LASIK: Stories
Write a ReviewNo Longer Blind As a Bat (Legally Blind) - Kansas City, MO
- brighteyes1961
- posted 8 months ago
- Worth It
- Cost: $4,000
- John F. Doane, MD (Kansas City, MO)
In April 1998 (remember that when you see the...
- 25 Sep 2012
In April 1998 (remember that when you see the price I paid) I had bilateral LASIK performed. I'd been wearing glasses since first grade, and I believe started wearing soft contacts at around age 16 - that's over 20 years of plastic covering my eyeballs. My prescription by then was a whopping -14 - legally blind without glasses. Radial keratotomy was not an option - vision was too bad. Found only one surgeons who worked on high myopes like me. Attended one of his seminars. I think we actually watched a patient get LASIK'd that evening (picture window on the OR suite) and talked to them afterwards. Emailed back and forth with the surgeon himself, very personable and patient with all my dumb questions. Scheduled the surgery, had it done. Was floored at how much I could see right off, but it was not perfect. Took some time to clear up, and even then it took some tweaking to get the vision where we wanted it - first I was farsighted for a while, then nearsighted a bit, then last enhancement was the charm. The 20/20 has not lasted permanently but am still *far* better than originally. No doubt in my mind it was worth it.
My Doctor: Join to view doctor's name
My rating:
Dr. Doane and the Discover Vision team are top notch, couldn't ask for better and I still keep in touch with them. Cataract developed and he is taking care of that too. Dr. Doane's attention to his patients and willingness to *listen* and never cut you off does result in him usually running behind on appointments, though, so never expect him to be on time. I'll take that over a rushed appointment every time. :)
Total of three surgeries over a period of about a year, covered in the initial cost. His office (at the time at least) offered lifetime vision warranty up to a certain degree of myopia; my bad vision far surpassed that (and this was clearly spelled out to me, no surprises) so the slight myopia I've slipped back into is not covered (apparently I went back for second/third helpings when bad vision genes were being handed out in the family). I still drive around and function without glasses, but I did buy a pair in case I don't pass a driving vision test. They're so light and the improvement is so subtle - what a change from the pop-bottle-bottom specs I used to wear! :)
The enhancement surgeries were just a lifting of the original corneal flap after anesthetic, bit of zapping with the laser, and a little more healing time, no big deal.
So glad you felt so well cared for and that you vision was improved! When you mention the tweaking & enhancement, was that basically another little surgery or was it achieved another way?