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Lasik vision correction

Just do what I did: hope you get cataracts when you're middle-aged, have one eye corrected for distance and one for near, and you won't need any other kind of eye correction! Plus, it's viewed as medically necessary and not cosmetic, so insurance pays for it. After four years, I had to break down and buy some prescription glasses to help with night driving, but haven't hardly worn them. A bit disquieting, though, to be in the ophthalmologist's waiting room with oxygen tanks all around o_O
 
spierceisu said:
I understand it that I don't necessarily want to go on the cheap. Since I heard so many good things about LasikPlus, I thought it was good to look into.
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Research it. I'm not slamming Wolfe, but those saying they want someone who is experienced so they go there are kinda confused. I researched them and they say all their facilities have done 40 some thousand surgeries. My one doctor had performed 60,000 himself. So they are basically paying more for less experienced people. More expensive doesn't always mean better.
 
Got mine done at Wolfe last year, very happy with results. Only minor complaint is I've had dry eye issues, but even that has gotten a LOT better in the last few months.
If you want to save some money get a Farm Bureau membership, they give a 15% discount if you're a member.
 
BCClone said:
Research it. I'm not slamming Wolfe, but those saying they want someone who is experienced so they go there are kinda confused. I researched them and they say all their facilities have done 40 some thousand surgeries. My one doctor had performed 60,000 himself. So they are basically paying more for less experienced people. More expensive doesn't always mean better.
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60k seems like a ton for one doctor. With lasik getting FDA approval in the mid 90s, you would have needed to have done around 10 surgeries per business day if you started right after the approval.
 
I've always wanted to get LASIK, but just haven't gotten serious about it yet. I'd be curious to hear from people who have had it done - what were the side effects like? I've read about people seeing halos and having difficulties driving at night, dry eyes (saw one person mention that here), etc.

I think what's holding me back is just the fact that it's my vision and not something to mess around with. Obviously wearing contacts has drawbacks, but they're more logistical than anything. I think I might rather deal with those logistics (which I'm very used to dealing with) than have some sort of longer-term side effect to my actual vision, however minor it might be.

I know I'll eventually do it, there's just a mental hurdle I think I need to clear first. It seems like the overwhelming majority of people had a decisively positive outcome.
 
Cyclones01 said:
I've always wanted to get LASIK, but just haven't gotten serious about it yet. I'd be curious to hear from people who have had it done - what were the side effects like? I've read about people seeing halos and having difficulties driving at night, dry eyes (saw one person mention that here), etc.

I think what's holding me back is just the fact that it's my vision and not something to mess around with. Obviously wearing contacts has drawbacks, but they're more logistical than anything. I think I might rather deal with those logistics (which I'm very used to dealing with) than have some sort of longer-term side effect to my actual vision, however minor it might be.

I know I'll eventually do it, there's just a mental hurdle I think I need to clear first. It seems like the overwhelming majority of people had a decisively positive outcome.
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I see halos around lights at night until they get closer....they said it might stay like that after I got lasik done and it has
 
aeroclone said:
60k seems like a ton for one doctor. With lasik getting FDA approval in the mid 90s, you would have needed to have done around 10 surgeries per business day if you started right after the approval.
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Just figure they can do one person in 15 minutes. That is 8 eyes an hour. If they worked 6 hours on one day that is 48. Lets say they squeeze another in to make it 50 for easy math. In 50 weeks that is 2500 a year for the hire out. They probably did at least a day at their own business so now you have 5000 a year. Like I said, mine did surgeries at his office in Wisconsin, and also did weekends in the twin cities and Phoenix.


There were times that there were surgeries done on Friday and Sunday also. If I remember right, mine took less than 10 minutes for everything so he could possibly do more per hour and he worked longer than 6 hours.

Remember, in the earlier days, most clinics (like the north iowa eye center in Mason City) would either field you out or rent laser time from another person. So the majority of the people would go to the specialist. These businesses would buy the laser and then contract with a specialist to perform the surgeries. Let's say they pay him 10k to work that day. If they have 50 openings but only get 20, they still pay him the same. So putting 20 more in at reduced rates helps pay the costs.

Some of the equipment that they used to check my eyes and vision, the local doctor that my kids go to (he has 3 offices) still doesn't have that advanced of equipment. So they were a technology advanced service.
 
Cyclones01 said:
I've always wanted to get LASIK, but just haven't gotten serious about it yet. I'd be curious to hear from people who have had it done - what were the side effects like? I've read about people seeing halos and having difficulties driving at night, dry eyes (saw one person mention that here), etc.

I think what's holding me back is just the fact that it's my vision and not something to mess around with. Obviously wearing contacts has drawbacks, but they're more logistical than anything. I think I might rather deal with those logistics (which I'm very used to dealing with) than have some sort of longer-term side effect to my actual vision, however minor it might be.

I know I'll eventually do it, there's just a mental hurdle I think I need to clear first. It seems like the overwhelming majority of people had a decisively positive outcome.
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I started wearing glasses when I was 8 years old.

I had mine done in March 2012 and I was 53 at the time.

I wore glasses or contacts for every waking moment. My glasses were the first thing I reached for in the morning. When I got to the point that I was wearing contacts and also having to use cheaters I decided I might as well get the Lasik to eliminate the contacts/glasses as that was 100% of the time and using cheaters as well was 5% of the time.

Initially they talked me into the monovision which I hated and had reversed in July of 2012. I used to carry eye drops with me and use occasionally. The only time I really felt dry eye was after riding the motorcycle. Now that doesn't even bother me.

My eyes are not corrected to 20/20 more like 20/25 in one eye and 20/35 in the other. That allows me to read and use the computer screen better.

I have a pair of bifocals I keep in the car. I started wearing them at night because of halos from the oncoming lights from cars but wear them all the time strictly because I can see so sharply with them. I can drive perfectly fine without them though.

Everybody's experience is different.

At Lasik Plus they have a camera right on the equipment so you can watch the entire procedure be done on another person. I watched the person ahead of me get done so when I went in I knew exactly what was going on at the time. I preferred that but some people say they don't want to know or see.
 
Word of caution, everyone will lose close vision around mid 40’s. Most people will get cataracts in 70-80’s. If you are young and outdoor active it’s a great procedure, if you are closer to 40 you will be trading glasses for far away for reading glasses soon. If you are -1 to -2.50, it’s actually a nice Rx to have from age 45 on. It really comes down to your age, if you can afford it , and what activities you do.
 
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spierceisu said:
I understand it that I don't necessarily want to go on the cheap. Since I heard so many good things about LasikPlus, I thought it was good to look into.
Click to expand...

I've had a lot of co-workers do LasikPlus and say good things about the cost, efficiency, and quick recovery. Consultation appointment, then a few Fridays later do the Lasik, then back to normal by Saturday or at least Monday.

So I am considering that or as with other posters, being worried about the "only one set of eyes" and wondering what exactly might be difference between it and Wolfe...
  • just overhead?
  • or truly quality?
  • or they know they can charge a premium (because they know people can afford it) if they can convince it is worth due to a perception of increased quality simply due to the increased cost (and nicer lobby, nicer chairs etc)?
 
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ESciGuy said:
Just do what I did: hope you get cataracts when you're middle-aged, have one eye corrected for distance and one for near, and you won't need any other kind of eye correction! Plus, it's viewed as medically necessary and not cosmetic, so insurance pays for it. After four years, I had to break down and buy some prescription glasses to help with night driving, but haven't hardly worn them. A bit disquieting, though, to be in the ophthalmologist's waiting room with oxygen tanks all around o_O
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Sad to say that I’m looking forward to getting cataracts so they can replace my lenses with something that might improve my uncorrected vision. I’m probably a few decades away, though.
 
I had a consult with Lasik Plus and they told me that it would be $3,500 for both eyes. I am a little bummed because I thought that they would be cheaper than that. Right now, it isn't in my budget. I guess I will have to save up a bit first.
 
k123 said:
I've had a lot of co-workers do LasikPlus and say good things about the cost, efficiency, and quick recovery. Consultation appointment, then a few Fridays later do the Lasik, then back to normal by Saturday or at least Monday.

So I am considering that or as with other posters, being worried about the "only one set of eyes" and wondering what exactly might be difference between it and Wolfe...
  • just overhead?
  • or truly quality?
  • or they know they can charge a premium (because they know people can afford it) if they can convince it is worth due to a perception of increased quality simply due to the increased cost (and nicer lobby, nicer chairs etc)?
Click to expand...


Probably the same reason eye doctors charge more for glasses than other places. It's not their main business and they can try to sell you before you can compare.
 
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I had my consult at Kugler Vision in Omaha...they have two doctors that perform the various corrective procedures...over 50,000 each. Here are the procedures and approximate costs...

LASIK (Includes the newer ASA and SMILE): $4,500 for both, includes 2 years follow-up and any additional corrective procedures. Since I'm over 50, they said they could do the monovision for near and far. However, it doesn't prevent cataracts, which they said would become necessary by my late 60's, early 70's.

RLE (Lens Exchange): $12,000 for both, includes 2 years follow-up and any corrective procedures. This is for multi-focal lenses that correct both near and far vision. It also eliminates cataracts. It does cost less if you go with a single vision lens...you could do monovision or simply correct far vision and wear readers if you prefer.

As a side note, for cataracts, vision insurance will only pay for basic lenses...so you have to agree to monovision or single vision and it has to be a lens approved by the insurance company. You have to pay the difference if you want multi-focal lenses...to the tune of $4,000.

Of course, I can choose to do nothing and continue to use contacts and eyeglasses. But, if you do a cost analysis over 20 years, assuming you get contacts and glasses each year, I spend about $400 per year for contacts, solutions, and a new pair of glasses averaged over two years. This comes out to about $8,000 for 20 years, and there may be a cataracts replacement added in. So maybe the RLE isn't too much given you get complete freedom over contacts and glasses...

Still thinking about it...RLE is a huge investment...even 24 months interest free is $500 per month. LASIK is an easy choice if you are still in your 20's or 30's.
 
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I had a consultation at LasikPlus in West Des Moines a few weeks ago. Currently am scheduled to have lasik performed in a few weeks. I've done a lot of research and have found nothing but positive things about Dr. Richard Maw.

Anyone have any experiences with him?
 
jdcyclone19 said:
I had a consultation at LasikPlus in West Des Moines a few weeks ago. Currently am scheduled to have lasik performed in a few weeks. I've done a lot of research and have found nothing but positive things about Dr. Richard Maw.

Anyone have any experiences with him?
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He did mine last month. $3100 and took 10 minutes. Best investment I've ever made.
 
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jdcyclone19 said:
How long were you at the facility and how was your recovery? Im scheduled for 12:30 and I’m supposed to go to a wedding reception that night at 7.
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I wasn't there for more than an hour. Probably more like 45 minutes total. Once the numb drops wore off my eyes felt like they had sand in them and were on fire till the next morning. They will give you a couple valium before hand that will help you take a nap when you get home. There is no way I could have made it to a wedding that night. Plus your vision is going to be pretty foggy. It will take several days for the fog to go away completely and your eyes to feel normal. Well worth it though. You won't regret it.
Oh and don't be freaked out if one eyes get's better faster than the other. It seemed like my left eye was kind of foggy for like 3 days longer than my right. Apparently that's pretty common.
 
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