Turbodan

guys I have been reading the responses with great interest. Thank you for sharing experiences. Now Lasek is sending me emails every day asking if I am ready to book an appointment. Funny when I was there a few days ago they only had 2 appointments this month then would have to wait until May...using slimy sales tactics to get me to rush the decision is not appreciated by me. They also downplay the risk which this conversation has brought to reality. They also said they only send you the consent forms 24 hours before surgery...this seems fishy. Still thinking about it, as it would be great to not need glasses.

Adamant1971

They also don’t tell you when they do a re-treatment that they have to find the old incision with what looked like a dental pick. After they did that I said WTF and the doctors response was ya we don’t tell people about that cause they will get freaked out. Lol

Turbodan

ya I asked if it doesn't work do you get your money back and the answer after a lot of maneuvering was no.
they keep emphasizing it only takes 10 minutes

eyedoc

I feel from the tone of responses I read here that the sense of confidence and respect for the center's communication and/or the surgeon the OP is relating would cause me to suggest to you to research the difference between lens replacement surgery, Lasik,Lasek, PRK depending on your prescription level, and find a center in whom you have absolute confidence. The different surgeries in the above commentary are each unique, with their respective indications, and risks

Turbodan

I agree. I get the feeling the center hires different surgeons from time to time and I read the bio of the one they said would do the procedure and he seems well qualified with connections to the large hospitals I have confidence in.
Definitely not something to make a quick decision on-which is what they tried to convince me to do.

Anakin Skywalker

I had PRK done a very long time ago. I went to one of the clinics first and then my ophthalmologist for a second opinion. My ophthalmologist told me that he does it out of a different clinic, so I had him do it.
I’m glad I did because the bandage contact lens came out about 12 hours after the surgery and I was in unbelievable pain. My wife called my ophthalmologist and he saw me at his office in the middle of the night to take care of it.
I haven’t looked back (pardon the pun). It’s proved to be one of the best personal decisions I’ve ever made.

JimV8

I had PRK done in 93 and experienced a level of pain that was otherworldly. It came on about 6 hours after the procedure and was gone in the morning. Light was pain, excruciating pain.

drewster

I had SMILE done last year (similar to lasik, but instead of a flap being cut, a small cut is made at top of eye and what is lasered off comes out of there). Weird but painless. Took TTC home, and spent about 2 hours with eyes closed and drapes closed "recovering". By dinner time was fully functional. I was wearing bicfocals before, and opted to optimize for distance, so still need light reading glasses for prolonged reading. Would recommend.

Anakin Skywalker

I was going to give a thumbs up on this but realized it might give the wrong idea.

Pain like that you never forget. Ever.

With that said 25 years of 20/20 vision have made it worth it.

Adamant1971

When I had mine done I was sitting beside a girl that just had PRK (because she was going into the police force) she was in a allot of pain. But the advantage of PRK is that you don’t have the chance of the flap coming loose down the road.

george44

Wow, wish I had seen this thread earlier. Most of the discussion revolves around correction. In my case it is cataract. It has advanced very rapidly in the last 2.5 years. I've seen a number of doctors including the usual suspects, Bochner, Herzig, North Toronto Laser Eye Surgery, Burlington Laser Eye Surgery and Lasik in Toronto. They all said I have cataract. There is no cure except surgery. My puzzlement is I feel it is too early, I am 64 now, the rapid deterioration started at 61 I believe and it was like I could tell the difference from one week to the next. I need glasses for distance, computer, pretty much everything except reading. I am able to read fine print or put thread in a needle. But can't distinguish the traits on your face from one meter away (yes, I can see your face but that's about it). I wear glasses for distance, strongest for driving, and they are an absolute pain at night as the all light gets amplified and I feel the pain in my eyes. Working on a car has become a pain. I cannot see bread crumbs on the kitchen floor or my face in the mirror when I shave (have to get close with my nose almost touching the mirror to see clearly).

I could probaly continue with the glasses, I think I have 5.75 on the left eye and 4.5 on the right eye but it is not getting any better, if anything it is getting worse. Internet wisdom says I will be blind without surgery. I have decided on the Vivity lens and Bochner and yes, it is bloody expensive for laser. The cheap option is monofocal and with a scalpel, OHIP covers that. Fortunately I can afford the most modern option with laser assisted surgery and an expensive IOL (intra ocular lens). At the end of the day it should only be once in my lifetime. There are millions of cataract surgeries performed around the world every year but I am still scared. Good they sedate you lightly for the procedure.

George

LZRD GRN

Good Luck!

Please let us know who you use and how it goes,

Cheers!

eyedoc

George44. There are 2 different topics being discussed in this thread:
1- people who want to get rid of glasses and/or contact lenses with laser surgery, be it Lasik, PRK, Lasek, or lens exchange. All involve an otherwise normal seeing eye with other normal means of correction (glasses or contact lenses). The lens exchange surgery involves a functioning normal internal eye lens, or one where early cataract can be removed before it's mature, and kill 2 birds with one stone (not wait for the cataract to get worse, and see without full time glasses NOW( other than reading glasses unless bifocal implants, or monovision implants performed). It's an elective procedure-same good vision, but without full time eyewear.
The situation you're in is different. You have advanced cataracts that are affecting your enjoyment of life as you're a danger or very soon will be a danger on the road, can't read well,function normally due to deteriorating vision. So the lens to be exchanged is not premature or too early to address. When it affects your vision significantly to function, it's time to do something about it. It's not cheaper to do monovision(one eye corrected for near/other eye corrected for far distance), or binocular (both eyes distance corrected, for example) cataract surgery. Procedure is the same- the lens being inserted into each of your eyes is the same level of sophistication, but one has a distance power, the other is a reading /computer arm's length focus. The implanted lens would cost more if it is to be a bifocal power. Use of lasers: (some use of laser is used in various capacities with cataract surgery-they are used for measuring the required lens implant strength your particular eye will need, an instrument that measures accurately your eye's precise dimensions, exact placement location of where in the eye the implant is to be placed, etc. one can assume if a laser makes the incision, it should be very accurate. In the hands of an experienced cataract surgeon results will be excellent with or without the latest laser incision technique. Your cost is high b/c you're having the procedure done at a private clinic, & an excellent one at that; which in today's environment at the hospitals right now, is comforting. Good luck with your procedure. It will be life changing especially in light of the visual symptoms your experiencing.

Dino524

George, I was in the same position as you 4 years ago except I was 50 ! Based on what you're describing, you should have already performed the surgery.
As for me, I had -12 myopia and post surgery my vision was 20/25. Just went with a high quality mono focal lens - no more glasses for the first time in my life. No reading glasses either so far.
It is probably the lowest risk surgery one can have and I wouldn't think twice about doing it based on your condition. The day of the surgery, the doctor had performed the procedure over 10 times in the morning by the time he got to me. Very routine...

george44

Thank you very much! eyedoc, I do not know who you are but big thanks for chiming in, I've read your posts on this thread and you definitely know what you're talking about :-) Of course I did know about the elective surgery and as many have commented, I was apprehensive about it and choose not to do anything as long as I could function, even with glasses. Unfortunately for me cataract has progressed to a point where it has become dangerous not only for driving, I am still OK with glasses, but for everyday life, at home, office, travel, etc.

And thank you Dino524 for your kind words of encouragement :-)

Everyone, have a good weekend and get those Porsche cars out!

George