My LASIK experience with LadarVision CustomCornea
Aug 17 '03 (Updated Jan 02 '06)
The Bottom Line As long as you make sure you're a good candidate, I recommend LASIK surgery (especially CustomCornea) to anyone.
NEW - FINAL UPDATE on Nov. 11th, 2003 (Very Bottom)
2nd Update on Sep. 9th, 2003 (scroll down for update)
1st UPDATE on Aug. 24th, 2003
Everything is chronological from earliest to latest.
Preface:
I am a 21 year old male who had LASIK surgery performed by Dr. Rajy M. Rouweyha at Nevada Eye & Ear. I am writing this testimonial/review of my own free will and choice, and have received no money for doing so. They had an advertisement in the local newspaper that they were offering free consultations. Sometimes companies that offer free consultations can sometimes end up being too good to be true. Not so with this doctor! I went there and they did a complete, thorough exam. They checked not only my current prescription, but they did other testing such as corneal thickness, they scanned my eye with the LADARwave CustomCornea Wavefront device to see how eligible I was for Custom Cornea treatment with the LadarVision 4000 excimer laser, and numerous other tests. All in all, I think they spent 30 to 40 minutes on me, and determined that I was an excellent candidate for the surgery. I also got to speak to the doctor himself, and ask him anything I wanted to!
Making my Decision:
After this, they took me into the room where the financial secretary was. I was thinking at this moment “The exam was sure nice, but here comes the pressure to get the surgery done.” To my surprise, the exact opposite happened. In fact, the first question she asked me, was if I had any questions, and then the second question she asked me, is "What would you like to do?". She never shoved financing pamphlets in my face, she never asked me, "So, when would you like your surgery?" or "So, how would you like to pay?". ZERO pressure whatsoever which I really appreciated. They also don't play any games when you ask for the price of the procedures. They were straightforward with their pricing. I did not get the run-around! I took time to think about it, and eventually scheduled my surgery. I will be honest, my surgery cost a total of $3900 (which includes a $700 I received because I had VSP eye insurance.)
Before the Procedure:
Aug. 14th, 2003
The day before surgery, they dilated my eyes, and ran some of the tests they had done at my previous visit, and told me to arrive for surgery 30 minutes early. The day of my surgery, they took me back in and gave me some Valium. It was a pill that slowly dissolved under the tongue. It did not taste good, but they gave me a bottle of water to wash the bad taste down. They then gave me anesthetic drops and dilated me. The doctor came in and used a special device to put 2 dots of special ink on each eyeball. I did not feel it. They put a surgical cap on my head, and a few minutes later took me into the laser room.
The procedure:
August 15th, 2003
I was laid down on the platform, and my head was positioned under the laser. I was then given the final anesthetic drops to completely numb both eyes. They taped back all my eyelashes so they would not be in the way, and placed the metal device (I guess it is called a speculum), which holds your eyelids open. The microkeratome was placed on my eye, the vacuum was activated (this suction is necessary to fix your eye in position for the cut), and in less than a minute, it made the flap. My vision completely blacked out while the flap was being created, but this is completely normal, and it happens to everyone at this time during the procedure. My vision came back again after the flap was made. I experienced slight discomfort, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle, and it was not excruciating pain. The noise that the microkeratome makes is freaky, but I did not let it get to me. The doctor laid the flap back, at which point my vision got even more blurry. The flashing red light was activated, and the computer locked onto my eye (this laser uses radar to track and adjust to your eye movement 4000 times per second.) The laser began firing, and even though I was staring at the red blinking light as instructed, I could tell that the laser was bluish-purple in color. The laser fired for about one and a half minutes for both eyes. I had no trouble at all staring at the red light. My eye was cleansed, the flap put back in place, and I closed my eyes for a few minutes. That’s it! There were no complications during the entire procedure, the microkeratome made the flap perfectly for both eyes, and the laser worked flawlessly. I experienced no extreme or unbearable pain during the entire procedure. I was in there for probably 20 minutes.
My father took me home after words, and I got plenty of rest. I will admit there was a slight burning sensation in my eyes that lasted about three hours, but it was not horrible, and the pain medication they prescribed helped it a lot. Anyone who has done their homework knows that a mild burning or scratchy sensation immediately after LASIK surgery is perfectly normal. All in all, there were no surprises whatsoever!
After:
August 16th, 2003
Today, (the day after my surgery), I went back this morning to the doctor, and he examined my cornea and said it was healing just fine, and they also tested my vision which is 20/15! They told me this was better than average for most patients to see this well the day after surgery. My vision now is slightly hazy, but I can see well enough to drive. In fact I drove to the bank, and went shopping at the mall. I can also see well enough to read anything I please. There are also halos around lights, especially at night, but if I wear sunglasses, driving should not be a problem at night. (The hazy look and the halos are to be expected the day after surgery and may last for a few days to a couple of weeks, but it should clear up nicely.)
Final Words:
Some last comments I would like to make:
I recommend the LadarVision 4000 excimer laser, and if you and your doctor feel you need it, the CustomCornea too. Why? Because it is the most technologically advanced laser. (Keep in mind, other lasers may be more beneficial for some people who would not qualify for treatment using this laser.) I know I did not go into detail about the laser or the CustomCornea, because if I did that, my review would have many more pages to it. There is a website you can visit http://www.customcornea.com to find out more about this technology. The website it VERY informative, and well put together. It also compares the features of its laser to the features of other lasers. If you spend a good half hour pouring over everything on this website, I think it would impress you, it sure impressed me. Also, make sure you find an excellent surgeon to perform your LASIK surgery. This website has neat feature to let you search for LASIK surgeons in your area that use their technology. There are lower cost clinics that lack thoroughness, technology, skill, and professionalism which I would avoid like the plague. My best advice is to find out ALL you can, and do your homework before getting the procedure done!
I will update this review in a few weeks to let everyone know if I am experiencing halos, bad night vision, and any other complications!
Email me with any questions about my experience at: fax@lasvegasnetwork.net
I don’t wanna get in trouble, so here’s the credit for the websites and equipment I mentioned above:
Alcon Laboratories Inc.
Update for Aug. 24th 2003: (1st update, scroll down for latest update)
Well, it's been a week. My eyes have had big reds spots (just outside the colored part of the eye) which is a normal side effect from the suction of the microkeratome. They are slowly fading away. I returned for my one week post-op appointment. The doctor said that my corneas were healing just fine, and the red spots on the whites of my eyes should be gone in another week. My medication was also reduced. I only have to use the lubricating drops 4 times a day instead of once every hour which is nice too! My eyes never feel dry, even when it comes time to put the lubricating drops in. (Keep in mind, I've never had dry eye problems, so if YOU have them and you get LASIK, you may be more dependent on the drops than I was, who knows?)
Halos: I still have halos, they have decreased to half the size they were right after the surgery, but it is still highly noticeable. I can drive at night a little more easily. Will the halos go away? After my one month post op appointment, I will AGAIN update this, so keep checking back.
Vision: Fluctuates daily, one morning I will wake up and say to myself, "Wow, everything looks a little sharper today", then the next morning, I will wake up and it's like "Woah! Not so sharp anymore!" (These fluctuations are very small, even on the not so sharp days, I can still read, drive, do my job, etc...nothing to freak out over). When my vision stabilizes, will it be sharp, or will it be blurry? How soon will it stabilize? I don't know yet, but when I update this again, I'll let ya'll know!!!
Medication: If your not interested, skip this, but for those interested in the medication I've been using, here's the details:
For a week after the surgery, I used the preservative free moisturizing drops once every hour, with the exception of the hour that you put in the other two drops listed below, had no problems with the moisturizing drops.
The antibiotic eye drops: These are used 4 times a day, had no problems. At my one week post op, the doc said I could discontinue these drops, so I no longer use them.
The steroid drops: These were also used 4 times a day. I will be honest, these drops STING VERY BAD, but only for about 30 seconds. Also, they make your vision a little hazy (everything had a white-milky haze), which goes a away after a few minutes. Then, after about an hour, it collects as this solid white stuff in the corner of your eye. (I washed my hands real good and lightly brushed it out with a my finger, or a clean Q-tip.) At my one week post op, the doc said I have to use these for one more week, but only TWO times a day. Although these drops cause all the things I mentioned above, it is perfectly normal, and I still have had no second thoughts about my decision to have LASIK.
2nd Update: Sept. 9th, 2003
This past week my reading vision has improved tremendously! I was not expecting to update this review so soon. I can now read a computer screen or my college text books with ease. So now my near AND distance vision is perfect. The redness is almost completely gone except for a very small part, and I am having zero problems with dry eye whatsoever. BUT, the halos at night still haven't improved (which is still normal for the time being). I will update this again in another few weeks!
FINAL UPDATE: November 11th, 2003
I just got back from a postop exam today. The doc says everything looks great, and that my eyes are completely healed. He said that everything should remain stable, and I am glad because my vision is crisp and crystal clear. It is still 20/15 too !!! The redness is completely gone, you can't even tell I had the surgery at all. Best of all, the halos are MUCH better now, and so my night vision for driving is great. Are the halos around lights worse off than before I had the surgery? Well, I can't really pop my old eyes back in and compare, but I would have to be honest and say that it is only slightly worse than before I had the surgery at all. But when I say slightly I mean it! The halos are not significant at all, and is not bad enough to risk my safety while driving or performing other activities at night. I just bought a new telescope, and I am enjoying using it WITHOUT glasses VERY much!!! Before the surgery, looking through the eyepiece on a telescope with glasses on was not very pleasing. It is now much more enjoyable for me !!! Well, I don't expect much to change from this point on, so unless something drastic happens, I will not be adding any further to this review. Please don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions with my experience though!
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Epinions.com ID:
kd7klq
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Location: Saint George, UT
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
from Las Vegas, 25yrs. old
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