Also: the prk eye gets worse on plane flights, and stays that way for several hours afterward. I asked my doc about it and was told that's not abnormal.

I made an appointment at the top rated place in the area. First thing they did was tell me I should not wear my contacts for at least a week before I come in for the assessment. It makes me wonder what else that first place takes risks with that I wouldn't know.

Dr Whiting is the guy that did my LASIK.

He has overwhelmingly great reviews except for a couple. We should all probably say it has been great for me. Not it was great for me and you should do it too. It is surgery. This one sucks to go wrong. It does. Not non-zero.

***1.0 star rating 12/20/2016
I am sorry for only one star.
I just want to give the truth that I experienced. I've done the Lasik mid of this year and I got almost every complications. My eye feels foggy, double vision and near vision. I am just 38 and don't have near vision problem before, but now I have near vision issue. I feel the eye never clear since I done the Lasik.
I just give the truth to everyone, Lasik will have the risk of complications. Doctor said I need do it again for enhancement, it is DO IT AGAIN. I am really worried about risk for enhancement. The enhancement procedure is exactly same as the surgery, just time will shorter. I've done several times of test and all results not satisfy. I never been clear since the surgery. I hope it can be improve but almost 6 months later so it has been stabled.
Can someone let me know how should I do other than enhancement?***

Let's get some exploding eye stories in here, people.

Any early onset blindness?

Therein lies the conundrum. A blind person would probably not be reading your message or replying. Or people with exploding eyeballs.

i got mine done about six years ago but when on several consultations first.
the shady places would mention nothing about things like this.the better places were extremely diligent about things like this.i even overheard the doctor i ended up using telling someone he won't do lasik on them bc of the shape of their eye. pretty sure one of the places i had a consultation would have done it on a newborn baby if you paid them.

But we all know OF people.

Not the horror story you want, but close enough for me:

Friend of mine in his early 50's went to a "LASIK specialist" that he probably picked due to heavy advertisements. The doc told him that he was too old to be a good candidate for LASIK but that he had early cataracts, so he would do cataract surgery and with the implanted lenses his vision would be just as good as LASIK. He scheduled the surgery.

When he told me about it, I told him that sounded very fishy. His wife insisted that he get a second opinion, so he went to see a reputable ophthalmologist who told him that he has no signs of cataracts at all. My friend canceled the surgery.

Are ya'll getting Lasik/PRK in your 20s? I'm 38, and have long considered eye surgery.

I'm a -1.5 and -1.25, and generally wear glasses though I have some daily toric contacts that I wear occasionally when glasses aren't appropriate.

Over the last 6 years, my prescription has barely changed, but has been tweaked once recently.

I've kind of thought that eye surgery is a young person's game, since everyone tells me I'm on the road to meltdown anyhow and would end up needing reading glasses in "some" years anyhow.

I'm definitely wary of screwing up my vision in some kind of permanent way. Oh, putting on a pair of glasses was sooooo hard, enjoy being blind dumdum.

Don't care about the money, but I could definitely enjoy peripheral vision and throwing on a pair of sunglasses easily.

I'm 42 and kinda in the same boat. There are different considerations for us olds in some cases.

For me, my near vision is very good. That will be compromised by getting the surgery and it is pretty certain that I will need reading glasses in the next few years if I get it vs maybe not needing them for several years longer if I don't. While I don't like the idea of making the good part of my vision worse, the fact is I prefer contacts over glasses and would end up having to switch to enjoy close vision anyway if it does start to get worse.

They can combat this by doing a single eye for far and keeping one for near. I am not interested in that either because reacted poorly when I have lost a contact for the day. If I change my mind later they can redo one eye for near if I get both now.

It's hard to know but I don't think needing reading glasses will bother me as much as having good far vision will benefit me.

To the rest of your point, it does feel a little sketchy to do a purely elective surgery that could have catastrophic consequences, even though the safety of it (short to medium term at least) is well known to be one of the highest of all surgeries. The numbers say the risk is low, but the stakes are high. Also, as you mentioned it is pretty much solved for us with some inconvenience already.

my main issue is I travel for work frequently and detest dealing with packing contacts & solutions. That is what has made me consider it for the last year or so. At the risk of sounding like a kook, the most recent shove off the fence I have been straddling was reading an article in the new Yorker about millionaire preppers in Silicon Valley where a side point one of them made was that they got lasik because if the **** hits the fan they won't be able to get replacement glasses or contacts. I am not a doomsday prepper, but a tens of thousands of people recently got evacuated near me and it did prompt me to get my household ready in case. Not having to deal with glasses/contacts/solutions seems like it would be nice in an emergency.

At this point I'm 90% I'm going to do it.

Also in the same boat, right down to the -1.5 / -1.25 with slight astigmatism! Wore toric contacts through my 20s / early 30s, got sick of the hassle / discomfort / preparation-worry and only really started wearing glasses regularly with the idea to make it two weeks without contacts for the consultation (which is the recommendation at the good place here), ended up not minding glasses much at all. But I remain subbed to this thread, and the thought keeps coming up on occasion...

I was 90% for one year, then just decided go for it. I thought if there were serious complications, that was God telling me not to live.

They could have given me 100 xanax and it wouldn't matter. Too amped up about being blind. Yeah, was thinking my life is totally fine and will end up with glasses anyway. Why do something elective for a 20-year window? I thought this is the one window you don't want glasses would be 27 to 47.

When it works, it is gold. Especially to those that had to struggle for glasses. I love being able to buy any sunglass I want off the rack.

I do remember the drops for a few months. It is not like some other surgeries where you are out and that is it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugVK7ZT7cyI

So. I decided to go forward with the second place if they would meet closer on the price. I didn't expect them to price match, but they quoted $3300 and the first place was $2160 and that's significant enough to at least ask.

The person who deals with that was on vacation so the office manager, who was really cool about it took a message for him to call me back this week when he returned. I didnt get a call yet, but I was not in a super rush about it. I canceled at the other place in the meantime.

So last night I got retargeted for a groupon from the first place. $1800 for both eyes. This is the place my wife went, and all of the procedure ratings are high, except for the front office stuff which is low.

I called the second office just now to see what's up and got the front office guy again. He made it sound like they were not inclined to move on the price but said it was still the call of the other guy. He also told me that when considering the difference in price to remember that the skill of the surgeon is important, but a minor variable because assuming they put the correct info into the laser it will do the same thing in their office as elsewhere. The real difference in experience comes from followup care and relationship with the office and while he would not try to push a customer away from their office he would understand making a decision based on just wanting to get a good procedure done and be finished with it. He also told me that he came over to the new practice with the surgeon from the first place I went to.

Reading between the lines I kinda feel like he was saying he would go to the first place himself for a $1500 delta in price.

Also, the first place has a 4.7 out of 5 rating on Groupon with over 3000 reviews. My plan is to wait for the second office to call me back. If they come down on the price I'll probably schedule, even if they can't match. I don't know where the line is.

Sounds like you've already made up your mind. Personally, I'd stick with the 2nd place.

I understand the desire to find good deals and freeee value, but this is one thing I wouldnt worry on price so much.

I haven't yet. I think my plan now is to waffle until the Groupon deal is over and then wear glasses forever.

Heard back. They won't budge on the price. The thing is if it were $500 difference I'd not even hesitate. $800 and I'd probably do it. A $1500 delta is significant for me and my family tho. I mean that's enough to pay for a brand new 4K tv to enjoy with my new 20/20 or a lifetime supply of white canes. Either way I'm kinda set.

Glad I found this thread, subbing.

I recently backed out of an appointment for surgery just feeling I didn't know enough and hadn't heard about the downsides yet.

bip! look into PRK as an option. Google is your friend, as is this thread.

Johnny,

It's just my arbitrary personal opinion, but my internet expert guess is that $1500 brings you a significant gain in post-op care and a minor gain in surgeon skill. Post op you need a 3-5 day post-op appointment, a 1-2 week appt, a 1-2 month appt and a 6-12 month appt at a minimum. Think about the cost value. I might have missed this in your earlier posts but most places will give you a 'tune up' surgery at the 1 year mark if the initial surgery doesn't work out. Some rare places guarantee for life. What does the low cost place offer?

Maybe wait till $1500 isn't a big difference. I've said it before, but I rank eye surgery as a TIER 1 organ (eyes, penis, brain, heart) procedure where you don't want to aim for value over quality.

Random anecdotal point but I spent $4500 on my PRK surgery back in September in Georgia (only mentioning the location due to low cost of living). I treated it as a go-nogo test.

Anyhoo, I hope it works out for you.

Thanks for the thoughts and insight.

Both places offer the one year at the prices I was quoted, though I'm sure the Groupon cheapie price does not and it's an upsell. The second place also will give a tune up for life at a price of $500 per eye. The first place offers a lifetime guarantee for a premium but you have to make a check up appointment yearly with them at a price of $200 (currently) or it is voided. When I did the math it was a bull**** deal unless you need more than one correction every 10 years or so which seems like a bad bet.

I agree with everything you are saying. I think the fact that they even do a Groupon gives me the heebie jeebies but the more research I do into them both anecdotal from people I know and online the more I feel like the meat of the matter is they are as good as anyone else at the procedure itself but have a ****ty business model with goal driven sales people and a mill.

Also I'm not entirely convinced the second place is that much better in any important regard, even though they charge more. the fact that they don't negotiate makes them more seemly, but they didn't really give me any reason why they would be a better choice or what I would get for that extra $. More expensive sometime just means they charge more, not that they are worth more.

I may go to a third place. Where the rubber hits the road, everyone I have talked to about it loves their results so far regardless of where they got it done. No exceptions. My wife got hers done at the cheaper first place and loves it. She didn't shop around and didn't even worry about finding the best place, just went where her friend went. She is not as...extra as I am apparently.

Take your time man. Talk to as many places as you can. I get weird vibes from your first option and that's probably why I'm so pro-option 2.

It's not surprising you hear such positive reviews from friends and family. LASIK and its cousin surgeries are fairly standard at this point. You just want to avoid being THAT GUY whose life is ruined.

fwiw, lifetime tuneups for $1000 seems like a good deal. I got the standard tuneup at the year point but I'd snap-accept lifetime tune-ups for a grand. Most people have general eye degradation issues by the time they're mid-late 50s. This obviously depends on the longevity and reputation of the practice you're signing with.

Yeah I feel the same about the first place. It's a retail commission sales environment in the front and that made me feel skeptical of the assessment. Now that I have had two and both said the same thing I feel a little better. I will probably go for one or two more. No rush.

The $500 per eye is on a need basis, meaning if you need a tune up they will charge you that per eye at the time of surgery. Even better imo, and you don't pay extra up front for that guarantee.

Backed out how close to surgery? Any cancellation fees?

Your doctor should tell you about downsides. That is their job. And yes, you should research on your own.

It is surgery and a slight gamble. Not 100%. When it works it is life-altering. When it doesn't work it is life-altering.

So I am scheduled at the second, more expensive place for a few weeks. I could have done it next week but I have a work trip the following week that I would prefer to avoid having to do medicated drops during.

Ultimately I realized that the $499 per eye lifetime touch up was high value along with my increased comfort level with the front office staff there. They offer free touch-ups if there is a need detected in the first year, and that can be scheduled outside of that year if need be. They then offer a $499 touch up at any time if needed for life with no yearly check up obligation, and if you do get a touch up, that procedure gets the same one year guarantee as the first surgery. It is also unlimited.