Had my LASIK procedure.

[JohnnyLawZ28]

I had my lasik "operation" done two weeks ago on 10/12. What a difference. Most of you don't know me, but I'm 21 and trying to get a job with one of the Police Departments in any of Maryland's fine counties. My vision uncorrected was 20/400 (4.25 prescription), and I was extremely worried that my vision may disqualify me from being a leo. My vision is currently 20/20 now, and I'm feeling much more confident that if I make it past the initial interviews/tests that my eyes will not be a problem. Any of you officers had LASIK or RK?

The LASIK procedure went like this: After having anesthetic drops applied to each of my eyes, the doctor put a device on my right eye that held my eyelids open. Then he pressed a metal tool down onto my eye, that had a clear opening so I could see through it. I think it's called a microkeratome. As it was cutting a flap into my cornea, my blurry vision went completely black. When he lifted the tool off of my eye, I could see again, although still blurry. Then he rolled the cornea off of my eye, and my blurry vision got even worse. 288 laser pulses later (about 30 seconds), he unrolled my cornea back onto my eye. Then he used some sort of tool to smooth out the cornea and make sure it was sitting the way it should (meanwhile I can see this tool moving across my vision). Right eye was done! Same procedure for the left eye, only I had 291 pulses in that eye. As soon as I got up from the operating table, I could already see better. Walking out into the rest area, I could definitely see a little better, but my vision was clouded. It was as if the room was full of steam. I sat with my eyes closed for about 20 minutes, then had a quick post-op checkup. I went home, ate lunch, took some Tylenol PM, and slept for a good five hours, which is supposed to help the healing process. Later that night I went out with a few friends and my vision was almost completely better (if I had to guess I'd say I was seeing 20/40 or so). When I had another checkup the next day, my vision was 20/20 already.

The entire procedure was 100% painless. The doctor said I may feel some discomfort and some pressure on my eyes, but honestly it was barely noticeable. The only side effect is a slight "halo/star effect" on lights at night, and my eyes dry up more than they used to (I have to us "lubricating drops"). Both of these side effects are supposed to be gone within months though.

I had the procedure done at TLC, by Dr Anthony Kameen if anyone is interested. :)

[Kassideigh]

Thanks for the information, I have been kinda scared to have the surgery done myself. My vision is 20/150 and to get into the WSP you need to have 20/100 uncorrected. Although the surgery is a correction to your eyesight, it is considered uncorrected vision after it. Was your surgery done in the US or Canada? I have heard that doing it in Canada is better simply because they have more experience.

[Birky]

I had LASIK done about two years and occaisionally my vision is still blury. Did your doctor give you plastic shields to put over your eyes while you sleep? Your Doctor said the halo effect will go away in a few months? I still have that problem. Good luck in the job hunt.

[five-oh]

I recently discovered I have a stigmatism. Even though it is very minor it prevents me from reading license plates and street signs at night, kind of important in this line of work. Can LASIK correct this? I would sure love to lose these glasses.

[MrJim911]

I think I'd have issues with someone cutting off my cornea. I thought there was a procedure that was purely laser and did not involve cutting of any type? What's the name of that one? :confused:

[Birky]

Five-oh LASIK can correct minor astigmatism's you should go and see the doctor and see if they can dorrect your's

MrJim911- they don't cut off your cornea they just use a keratome to create a flap the cut looks like the letter C then they flip the flap and use the laser to correct your vision then they put the flap back and you get no stitches because the cornea heals itself.

[MrJim911]

Yea I know, I was exaggerating. But there is a procedure that does not involve the cutting. A fellow TC at my center had it done. Of course she relieved me this morning and I didn't ask her.

[Kassideigh]

There are procedures in Canada have stigmatism corrections, I have checked into it! I too have them and it is a bother with them. Although my eyesight has stayed the same for 6 years, my stigmatisms have gotten a little worse until recently. I was told that within two years all of the US should have the training and technology to correct them also.

[Samurai004]

Has anyone heard of LADAR? From what I gather from the radio commercial it is just like LASIK except the laser tracks you eye movement and automatically corrects at 400 times per second. I will definitely get this done, I don't want my vision to be the cause of mine or someone elses death on the job.

I don't know what my vision is on the 20/20 scale, but I have -3.50 and -3.25 contact lens perscriptions...can anyone tell me what that is on the 20/20 scale?

Stay safe ya all!

Samurai out

[JohnnyLawZ28]

Sorry I haven't replied to any questions, I've been busy unfortunately.

Kassideigh, I had my procedure done in Annapolis, MD. I don't really have the money for a trip up to Canada and a surgery. ;) I'd heard good things about TLC, and my surgeon (Dr Anthony Kameen) has done well over 10k procedures. That was good enough for me. (That and the fact that he's had the procedure done himself.)

Birky, my vision hasn't ever gotten blurry like it used to. Occasionally it's blurry for a second right after I blink. Once I blink again it's fine though. I've heard this is called "dirty windshield syndrome" or something to that effect. Hehe, and yes - I did have to wear a plastic shield over each eye when I slept for the first week.

five-oh, I had a very slight astigmatism before the surgery. I don't have it now. Whether it was fixed or whether my vision is just actually good now and I don't notice it - I'm not sure.

MrJim911, I watched the person before me get their surgery done. Seeing the flap actually rolled off of the eye made me a little uneasy, but when the woman came out she kept saying how there was hardly any pain. I'm being 100% honest when I say I never felt any pain. If anything is swaying you (or anyone for that matter) from getting the surgery done, don't let it be the fear of pain. There isn't any. :)

Samurai004, although I don't know how to convert it, my prescription before lasik was -4.25 and on the 20/20 scale it was 20/400. I'm willing to bet that you're better than that because your prescription isn't as bad as mine was.

[MrJim911]

It's not the pain, it's the chance of a potential screw up on the doctors part. I know that chance exists in any operation but it seems less likely or at least less damaging if there is no cutting of my eye flap.... :(

[Samurai004]

Samurai004, although I don't know how to convert it, my prescription before lasik was -4.25 and on the 20/20 scale it was 20/400. I'm willing to bet that you're better than that because your prescription isn't as bad as mine was.

thanks JohnnyLawZ28

[gbcop]

Originally posted by MrJim911
It's not the pain, it's the chance of a potential screw up on the doctors part. I know that chance exists in any operation but it seems less likely or at least less damaging if there is no cutting of my eye flap.... :(

I know what you mean. Even though I don't need the surgery(20/20 left eye, 20/15 right eye), just the thought of having PERFECT vision is appealing to me. But having a halo effect or worse, potenitally loosing my vision isn't worth it.

But I've heard great things about the LASIK procedure, but I just couldn't live with the "halo effect". And the "halo effect" is the #1 reason that a buddy of mine hasn't gone in for it.

[bnalducci]

im not sure of the name of the procedure but they can correct your vision without cutting the cornea. There is more of a chance of complications though. Check out howstuffworks.com for more info on it or check out http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/lasereye/lasereye.html

[jaybird]

WOW JOHNNY LAW,
Your post is really exciting.

I have bad eyesight myself. Luckily, it hasn't stopped me from getting a job in law enforcement. I've been fine so far in work. I imagine as long as no one directly oc sprays me in the eyes..i'll be okay.

I know my prescription for contacts is 5.75 and 6.0. I asked my eye doctor what that transferred to on I believe it is called the Snellen Scale? anyway...that is like 20/750 or so. Yikes.

I am hoping and praying I can save up the money to get this procedure done. I know in Birmingham, Alabama, we have quite a few doctors who are very well trained and have done a lot of procedures.

To be honest, I'm like a few of the other guys here on the being weary of the procedure. There's always that what-if. The thought of them using the tools to hold my eyes open and then cutting that flap is scary. But at the same time, this procedure seems like a miracle if you ask me. To be able to walk in with bad eyesight and then walk out seeing perfect? wow...that's about all its takes for me to want to do it. I can't even remember what it feels like to not have on contacts or glasses and see with near perfect vision. To those of you who have great eyesight, thank your mom and dad and the good Lord above for it. Its a gift, that is for sure.

Stay Safe and keep us Posted JohnnyLaw,
Jay

[Birky]

Well when I had my procedure done almost two years ago the doc gave me a prescription for a valium pill. I took it before the procedure and was in a daze when they started. they then put eye drops in and they numbed the eye then they used the slicer (don't know the name of device) to cut the flap. Your vision goes black while they open the flap and then it is really blurry. They then start the laser that is computer guided and the surgeon puts in how long the laser will go for. Then they repeat the procedure for the other eye. It took about twenty minutes for both eyes total and I have no problems since. I then had my parents drive me home where I went and crashed for a few hours then took some tylenol for the mild pain. But over all I got what I always wanted not having to wake up every day and look for my glasses and having to worry about them being broken in a fight or something. I wore glasses from the day before my first birthday until I had the procedure when I was 24. So the 2,000 dollar price tag was not to much to ask for me.

[jaybird]

WOOOOOOOOO, stop the press.
$2000 dollars is ALL you payed? Where in the heck did you get the procedure done? In Alabama around Birmingham the papers and doctors advertise the procedure for around $2500 PER EYE. YAH, you read it right, $2500 PER EYE. Some places will run a deal where the first 250 people to get on a list for the procedure get a discount. I still don't think it is going to be "cheaper."
Oh well, Way to go, I wish it would cost that little around here.
Stay Safe,
Jay

[Birky]

Well I got a LE discount of a thousand dollars. My brother had the same procedure and it cost him like 3200 dollars for both eyes. I got the procedure done in Norfolk but my doctor is in Hampton VA. I will say that I got a personal loan from my credit union to pay for the procedure but it is still worth every penny I paid.

[JohnnyLawZ28]

Jaybird, I believe the LasikPlus vision centers near me quoted me $800/eye (http://www.lasikplus.com/). I went to TLC however, because it was the only place that my optometrist would recommend. I don't mind paying a little bit more (my financing is 1 year same as cash). The total for my procedure was $3600. I put $850 down and financed the other $2750. I can tell you right now this was the best present I've ever bought myself.

At TLC, they offered me the choice of valium, but I didn't take it. I only had the anesthetic drops (I couldn't imagine anyone refusing those, hehe). Directly after the procedure I took Tylenol PM and had my mother drive me home. I too, napped for a few hours. When I awoke from my nap I felt great and my vision had improved so much. I wasn't quite seeing perfectly yet, but I'm willing to bet I was seeing about 20/40. I've gone back for several check-ups with my optometrist and my vision is currently 20/20. It's been just over one month since the operation, and my optometrist says that my eyes won't be fully "set" again for another two months. So who knows, maybe by then I'll have improved to 20/15. :D

Every morning, I'm still in the habit of reaching up to turn my alarm off, then immediately reaching for my glasses.

[TruPatriot]

:sniper:
I just read your story for Lasik surgery, sounds painless which is great news. I have a question for you and anyone else out there, I am considering doing this procedure as well to become a Massachusetts State Police officer and further down the road USSS agent, do you know if they will hold off on my applicaiton for either of these agencies due to the operation? I know that the USSS wants a year before but can they continue with the rest of the procedure while they wait?

[ussshopeful]

TruPatriot,

USSS requires you to wait 3 months after having had LASIK before you have a follow-up with one of their docs.

[TruPatriot]

Do you know that for sure? My recruiter said it was a year but he may have not wanted to waste time, he gave that impression that he wasn't to thrilled with his job. If so I am all set then! Thanks, but still let me know for sure.

[TruPatriot]

There is a place closer than Canada that is very well respected in Boston, MA. They are called Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge Eye Center
Cambridge, MA: 617.498.1347 or...

Cambridge Health Alliance Somerville Eye Center
Somerville, MA: 617.591.4949


The two brothers that do it are awesome from what I hear. One of my good friends had it done and has better than 20/20 vision and he felt no pain and little side effects.