eyes fixed. You will feel an arcing slice in the surface of your cornea, and you may start to smell burning tissue. It is no pain and not uncomfortable.

      Step 5 : After Lasik, most patients experience little or no discomfort. However, everyone's experience is different, and some patients will experience mild to moderate discomfort for a few hours. Some watering of the eyes and a mild burning sensation are common occurrences up to 12 hours after LASIK. You may also experience a mild to moderate foreign body sensation, a gritty feeling or a feeling that something is "in" your eye for a few hours after Lasik.

      Lasik procedures step by step with image
      http://www.lasikreviews.co.uk/lasik-eye-surgery-process-procedure.htm

  10. QUESTION:
    Has anyone had intralase lasik? Whats it like, how much pain do you feel after and for how long?

    • ANSWER:
      I had Lasik eye surgery done after wearing glasses for 16 years. It has been perfect for me. I have had no changes. Of course, as I age, I expect changes. I also co-manage refractive surgery and have seen hundreds of successful patients. It doesn't hurt, generally. There is a bit of pressure, but no real pain if you have LASIK. The PRK version (where no flap is cut) is a little more uncomfortable for the first few days following the procedure. I've seen several people who said they were in some pain, but healed just fine. I used to wear both glasses and contact lenses. I had LASIK done and it's the best decision I've ever made. I can see clearly, no squinting, no driving with glasses anymore. I can read road signs, see the individual leaves in the trees (they're not just a blurry mess anymore). It's also nice to be able to see what time it is when I wake up. The procedure is painless (although a bit uncomfortable) but takes less than 15 minutes. Highly recommended.

      If you need help finding a reputed surgeon in India u can check out the ink below:
      http://www.indianhealthguru.com
      You can schedule a free appointment there and they'll answer all your questions and see if you qualify as a good candidate or not

  11. QUESTION:
    The difference between Epi Lasik and Intralase lasik (bladeless lasik)?which type for commercial pilot?
    Well I want to become an air pilot for commercial planes, but its only my vision which is a bit low so which type of lasik do you recommend me so as I can pass my pilot Class 1 medical examination successfully?

    • ANSWER:
      check out this site : http://www.mylasikdoc.com/html/ilasik.html

  12. QUESTION:
    IntraLase - All Laser LASIK is there a difference?
    I am looking to get my laser eye surgery done in the summer but is there a difference with IntraLase and All Laser Lasik?

    http://www.optimax.co.uk/treatment_costs.aspx

    • ANSWER:
      Not really; it's like the whole Kleenex/"facial tissue" thing. Intralase is one company's laser technology, but there are other lasers on the market that do the same thing. Every surgeon has their own preference as to which brand of laser works best for them, but the technology is the same whether you call it "Intralase" or "bladeless" or "all-laser" or whatever.
      Note that there is a big difference between LASIK and PRK (which doesn't use a blade either)... you've called it "all laser lasik" so I'm assuming you already understand this :)

  13. QUESTION:
    IntraLase Lasik vision correction?
    Has anyone had this procedure done? It's the 100% blade free correction, that uses a laser to make the initial cut of the cornea. I am having it done on Saturday, and was wondering if anyone could tell me their story. I would like to hear about the prcedure from a person other than a doctor or a surgen. Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      I haven't done it, but I do have some information for you, so you know what to expect :

      IntraLASIK - how it works ?

      STEP1: INTRALASIK uses the INTRALASE Femtosecond Laser to perform the FIRST step of FLAP CREATION.

      Local anaesthetic drops are used to numb the eye - it is a PAIN FREE procedure. In order to create an accurate ultra-thin flap the cornea needs to be slightly flattened. The eye is gently held open and the only feeling patients report is this slight pressure which is from making the cornea flat. Unlike the microkeratome which uses a blade, the Intralase laser creates a flap by producing thousands of miniature bubbles in the cornea with micro-accuracy. These bubbles join together to separate a layer of the cornea which becomes the flap. If the surgeon is happy a second set of bubbles creates the side of the flap, leaving a gap at the top for the hinge. In this way a highly PRECISE ultra-thin layer or flap of the cornea is fashioned.

      The surgeon has the ability to restart the process of flap creation if he is not satisfied avoiding any delay in vision correction (as would happen with regular LASIK the bladed procedure using a microkeratome).

      How Vision Correction Works ?

      STEP2: The patient is moved to a SECOND laser - the Excimer (Bausch and Lomb Z100) .

      Here the Intralase flap is lifted and the treatment for the patient is applied. (A variety of options are available using the Intralase laser: Standard IntraLASIK, Zyoptix Tissue Savings and Zyoptix Wavefront - the surgeon will inform you as to what is most suitable for you). The flap is then replaced and allowed to dry. The Intralasik procedure requires no stitches and the flap sticks by a variety of natural forces. The patient then leaves the room and sits in a waiting area for about 20 mins, after which the vision is checked and eye examined. A huge difference in vision is immediate, though it continues to improve over the next three months.

      Treatments Offered

      What Will You Feel ?

      The Intralasik procedure takes about 6 minutes per eye. You will have had a tablet to relax you and you will be amazed how quickly the time goes. As mentioned you might feel some pressure with the Intralase laser interface (suction device) and your vision may go either dark or white. With the second portion of the treatment you will not feel anything and will just have to look at a flashing blurry red light. You can be reassured that the using the Intralase laser to create flap is much safer than a blade microkeratome.

      After the Intralasik procedure (like the microkeratome procedure) your eyes may stream and you might have the sensation of soap in your eyes for about 3 hours. Typically patients just want to go to sleep and once they wake up they are fine.

      Take Care :::

  14. QUESTION:
    I'm considering Intralase/Lasik surgery. Have you had it done?
    What questions should I be asking during the consultations? Is there any downside to the surgery? I'm scared about having it but would also love to be done with glasses/contacts.

    • ANSWER:
      I'm the son of an Ophthalmologist, and my father has been vocal _against _ some kinds of treatment of the Lasik class. That said,

      Questions to ask:
      1. What's my corneal thickness? Is it in the safe range? Are there any thin corneal spots in the affected eye? Are there any irregular gradient spots in the eye?
      2. Is my number too large to have this procedure effectively.?Effectively is the key word here, ask for the chances of total removal of myopia/hypermetropia.
      3. Are my eyes naturally well lubricated? Tear function looks normal?

      Possible downsides (All possible, but increasingly unlikely as the procedure gets better developed):
      1. Infections (mostly fungal) leading to impairment or loss of vision.
      2. Glare, Halo, Double vision, light sensitivity, dryness in the eye leading to continual or periodic discomfort, sensitivity to infection
      3. May still need to wear glasses/contacts after the procedure

      LASIK (Laser In Situ Keratotomy) is the succesor to PRK (Photo Refractive Keratotomy) which is a succesor to Keratotomy. In Keratotomy, you have slits made on your eye which change it's curvature (and hence your number). In PRK, a laser is used to reshape the corneal surface. In LASIK, first a flap of your cornea is separated, then the underlying surface is reshaped by laser, then the flap reattached. LASIK leads to much less chances of complication as opposed to the others.

  15. QUESTION:
    Have you had LASIK? Is IntraLase (no metal blade) worth the money?
    I'm considering LASIK but can't decide between traditional LASIK with the metal blade and IntraLase with no metal blade. IntraLase costs twice as much as standard LASIK.

    I've had consultations with doctors who do both. Each say it's safe so I'm still confused.

    Which type did you have. Are you happy with the results? Any side effects?
    P.S. I have a high prescription -7.00 in the right eye and 6.75 in the left.

    The IntraLase was quoted at K and ,800. Is that high?

    • ANSWER:
      My husband had the lasik with the metal blade a few years ago. He couldn't believe that he could actually see as soon as it was over. He didn't have any problems afterwards and says its the best thing he's ever done......medical wise. Well worth the money. He only needs reading glasses which they told him that he would. Its actually saved us tons of money because we no longer have to buy glasses, contacts, and the solutions to take care of them. Good luck and you'll be glad you had it done!!!

  16. QUESTION:
    CUSTOM WAVEFRONT INTRALASE LASIK help??????
    I JUST HAD THIS PROCEDURE AND HAD A SCRATCH ON MY EYE, SO THEY INSERTED A CONTACT LENS OVER THE SCRATCH. THEY TOLD ME TO COME BACK IN A COUPLE OF DAYS TO REMOVE THE CONTACT, BUT IT IS A LONG DRIVE.CAN I REMOVE IT? I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF CONTACTS.

    • ANSWER:
      Please do not remove this on your own.... The reason they want you to come back is so that they can check on the health of your eye, and make sure things are healing properly....

      If you were to try to take the contact lens off you could harm the flap that they made for the lasik procedure which could seriously damage the surgery and your vision...

      Even if you were an experienced contact lens wearer bandage contacts are put on there for a reason, and should not be removed until the doctor okays it.

  17. QUESTION:
    Intralase -bladeless- or microkeratome lasik,,Have I been scammed?
    I had my eyes zapped last week, I was told I will get itra-lase - bladeless- Lasik with *custom-vue* wave front, And paid accordingly
    00 for Both eyes…. My both eyes are still bloodshot still few days after the procedure.
    However my actual experience that took roughly 12-15 minute for Both eyes suggests I had received Microkeratome…
    My expereince in steps was as follows, any one who redas and think they have had Intralase please feel free to tell me if your expereince matches mine or not?
    *Firstly the anesthtic drops were applied .
    *Then forceps that hold the eyeleds wide open were inroduced. to keep the eyes open.
    *then a suction ring was added -I know this because of the pressure of suction i felt as soon as it was employed- from my vintage point of blurry view at this point the the suction ring looked circular like a ring with many lit up points in circular fashion like a space saucer…
    * then a sliding -slicing- right to left and left to right -for differnt eyes- motion was applied felt like the old credit card manual copier motion again from my blurry point of view,…… There where i think the microkeratom was used as opposed to intralase technique i was supposed to have and expected to have and actually paid for.
    * Then again from my blurry point of view you could see a surgical instrument in the shape of hook or a sickle removing to the side a circular shaped object ,I assume that was the corneal flap.
    * Then there was the statice sound tick tick tick of the correcive laser being used for few second on each eye and the accompanying smell of burning human tissue ,same as you would have when hair on your hand burn when tending to your stove…
    * Lastly the circualr flap was placed back using the same sickle like instrument ,And that was the end of the procedure?
    My question to anyone who has been through Intralase or bladeless lasik with custom vue is that what happened to you???
    People who experinced micro keratome please feel free to chip in if this waas what you experinced?
    Lastly If it’s true I was scammed -I have insisted on a descriptive letter of the procedure I was about to have prior to surgery and I eas given one after a tonne worth of hassle and agument- what can i do to find out the truth ?
    Thanx

    • ANSWER:
      Ignore the optometric assistant and see another Ophthalmologist. They are real doctors and surgeons and they will be able to see if your cornea was cut or if Intralase was done.

  18. QUESTION:
    Lasik patients who used Allegretto Wave laser with intralase...any problems with "dry-eyes"? ?
    I am considering having lasik using the Allegretto Wave laser and intralase. I have mild nearsightedness (-2.00, -2.50). I just had a consultation and exam and they say I am a great candidate for lasik. They did say that my corneas are on the thin side (516) but isn't a problem because of the mildness of the correction. I am forty, so I am concerned about my eyes changing in the coming years. My biggest concern is the reports of dry-eye with lasik. I don't consider my eyes overly dry, but I don't like to wear contacts (soft) because they usually become irritating after about 4 hrs. I just read on a internet site that people who are intolerant of contacts tend to have drier eyes and may experience more dry-eye problems with lasik. Also I read that women can get dry-eyes when they go through menopause (which I am sure I will be facing within the next 10 yrs). I would really like input from people who have had this done with this new laser and if they had any problems. Thanks for your input!

    • ANSWER:
      good that you ask, read this.

      http://www.lasikdisaster.com/

      http://www.myopia.org/
      http://www.eyecollege.com/
      http://www.central-fixation.com/
      http://www.preventmyopia.org/
      http://web.singnet.com.sg/~hanwen/nvifaq.htm

      be informed and best of luck, Great candidate, if they don't say that who will do Lasik????

  19. QUESTION:
    is intralase better than lasik?

    • ANSWER:
      Intralase was better for me. I had a high prescription, large pupils, astigmatism, one pupil sightly larger than the other from a sports injury and for me intralase was able to deal with all these things and still provide enough of a margin of error that if a follow-up "touch up" procedure was required there would be enough tissue left over to make that possible. With the lasik blade procedure this wasn't guaranteed. As it turned out no "touch up" was required.

      It was a lot more money at the time when I had it done (almost 3 years ago) but with all of the other factors it was the best option for me. Depending on your situation, you may or may not need to spend the extra money on the intralase

      I had mine done at the TLC Vision Center in Toronto if that helps. I would totally recomend them. They are pricey but at the time I had it done I felt like they were the best option for me as they were the only one's offering intralase in the area.

  20. QUESTION:
    What kinds of laser eye surgery are there? Has anyone done lasik surgery abroad?
    Intralase
    Wavefront
    Lasik ...

    • ANSWER:
      There are three main treatment choices for anyone thinking of having laser eye surgery. But which one will be right for you?

      The final choice will be determined between you and your laser eye surgeon. BUT, of course, you have the eyes and your surgeon has the expertise so you will be heavily influenced by what the doctor or another clinic staff member says. It will be better to be prepared. With just a little knowledge you can be actively involved in making the right choice.

      I will outline the 3 main options to help you have an informed discussion when the time comes to select which approach is best for your individual eyes. After all, you only have one pair so you want to get it right.

      You will be overwhelmed at first by all the terminology, treatments and brand names. Don’t worry. There is no need to be blinded by science or some of the frankly misleading marketing information that is out there.

      Firstly, whichever of the 3 treatment types (more on these coming in a couple of days in part 2) you go for, you must go for the wavefront option. The wavefront (or custom) technology has made a huge improvement in vision success rates with many more people getting 20/20 sight or even better.

      Different clinics use different names for this technology: custom, wavefront, wavefront guided, wavefront optimised, CustomVue.

      Also wavefront laser eye treatment will give better vision at night or in low light situations. Patients will notice less halos and glare from light sources such as car headlights. It is like buying a more expensive camera with a much, much better lens.

      This is the year 2008, so get the best current technology for your sight correction - you only will have this done once and you will live with the results for the rest of your life. Think about the computer you had back in 2000 and what is now available in 2008 - that is the level of difference in laser technology too. No brainer, really.

      If you can’t afford the price, either don’t have it done yet and save up until you can afford it, or think about financing.

      For affordable prices as I know, you can travel to Thailand or Turkey
      I myself done Wavefront by Laser Eye Turkey, located in istanbul, about 5 months ago and now I am very happy to see 20/20 !

      You can reach them by their website : www.lasereyeturkey.com

  21. QUESTION:
    Is iLasik better than lasik?
    Hi
    I want to know if ilasik or intralase lasik is better than lasik. I saw an article on blade free lasik
    at http://www.intralaselasik.in and want to know more on this

    Brijyot

    • ANSWER:
      ilasik surgery for correcting vision is faster
      and effective

  22. QUESTION:
    Will LASIK cause cataract,glaucoma and/or other diseases?
    Will IntraLase Custom Lasik cause cataract,glaucoma and/or other diseases?
    >>Overall, it is considered extremly rare for LASIK to result in cataract,glaucoma and/or other diseases.

    How LASIK cause them?
    Any scienctific evidence?

    • ANSWER:
      The FDA recognizes LASIK and PRK as proven, safe and effective. Laser vision correction uses a cool (non-thermal) beam of light that is computer controlled. The surgeon turns the laser on and is able to turn it off at any moment. There are many safeguards in place to reduce the risk of error. However, there are risks associated with any surgical procedure.
      Although no one knows the exact number of complications, studies suggest that the incidence of minor difficulties such as dry eyes and nighttime glare is around 3% to 5%, while the risk of serious incidents such as lost vision is thought to be less than 1%. There are no known cases of blindness from LASIK or PRK. Even when LASIK complications do occur, they often can be resolved through laser re-treatments or enhancements of the eye. It's very rare for LASIK to cause permanent, significant vision loss such that eyesight with contact lenses and eyeglasses (best corrected vision) is actually worse than it was before surgery. Overall, it is considered extremly rare for LASIK to result in cataract,glaucoma and/or other diseases. If you are intersested in how they perform the procedure, here is a link for you:
      http://www.allaboutvision.com/faq/lasik_prk.htm
      Hope this helps

  23. QUESTION:
    Is there a generic form of RESTASIS eye drops?
    I have been prescribed Restasis from my eye surgeon in order to get ready for Intralase Lasik eye surgery. As if the surgery isn't enough, my rx of Restasis is a wopping 0.00 for just a month supply. My health insurace will only pay for generic drugs.
    Thank you in advance for your answers!

    • ANSWER:
      No, unfortunately not. It can get expensive using it long term- but it works!!

  24. QUESTION:
    Lasik Waiver For Army Infantry?
    Had bladeless intralase Lasik done this summer and my current eyesight is 20/20 and 20/25. I've talked to a recruiter already and was told I need to wait 6 months and then apply for a waiver. With that being said, I wanted to see if anyone has had firsthand experience with lasik waivers.

    Specifically,

    1) How long does it approximately take from the day you submit a lasik waiver to the day you receive the result?

    2) Are there specific forms that my doctor needs to complete or do I just submit my lasik medical records?

    3) What's the likelihood of obtaining a lasik waiver? Is it a fairly common waiver or does it only rarely get approved?

    Thanks

    • ANSWER:
      Waivers in general can take as little as a week to many months. It depends on how many other people are asking for medical waivers and for what for. If a whole slew of waivers get put in for at the same time yours does, it will be a longer wait. As long as your eyes have properly adjusted, it should be approved, once it gets to the people who need to approve it.

      You will just need your current medical records. And to have a better chance at getting that waiver, you actual will need to wait a full year from the date of your surgery before applying.

  25. QUESTION:
    Lasik healing....eye surgery?
    I had Custom Wavefront Intralase Lasik on March 13th. Almost four weeks ago. I'm going to the doctor in two days but I was wondering...

    If I relax my eyes things get out of focus. But then I become concious of it and I can actually see and feel my eyes refocus. Anyways, I don't think I'm quite 20/20 yet. And I still have halos around lights at night.

    Are my eyes going to be okay? Will the bad night vision clear up? Will I see 20/20? I know what a google search will say but I was wondering if there was anyone out there that had the procedure or knew someone of who had it.

    :( I really really hope this works out. I tell my family and friends that everything's okay but in reality, I'm still very worried.
    Oh and my prescription BEFORE lasik was -6.00 and -6.75.....

    • ANSWER:
      I'm getting CustomVue Lasik the 17th. But from what I've researched is that most people get their complete sight within 3-12 months, especially if you have a higher prescription. This was the same for halos at night too. Customvue doesn't guarantee that halos will disappear, but at least it should be better than what it was. Your eyes will be fine, I wouldn't worry. Just talk to your doc and tell him/her your concerns and they will figure if its necessary to make an enhancement, since its quite common for people to need an enhancement with higher prescriptions. Good luck I hope it works out for you!

  26. QUESTION:
    Have you had success with LASIK?
    I am having wavefront LASIK with intralase tomorrow. Anyone had it and how do you feel about it?

    • ANSWER:
      I have never, but an seriously considering it. I've asked everyone I know this questions. The answer I get is always the same: I'm so glad I had it done. It's great to not have to wear glasses or contacts any more and to be able to see the alarm clock in the middle of the night...but my eyes are really dry. I have to use moisturizing drops now.

      Good luck - hope all goes well.

  27. QUESTION:
    What are the odds of getting 20/15 vision after eye laser surgery for a person with low myopia?
    My contact lense prescription is -1.50 in both eys and I'm getting wavefront/lasik/intralase eye laser surgery with Optical Express soon and I'm just wondering what are the chances of getting 20/15 vision? I would be very happy with 20/20 vision but if I got better than that it would be great. Thanks for any answers

    • ANSWER:
      That is a question best answered by the lasik surgeon. Ninety-five percent of people who get the Lasik procedure are happy with the results and the remaining five usually had unrealistically high expectations of the outcome. I hope you have a good surgeon at Optical Express. You should make sure he or she has at least three years of experience with the procedure.

  28. QUESTION:
    Is it true that if somebody who has done a lasik surgery may lose his vision if he gets a shock on his head?
    I have undergone an intralase surgery last Monday, and I have heard that if someone receives a shock on his head he may lose his vision and this would not be possible to be corrected again?

    • ANSWER:
      Lasik surgery always has the chance of loss of vision. Cataract surgery, too. Corneal abraisions. Any procedure to the eye.

      And hit on the head can cause blindness.

  29. QUESTION:
    My LASIK Eye Surgery didn't go perfectly ):?
    So I had Laser Eye Surgery yesterday (In England.)

    It was LASIK IntraLase CustomVue Wavefront. (best of the best basically)

    It worked fine on my right eye, however the suction ring kept popping off on my left eye. Then it got swollen obviously so it couldn't be done again. now I have to wait until monday to get my left eye done.

    So I have one good eye and one blurry eye. It's making me scared and I don't know why it worked for the countless people on the day and I was the only one to have complications arise. Ive applied to become a Royal marine Officer, and my natural eyesight isn't good enough so I've been forced to do this procedure and its not worked as well as it should have.

    I was very scared and nervous today as it such an invasive procedure and i was almost shaking on the operating chair.

    it also hurt - a lot.
    The first 6 hours were incredibly painful but after a few hours sleep almost un bearable pain turned to mild discomfort.

    Also- now i have a 20/20 vision eye (or better) and one eye that is awful, around 20/120 is it going to make my right/ left eye weaker? i only have to wait one full day with my eyes unbalanced like this!

    I am really worried about this ordeal. i want everything to go right. i want to be a marine but if this goes wrong my life is over.My surgeon is very experienced and has completed nearly 30,000 procedures and assured me this happens and it will be fine come monday. I am taking my drops religously and not missing out on my artifical tears.

    What can I do to make sure my eye will fit the suction? or does it "just happen"?

    Advice would be much appreciated, I am really worried /;

    • ANSWER:
      I doubt that there is anything you can do to ensure a good outcome. That is your surgeon's job. You should talk to your surgeon regarding your fears and why he thinks the suction did not preform as expected. You should also tell your surgeon how nervous you are about redoing the procedure, Perhaps he will give you something to calm you down.

      Best of Luck to you and I hope the surgery goes well.

  30. QUESTION:
    So I had my LASIK eye surgery... And the results were better than expected?
    So I had LASIK Intralase CustomVue wavefront 2 days ago.

    My eyes are starting to heal and almost by the hour my eyes have been improving dramatically.

    I had a post day check up where they said my eyes will continue to get sharper over the next week.

    However I did an eye test and my eyes are 20/10 (in both eyes).
    This is twice as good as 20/20 and almost at the limit of human possibility for good vision. I am obviously tremendously happy about this :D

    I did a lot of research into laser eye surgery and apparently not everyone (but most people) get 20/20.
    To get 20/15 happens but not heard of very often. But to get 20/10... I have not heard of any reported cases except a couple of that correction.

    How rare is it?

    • ANSWER:
      Daje needs to keep his pants on. She only had the surgery two days ago, which means that the full results are as yet to be seen.

      LASIK surgery has an immediate effect of overcorrection, but in time (a few weeks), the eye should settle into is true prescription, which will be a bit softer.

      In time, your vision will become a little less crisp-but it will still be lightyears better than you were before glasses.

      That being said, the long-term effects also remain to be seen. Some people's vision changes steadily throughout their lives, and others have a bell curve shape. Most doctors advise that you only get LASIK surgery done once your prescription stays relatively static for 2 years. I'm assuming that your needed correction wasn't terrible, otherwise they wouldn't have done it on someone so young. Don't let some of the other answers scare you-while I can't have my surgery due to thin corneas, I have several friends who had it while still in high school.

      10 years later, they are still glasses-free. And if they need some mild correction in a few years, so what? At least they had their twenties, right?

  31. QUESTION:
    Blurry vision after Lasik?
    Hello,

    I had intralase custom lasik surgery about 2 weeks ago. My vision was very good (supervision 12/10) but now it seems that my right eye is a little blurry all the time (before it was just from far and my doc said that it was normal that one eye is always a little stronger, but now its blurry even from close up). I havent been using my drops as much, maybe thats why? Has anyone had this problem and had it clear up? Advice plz, Im worried!

    • ANSWER:
      Hello. I know somebody that had Lasik, and after it was done, they could see really good, then they had blurry vision in one eye for a while, then it got better. It's only been a few weeks, so i would give it more time, and hopefully it will clear up. Take care :-)

  32. QUESTION:
    Post Lasik Disappointment and Bad Vision?
    Hello. Any help from knowledgeable folks/people with similar experience. I had Intralase/Bladeless Lasik done last Friday (1/8/2010) at a reputable doctor with the VisX machine. I am young, healthy and had "moderate" myopia (-3.00 and -5.00). I was told I was a good candidate and had a great potential for 20/20 vision after the surgery.

    So, it has now been 6 days since surgery. I do not have 20/20 vision. Perhaps closer to 20/40? I'm unsure of course, as I can't measure myself. I tested 20/25 on the day after post-checkup, but it was very blurry and I don't think I really deserved the rating.

    Now when I wake up I have near perfect vision (near, not perfect). This lasts about 1-2 hours then my vision degrades quickly. I develop strain, headache and blurred vision of anything more than 6 feet out. My surgeon assures me that this is classic Dry Eye and we can treat it. While that makes me feel better, I am very nervous/skeptical for several reasons.

    1) My near vision is always perfect. If I was experiencing dry eye blurriness, wouldn't this be blurry as well?
    2.)Wetting drops certainly make me feel better and relieve some strain and pain, but do not clear up my vision. Wouldn't I expect to have good vision for at least a minute after drops?
    3.) My left eye (originally worse) is now much better. My right is now worse (originally the better eye). If I was having Dry Eye only, wouldn't I expect to have equally poor vision in both?

    My vision has stayed this way since day two or three with no real improvement. I am very worried that I am just stuck with sub-par vision, despite the optimisms given to me before surgery. In fact, I'm beginning to despair pretty intensely and spending much of the day regretting this surgery. Now I'm out a few grand AND I have lousy vision AND I have to use a regiment of pricey drops? What was I thinking? Trying to stay optimistic. But is there really any chance for significant changes this far into the process?

    I'm hoping to hear from folks who had similar experiences, OR from folks who noticed major changes 6+ days after LASIK.

    Thank you so much for any input.
    It was on the east coast, Maryland. The place is top notch, and most people are happy with the experience. This seems to be the case in general. That said, it sure seems that doctors very much downplay the potential risk and ESPECIALLY downplay the frustration and inconvenience that may follow. It's presented more as a magic fix. And, with the price tag on this stuff, it sure should be.

    • ANSWER:
      I'll try to address your questions in order:
      If you don't have an eye chart, you don't know if you have 20/20 vision or not. Frankly, it doesn't matter -- all that "20/20" means (or 20/40 or whatever else) is that you can see a particular size of letters from a particular distance. It doesn't, as you've noted, say anything about how clear those letters are, or how hard your eyes have to work to see it, or whether or not it fluctuates, or lots of other things.
      Your symptoms do sound like fairly typical dry eye. This is also extraordinarily common after LASIK, mostly because when the surgeon makes the flap, it disrupts the corneal nerves that normally stimulate your tear glands to secrete tears. The nerves typically regrow within six months after surgery, and it's supposedly much faster with a bladeless flap.
      Near vision, especially in young people, isn't as easy to measure. If I show you 20/20 sized letters across the room, and 20/20 sized letters on a paper a foot away from you, you probably would have a much easier time seeing the close ones. This is mostly because young people tend to compensate and just move it a bit closer (making it bigger) up close. You may also be straining more in the distance (if your post-surgical refraction hasn't stabilized yet), which will dry your eyes out even further.
      We'd hope that the wetting drops would help the vision, but they tend to be thick and can blur things too. It's a matter of lubricating the corneal surface so it can heal smoothly, giving you good vision. The corneal surface (epithelium) replaces itself every week or so, so it might not have been long enough yet to see an improvement.
      And no, dry eye isn't necessarily symmetrical, and it can definitely fluctuate even day-to-day being worse in one eye then the other. They also don't necessarily heal at the same rate.
      The cornea doesn't heal instantly. I mean, it does a quick patch-up job of healing instantly, but then over the coming weeks and months the tissues realign and stitch themselves up good and solid. That's one of the reasons you've probably got a pile of follow-up visits for a week, two weeks, a month, three months, etc after surgery. Most people have fairly good results within the first week, but evidently you aren't most people. That doesn't mean it won't get to the same good end result, you just might take a little longer. Six days post-surgery is just the beginning of the healing process!

      Your story reminds me of a patient I had the first week I was in practice. She'd been bullied into getting the bladeless LASIK by the surgeon (on the day of surgery, no less) and was okay with her vision that first day. Around the first week (when I saw her) she noticed things weren't as good. Turns out her eyes were really dry for one reason or another, so I told her to use the artificial tears whether or not her eyes felt dry, and by around a month after surgery she was a lot happier with her vision. I think she ended up using the artificial tears for about two months total, and then found she didn't need them anymore. Last time I saw her, she was 20/15 (i.e. better than 20/20.) She's still annoyed at the surgeon, but happy with the results.

      Hope this helps. Happy healing!

  33. QUESTION:
    Blurry vision in one eye 1 week after lasik?
    I had customvue (intralase/waveguide) lasik 6 days ago.... The day after surgery my vision was 20/20 in both eyes... My right eye got a corneal abrasion so a cornea bandage was put in my eye for 5 days... Both eyes healed very nicely (the redness is gone in my right eye)

    However, my right eye has blurry vision (i can't see far or near) my vision has definately improved since the surgery but the day after surgery I had 20/20... 5 days after surgery I had 20/30 in both eyes... and my right eye has been blurry for about 3 to 4 days now..

    my left eye is fine..

    has anyone else had this experience??

    has your eye improved/ did the blurriness go away?? how long did it take for the blurriness to go away??

    (i've read online it could be a variety of factors - undercorrection, overcorrection, induced astigmatism, et al)

    Could it be undercorrection even though my eyes were 20/20 the day after surgery??

    • ANSWER:
      things like blurry vision are normal during the first couple of days (even weeks) post-surgery. After the surgery you should follow-up with an optometrist and have him evaluate the surgery's results. (you also should have had a pre-surgery evaluation with an optometrist). If you do not see any improvement in the next week or so you should make an appointment with your optometrist and have him consult with your surgeon.

  34. QUESTION:
    How long before newly lasered eyes stop feeling dry?
    I had my eyes lasered (LASIK with Intralase) 4 days ago. My vision is great but have noticed that no matter how often I put the 'blink' drops in, my eyes are feeling dryer and more tired every day. Is this a normal part of the healing process? I'm fine with it, if it is - but I'd like to know that there is an end in sight (forgive the pun).

    • ANSWER:
      Hi Sammy,

      Congrats and well done. I had lasik with intralase done over a year ago - never looked back. I'm going for my final check up in two weeks time. As regards the dry eyes it does get better - four days is very close to the op. I found that after first two weeks it improved immensely. I still keep a bottle of the eye drops "somewhere" in the house but very very rarely use them.

      I guess you're enjoying the goggles(not) at night.

      Good luck with healing process.

      Eddie

  35. QUESTION:
    Curious about why my LASIK consultation went wrong (corneas and pupils too big)?
    It was strange...I went for a consultation, they checked my eyes and prescription of my glasses. The normal stuff I guess.

    After waiting for another 20-30 minutes, I was finally brought into another room. The doctor started by telling me my corneas were something like -5 and I had a stigmatism of something like 3 in my right eye and 6 in my left and that LASIK and Intralase were probably out.

    Then he started telling me about PRK and how that could work around the cornea problem but then he checked the chart again and saw that my pupils weren't 6.5 mm but rather 8.5 mm and suddenly all bets were off.

    I fully plan on getting a 2nd and 3rd opinion before I abandon hope but I admit I walked out soon after writing down the numbers and was wondering if anyone out there can help me out or just tell me to wait like the doctor did.

    I'm 23 years old if that helps so maybe technology will catch up...

    • ANSWER:
      If I remember correctly, if your corneas are too big noone will be able to do LASIK/PRK on them. The equipment for the surgery is not set up for large corneas/pupils.

      Be patient a little longer, hopefully LASIK will be available to those who have bigger corneas than usual.

      I had LASIK done in 2000 and its great. I hope one day you can have it too!

  36. QUESTION:
    Lasik - Cornea Swelling & Fluctuating vision?
    i just did my lasik 1 week ago with intralase.. when i went for post op check up today...doc says my cornea is a swollen and my vision is fluctuating (i.e : sometimes clear, sometimes unclear).

    doc says it's a personal reaction..just wondering if there's anything i have done after op to caused it? or can anything be done on my part to reduce the swelling now??

    has anybody experienced that before? how long after lasik will it take for eyesight to stabalise??

    have only done 1 eye..and i'm worried about the second eye now =(

    • ANSWER:
      Fluctuating vision is quite normal immediately after Lasik surgery. You should give yourself enough time to recover properly. If your doctor has seen it and is not too worried you should just give yourself chance to heal and hopefully all will be well.

      Here's a website with some advice about eye care after Lasik. I hope this helps.

      Good luck!

  37. QUESTION:
    Lasik Eye Surgery. Any bad reviews?
    My parents have an appointment scheduled for Lasik Eye Surgery, the new "4th generation intralase fs laser" kind. I was wondering, has any gotten it, and hates that they did? Any bad reviews? What went wrong?

    Just tell me what you think.

    Thanks.

    • ANSWER:
      my brother had it done and so did I. I let him be the guinea pig first before I tried it out. His vision was near blind without glasses and we both had extra large pupils which can be a problem.
      I researched it called people who had it done first, and then went for it, and i do not wear glasses and this is 4 years, my brother is about 8 years after. If as you age yes you eyes will age to and "sometimes" people need a re-adjustment, which if you bought the correct package is free. My Doctor had the latest equipment and has done over 40, 000 eye surgeries. There is always someone that has problems.
      The eye Doctor usually won't say it's not a good idea causes he loses his client for life.
      I had both knees replaced and am walking, Yet loads of people were saying oh it was the worst thing they went through and what mistake they made.

  38. QUESTION:
    Can some one tell me, i ve booked appointment for laser eyez treament & its epi-Lasik Wave Front.?
    so i am feeling little bit hesitation because some people says, do intralase , some says this & that, but my dr has adviced me, epi-lasik is the one which is natural procedure, & it take 7 days to heal, well still i am abit scare about, any experience if some have had in past about kindly let me know, because i can still change my mind thanks.

    • ANSWER:
      DONT WORRY, BE HAPPY! Before taking any decision in life, you must think, ponder, but once decided, No Procrastination, please.
      If i received all pertinent information related to you &your specs etc, it would have been a clear advice, still, I can say that if the doctor is conscientious and uses the ART & SCIENCE judiciously, you surely will enjoy Post LASER vision well. All Roads lead to Rome. So whatever you undergo, generaly you will have better life.
      Anything which can go wrong, will go wrong sometime or other, but that does not preclude us to enjoy a meaningful LIFE!

  39. QUESTION:
    Lasik vs PRK? Which Laser? Thin cornea. Can't decide...?
    Hi,
    I am trying to decide the best option for my laser vision correction and I am really conflicted. I went to one doctor that measured my cornea at 466 and said that it's too thin for Lasik, and he would definitely recommend PRK with the custom wavefront technology with a VISX S4 laser. Another doctor measured the cornea at 500 and said either Lasik or PRK are fine to do, with the Intralase Blade and VISX S3 laser. Both doctors claim to have the best technology. The second doctor said that I don't need the custom wavefront b/c the VISX S4 takes off more tissue, which I don't need. The first doctor is a smaller office with one doctor doing all the pre and post-op care, and the surgery. The second doctor is with a big lasik center, and i'll have one doctor doing the surgery and another doctor doing the pre and post-op care. Any advice? Which procedure should I do? Any thoughts on the different lasers, and if the VISX3 is really better than the VISX4? Why would one doctor recommend only PRK, and the other has no preference.

    • ANSWER:
      if its really 466, thats probably too thin.

      "Why would one doctor recommend only PRK, and the other has no preference."

      b/c people have different opinions. some people are more aggressive than others. there are no "rules" for who can have lasik vs prk & who needs what. its really all up the the surgeon who does the procedure.

  40. QUESTION:
    Will LASIK give me near perfect vision and if so how long after surgery can I expect that kind of vision?
    I have just had lasik 2 days ago with the best stuff the hospital could offer. that includes intralase, wavefront etc. and it was performed by the best doctor available. the doctor says I can achieve near perfect vision, but now 2 days has passed and I'm getting worried because my vision is not perfect, but is definitely much better than before. I talked to him yesterday and he said it should be better in a week, but judging from the fact that my eyesight has not improved from yesterday to today i'm not sure if it's going to get any better tomorrow. What kind of vision do people normally get after lasik? and how long does it take to get the final level of vision after the surgery? Thank you!

    • ANSWER:
      Hopefully this will make you feel a little better. I had lasik done 2 months ago. For the first week or so I had blurry "walking through fog" vision. I could see better than before surgery, but not great. Additionally, I couldn't see anything up close (like serial numbers on equipment, etc). I also had CRAZY dry eyes - like had to use the drops every 15-30 minutes. The doctor kept telling me to give it time.
      Well, he was right. About 2 weeks after surgery the fog was gone, my near vision was improved (could now read the serial numbers), oh and the light sensitivity was improving. Each week (not really daily) I was noticing improvement. Today I went for my 2 month check up, I have 20/15 vision.
      I use the drops when I wake up and maybe a couple times during the day (only at work where I stare at a monitor 9 hours a day). The light sensitivity is gone. I don't see halos around head lights anymore, etc, etc, etc. In other words all of the immediate side effects of the surgery are gone and I CAN SEE!
      I know you have probably heard this a million times, but give it time. Only two days in (well three days since you asked this yesterday) your eyes have a lot of healing to do.
      It's scary to think you might have made a mistake (I felt so), but if your doctor says everything went well, try not to worry!

  41. QUESTION:
    Blade free lasik in Kolkata?
    Hello,
    Does anyone know any centre in Kolkata ,India for blade free laser eye surgery (Intralase) ?

    • ANSWER:
      I understand you want your laser eye surgery to be free or cheap. But please do not do anything that is too good to be true. I don't think you understand that this is still a surgery. There is a risk even if you are going to a reputable doctor. There is a HUGE risk if you want to do a free/cheap laser eye surgery. The risk is you can either be seeing worse than you are right now or you can be permanently blind...There are other complications but those are pretty serious in my book. Please understand that you only get one set of eyes. You can save money on other items, but don't try to be cheap with your eyes.

  42. QUESTION:
    Had Laser eye surgery 2 weeks ago !?
    I had the Intralase Lasik (wavefront) surgery. Has anyone else had it and how are you doing with it?

    • ANSWER:
      I had it a couple years ago. My results were great. I appreciated most when I took up swimming.

      I do have the halos at night but, realistically, many people see halos naturally due to surface imperfections of the lens. Even glasses cause multiple reflections due to the simple (Fresnel) reflection off the surface of the lenses. (Sorry so technical, I'm a optical/laser engineer by trade)

      One thing they didn't warn me about was severe eye dryness. Apparently when they "flap" your cornea, the blade severs the nerves that run to the cornea that tell the brain the eye is dry and needs tears. For the first week, I needed eye drops every hour. They told me afterwards that these nerves will heal, and they did but I still use eyedrops on dry days.

  43. QUESTION:
    Eye Twitching!!?
    For a couple weeks or so, my right eye has been twitching like crazy!! Its almost non-stop!
    I've heard that eye twitching is caused from lack of sleep, too much caffiene, or stress.
    I should also mention that I have intralase lasik eye surgery about a month and half ago!

    Thanks in advance!

    • ANSWER:
      I would suggest going to the doctor.

      I nearly had a car accident which caused my eye to start twitching for hours and hours.. obviously nowhere near as long as yours.
      I went to see a nurse to ask if there was any way to stop it and she said it would either stop on its own - or - if it hadn't stopped the next day, to go back and see her.

      I would tell you to go to the doctors since it's been going on for so long. Could well be related to the eye surgery.

  44. QUESTION:
    Does lateral canthotomy cause scarring?
    I went to get an IntraLase LASIK procedure done today but couldn't because the skin around my eyes is too tight to allow the suction ring to fit over it. My doctor tried several rings but none of them would fit properly so he would not make the flap. He told me my other choices were PRK or getting a lateral canthotomy incision done to loosen the skin around my eyes. He does not prefer PRK and after reading about it, neither do I. Has anyone ever had this done or know anything about it? Will I have to worry about scars or keloids forming?
    After reading the first response, I wanted to add: I asked my doctor three times if it will cause scarring and he said no. But I wanted to ask here in case someone had actually undergone the procedure and could tell me about it. There is very little information on the web about scarring.

    • ANSWER:
      OBVIOUSLY!
      WHO DOESNT KNOW THAT!

  45. QUESTION:
    Is LASEK/LASIK safe? How far do you think it will advance within the next six years or so? All answers welcome
    Well it's 2008 now and there are companies all over the world that are offering the revolutionary treatment. I have heared that the best treatment can be found in Europe. My question is i hear that treatment companies have successfully treated many patients with long lasting results (now with the safer method of using "Intralase" to create the Corneal flap).
    One company i found even advertised on a reputable website of an opticians. My question is if i was to have surgery at the age of 23 or 24 (which is why i refer to 6 / 7 years from now) how far advanced is the technology likely to be? Medical science is improving all the time and i really need this surgury if i am to make the grade for my dream job in the police service in the future.

    Answers and opinions from Opticians, patients and success/ failure stories (with prescription strength details before and after) all welcome...

    P.S. Does the Corneal flap heal? I have heared a scary story that it sometimes never heals, help pls?

    • ANSWER:
      I'd heard that it can cause damage to the retinas.

  46. QUESTION:
    What is the most reliable technique for Lasik operations?
    There seems to be a few right now in use: Intralase, VISX, Wavefront, etc..

    It's getting confusing for the layperson. Which is the most reliable & accurate technique available? Price is of no object.
    zack> Thanks for the warning. Would you happen to have a link to the article?

    PIY> I don't disagree with what you are saying. That's why I'm asking for the most reliable and accurate technique rather than the latest ones. The practitioner's experience is indeed crucial too. I'll definitely be mindful of that when I look for the place to go.

    • ANSWER:
      Wavefront (makes a map of your eye) is Intralase (bladeless) and VISX is the machine used. All of those are what CustomVue lasik is. CustomVue has the best results because it with the use of the wavefront, which helps correct any glare and halos. There are other types of lasik like conventional lasik and PRK. A lot of problems people have with conventional lasik (which is 1/2 the cost of CustomVue) is that they have glare and halo problems after. I really don't know about PRK, I think its mainly for people who are not a candidate for regular lasik. My understanding is that PRK is quite safe still, but instead of cutting a flap like CustomVue or convential, it burns a layer of the eye lense. If you go for a consultation, they will say which one best suits you. But, CustomVue is a lot better than conventional lasik hands down.

  47. QUESTION:
    How to optimize recovery after Laser Surgery?
    Hi guys and gals

    I am having Laser Surgery in 6 days (more specifically intralase customvue LASIK procedure)
    and wanted to find out from any opticians/ people who have had it done to absolutely optimize good recovery after the surgery. (I have applied to become a Royal Marine Officer you see) and my eyesight is the only thing I need to sort out.

    I wear contacts 100% of the time but I have been told to wear my glasses for a week beforehand as contacts change the shape of your cornea.

    I will adhere to that rule as of now however yesterday (The very first day I needed to make the transition to glasses) I wore contacts for about 2 hours in the evening as I visited a friends house. Shouldn't be a problem I'm guessing as long as I don't wear them again? It's 6 days away now.

    I know I shouldn't rub my eyes after, try and sleep a lot, apparently you get a face mask to sleep in for a few weeks after etc. any other tips though?

    Thanks a lot!

    -Hayden

    • ANSWER:
      Stick to the doc's recovery plan as strictly as possible. The post-surgery drops will consist of artificial tears, an antibiotic (prophylactic for infection), and a steroid drop (reduces inflammation). Use the tears at minimum four times a day - with LASIK the corneal nerves are severed, thus decreasing the stimulus for natural tearing. These nerves regenerate in 6-12 months, but expect to used artificial tears for post-surgery dryness for a while.

      For about a week or more after surgery, avoid ALL activity that could put your eyes at risk. No swimming, sports, etc. Let your corneas heal as much as possible. Don't rub your eyes and get some sleep.

      Enjoy your new vision!

  48. QUESTION:
    isn't this scary?
    I went to doctor A for a lasik surgery consulatation. he said I'm a good candidate and could to intralase or the regular blade surgery where they slice the eye open. I went to doctor b yesterday and he said he'll only do the intralase cuz if he does regular lasik my vision could get worse.

    • ANSWER:
      "The Art of Medicine" is a cliche for a reason.

      Seriously, I got a second opinion on a diagnosis from my veterinarian a couple of years ago. The first vet recommended surgery totalling over ,000, and said it was imperative that we do it. The second vet agreed that surgery was needed, but not the exact same surgery, and the expected cost was 0.

      The first vet drove a BMW, and the second one drove a Honda. We had the surgery with the Honda-driving vet, and our cat is fine now.

      So my advice... Get a third opinion and take a walk around each of their parking lots. Good luck!


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