lasikeyeIf you’ve conducted online research into getting laser eye surgery done then you’d know the internet is absolutely bursting at the seams with commercial spin sites and pages of copy and pasted information articles.

All of this technical information is available from a billion sources and you are even given it when you go for a consult to a clinic. When contemplating laser eye surgery, what I really found really helpful was honest feedback and reading opinions and the experiences of people who had actually had the surgery done.

Whether it’s PRK or LASIK you’re trying to decide on, here are the best blog posts I found when doing my own research that I think anyone contemplating the surgery will definitely benefit from reading.


1. Holy Crap! I can see! (or..My experience with PRK Laser Eye Surgery)

Mick from ’2blogornot2blog’ gives a very detailed account of his PRK surgery over in the states. He had both eyes done at once.

It was a nerve-racking night before hand, but also exciting at the possibility of not having to wear glasses or contacts ever again. After another nerve-racking wait in the waiting room for an hour, I was ushered into the room.


2. New Eyes

Jon’s post about his LASIK procedure is worth reading solely for the post-op photo of his eyes. It gives you an idea of what to expect in the short term after LASIK.

I eventually plucked up the courage to have my eyes corrected by laser surgery.

The actual operation was a bit weird.  I was lying down an a padded bench that rotated, swinging my cushioned head from one hi-tech instrument to the next.  I was given two squishy “stress-balls” to keep my hands occupied.


3. Look mama! No glasses!

John Patrick posted a video on his experience in getting laser eye surgery done in Shanghai, China. I’ve heard of a few people in Melbourne flying over to China and other Asian countries to get the surgery done for cheaper then what it costs here, including airfares and accommodation so it was interesting to watch his video.

The China moments in the video are hilarious and I have no idea what a ‘kabayan’ discount is, but I’m thinking it’s some dodgy asian discount for being Filipino and landing a Filipino doctor. Tough luck for the rest of us!


4. Lasik: Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

Catherine Morgan has written a lengthy article on a question nearly everyone thinking about Lasik or PRK has asked themselves at least once. The comments left by readers are interesting too, especially the last one; it clearly illustrates both sides of risk coin.


5. The miracle of sight

From ‘The Fabulous Life of Mike and Lisa’ is a post detailing a Lasik procedure and also a 6 month followup. It’s interesting to read the standard side effects at the end of the initial post and then to see how they are doing at the six month mark.

My LASIK surgery was a success. For anyone who has been considering it, I definitely think it is the best money I’ve ever spent on myself. Here’s a rundown of my experience:


6. Chocolate doesn’t work

Although it doesn’t apply to my condition, I did find this experience shared by Ezzaviking to be of interest because it deals with ‘blended vision’. This is where one eye is made to see better at long distances and the other at short distances. A little bit more complicated then straight out short sightedness but interesting to read about nonetheless.

My close up vision is fine in my right eye and my distance sight is excellent in my left, but the blended vision still feels extremely strange.  My brain really isn’t filtering out the poorer image at all at any of the vision ranges.


7. I saw it coming, no pun intended, but it still struck a blow

This informative post from ‘Diary of an egotist’ showcases what is probably the biggest fear after loss of sight of people thinking about laser eye surgery; having to wear glasses again after surgery.

I knew it was going to happen though. They knew it was going to happen. We just didn’t know it would be this soon.

They thought at least a year of perfect sight and then it would hit. Not three months of okay sight and back to glasses.


8. Getting older is not *just* a state of mind

One of the big emphasis I’ve read about and also was told multiple times at my consults was that I’d still most likely wind up needing reading glasses as I got older. Lindsay Beaton has written about having to wear reading glasses six years after getting laser eye surgery.

Last week I started to get all to familiar headaches when sitting at the computer for any length of time… So I went to the optometrist.

She checks my eyes and confirms what I’d started to suspect, my left eye isn’t focussing properly – it’s very slightly long-sighted, and it’s having more trouble with the residual astigmatism.


9. What they don’t tell you about corrective eye surgery

Wille Faler has written an entire post on the strength of the ‘flap’ cut out during a Lasik procedure. If you’ve done your research you should already know it will never completely heal (I was told this at my initial consultation) but I’ve included it on this list for those that might have missed this fact.

The first response on the article is from ‘Lisa’ who’s apparently worked in the field for 11 years and is worth reading too.

I was booked in for corrective eye surgery (LASIK) on the 16th of this month, as late as early this morning I was on the phone discussing payment options with the company that was to perform the surgery.

However, having done a bit of further research on the risks and complications, I’m not going through with it.


10. My PRK experience/recovery log

Glen Daniels’ detailed log of his PRK treatment is interesting in that he had PRK in one eye first and then opted for LASIK in the other eye. Whilst Lasik is known for a minimal downtime it’s interesting to note Daniels concludes “had I a do-over, I’d have opted for straight PRK over LASEK, but you live and learn”.


Like I said at the beggining of this post there is an absolute ton of information out there regarding Lasik and PRK procedures and there’s no such thing as being too informed. Read up and read well, the decision to undergo laser eye surgery is life changing, both with negatives and positives.

My own surgery is booked for late June and once done I’ll add my own experience to this list. I’ve opted for Lasik despite the appeal of not having a flap cut out with PRK. You can read the start of my experience here.

I figure I’m almost thirty and have never had anything impact my eye or cause injury so that’s some pretty good odds against the flap dislocating later on in life. I mean it’s not like I’m going to take on more physical activities as I get older right?

Good luck with whatever final decision you might make!



Related posts that might interest you:
  1. Claiming a laser eye surgery rebate on Medicare
  2. Getting laser eye surgery done: The first consult
  3. Getting laser eye surgery done: The second consult
  4. My one week checkup after Lasik eye surgery
  5. 5 things to ask your lasik eye surgeon before surgery