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.

[huntnfish]

Thanks Cliffy and Fishing101, I think I am finally ready to do this. I have the nerve built up, its just the other part that has to catch up with it.

[Swimmer]

Thanks again for all the info...where else are you going to get unbiased information from regular folks? My question: I see very well at close range, but have progressively lost it at longer range. My buddies are tired of me asking "where did it go?" when by golf drive actually gets past 100 yards. Is Lasik successful on both near and far sighted folks? Also, I know I have a damaged rhetina from a basketball elbow (black spot that appears somtimes)about ten years ago...of course I have following this up with my optometrist...

[Sutty]

Both my wife and I had our eye's done at MN eye. I went with them because I liked the idea of going with the guys that fix the other guy's screw-ups. We had them done 2 years ago and everything still is perfect. It has made my duck/deer hunting sooo much better. Heck I can even find my way off the ice easier :-)

My doctor said that eventually I (anyone) would still need reading glasses. I am hoping in a few years they can fix that to since I am rapidly approaching 40.

Side affects are dry eyes for the first year, I had halo's at night for a while as well.

[hovermn]

I JUST had the surgery done at 3:30 on 3/9/07. Went to Lasik Plus in Oakdale. Had the first appointment on Thursday, surgery on Friday. Here's how it was for me.

After given many numbing drops, I was put on the table and told to stare at the blinking red light. They put eyelid covers on my right eye and completely covered the left. Next, they insirted the eyelid spreader and opened up the eye. Up until this point, I felt nothing. When they spread the eyelids open, there was a little discomfort from the pressure, but no pain. As the doc said, they numb the eye, not the eyelid. Also, I guess because of my "man brow" they had to spread it a little wider.

Next came the eye flap cutter. At this point, they press down on your eye, you loose sight for about 10-15 seconds as they're cutting the flap, but again there's no pain. When the flap's removed, your sight is blury, but you can still make out that blury blinking red light.

In the background, I can hear the assistant calling out that tracking is on...Armed... and they next thing I know, A laser is shooting into my eye. No pain, but I can see a white light and hear the laser pulses. When it's done, there's a slight smell like burnt hair, but it's not bad, and nothing to be concerned about. Flap is replaced, lots of brushing on the eye, and they move to the left. I was in the operating room for less than 15 minutes.

My vision was pretty blury directly after the surgery and remaind that way for a couple of hours afterwards. I was told to go home and sleep for a few hours, and I tried, but couldn't. After about an hour, there was a little bit of pain as the numbing drops wore off, but nothing horible.

This morning, My vision goes in and out of slight bluryness to clear, but it's amazing! They tell me this will continue for the next couple of days until everything heals up. I was given tons of lubricating eye drops and a protective mask to wear while I sleep, and they work fine. The drops are a life saver!

Total cost came to $3698. I have large retnas (spelling?)and have some irregularities, so they used the wavefront laser was doesn't come cheap. I guess it smooths out rough spots on the eye so light is focused to the back of the eye more clearly, helping prevent halos at night.