Any members had Lasek eye surgery?
How was ur experience? Are u satisfied with results? What price range?

Thanks

Any members had Lasek eye surgery?
How was ur experience? Are u satisfied with results? What price range?

Thanks

Had my surgery many years ago.  Dr. Tyrie Jenkins, who has taken down her shingle since, did my lasik.  She was almost twice as expensive as the other doctors I saw, but after researching, I found that the cheapest doctors have one potential problem in common:  They might take borderline laski candidates to increase their revenue (volume of patients) instead of advising the patient to not have the surgery.  Many people in places like California reported large numbers of failed lasik results due to doctors taking patients they knew better than to take.

I had an uncommon eye situation.  My left eye had astigmatism, and my left one did not.  I believe the astigmatism had a effect, because my vision in the right eye was almost twice as good as the left.  Because of that, I wore a Toric contact lens in the right and a normal lens in the left.  That Toric lens cost a bunch more, so contacts were not as cheap as they could have been.  I just felt fortunate to be able to have contacts at all after wearing eyeglasses since 5th grade!

So, I was on the Internet and saw an article about something new called "CustomVue" which used computer mappings of the eyes to create customized prescriptions for lasik that are very specific to the individual eye.  Before that, the surgeon created a standard corrective cut based on eye chart tests -- the same method for determining the strength of lenses for glasses.  As most know, that can be a very inexact trial and error method.  That's why I wasn't looking into lasik before CustomVue came out.  According to the article, Dr Jenkins was the first and only lasik doctor in Hawaii at the time using the new technology.  That's why I went to her.

During the first consult, Dr Jenkins said my mismatched vision was exactly what CustomVue was designed to correct.  She also said the system was being used to correct many of the botched surgeries of the past.  She has had a 100% success rate prior to using the system, and she felt even more confident I could at least achieve their minimum goal:  20/40 in both eyes and together.  That's the threshold for passing the driver's eye test in Hawaii.  They hoped to eliminate the need for corrective lenses for driving for all their patients.

Went for the mapping session, had the surgery later that week in the afternoon, and came back the next morning for my first follow-up.  Less than 24 hours after the operation, I had 20/10 in the left eye, 20/20 in the right, and 20/10 together.  It's been the same ever since, although I have had to start wearing reading glasses.

Originally I was 20/60 in the right and 20/100 in the left.  Basically I needed glasses as soon as I got out of bed, and wore contacts until bedtime.

She gave me a form for the DMV with my new test results, and I got a new license without the glasses restriction that same week.

I went to all my follow-ups which are very important.  During one visit, she was not there, and her partner performed the exam.  This was at the 6-month post-op visit.  He told me he couldn't detect the line where the lens was cut in the right at all, and just barely a line in the left.  During that visit, he told me he's happy I chose to have both eyes adjusted the same distance.  There is an option to have one eye adjusted for long distance vision (basically normal focus) and  the other adjusted for short range.  This is in hopes you can put off needing reading glasses for a longer time.  He said he'd opted for that "mono" vision with different distances, and would have chosen the opposite if he could do it again.  Having the distances different is no big thing, because the brain figures out which eye to favor based on the one that's focused. 

The line around the flap they cut in the lens is a big deal.  If it heals wrong, or the laser is off when they do the cut, it can leave a scar that causes vison problems like halos around lights at night and star burst effects when looking at lights in the dark.  That can really interfere with driving.

All-in-all, the only regret was that the CustomVue technology didn't exist 20 years sooner!  I've been so happy with the results, and I don't mind the reading glasses except when I don't have a pair when I need them.

I recommend checking out the doctor's references.  Ask around and see if your circle of friends have used the doctor you are looking to use.  Make sure the doctor is not trying to undercut the competition with rock-bottom rates and having to make up the difference with risky patients.

You only have one pair of eyes, so it makes sense to me not to take any unnecessary chances with them.

Price:  $4,000, but offered free adjustments for life.  Not very useful warranty, since she packed up her shingle! 

YMMV

 

i cannot wear contacts bumbye cannot fit the contact into my chinese eyes  lol  true story though

thank you for sharing your xp

now i have something else to save up for .... besides more pew pew toys!   

i cannot wear contacts bumbye cannot fit the contact into my chinese eyes  lol  true story though

thank you for sharing your xp

now i have something else to save up for .... besides more pew pew toys!   

There are ways to help with paying.  I was using my annual Flexible Health Care Spending Account (FlexComp) at the time.  To make sure I was a good lasik candidate, I went to my first consult before my annual benefits open season closed in November.  Once I got the nod I was good for the surgery, I set up my FlexComp deductions to cover the cost.

Then I scheduled the surgery for February (would have done January, but had to travel for work).  That way I could use that Flex Comp money that started being deducted in January.  The rules for FlexComp allowed me to get reimbursed 100% from insurance as long as my scheduled deductions covered the cost by end of that year.  I got a 12-month 0% interest loan with payments taken out of my check bi-monthly, and what I paid was in pre-tax dollars!  I put the surgery on my credit card, submitted a FlexComp claim, and paid off the card balance all in one billing cycle.

I have a coworker who went through Kaiser for his procedure.  It was much cheaper, but he had to go back 3 times for adjustments (additional surgeries).  Kaiser doc was using the woodworking method: you can always cut more, but you can't replace it if you remove too much.  I think that's a good comparison between his regular method of measuring the prescription and my CustomVue experience.

I believe the majority of non-HMO doctors use the Laser Eye Center in the Pan-Pacific building.  I have another coworker who used a different doctor but the same surgery location.  I also think most doctors now use either the CustomVue system or something even newer.  It would make sense.

BTW, I just found an article that said Doctors Jenkins and Omphroy that I went to had moved to Aloha Laser Vision in 2010.  Apparently they had half a million bucks in fees they had not received from patients or insurers and filed for Chapter 11.  If they are still there, I would highly recommend Tyrie Jenkins.  Omphroy seemed pretty good, too, but Jenkins was much easier to talk to.

Had the procedure last month @ Aloha Laser Vision, roughly $4.5k complete pre/post visits
actual procedure time - 10min
had it done on Thurs - went back to check on fri with 20/15 vision

I can't speak for any other place that does this here, but Dr. Faulkner & his crew/equipment are top notch
I'm about as picky as it gets when it comes to my firearm gear/everything else
The fact that I let them blast my eye with a laser should say a lot.

BTW, they do have 24mo/same as cash financing

I did with Pan Pacific about 10 years ago about $2000 for both eyes near sighted. Best investment til last year age caught up and now I need reading glasses.

did mine 16 years ago and had great results. vision went from 20/60 to 20/15. no problems whatsoever after healing(about a week i think). i was really enjoying not having to wear glasses or contacts for about 10 years. that being said, about 6 years ago i started to struggle with reading and seeing up close. right now, anything within about a 5 ft radius is a little blurry and reading is definitely not possible so you can imagine when i'm shooting, i can't make out my front sight. i now wear a progressive contact lens in my right dominant eye to try and achieve mono vision. it's going ok but i'm trying to tune in the lens. gotta move my head just right to see my front post.

Thanks y'all.
Sounds like it lasts avg 10 yearS before age starts to catch up. I'm in my mid-20s. If i got LASIK now and everthing went well, can I expect my good vision to last 10 years or until my eyes start to degrade from old age?

And once that happens can simple non prescription reading glasses solve the blurriness?  I'm near sighted

Nope. Gotta be glasses made for computer monitor which is forward looking. Readers are kinda weird to use. So far, my best option is one contact in dominant eye but I have to position my head/eyes just right to see. It's kinda like this guy with the same effect to properly see but it is what it is.

I only need it for computer, eating, and reloading.  Shooting is fine.  You only in your 20's. Your are good to go for 15 years or more.  Once you past 40's then you will need reading glasses, have constant long ear hairs, gray hair inside your nose, and if your married, there goes your sex life.

My wife and I were both referred to Dr. Jenkins by our eye doctor.  I had laser PRK (due to thin corneas) while she had LASIK.  I was very near-sighted in both eyes and had bad astigmatism in my left - my contact lens prescriptions were in the -6.25 to -6.5 diopter range (I forget what the two other numbers were).  Pre-operation everything was a blur until I could put on my contacts.  Post op (2011) I'm still seeing about 20/20 through both eyes according to yearly checkups with my eye doctor (Fong Vision).  Same positive experience for my wife.  Reading glasses are almost inevitable since they are due to your eye's lenses being unable to focus as well as when you were younger, while nearsightedness and astigmatism are due to the shape of your eyeball. 

Dr. Jenkins seems to still be in business; do a search and you'll find her website - Jenkins Eye Care.