LASIK/Epi-Lasik Eye Surgery. Have you done it?

[Brandon J.F.]

I'm thinking about getting Epi-Lasik surgery done. It differs from normal LASIK surgery in that there is no corneal flap cut. They use a laser (or blade) to remove the epithelium and then do the correction. You have to wear protective contact lenses a few days while the epithelium grows back. The recovery period is longer than with normal LASIK, but the benefits are that there is less of a risk of any complications with the corneal flap during the operation or post-op (e.g. long term instability of the corneal flap) and it can be done entirely with a laser (no mechanical blade contact).

Have any of your had Epi-Lasik or LASIK surgery or know anyone that has? Any advice or feedback you can offer would be very appreciated.

[paul engstrom]

I had Lasik done in 2001. Fantastic. I've since forgotten what glasses and contacts feel like--or that I even wore them. Surgery went great. Very smooth process. Use lots of eye drops (LOTS) for the couple months after the surgery. I had zero complications.

NOTE: I did significant research into the doctor that would be approving me for the procedure and also into the doctor that would be performing the procedure. I was able to find out things about them that led me to believe they were both extremely good at what they were doing and also extremely ethical/trustworthy.

As you, I spent a long time considering the procedure--eyesight is such a precious thing. Good luck with your inquiries into this.

Regards,

Paul

[Brandon J.F.]

Thanks for the feedback Paul. What was your vision prior to your operation? My father is blind so I've always been really paranoid about my vision. I'm convinced I want to have surgery I'm just unsure which procedure to get and I'm still researching doctors.

[Chris Luker]

I too did it in 2001...
BEST THING I'VE EVER DONE!
My vision was ok with contacts, but after getting lasik, I could see that I really couldn't see very well at all with contacts.
It corrects the little imperfections in your eyes.
Still 20/10 and 20/15!

[Brandon J.F.]

Chris, how long did it take you fully recover from the procedure?

[Greg Huson]

I can't comment on your specific surgery - but I had ICL surgery last year.
It's sci-fi freaky stuff, and overall I'm pretty happy with it... kinda forget I have it.

Uncorrected, I had glasses or contacts almost all my life- I saw pretty good with my contacts, but see much better with the implants. After the implant surgery they did minor 'touch up' using more 'traditional' lasik - and that was all laser. Recovery time was nothing - 12 hours. But, again, not temp contacts or anything like that. For some reason your eyes heal really fast. (I had a corneal abrasion in my early 20's- it was brutally painful, but even that healed in about 2 days.)

I still wear reading glasses at the computer - but that's a function of age- stiffening muscles, basically. It took me a while to realize I had to use LOWER power reading glasses for the edit bay after the surgery. I spend all day staring at images, tweaking color and contrast, watching for glitches, identifying compression errors... etc... and really would recommend the surgery I had for someone who's a good candidate (no or limited prior surgery, very high myopia, not a candidate for Lasik. - my vision was so bad I wasn't a good candidate for traditional Lasik.)

I had zero problems with the recovery and loved the surgeon. He is very 'LA,' doing TV shows and publicity crap like that, but he was completely frank with me, sympathetic to my concerns about it effecting my business, and never promised a miracle... though he came pretty close. It's not cheap- but really, you want a discount eye surgeon? Not me.

My ONLY issue is minor flaring on my left lens when direct, focused, bright light is pointed into the side of my eye when my iris is wide open - like walking the dog late at night, a street light my catch the edge of the lens. My contacts were WAY worse. My right eye doesn't do that at all. I suppose if I was on set every day (I'm not, we're a post company) it might bother me, but I have to say I completely forget about the minor flare except on a rare, rare occasion.

I get no flaring or noticeable chromatic aberration when working, or at night driving - or anything other than what I said above. I do occasionally get 'dry eye,' and use artificial tears (once month spring/summer, nothing this fall) when the dry-eye effects my vision- but I had that with contacts (disposable gas permeable.) One funny thing that did happen was the first time I chopped an onion after tossing my contacts - I cried! An experience I'd never had before. Honestly, you feel kinda naked at first.

Of course, YMMV, but it's made a big difference in my life.
Hope that helps!

Here's some more research for you:

http://www.visianinfo.com/

http://www.maloneyvision.com/

[Zakaree Sandberg]

did it in 2005. now i see 20/12

[Darren Orange]

I did it back in 2004. The eye stays pretty sensitive for a long time to anything. So even a water drop or the drops they ask you to put in after burn a lot. One thing to never....never let happen is let a drop of sweat get in your eye. This does not hurt normally but with for the first 3 months after your eye will be super sensitive to this. I am a runner and was running same day and day after surgery, we are talking like 10 miles here. I get some star bursting at night but not bad, it has more to do with the fact that I have lazy eye so my eye does not always focus unless I am focusing. Biggest thing for me is that I now have decent depth perception something I had almost zero of before.

I get dry eye fairly often, because I only have one bad eye that was corrected (my other is perfect like 10 or 15) I can tell that my bad eye is a bit numb feeling if I'm think about it, but has not distracted me.

Would I do it again yes. Hope this helps.

[Chris Luker]

Chris, how long did it take you fully recover from the procedure?

Took about a week to not have to wear eye protection at night (so you don't inadvertently scratch your eye and pop open the flaps).
Pain was over in a day.
I was swimming 2 weeks later.

I do see gentle halos around bright lights at night in my right eye. Nothing too bad, and contacts were worse at night than what I see now.

[Brandon J.F.]

My ONLY issue is minor flaring on my left lens when direct, focused, bright light is pointed into the side of my eye when my iris is wide open - like walking the dog late at night, a street light my catch the edge of the lens.

I get some star bursting at night but not bad...

I do see gentle halos around bright lights at night in my right eye.

Guys, how bad was your vision before the operation? I've read that people
that need larger corrections are more likely to get haloing than those that need minor corrections. Also, did you guys take Vitamin C pre/post op? Many doctors are recommending that because it apparently greatly reduces the chance of problems with haloing and it speeds up recovery.

Zakaree, great results. I would be thrilled if my vision improves that much!

Thanks for all the feedback guys.