Lasik Surgery

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I am thinking of getting LASIK. But it will probably cost $5-6k. Yes expensive but I'm very unsure about just going to a cheaper place. Also with my prescription it costs more.

Anyway I'm debating whether to do it next year 2008 (and fund our flex spending) or 2009. Now one major issue, I've read and heard about is does your eye sight change significantly after pregnancy? If so is it worth waiting until you are done with kids to do this?

Second financially, I don't think I can afford it cash upfront in 2008, but probably 2009. But the Flex spending would take it out of DH's paychecks for the year correct? Equally as 0% loan? So if I budget it as a 12 month loan would that be okay? Should I look into the 0% financing offer?

Have people done it? How much did you pay?

[Ronin]

Instead of worrying about financial issues about Lasik cosmetic surgery, you should worry more about the potential negative (horrible) side-effects Lasik could have on your life, especially if you're having surgery with a high prescription. One of my close friends got Lasik and he is pretty much disabled by starbusts and halo's at the night time. He can't drive at night.... and he did not go to a cheap place. I think it's wise to put a lot of research into Lasik before rolling the dice.

[mud]

There is also Lasek and PRK which uses all lasers.

My cornea is to thin, I am looking into getting a permanent contact in my eye. I would of gotten Lasek for free

[cicy33]

I have bad vision. -6.5 in the right eye and -7.25 in the left eye. My eye doctor said that vision as bad as mine the results are not as good, also we discussed cataracts as I am almost 40 and he said that it is harder to fix cataracts in people that have had the correction. For me, I really want to do it for all the obvious reasons but I am not willing to lose my vision and that is a very real possibility. Go online and research it thoroughly. I have been debating it for a few years and have decided not to go that route. I really want to though!

[LivingAlmostLarge]

My sister had -10 and -9 and my brother -9 and -9 and they both got lasik. My sister about 10 years ago. She had to go in twice because they couldn't cut down that much at one time. Both have had good experiences.

I'm 28 and my visions not as bad only -7 and -6. But I've got a terrible astigmatism so it costs more. I've thought about the side effects, but unless you've lived with terrible vision, it feels the same.

If I lose a contact while driving, which I've done, I have to stop and wait for someone to get me. I can't see at all, the power isn't terrible by the astigmatism isn't the best.

[skydivingchic]

I can't answer the pregnancy/vision question, as I've never been pregnant nor will I ever be. I'd ask your eye doctor or potential Lasik surgeon about it. You do need a stable prescription before having Lasik, so if pregnancy has the potential to drastically affect your eye sight, its probably best to wait.

As for funding it, I used the flex spending account. The way the rules work, they have to make the full amount available to you as soon as deductions start. So if you say put $6000 into the account, the full $6000 is available on January 1 (or whenever the plan year starts). I had my surgery in mid-January, charged it to my CC, and had the reimbursement check in my hand by late January even though only a few $100 had been deducted from my paychecks. Yes, the deductions are divided evenly over the paychecks, so if you set aside $6000 and get paid twice montly, $250 (pre-tax) will be deducted from each check.

My biggest piece of advice - do your research. Both on the procedure and on the potential surgeon(s). You say that you have a severe astigmatism - Lasik can correct some astigmatism, but not a lot (at least not in comparison to the amount of nearsightedness or farsightedness it can correct). Most of the complications that occur with Lasik are in patients that are not good candidates to begin with, so it is extremely important to find a surgeon who will say "sorry, but you are just not a good candidate" if that is the case for you.

There are a ton of good websites including usaeyes.org which has a list of questions to ask your potential surgeon and answers you should expect to hear. One of the things that was most important to me was having a surgeon who was well-respected and whom receives the "problem" cases from other doctors. That speaks volumes to me about a surgeon's abilities.

I had my surgery done 4.5 years ago and it is one of the best things I've ever done for myself. The haloes I saw at night immediately after surgery were bigger than usual - not so bad that I couldn't drive, but noticable. They gradually shrunk back to normal over about 3 months. I drove myself to the follow up appointment the next day with my glasses and contacts on the seat beside me. I checked out a 20/15 and still am.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I notice a number of ophthamologists still wear glasses rather than get the corrective procedures. My own still wears glasses, but I never asked him why. Hmmm....

I never heard of preganancy affecting vision. I'm tempted to conjecture that if your vision were affected by pregnancy, you probably have a serious problem (like eclampsia?) that needs intervention anyway. Maybe if you had uncontrolled gestational diabetes? Even in that case, I doubt if vision would be affected.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I've been to see multiple people doctors. I had one set in CA before we moved, I was just waiting until my eyesight stabilized. Now I've been to see a few different people and I think I'm a good candidate. Just a little nervous about the pregnancy issues.

[MonkeyMama]

Actually, vision changes in pregnancy is very common. With normal pregnancy (all the hormones and such). I mean it affects like every part of your body - nothing works like it usually does when you are pregnant.

That being said, it is usually temporary and returns to normal after. So I wouldn't wait.

I haven't seen the point of Lasik but my vision is rather good. I don't really mind my glasses anyway so I don't really see the point. Being that "blind" I would most certainly go for it though. Everyone I know who got the procedure LOVES it and I hae a lot of doctor clients who perform the prcedure (have been for a long while). I guess it is pretty common around here. Everyone always asks me why I still wear glasses...

I would consider getting it done down the road when technology improves. But I can't justify the risks for now. & it kind of grosses me out. I had a relative who they did not give her enough drugs and she was a little freaked out about the whole thing. She has sufficiently freaked me out though ideally you should be too drugged to care they slicing your eye up. But as I don't expect my eye sight to improve with age I figure it is something I will consider in a decade or 2.

Good Luck.

[PrincessPerky]

Eyes can change in pregnancy...shape at least, my contacts wouldn't work from one kid to the next, but in general I wear glasses anyway. (and I wouldn't know if the script for that needed changed...I can't tell until they get me new ones how bad the old were!)

I think you should ask a DR about the effects on the surgery, before and after pregnancy, and all that. Never hurts to ask.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Surprisingly this doctor I was wondering charges $85 for just a consultation. Usually it's free. I wonder if I should still do it?

[skydivingchic]

Whether or not I would pay for a consultation would depend on a few things. Have you done your research on this particular surgeon? Have you researched other surgeons in your area? When researching my surgeon I typed "Dr. XXX malpractice" into google. See what turns up. Does this particular surgeon meet whatever criteria are most important to you in a doctor? Is the $85 a flat fee or does it get applied to the surgery should you decide to have it? What if it turns out you are not a good candidate - do they refund the $85? Have you asked people you know who've had the surgery who their doctor was?

If you've put time into researching this particular surgeon and the others in the area and you've come to the conclusion that this is who you would want to perform the surgery, then yes, I would be willing to pay the fee. JMHO, though.

[DebbieL]

Good luck. I know about 4 people who've had it and all were THRILLED beyond belief. I would seriously consider it. My vision is about -4.25 in both eyes. If you've got a good doctor that is key. I'm glad you are researching it carefully, and I'm sure you'll do great.

[mom-from-missouri]

In looking at our insurance coverage (Coventry). they do not "cover" for lasik, BUT, they do have special pricing arranged for their insured. If we have it and go to one of the doctors on their list, we don't pay more than $1400 per eye. Then there are a bunch of limitations and such...

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I'm debating it because I would like it done this coming year, but I'm hesistating.

[disneysteve]

My belief as a physican is that you should never have any surgery that isn't medically necessary. This includes Lasik, cosmetic surgery, etc. I think all operations have risk and unless there is some significant medical benefit, it isn't worth the risk. I've got glasses. My wife and daughter both wear glasses. My ophthalmologist wears glasses. Both eye doctors that I routinely send my patients to wear glasses.

[terri77]

I had it done and it was the best thing that I ever did. I'm not endorsing it, just saying that it was a positive experience for me. I had to go in the next day because I displaced my flap, that was one minor complication that was easily fixed. My night vision was bad initially, but after a few weeks it was okay. I also took the eye drops to shrink my pupil and help my astigmatism. They say that my vision is better than 20/20 now. I don't miss all the problems I had with contacts and I very much disliked wearing glasses. It's nice not to have to rely on either to see.

[thekingofmygirl]

Hi i found this information at wwwDOTmy2020DOTcom and i hope it helps you even in a little way "At some centers, a lower price for LASIK comes at the expense of patient care or surgical experience. In other words, you get what you pay for. According to a Market Scope study (March, 2003), surgeons who claim to charge less than $1000 per eye account for less than 3% of all LASIK procedures nationwide. Your procedure will change your vision for the rest of your life, so price shouldn’t be your major determining factor when choosing a surgeon. The least expensive surgeon is not always the best choice – you want to find a surgeon who provides you with the best overall value. Ideally, you want a surgeon who not only has the finest technology, but also a wealth of experience, a dedicated staff, all at a great price." Ohh just try to check their site because they have this limited offer going on right now. Too bad i can put a link here but just try to type that one.

[Snowgirl]

I got it 4 years ago, I was around -6/7 on both eyes, plus a bit of astigmatism. It changed my life! Getting up at night and walking around without glasses, going to the beach and being able to find my boyfriend even if the umbrella is down, ...

However I thought about it for a long time, and when I had the money, I still thought about it for a year weighting risks/benefits. I didn't go for the cheapest place (no price shopping on that!), but for the place with many solid recommendations: many friends, a lawyer working in malpractice suit told me it was the best, many professional athletes went there as well, and my own surgeon was operated by his coworker. Really go for a well qualified surgeon, is my advice, you only have one pair!

At the time, I went for the latest technology (Wavefront LASIK), and paid a whopping 3500$ for both eyes. The results were great, even if I was borderline because my corneas are thin, and I am now at 20/25. I have halos at night, but nothing worse than with glasses, and have trouble with some fluorescent lighting. So even if it is not perfection, I'm very happy.

As far as pregnancy, I can't say since I haven't have kids yet, but I didn't want to wait after that, since it could be far away. The most important is not to go when you're pregnant or soon after delivery.

[jasanderson]

I have always had extremely bad vision and pregnancy actually helped mine ---- inititally. AFter two kids it actually got a little worse. I would definately wait until you are done having kids.

My uncle first had it done when they used the scalpels instead of razors and 10+ years later he loves it. His eyes were -6 ish. My brother was -3 and had it done as well for his job and he has had no problems.

I am -7.25 and -7.5 and have been told it's more risky. My doctor recommended waiting as well for more advancements to be made. 10 years ago i was told i could never have it done - now i'm told i can but with caution. Personally I can't afford it with 2 small kids it's a luxury wish list item but I would go for it. Wouldn't it be nice to wake up in the morning and be able to see your alarm clock or not stub your toe on the way to the bathroom because you can't find your glasses? I have had to get my kids to find my glasses for me when they fall off the dresser because i can't see them.

Keep in mind that as you get older you will still need glasses for bi-focals. That can't be corrected.