Lasik eyes Surgery: laser eye surgery 5 years later

Home » Posts filed under laser eye surgery 5 years later

Showing posts with label laser eye surgery 5 years later. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Is it worth looking into Laser Eye Surgery?

wahwah

I have been considering doing Laser / Lasik Eye surgery for a while. I finally a visited a doctor last week - and she said it is possible but also give me the disclaimer that ~ 5% of the cases do not work out as expected - results can vary from complete improvement to no improvement to poorer eyesight to blindness.

Ofcourse that put me off. But the more I think about it - I really have not met anyone so far who has had an unsuscessfull surgery. I want to know if there are any of you out there who know anyone whose eye surgery was not successful. If possible I would also like to talk these people over the phone to get a first hand idea of their experience. If the phone call is not possible - thats fine but it will still be good to know of cases where the surgery did not work out.

Answer
Your best first step is to research the technology and the doctors. You seem to have started that. Excellent!

One thing to consider is your age. If you are a teen, then your eyes are still changing and you should wait until they stabilize. You don't want to have a series of LASIKs, do you? Yeah, they give you a Valium to calm you down, but it is only a minimal dose and really isn't worth it. :-)

If you are in your 40s or later, then be aware that while LASIK will fix or dramatically improve ordinary (far) vision, but you will need reading glasses. You would eventually anyway, but with LASIK it is like an ON-OFF switch. Some doctors will tell you this up front, others won't mention it. Some other doctors when asked, will say "Well, not necessarily" which implies that this is rare. It isn't; it is the norm if you are of that age. Ask several doctors and see. Google it. Research it. But don't consider this a negative; it was going to happen anyway and requiring glasses only when reading is much better than requiring glasses for everything!

Some clinics have free seminars about LASIK. These are fine, although they are really captive audience commercials, but there is no substitute for talking to the doctor that will perform the surgery directly. Not a collegue. Not an associate. The actual surgeon. If you cannot do this, strike that one from your list. Fast.

The most important thing is to NOT BE CHEAP! Don't call 1-800-BLIND-ME and get it for $75/eye! Find a doctor (not merely a clinic that has doctors) and talk to him/her. Find out how many LASIKs s/he has performed. How long has s/he been doing them. What other kinds of eye surgery does s/he do? What kind of laser machine (e.g. Excimer)? Grill them.

And yes, there are sometimes failures. One friend of mine went to the $300/eye clinic (this was about 6 years ago when that was considered very cheap) and now she will never see properly again. It is so bad that she is afraid to even to go one of those doctors that "cleans up" after other doctor's mistakes. Sad. But you pay for what you get. Unfortunately, the reverse "you get what you pay for" just isn't true. It is still doctor's fault, but she will have to live with the results forever.

My own surgery was a 1 in a 1000 situation, where the entire epitheleum (sp?) sloughed off. But my doctor stayed the course and everything is fine. I would do it again.

Yes, he is one of the more expensive ones, but his technical expertise and professionalism made it worth the extra money. And years later, he did my cataract surgery. That is how impressed I was and how willing I was to give him another shot at my eyes. Can't see that happening (no pun) at a cheap clinic.

Finally (at last, you say!), remember that these are your eyes! Trust no one. Assume the worst. YOU take the responsibility of doing the research and when you commit and have it done, FOLLOW UP with all of the doctor's instructions.

Good luck!

What happens when you get lasik eye surgery?

chocolatel

Like what do they do? Do they put a lazer up to your eye or what? What happens if you blink during the process? What if you move your head? I need answers!

Answer
I had Lasik 5 yrs ago. They put numbing drops in your eye first, then when they are working you lay down under the laser machine and they place a clamp on you eye to keep it open, it looks like a reverse eye lash curler. Then the Dr. cuts a flap on the cornea and lays it back, next he tells you to look at the red blinking light- this is when the laser starts its job and makes small incisions to let more refractive light into your eye. It takes from 30-60 seconds depending on your correction. Last the Dr. replaces the flap, queeges the flap flat so it reattaches, and WHOLA, you have 20/20. I did have to go back a year later because one eye needed a enhancement.
After care you go home sleep for 4 hrs, they want your eyes closed to start to heal. you wear protective shields in the shower and when you sleep for 10 days. Eye drops and lubrication daily for a couple of weeks. It was the best money I ever spent. Had glasses from child hood.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

What brand of make up does Barbara Walters wear?

laser eye surgery 5 years later image

Kitten Hoo

She looks so pure and beautiful on "The View"!

Answer
Unlike most people in their late 70s, Barbara Walters has little sagging skin on her face and her jawline and neck are tight. This can be explained by a likely facelift combined with a neck lift. Additionally, the lack of prominent platysmal muscles (vertical bands) that normally stick out as one gets older also points back to a neck lift. A neck lift removes excess fat around the neck, leaving it looking nice and firm. Moreover, Barbara’s eyes are wide open and free of the under eye bags and heavy drooping skin that most people her age experience in the eyelids. This is the likely result of an upper and lower blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) that has trimmed any loose, sagging skin that Walters had. Additionally, Barbara’s youthful forehead is possibly due to her having a browlift (forehead lift). Given that Walters has managed to remain ageless, it’s quite possible that Walters had more than one facelift over the years. Each facelift can take off anywhere from 5-20 years from someone’s face.

Another incredible age-defying facial attribute is Barbara Walters’ skin tone, which is unbelievably smooth, bright and free of deep lines, wrinkles, and depressions in the forehead (worry lines), eye (crows’ feet), and mouth areas (nasolabial folds/laugh lines, marionette lines). This is likely due to continuous use of Botox, Restylane and other fillers that smooth wrinkles and fill in depressions. Additionally, Barbara’s cheeks are unusually plump, whereas many people in her age range have hollow cheeks due to the downward shift of their cheek fat pads that comes with age. This can be explained by a possible cheek lift and/or cheek implants that Walters got. Further, the youthful and bright appearance of Barbara’s skin is likely due to her having had chemical peels, laser skin procedures, and other skin treatments that allow older looking skin layers to be peeled off and allow younger, deeper skin layers to emerge. It’s also possible that Walters has tried other non-invasive facial treatments such as Thermage or Fraxel to maintain her beautiful, radiant skin. Further, it goes without saying that Barbara Walters uses medical-grade skin creams on a daily basis and has a good anti-aging nutritional diet. Finally, Walter’s youthful appearance is also aided by having the best makeup artists and camera lighting experts at her side.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn agreed about Barbara having gotten multiple cosmetic procedures, saying “Barbara looks great for someone her age. She does appear to have had multiple plastic surgery procedures, but they have been done with the most realistic and natural result in mind. She also appears to have had them done a little at a time, making it not so obvious when they may have been performed. I do think her neckline is great for someone her age, and likely signifies a facelift. An upper and lower blepharoplasty and possible browlift have also kept her looking refreshed.”

Walters is the classic example of great plastic surgery, as her results were achieved gradually through well-timed procedures over her life. Instead of going for a major cosmetic overhaul with multiple procedures done all at once, Walters appears to have been getting different cosmetic surgeries spread out over a few decades. By taking a gradual approach to cosmetic surgery, Walters’ appearance is natural and her results do not scream “plastic surgery” as in the case of other celebrities who go for a drastic makeover in one take.

Eye prescription and laser eye surgery?

Michelle (

I have a -5.75 prescription in my left, and a 5.25 in my right. Do I have really bad eyesight? Is it worse than most people's? And also, I have been wearing glasses since I was 7, I am 16 now and I wear contacts. What is the earliest age I can get laser eye surgery? Is there any way to improve my eyesight even a little bit?

Answer
You have a moderate Rx. Its not too bad but its on the border of strong - medium. LASIK is usually done in the early twenties and later. This is because the eye stops changing around then or at least slows considerably. You don't want to have surgery if your prescription changes every year because it will continue to do so even after surgery. Don't be too concerned even if your Rx gets a little worse, it will slow down. A few suggestions if you read a lot or on the computer. Give your eyes a break every 30 minutes or so.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

How much would a 2 karat, best quality diamond ring cost?

laser eye surgery 5 years later image

Q. What is the average that it would cost to get about a 2 karat, good quality diamond ring, w/ a nice setting on it also.

Also, do you think its too early if he proposes after 1.5 yrs of dating? I know he's probably the best one out there for me. I'm starting to fall in love w/ him, but i'm not 100% sure. What do I do if he does ask soon?

Answer
The average price is $40,000.00 because bluenile.com is a publicly traded stock company, they list from 12k minimum to *!,000 so the average is $40k......Honestly you can spend as much as you want. The thing with diamonds they are worth whatever people want to spend. The public is tricked ( I sell them so I can say this) into spending a fortune. You see you will never get back what you paid. Elizabeth Taylors late husband bought a diamond for $1 million dollars, she tried to sell it 10 years after he died she only got $500k.

However, if you are simply looking for a nice real diamond and are flexible you can get a great white diamond, real, nice clean, that has been cleaned up by a laser...the same way you would make your skin look nice at a dermatologist or eye surgery a diamond from www.blowoutidamonds.com or our other site www.1800marrryme.com will save you tens of thousands.

If you do not have the $40,0000 average price.

What are your personal experiences with diabetes?

Sweets

How did you find out you were diabetic? Has it changed your lifestyle? If so, how?

Please don't post information from articles, or links to them. I want to know what it's like to be diabetic, beyond what I can read in an article.

Answer
Being age 41, I have been a type I diabetic for almost 24 years. After 19 years of multiple daily injections, I have spent the past five using an insulin pump. I was diagnosed in the summer between my junior and senior years in high school, at the age of 17. (Yeah, right on the cusp of adulthood!) I never did get sick at that time, but I did have the have the traditional symptoms of losing weight (30 pounds), thirsty, and "going" a lot. Although I was a bit stubborn, my parents were wisely concerned enough to make me go to the doctor for a diagnosis. My doctor immediately put me in the hospital, where I stayed for two weeks to fine tune my regimen and bring the glucose under control. (Insurance certainly won't allow that these days!) It was a bit of a drag, since I was hoping to graduate valedictorian or salutatorian and get a scholarship. The early days of being diabetic did affect my memory retention somewhat, but I did graduate high in my class and go off to college. Being diabetic, it was tough to work and go to school at the same time, but I got through it.

While I can hardly say my control has been exemplary, the first twenty years were fairly smooth on average. My stamina and lifestyle have no doubt been affected. Someone once said being diabetic is like being very slowly poisoned over your lifetime. At times, it does feel like that, understandably because of the glucose unnaturally floating around in your bloodstream and doing damage. I'd say the only major complication I've had is retinopathy in both eyes. Thirteen painful laser surgeries later, however, my eyes were back to normal, with minimal glasses necessary for nearsightedness. I have had some issues with peripheral neuropathy in the feet, but try to take care of that best I can. Physical activities I partake in like walking and hiking appear to help minimize it. (Unfortunately, I do have a sit down technical job.) And, of course, most diabetic guys will tell you that the condition does indeed affect your "libido" over time. There have been some hints of edema and kidney irregularities, but my doctor has done a good job of helping to keep those in check. Like most diabetics, I experience annoying side effects like dry skin and the occasional dental issue.

I have only experienced one "blackout" low glucose episode, about twenty years ago. There's only been a about a half dozen times over the past twenty years where I was seriously sick because of the diabetes. Other than that, I am rarely out from work sick. Most mornings I don't feel like going, but I know that starting a habit of staying home is a downward path of self-pity. Sometimes, I wish I didn't have to work full-time (and more), so I could commit more time to my diabetes care and have less stress, plus do the things I really want to do. However, I keep at it, so I can have a home, car, and retirement. Hopefully, we will see some real breakthroughs in diabetes treatments in the next 5-10 years which will make such difficulties avoidable. For now, I live my life as if this is something I will have to manage indefinitely. For quality of life for potentially the next 30-40 years, it's mandatory. Sometimes, it does feel as though I have missed out on some life experiences and choices over the years because of the condition, but overall I'd say my life is satisfying. I have good friends and stay active in my community. I occasionally remind myself that it's not necessarily terminal like cancer and I am fortunate to live in a time when I can actually do something effective to self-treat it.

Hope this helps you in your research.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Are the long-term effects of laser eye surgery known?

laser eye surgery 5 years later image

Q. I heard a few years ago that having laser eye surgery may eventually cause blindness later in life. Is this true?

Answer
No one knows the long term effect of these touted "wonder surgeries" done with lasers. If doctors were honest with you, they would tell you the same thing. The great benefits reaped from these procedures may quit working 5-10 years down the road with disasterous consequenses.

How much would a 2 karat, best quality diamond ring cost?

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Has anybody had the laser eye surgery done at LASIK Vision Institute in Rancho Cordova?

laser eye surgery 5 years later image

annitta

I went for a consultation a few weeks ago and the office seemed very clean and everyone was very nice and very thorough with the explanations and so i have an appt for Thursday and im very nervous, has anyone gone here before? i read somethings about scams and bad service but those were mostly in Florida and some other states but i couldn't find anyone who had it done i this specific location. or any info or experiences about this specific clinic? Please! i am scared now...

Answer
If you are scared, cancel the appointment until you can get more information. Although the Rancho Cordova Lasik Vision Institute does have a website, I could find no independent patient reviews. This is both good and bad. People who have had unpleasant experiences or bad surgical outcomes are more likely to post complaints than those that don't, but not finding any reviews does concern me. If you know the name of your Lasik Surgeon, you can try googling "his/her name MD and Rancho Cordova" and see the individual surgeon has any patient reviews.

Were your eyes examined by your Lasik surgeon and were you assured you that you are a good candidate for this procedure?
Has the Institute discussed all the risks and side effects that could result from this procedure?
Has the procedure and post surgical care been fully explained to you?

If any of the above were not covered during your consultation, I would be leary of going through with the surgery.

You cannot have this surgery until your vision has stabilized and it is safest if has been stabilized for two years. Vision usually stabilizes in your early to mid twenties. Having the surgery before total vision stabilization will result in your having undergo the surgery again at a later time.

Most people having Lasik surgery have satisfactory to excellent results, but the less than 5% that don't can suffer irreversible vision problems including severe vision loss. I hope you have thoroughly researched the Vision Corrective Laser Procedure that the clinic will preform on your eyes and checked out the Lasik surgeon.

how bad is my issue as a "glaucoma suspect"?

trin3unbre

So I've been going to multiple ophthalmologist and optometrist for the past few months. I'm a glaucoma suspect due to my optic nerve appearance and narrow angles. My recent consult was with an optometrist and he states that I'm a suspect OU from moderate cupping of ONH (0.7 / 0.6 ) and narrow angles (2x2 OU). I have outstanding vision but I thought I was a glaucoma suspect due to having high Intraocular pressure results stated by my regular ophthalmologist. My regular opthamalogist has been reading pressures from 21mmhg to 26mmhg the highest for the past 7 years (all he does is give me bad news). I believe his work is bogus. In January or February, I went to a different ophthalmologist and I got a reading of 15 and 17 mmhg but with the same problem; optic disc appearance. I went back to my regular doctor a week later and it seemed to me he wasn't taking me seriously. He gave me pressure readings of 24 each eye. However, I told him about my consult the week before, and he just laughed at me like I didn't know what I was talking about and boasted about how accurate his eye pressure reading device was although it looked cheap compared to the other tonopens I've seen in my opinion. This week, I went to an optometrist and got 3 diffferent readings ranging from 11mmhg to 18mmhg from the air puff machine. There was a 4th from a tonopen which gave me a reading of 14 left and 15 right.

I am not on any drops, had no laser eye surgery done and I have been getting my eyes checked every year for the past 7 years, still no nerve damage or changes to the appearence of my optic disc(no treatment what so ever) . My father is also a glaucoma suspect due to high intraocular pressure but not optic nerve appereance. His problem seems to be going away and now he has healthy eyes.

I've been eating healthy, consuming sodium at a bare minimum, limiting my time in front of a screen and drinking at most a gallon of water a day. I'm also 18 years old and sorry if the information above does not make sense to you as my doctor's hand writing is very hard to read.

Here are my questions...

1.) Is it possible for intraocular pressure to change within a week?

2.) I told some civilian doctors that I'm trying to join the military but the problem I have seems to make me unfit to join the Navy according to one doctor out all the MEPS doctors. I was told that it is better to get my problem fixed now and then try to enlist later. What do they mean get my problem fixed now? I thought we haven't developed technology sophisticated enough to cure glaucoma although I don't have it.

3.) I would prefer an eye doctor answer this one. Do I need treatment? I wasn't offered any.

4.) Could it be possible that the anatomy of my eyes was the same since birth? My recent consult believes so but does not feel safe to declare it and take me off the list of glaucoma suspects.

5.) What are some other tips to lower eye pressure?

6.) What is the worst that can happen to me with a given amount of time?

7.) I planned on trying out for the SEAL challenge program which involves alot of stress, pressure and physical training. Could this affect my eyes?

Thank you very much for your time.

Answer
You really should be having Goldman pressures taken. Air Puffs and Tonopens are screening devices. You should have a GDx and some visual fields. It is possible that your pressures vary this much. People with glaucoma tend to have more variation than the normal population. Has anyone done gonioscopy? This probably should be done. If it is determined that your narrow angles close off sometimes leading to spikes in pressure, you could have a peripheral iridotomy. If you just have narrow angle glaucoma, you would be considered "fixed" after having the PI.