I need your help. I’ve been thinking of getting Lasik surgery. However, I am still battling with my fear of any type of surgery. Just reading about the process makes me weak in the knees. My eyesight isn’t particularly strong. In addition to that, I recently developed an allergy that meant having to wear my thick glasses for two weeks. It’s not a comfortable experience because my grade is really high.
Two opthalmologists have asked me to consider the process. There’s free consultation I think at the American Eye Center in Shangri-la, just so I can find out if I’m a candidate. Gut feel tells me I will be a candidate.
Have any of you tried Lasik out? It would be really great if you could share your experience and advice with me. If you have any recommendations, please feel free to share them with me. If you’d like to keep our correspondence private, you can email me (toni at wifelysteps dot com). Otherwise, the comments section would be great so others can also benefit from your stories.
Thank you!
Hi! I'm Toni Tiu,
and I've been blogging at
at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.
dang
June 13, 2008 at 1:02 pm (16 years ago)charlie had his lasik at american eye center last 1999..3 mos syang vacation nun sa pinas kaya after the lasik , he went back the week after for the check up and the week after that..4 silang magkakapatid sabay sabay nun at lahat sila until now doing well with their eyesight..right after the procedure, luminaw ang mata ng mister ko at goodbye contacts/glasses na silang magkakapatid. meron pa akong nakitang file/video nung ke charlie ginawa..w/c reminds me dapat ata syang mag pa check up soon! tatanungin ko pa sya sa iba nyang experience! so far, we’ve recommended it to 2 of our friends na dito rin based! takot pa yung 2 eh..
omg, i remember 2 of my cousins din pala..theyre doing ok din..pahabol lang..cheers!
dangs last blog post..LP – Kalayaan
Joseph
June 13, 2008 at 4:29 pm (16 years ago)Hi Toni,
Check the following website for things to consider if you are thinking of having eye lasik surgery. It’s from the US FDA website. Goodluck on your decision.
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/lasik/when.htm
Joseph
notsquare
June 13, 2008 at 6:56 pm (16 years ago)Mark also really needs and wants LASIK done… but based on our research, mas maraming scary stories vs success stories eh…
notsquares last blog post..What?! No photo’s?!
ginge p salud
June 13, 2008 at 10:06 pm (16 years ago)hi toni. i handle the american eye center account. my husband is a partner at the center (retina specialist) and would like to help you get answers to whatever questions you have. how about visiting our site at http://www.eyecenter.com.ph? further queries may be forwarded via the on-line inquiry page, through me or via our cell: 0917-LASERME. i can assist you and hook you up with an expert at the center who can help address your concerns. we appreciate the above comment; that, among a host other glowing testimonials should give you the confidence to do the procedure. i assure yu, you will be in the best hands:)
pls visit our site, email me (personal mail or via facebook) or reach me through kiran (our common friend) or maybe dennis may have my number. we worked together in JWT. regards.
Love
June 14, 2008 at 12:20 am (16 years ago)hi toni. my wife and i both had the lasik procedure in 2002 with our good friend dr. jim dinglasan of makati eye laser center. we are both very happy with the results especially my wife who had been wearing glasses / contacts since she was very young.
joseph is also right in that not everyone is a candidate for this surgery. there’s 5% of patients who are not satisfied with the results http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/eye-vision/2008/04/30/considering-lasik-surgery-read-this.html
best is to consult with reputable eye centers like makati eye laser and american eye center who are both pioneers in this field. ginge (my batchmate) has given you the heads up na pala on american eye
good luck!
Lisa
June 14, 2008 at 2:30 am (16 years ago)I would love to have this done and be rid of my glasses once and for all, but I’m deathly scared of it.
Lissa
June 14, 2008 at 6:57 am (16 years ago)I would love to have Lasik so I don’t have to worry about contacts. Siguro pag nakaipon na ako, I’ll do it. Well actually, I wanted to do a consultation and I talked to my optometrist about it but since I’m still breastfeeding he said that hormonal changes might affect my eyesight and to wait a little bit until my eyes return to normal. I didn’t really notice any changes in my eyesight when I was pregnant and now that I’m breastfeeding so siguro next year. It’ll give me time to save up too. Sorry I didn’t really give any input. hahaha…
I have a friend who did it though. She had really bad eyesight. I think she had to go in a 2nd operation because I forgot why. But now her eyesight’s great. I guess with any operation, there’s always a risk pero usually sa Lasik it’s so minimal naman basta ba certified ang gagawa.
sha
June 14, 2008 at 10:49 am (16 years ago)i have calculated all my expenses on glasses contact lens all the years could have paid for this surgery
but it scares me….
shas last blog post..don’t we love birthday cakes?
nina
June 14, 2008 at 2:26 pm (16 years ago)Hi Toni,
LASIK is not 100% guaranteed and there are also risks associated with the surgery. There is also no guarantee that you’ll have 20/20 vision after so I’ve always had reservations. But after much thought and weighing the pros & cons, I finally did it last year. My surgery was successful and I am not dependent on my glasses anymore. Almost a year after my surgery, sometimes, I still experience vision fluctation and dryness of the eyes but overall, my eyes is ok naman.
My advice is for you to reaserch well and know the risks before deciding. Have a LASIK screening. Aside from determing whether you are candidate for LASIK, the series of tests are good as a general eye check-up. In my case, they discovered that I needed another type of LASER surgey for my retina.
I blogged my experience here:
http://ninariccicruz.blogspot.com/2007/09/lasik-at-asian-eye-institute-part-1.html
ninas last blog post..LP – Kalayaan
Amee
June 14, 2008 at 2:32 pm (16 years ago)Hi Toni.
There have been new findings about lasik surgery recently, not so good findings I think.
On the other hand, my friend just got it. She was initially advised that she wasn’t a good candidate because of her thin cornea (?) and that getting it would be risky and might lead to blindness. But she went ahead and got it anyway. Thank God hers was successful.
Like anything, there’s an upside and downside. Before going through it, just make sure you’re aware of the risks.
Amees last blog post..Tim Russert dies at 58
macy
June 14, 2008 at 3:41 pm (16 years ago)i had my lasik in 2002. had mine done in american eye center (shangri-la) and the procedure was done by dr arroyo. the procedure was really fast, the waiting for my turn was actually longer. the operating room was really cold and the doctor would just ask you to focus on a red light. after the procedure my eyes felt weird lang. it didn’t really hurt but i felt that my eyes were super tired. the doctor’s advised me to sleep on a dark room when i get home and that’s what i did. after i woke up it was as if nothing happened. i just had to go back the next day for check up and my vision was really happy because my vision was back to 20/20. the doctors told me though to make sure to take care of my eyes. since i was only 22 when i had my lasik they told me that the chances that babalik my eye grade was high. well, i didn’t listen and medyo malabo na ulit my eyesight. the last i had it checked it was 120/100. it’s free for them to redo it but i might have it done when i turn 30. i
i suggest you go there and avail of the free consultation. if you have your lasik done there you also get free lifetime consultation. oh, they have really good coffee also and you get a souvenir after the procedure as they provide you a video of the entire procedure (in vhs format dati so ngayon baka dvd na), teehee.
feel free to email me for any questions.
macys last blog post..trip to the derma
ginge p salud
June 14, 2008 at 10:50 pm (16 years ago)hi toni…yes it is an absolutely small world – in fact too small! even batchmate love visits your site too. yes, i know bia just had her eyes done recently. so did some other ex-jwt friends who are quite happy. there are risks and there are rewards and i will not gloat about aec’s success stories. basta contact me lang for any related concerns. wish you luck – and do take your time:) hope to meet you again soon – then we can talk about it at length, among other common things. i should be seeing kiran next week (at least that’s the plan). do join us! regards.
glenville
June 15, 2008 at 6:23 pm (16 years ago)hi toni! personally, i have not had lasik done but i know people who have. a close friend in her twenties went through it years ago and the surgery was successful. she’s very happy with the results up to now. a 50-year old uncle had lasik surgery done, has 20/20 vision but complains that he sees faint halos of light, which he simply ignores. a college batchmate went from having severe farsightedness (is there such a word) to going almost completely blind after the surgery. i guess just like any other surgerical procedure, there are success stories and there are horror stories. if it’s any comfort, the odds are in your favor (95%, right?) so if I had to do it, I’ll make sure to scout around for the best doctor and clinic + keep myself very well-informed about the procedure. good luck!
glenvilles last blog post..Wii Fit
Sexy Mom
June 15, 2008 at 8:22 pm (16 years ago)i have tried laser surgery (the procedure before lasik became a hit–am not sure if they are the same), and i am very satisfied with the results. more than 10 years now, i still have 20/20 vision, except that of course now i am 50, i have to use reading glasses.
yes, i had to conquer my fears, on my first try, there was a brownout (that was the year when brown outs were very frequent), that i had to chicken out. 2nd try — i was ready and before i knew it it was over. a few weeks down the line, i could see clearly and fully. it was the next best thing to contact lenses.
i heard from my best friend that with lasik there is less discomfort. good luck.
Sexy Moms last blog post..Happy Father’s Day
rowie
June 15, 2008 at 11:45 pm (16 years ago)This is so amazingly coincidental; tumaas balahibo ko. I just heard news *today* that someone we both know is almost blind in one eye because of a problem that occurred during her Lasik surgery. I’ll just email you separately about the details, but I thought I should post the gist of it here because it might help your other readers in their own discernment processes as they think about whether they should get Lasik.
According to the person concerned, when you get Lasik, the tensile strength of your cornea is reduced to only 2% of what it originally was, and that’s where a lot of problems begin ….
Sige, will tell you the longer story via email.
Weng
June 16, 2008 at 10:24 am (16 years ago)hi toni! i had laser surgery on both of my eyes at american eye center in 1997. their facility was still at the old medical city that time. i was 21. like one of your readers, macy, the surgery was performed by dr. jack arroyo. i have astigmatism, am nearsighted and had been wearing contacts since i was 9! from my first consultation, i had to wait a couple of months before i got the go signal for the surgery. i had to rest my eyes from contacts because we had to wait for my corneas to go back to their original shape. they’ve been reshaped kasi because of the so many years i was wearing contacts. in 1997, surgery per eye was only 15k with discounts pa ha! personally, laser surgery was one of the best gifts i ever received from my mom. 😀 i never thought i’d be able to see clearly without the aid of eyeglasses and contacts. the results were immediate and my eyes got better as weeks went by. there was a bit of discomfort the first night but after 3 or 4 days, i was fine. my eyesight was 20/40 a few days after surgery and at the last follow-up check-up, it was at 20/15 na. 😀 my sister-in-law had laser surgery also about 3 years ago at the american eye center in shangri-la mall. and she’s got perfect vision now after so many years of having a grade that went up to 800! like the others who commented before me, just continue to read up to help you come to a decision. but i think it’s better if you talk to the experts because they’re the ones who’ll be able to explain everything to you, specially the cases where the surgeries didn’t turn out to be much of a success.
sorry napahaba ha. hee hee. 😀 good luck!
Wengs last blog post..Father’s Day
Love
June 17, 2008 at 1:46 am (16 years ago)i got to your site from junnie whom i came to know thru my sister-in-law dindin. small world indeed
hannisel
June 18, 2008 at 7:47 am (16 years ago)hi, toni. first time to post a comment here.
just to share a real story (and not to scare you, btw), the sister of my boss had laser eye treatment last year (she’s a lawyer in the states, my boss is a CFO). when she underwent treatment in the states, apparently the machine “malfunctioned” which turned her left eye blind. now her eyesight cannot be restored.
of course it can be said that there should be checks to ensure the machines function well, and the doctor should be sued for malpratice (which she did btw). but the one thing remains – she lost one of her eyes already, and is coping with just her right eye (it’s hard because she drives and given her occupation, needs to read a lot).
this happened in the states, with a reputable doctor handling the operation. i’m not scaring you, and the chances of this happening would be minimal, i guess. my only point is, it does happen. so think about it
hannisels last blog post..
Love
June 18, 2008 at 10:48 pm (16 years ago)no time to blog. just started out reading dindin’s blog and from there saw links to interesting sites including yours.
i spoke with my kids’ ophtalmologist and he personally doesn’t recommend eye laser procedures. he said the risk may be small but the potential damage cannot be undone. just like the incident hannisel mentioned.
since medical conditons don’t call for it, maybe you want to wait. my wife and i couldn’t wait and so we took the risk
kreez
June 23, 2008 at 5:36 pm (16 years ago)Hi toni,
I had my LASIK surgery done last May 19 2008 at the American Eye Center, i was so scared but everything turned out pretty well. Posted an entire entry about my ordeal here. Hope it helps and good luck with it!
kreezs last blog post..The Dreaded Balut
Dr Ilan Cohen MD
August 25, 2012 at 10:20 pm (12 years ago)Hi,
I know it’s a very old thread however I wanted to share my eye care tips after the surgery.
-Avoid getting soap in your eye when bathing and washing your hair for at least one week after laser eye surgery. You should also avoid getting products such as hair spray and shaving lotion in your eyes while healing from laser eye surgery.
-Wear the eye shield/goggles that you received in your postoperative kit when you are sleeping for the first seven nights after laser eye surgery.
-No exercise for two days after laser eye surgery.
-Wear eye protection for at least the first month once you have resumed exercise and sports activities after laser eye surgery.
-Avoid dirty/dusty environments for seven days.
-Bright sunshine may cause scarring, and therefore, sunglasses are recommended on bright days over a period of 12 months after laser eye surgery.
Regards,
Dr Cohen
David Martin
January 15, 2020 at 6:45 pm (4 years ago)This is really a amazing blog about the Lasik eye surgery. This a title=”Lasik Eye Surgery” href=”https://www.shroffeyecentre.com/treatment/refractive-surgery-lasik/”>Lasik surgery mentioned all the important points of Lasik eye surgery
David Martin
January 17, 2020 at 2:33 pm (4 years ago)Thanks for sharing your deep infromation about the Lasik eye surgery.
shroff
March 18, 2020 at 4:23 pm (4 years ago)Nowadays Lasik surgery is very common in people. Through this blog I’ll complete information about the Lasik eye surgery.
Medit
June 27, 2020 at 5:38 am (4 years ago)Great read. Thanks for sharing!
Macuvite Eye Care
July 26, 2022 at 1:05 am (2 years ago)I couldn’t read something from far away before this then right afterward I was able to so I think it definitely works
Sanjay Goyal
October 22, 2022 at 5:23 pm (2 years ago)thanks for sharing this content