Lasik surgery

[Kingfisher]

My wife is considering having Lasik surgery. I have noticed several FM'ers have had successful surgeries. Would like to know who some of the top Lasik surgeons are around the state.

[RoadRunner]

I had the procedure done by Dr. Womack at Valley Vision in Fargo this past March and I am extremely satisfied with the results. I now have 20/20 in 1 eye and 20/15 (better than 20/20) in the other. It was worth every penny. My wife's surgery is scheduled for mid-late January.

[Dano2]

My wife is interested and has been for quite awhile but abit scared, she thinks theres a chance of going completely blind.

her eye docter said she is a perfect candidate.

the years are flying by pretty fast, shes, getting towrds 40 and I've heard it may not work as well on older people,(not sure how old their talking about).

Do you guys know if these people setup a payment plan, or is it still a pay all up front deal. I'm sick of buying her new glasses and contacts, heh. Do they say about how long it lasts?

thanks

[Bryce]

MN Eye Institute. These are the the guys that develope the equipment that almost everyone else uses. Pretty good company to keep when you're risking your eyes I would say. They wouldn't do my wife's due to thin spots somewhere in her eye. They were pretty confident that other outfits would perform the procedure without informing her. I believe I'm going on 5 years with no problems. They weren't cheap. About $3500. Wouldn't hesitate to spend it again if my eyesight worsened for some reason and they said it could be restored.

[DrKen]

I used Mn eye consultants about 4-5 years ago. Very happy with the results. They are very good and are conservative on who they do the surgery on. Good Luck, she'll enjoy the results. BTW, I was over 40 when I had mine done. By older, the mean 65 plus depending on eye health.

[Hibbing]

Had my eyes done 3 years ago by Dr. Berglund at Northern Refractive in Virginia, MN . Best "investment" I have ever made. I was approx 20/400. 3 years later, I am still 20/20 in both eyes. No more fogged glasses, I can fuish in the rain etc.

[BradB]

I had mine done at Minnesota Eye Consultants in Maplewood last month, just prior to the last week of firearms deer season. It was $3300 and I can now see 20/20 without glasses. I was deer hunting up a climbing stand the day after surgery, though I don't really recommend that in retrospect. I wore sunglasses to keep grit out of my eyes, and if you ever walk out of the woods in the dark with sunglasses on you'll find it to be a difficult proposition. I only wore the sunglasses post-surgery for a couple days, and don't wear them now.

[Fish Toys]

Phil

You can check with Sonnie B wife Alice had it done and also her brother. My sister had it done also but don't know who or where. I think Womack would be a good one to check with? Either in Bemidji or Fargo? Keep us informed.

[cliffy]

I had my eyes done last Feb. with Dr. Womack at Valley Vision in Fargo,ND. I had a couple of problems with my left eye that needed to have the "flap" streched and pulled five times before it finally stayed in place. All is well now...20/20 in both eyes. I would recommend Dr. Womack to anyone. My two cents.

[lawdog]

Dr. David Whiting did mine at Lasik-Plus in Maple Grove. He is a good guy and he did a great job. I have had NO problems whatsoever. I think I paid like $2500 and that came with lifetime check ups and corrections. They have cheap packages, but I went with the better laser and the top program because I figured my eyes are worth it...

I too would say it was some of the best money I've ever spent. For an outdoors person with lots of recreational interests, its the best...

[doser]

I had mine done last year. Absolutely love it. I would recomend "Mn. Eye Consultants". I may be bias to them because my wife works there and it only cost me $900 for both eyes. Nice family benifits. They are considered the top in "The World". I had Dr. Harden do my eyes. Their lead surgen help invent it and has part of the patent on the surgery . I believe his name is Dr.Linstrom I'm not just saying this because my wife works there, but they are the best in the business. You should hear the names of local celebrities that go there.They are a bit more expensive than most places, but they are considered the best and we are talking about your eyes. I just called my wife and asked her who she considered as the best surgen there and she said they are all excellent and couldn't say one is better than the other. Tell your wife to go for it !

[iffwalleyes]

God I want to do it so bad. But I just have this fear that something is going to mess up and leave me worst off. How many of you that have had it done need to wear reading glasses? I have heard that there are people that need to do this. If that is the case I would just assume leave my eyes corrected with contacts. Those of you that went to Valley Vision in Fargo what was the $$.

[REA]

I now need reading glasses, especially later in the day. I don't know how old you are iff, I'm 47 and the doc said that odds are I'd need them soon anyway. Have it done!! Glasses fogging, in the rain, pushed around by hats....yuk! Plus you see much better without glasses, I don't know why, but you do.

Oh.....its a very safe procedure!

[Dano2]

Anyone have a number for this Mn eye Con.?

Wanted to check to see if they have a payment plan.

thanks

[doser]

Yes they do have a payment plan? 1-952-888-5800

They told me most people need reading classes between the ages of 45-60 anyway. I remember before they gave me the surgery they asked me numerous times if I was ready to go through with it. Very professional.They didn't force a thing. If your real nervous before,which I kinda was they can give you a setative to help you relax. I wish I had more of those pills. Not a worry in the world after that.

[cliffy]

ifwalleyes:

It depends on your vision and how much correction needs to be done...and they have a couple of different methods or tools that can use to shape the eye BUT if my memory serves me correctly, it ran about 900.00 to 1300.00 per eye. My surgery was about 2,200.00 total. Although I had some problems with my left eye, no fault of theirs, everything worked out fine and I love living without my glasses or contacts. Well worth looking into.

[RoadRunner]

iffwalleyes,

I went to Valley Vision in Fargo. It was somewhere between $2000-2200, including the pre-op and post-op checkups with my regular Optometrist in Grand Forks. (You need to do a 1-day, 1-week, 1-month, 3-month, and possibly 6-month checkup to make sure everything is progressing correctly).

Like Cliffy said, there are options that will cost more than the above (cutting corneal flap with a laser instead of a razor blade, etc). They offer the additional services but do not push them on you at all. Once you are "on the table" the actual procedure only takes about 10 minutes(5-7 min per eye). It is very quick and completely painless. I left EGF for Fargo at 8:30 am and was back home in EGF by 1:00 !

As far as the reading glasses go, that is just a result of normal aging, and I figure it beats the heck out of bifocals.

Like the commercial says...

Lasik surgery - $2000

new sunglasses - $100

No fogged/scratched glasses - PRICELESS!!!

[Hibbing]

Just a little info. If yo have Blue Cross/Blue Shield, check with them. They have deals with some Lasik surgeons to provide the service at a reduced price to BCBS members. Northern Refractive did mine for $1500 for both eyes. Going rate was over $2000!

[Kingfisher]

Thanks everyone for your very helpful input.

[IFallsRon]

All you guys report back in 10 years and tell me about the scar tissue problems you're having.

[Kingfisher]

IFallsRon, Is this something you have experienced or heard of someone who has? I would appreciate hearing about it.

[Northlander]

I know a couple ladys at work who went to Canada about 7 years ago and had this done. They both have had great luck with it. One lady took a stick to the eye about 3 months after it. She went back and after her eye healed up they checked her out and she was fine.

I want to have this done as well but like Ron I have questions about long term effects. Anyone have it done like 10 plus years ago. I know not many in the U.S. have.

[logon648]

My wife had this done about 5 years ago in canada. She had glasses as thick as coke bottles. Worked out great for her, has 20/20 and no problems yet. she would do it again in a heart beat if ever needed

[McGurk]

My good buddy is an optometrist up in Brainerd now, was in Wadena and the St Cloud area for about 2 years. He went to do his last 6 years at Berkeley, CA and said that no one was doing it out there, and that the Dr's weren't sold on the idea yet due to no long term testing. He was suprised to come back to MN and see the number of people both offering it and getting it being as new as it is. He's still not 100% on the proceedure yet, but knows about it. Hey, anyone is his position that prefers glasses to contacts and lasik makes me stick with the ol' spectacles myself. $.02 McGurk

[RoadRunner]

For what it's worth, my Optometrist had the surgery.

[Knotwood]

Had it done almost four years ago, no problems, but the left eye needed a little correction about a year later. I know a guy who had an infection, but I think they are few and far between. In lower light situations, (dusk, dawn), I think I had better vision before. The idea to be less dependent on glasses is kind of a misnomer, I went to the dollar store and got readers, only for pulling slivers out, real intricate work, etc. I had thick photo-gray lenses, so now I get sunglasses (finally, polarized for better fishing!). Could see 20/20 the day after surgery, was a bit of a burning sensation for the first few hours, don't go back to work that same day, or plan on driving home, the next morning is unreal clarity- took a few weeks to quit searching for my glasses, had 'em since fifth grade, I'm 51 now. The docs can scan and measure your eye to be sure they have enough room without cutting it too close. Talk to the docs and get a feel for the typical responses, the Northern Refractory guys (Weiss, Bergstrom) do lots of them, had a free seminar to give you an idea of what to expect. My wife had hers done over five years ago too, still picks out deer on the roadsides way better than me. Guys don't make passes with girls who wear glasses...