Lasik part 2 Custom or traditional??

[Milner]

No, she was super hot though. Name was Sid which I assume is short for Sidney?

no matter

TLC and Wapner had the exact opposite things to say, which was frustrating. Last night I was ready to go with TLC, and I'm still leaning tha way, but I think I'll do a little more research online first. I'm not going to the eye institute. I have enough info already damnit.

First I am disapointed in you....go ask her already!!

I guess I have just had good experiences with Wapner, so I like him. But I am with you on TLC....

I can see plus/minus for a "lasik only" doc vs an overall eye doc.
When I was real close to doing it, there was a bunch of info that suggest the brand of laser was not as important as the way it was maintained was. Many things could effect it's calibration. Down to humidity and temp in the room....
IIRC Wapner use a surgery center (ie rents the laser and room) where the others have their own equipment.

 

[Cody]

Ya, Wapner uses the Surgeons Laser Center, so who knows how involved he is in the upkeep. There is deffinately a little mouse in my head that likes that fact that TLC only does Lasik. Hoopes and Wapner do other stuff, which is good, but to some degree I like to think that the places that only do Lasik have a higher commitment to making sure they have the best people in place for that specific surgery.

I'm not sure if you remeber Josh Ayres' (hardcore) friend Paul? His ex-girlfriend Chelsea works there.

 

[Cody]

Ok, I'm scheduled for surgery the 18th of April at TLC.

I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Milner]

Just talked to the Moran Eye Center at the U. Thanks to Angie's bennefits we get a considerable discount!!!! I have a screen in a month....Soonest they had. It is a 3 hour screening with the doc! Dilation and all. Sounds pretty in depth....They want me out of contacts for at least a week before the screening! They do both custom and standard and will not make a recommendation until after the screening. Could be as cheep as $1100 for both eyes if I go standard....

 

[Cody]

check out this site...has good objective info about the lasers and such. It is what helped me sort through all the propoganda and marketing to make my final decision.

http://www.usaeyes.org/ask-lasik-expert/index.php

The laser at TLC is the Visx, which is supposed to be about the best along with the Allegretto stuff. From what I've read, wavefront custom is the best way to go but the Dr. is the best to make that recomendation. I know a couple people that had the Moran eye center do their surgery and they've been happy.

for the consultation, they'll make you stare at a bunch of flashing "twilight zone" lights to check cornea thickness, then do a full eye exam. Probably stick some funny string in your eye to test wetness etc. It's not too big of a deal...i've been through plenty by now

I'm still grinding over going with PRK to avoid any flap complications and to reduce the possiblity of dry eyes, but I just don't like the recovery time.

 

[Rickomatic]

Thanks for the information Cody. Your willingness to share what you have found has helped me get past some nervousness. I have started looking around as well. I had an appointment with Lasik Vision Institute down on Winchester and will go to the Utah Eye Center next.

 

[Brett]

Ok, I'm scheduled for surgery the 18th of April at TLC.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Oh, my birthday......bad idea.

 

[I Lean]

Oh, my birthday......bad idea.

Right. That date didn't work out so well for you, so it's tainted now.

 

[Cody]

Rick, no problem. I recomend at least checking out TLC. Dr. Barnes up there continues to impress me with his patience and willingness to explain things to me.

I did my final pre-op scans yesterday, and everything is a go for the 18th....

 

[Hickey]

I remember glasses. Okay, I'm not telling the truth. I forgot about them 4 days after my surgery.

 

[Brett]

Right. That date didn't work out so well for you, so it's tainted now.

Exactly, not a good idea to have anything done on that day. Unless it's for me. And I'd like my eye's done. Birthday gift anyone?

Good luck with that dude, I'm jealous.

 

[Milner]

Back from the dead again....

I had my screening yesterday. All went well.
PRK is eliminated due to my scaring and keloid formation. In addition, PRK requires steriod treatment and due to the amounts I have already had in my life, the Dr. would prefer not to give me any more.

They pretty much left the custom/traditional up to me. I actually saw 2 Docs and the nurse (along with numerous techs). Basically they all lead me to traditional, but left the choice to me. We went over my scans and test point by point and I am extremely average/ideal. On every point I asked what would make them suggest custom over tradition. All my test results were well within the parameters that indicate no need for custom. In the end I pinned the Doc down and asked if I was his friend and not a patient, what would he recommend. He said traditional. He told me the only difference in the surgery is with custom, the scans are loaded into the laser and its programing determines what to cut. In traditional, he reads the scans and charts and his experience/knowledge tells the laser what to do....

Now to find the $$

 

[Cody]

nice!

 

[Milner]

Thursday is the day!
Doc said traditional is the way to go for me....
He himself, another Doc (fellow) and a op-tech all spent about 20 minutes each doing the "which is better, 1 or 2" crap with me. Come to find out, they were trying to verify and/or trick me. But it did not work. I see better with the manually set perscription then I do with the WaveFront perscription scan. Doc said therefore, he can get my sight better with "traditional" them with custom!

 

[Cody]

Nice. I'm seeing 20/15 combined right now even with my right eye being slightly far sighted and about 20/30. I can't even imagine it can/will improve from here as my right eye gets better.

 

[Milner]

They are able to correct me to 20/15 in both with the lens, so there is a very good chance that both will be 20/15 or better with the lasik.... I'd be happy at 20/30-20/20 but doc thinks with both eyes I will likely be able to see 20/12.50 by a month post op.
:tara:

 

[Cody]

Nice. Pre-op my best correctable was only 20/20, so I'm pretty stoked that I'm seeing even better.

 

[phatfoto]

It is life changing. I don't regret doing it 6 years ago.

I did heal with an astigmatism though. Haven't deicded if I wan tot go and fix it yet. Maybe a couple years from now.

And remember, eye drops are your friend.

Oh yeah, keep an old pair to wow and amaze the non-believers!

 

[Milner]

DONE!
Went very well. Went out to dinner 3 hours later.
At post op this morning I was easily reading 20/20 with each eye, and 20/15 combined. With the recovery I should get sharp 20/15 in each eye:tara::tara:

 

[Cody]

nice! congrats.

The best is going out into the desert and not having to deal with sand in your eyes all the time.

I still go to take my contacts out every night before bed. I suppose 15 year habbits don't just go away.