I was in 3rd grade when my parents asked why I didn\u2019t do any class work in one of my classes resulting in a bad semester grade. I told them that I couldn\u2019t see the chalkboard and they realized that this class had assigned seating and I was at the back of the room. A vision exam showed that I was nearsighted only slightly about -1.75 \/ – 1.25 in my eyes. I convinced my parents to let me have contacts and then proceeded to wear them day and night for 45 days without changing them causing scaring and damage that forced me to be in glasses for a while. I did eventually return to contacts for some outdoors activities but since 3rd grade, I\u2019ve worn glasses every day of my life until today at age 37. My prescription and astigmatism did progressively get worse until around age 30 where my eyes settled on -2.75 in both eyes.<\/p>\n
It was at age 30 that an optometrist said this is the decade to get eye surgery and correct my vision. Things don\u2019t change much and it would be cheaper than my bi-annual cycle of prescription eyeglasses ($400), sunglasses ($600) and contact lenses ($250 annually) if you compound these costs over a decade. At the time, it was roughly $1500 per eye.<\/p>\n
Seven years later, laser vision correction is $1500-$3000 per eye with many different factors that I won\u2019t get into here but if you\u2019re reading this as someone considering a procedure, you should speak to as many ophthalmologist and vision correction centers as you can, taking advantage of their free consultations and talk to folks who perform Smile, LASIK and PRC. Ask a lot of questions and get quotes and their contracts to take home with you and read. The one I signed at LASIK Vision Institute (a chain of 170 centers nationwide) was 11 pages long and included a complete dissolution of any damages I could ever collect from them if I have any issues including blindness. If I go blind, they\u2019re not responsible. The techniques, equipment and certifications are FDA regulated but there is no overseeing body that ensures LASIK or other procedures are going to help consumers if something goes wrong. I received 5 quotes (3 in Charlotte and 2 in Canada) and I chose my shop based on a combination of cost and other factors.<\/p>\n
My procedure was done by someone who had completed 100,000 procedures with a 98% success rate of 20\/20 vision the first time. 30 years of experience, the most recent, newest technology available (Waveform with custom laser) and very transparent answers to my questions including why I should or shouldn\u2019t get the procedure in Canada (he started practicing in Canada in the 90s). Another reason I did the procedure was because I have thick enough corneas that I could do it a few times (corrections) without any issues. If you can only do this one time and have issues, You\u2019ll be back in glasses right after the procedure. I also asked about my risk assessment and with my prescription, age and many other eye-attributes, I was at the lowest risk for complications. Ask where you are on the risk spectrum. I also chose a place that did a bladeless treatment and they cut my corneal flap with a laser instead of a knife with a machine that measured my eye\u2019s motion 10,000 times a second to ensure a cut or correction don\u2019t go into the wrong spot.<\/p>\n
Why not go to Canada? There are a few reasons I\u2019ll share but the biggest one is that the CAD to USD while still being a very generous exchange rate has meant CAD pricing for LASIK and similar procedures is just X amount higher than USA virtually eliminating the savings. Doing it in Canada would have saved me $1000 total. That\u2019s before a flight, hotel and other costs. Also, corrections, any lifetime warranty and post-surgery complications would be impossible. If I had an issue 1 week later, I\u2019d be flying back to Montreal. There is one shop in Canada, LasikMD that advertises insanely low prices. Do your own research but I heard their machines are aging, they are not customer service oriented and offer zero post-procedure support to their customers. $500 LASIK sounds appealing but I just didn\u2019t want to risk it.<\/p>\n
Why not SMILE or PRK? I didn\u2019t really need to explore those options because my eyes were in a healthy shape and my prescription wasn\u2019t too strong. It is why you should get consultations from all of the providers, ideally 2 of each and make your own decision. Some people get PRK because they have to and don\u2019t mind suffering through the longer recovery phase. Smile seems to be a popular choice alternative to LASIK.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u2014-<\/p>\n
Cost: $4176 for 2 eyes and no tax was charged. So $2,088 per eye and this was a Waveform Custom Laser with a lifetime assurance plan that essentially allows me to get corrections if my vision changes by 1 full power (to -1 or higher) and there is a lot of fine print to this one. You must have history of annual optometrist visits for one and it won\u2019t cover my vision going the opposite way or the need for reading glasses. This was no-cost but redeeming it in the future doesn\u2019t sound easy although all 169 locations will honor it. It included 3 months of corrections if my vision worsens or I have issues. I\u2019ve booked a January optometrist visit to see how things are going and will revisit the LASIK clinic for a follow up the same month to make sure nothing else is needed before that correction phase falls off.<\/p>\n
You can finance for 0% over 12 months with Care Credit which is just a Synchrony credit card. I put the entire amount on my Amex and paid it off but I know that\u2019s not typical for many Americans. Most of these places have payment options that are 0% if your credit score is high enough. It\u2019s basically $350 a month over 12 months.<\/p>\n
I did get quotes and with insurance, they ranged from $5000-$6000 in Canada and $4000-$5500 in USA. I didn\u2019t pick the cheapest quote but it was 2nd cheapest.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u2014\u2014-<\/p>\n
The procedure went surprisingly well. I was prescribed an anti-anxiety drug (never had one of those before) and I took it after arriving for the surgery which did relax me like crazy and maybe some people need it but I certainly did not. I felt really out of it and too chill. I\u2019m already a very chill and relaxed person so this was just too much chill! I handed over my pre-signed papers, they gave me a bag of drops (steroid to be taken every hour for 1 week + lubricating drops to be taken 1-4 hours for the first month) along with night goggles to be worn for one week to keep me from rubbing eyes in my sleep and post-op instructions.<\/p>\n
The clinic was surprised I wanted my signed paperwork back. I don\u2019t sign anything without getting a copy and their copier wasn\u2019t working but they eventually figured it out. I then used the restroom and waited in a small area by myself. The doctor came out, called me in and I put on my hair cap and laid down on a table that moves between the two lasers. I was shown a piece of paper that had all of my info, prescription, procedure details and my risk assessment. Low risk for any issues, low risk for dryness, unlikely need for corrections and high risk for 20\/20 vision and really good for 20\/15. I signed it and laid down.<\/p>\n
The doctor had 2 technicians helping on each side of me. I was offered a squeeze ball which I rejected and then walked through the procedure.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d be rolled under one laser, one eye covered with tape and 13 seconds per eye, a laser would cut away at my corneal flap. While this was happening, the doctor would put pressure on my eye using a circle tool and use a tool to keep me from blinking. He counted down both eyes being de-cornead and told me I\u2019d go blind in each eye as the flap was pulled back. It did take 13 seconds per eye and I did go blind before tape was put over them. The most uncomfortable part was the circle tool thing pushing on my eye ball back into my skull. If you want to google it, it\u2019s called a docking ring. I was not a fan.<\/p>\n
I was then rolled under the other machine, one tape came off at a time and a 6 second laser was applied. You can smell the gases from the laser. It\u2019s not burning you or is it from you. It\u2019s smells from the machine. He once again counted down 6 seconds per eye as I kept looking straight ahead.<\/p>\n
Then using a paint brush, he closed each flap back in front of my cornea and maybe used some kind of adhesive then a microscope to make sure the flap was perfectly flush on all sides. I was then put into sunglasses and walked out.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u2014-<\/p>\n
My wife drove me home, I took another anti-anxiety pill at his request and then some NyQuil when I got home. I slept for 12 hours and fell asleep just as the itchiness and discomfort started which I was told was normal. The flap was already healing. When I woke up in the morning, we went to the LASIK center at 8AM. I was told my flap was 90% healed already and my vision was 20\/15.<\/p>\n
I wore sunglasses and drove 8 hours to Alabama while my wife slept (she was on newborn baby duty all night while I slept) and we stopped every hour to put drops in my eyes and just rest my eyes a bit.<\/p>\n
The first 7 nights, I had some night glare issues driving with headlights which was uncomfortable but that\u2019s gone away. Dryness is also gone after 8 days and taking my drops feels totally optional even though I\u2019m still doing it now every 2 hours as prescribed. I wear sunglasses when I\u2019m outside and I\u2019m also supposed to not get water in my eyes and no swimming for 1 month. My flap should be 100% healed now that it\u2019s been a week but I\u2019m continuing to be careful. When at the shooting range, riding motorcycles or mowing the lawn (any activities where something can get in my eyes), I\u2019m wearing eye protection that\u2019s full coverage. I\u2019m also not supposed to rub my eyes excessively this first month.<\/p>\n
Basically, as time goes on, water, particles, bright lights, dryness these issues will go away. 6 months is the break over point for being \u201cfully healed\u201d and not having any issues. The fact that night driving and dryness are gone after a week is a good sign. Normal for most but not for all. 20% of patients will suffer those symptoms for months.<\/p>\n
The only issue I\u2019m still actively having is blurry phone screen first thing in the morning. An eye drop helps but if I am looking at my phone close up when I first wake up, it\u2019s blurry..<\/p>\n
\u2014\u2014-<\/p>\n
$4100 and 1 week later and I have 20\/15 vision for the first time in my life and I can walk into any sunglasses store and just buy something that looks cool instead of checking to see if it comes in a prescription variant.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t regret waiting to get LASIK because any earlier would have been a financial burden and I would probably not have the bladeless technology we have today and I\u2019d be trusting the hands of a surgeon to not get a little bit shaky.<\/p>\n
Is it for everyone? I can\u2019t tell you but every consultation will be free so go see what it\u2019ll cost and think about it. My outcome is the best case one and I\u2019m very happy it all went well. Signing that sheet of paper that I may go blind was scary but honestly, isn\u2019t really something that happens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I was in 3rd grade when my parents asked why I didn\u2019t do any class work in one…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-12-01T13:06:35Z","apple_news_api_id":"2f6c3fd1-3752-4be1-80db-9c69fbcf48ec","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-12-01T13:06:35Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AL2w_0TdSS-GA25xp-89I7A","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_custom_appearance":"","csco_disable_excerpt_posts_layout":false,"csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12176","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-life","7":"cs-entry","8":"cs-video-wrap"},"apple_news_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb3IC4-3ao","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1696,"url":"https:\/\/adamchandler.me\/blog\/2011\/02\/07\/experiencing-eye-pain-light-sensitivity\/","url_meta":{"origin":12176,"position":0},"title":"\u2605 Experiencing Eye Pain & Light Sensitivity","author":"Adam Chandler","date":"February 7, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I trust this community, my readers more than Quora or Yahoo! 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