From the first consultation Dr Tracy and staff were warm friendly and knowledgeable. All of my questions were answered. Honestly I didn't even go to any other consultations after meeting with Dr Tracy. The procedure was fast and painless. Healing has been going well so far. Dr Tracy did a really good job of explaining the process and what to expect during this time. First few days were painful as expected with Prk but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Overall Dr Tracy is a fantastic surgeon and prepared me well for the healing process and what to expect. Can't wait for the final results!
I had PRK instead of LASIK because its safer even though it took a few more days to heal at first. It only took about 3 days though and it's so comforting to know that my eyes are all healed and can't get damaged due to having flaps like in LASIK. It was SO worth the $ to finally get this done. Living without glasses and contacts is like having a whole new kind of freedom I've never known before! And Dr Tracy was so awesome throughout the whole process.
I got PRK surgery here at Carlsbad Eye Care and was so blind I couldn't drive for almost 2 months, had to quit my job for that whole time only for in the end the surgery gave me ZERO percent improvement in my vision, it just made my corneas thinner (bad). When all was said and done, they told me to go pay someone experienced another few thousand to do it all over again. No refund at all. Honestly, the only thing that could have made this experience worse would be if my vision was permanently damaged.
The flap is a standard size for almost all patients, most commonly 120 microns (second most common is 90 microns). Surgeons will rarely do a special flap for unusual cases, but if so, he or she will discuss the reasons with you. And of course the actual laser treatment under the flap will be unique to you based on your measurements.
I never like to do borderline cases when there is a safer alternative. You would probably be an excellent candidate for PRK which is much safer in your case.
The VISX system is the laser technology that has been used in the most clinical studies and therefore is the most predictable. It also uses a unique wavescan for each individual unlike the Allegretto. In most studies, the outcomes with the VISX have been slightly better than with other lasers.
In my experience, I have found that it is best to avoid this sort of exposure for at least a month before and after LASIK surgery.
It is very unusual to have so many surgeries. Some people simply do not respond well to the laser and when I suspect that is the case I recommend no further surgery.