Not Worth the Complications I've Had and I'd Give Anthing to Go Back in Time So I Could Change my Mind. - Oklahoma City, OK

Anybody out there thinking about getting Lasik really needs to do much research before having the procedure done. I thought I had done plenty of research and felt very comfortable at the time with my decision. I saw more than 3 doctors before making my final choice. My Lasik doctor claimed to have the best technology out there and offered custom wavefront guided Lasik. Somehow I automatically assumed custom wavefront Lasik meant bladeless. I had no idea that custom wavefront refers to the treatment of the cornea itself. The procedure used to create the flap is extremely important. I suffered from mild dry eye prior to Lasik and had been told by the other doctors bladeless would be best option for me because the risk for dry eye symptoms following surgery is significantly less. In addition, I had good corneal thickness but more on the thinner side. Traditional Lasik creates a thicker flap, thus cutting more nerves in the cornea. The nerves in the cornea help with tear production. Bladeless Lasik creates a much thinner flap. Someone with a corneal thickness on the thinner side will benefit from bladeless vs. traditional because again, traditional removes more from the cornea's surface. The thinner your cornea is after surgery, the more at risk you are for developing a serious complication called ectasia, where the cornea's thickness is too thin and the cornea begins to bulge. I am 6 mos post surgery and suffer from moderate to severe dry eye. My eyes burn 24/7. I only get a break when I'm asleep. I've gone above and beyond in treating my dry eye. I'm on Restasis, have punctum plugs which are suppose to help your tears from draining, take fish oil, flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil, and use preservative free artificial tears constantly. All of this gets very expensive and at this time there is no cure for dry eye which is miserable to live with and can be permanent. I must sleep with plastic wrap over my eyes with heavy gel to keep them drying out at night. I also have to use moisture chamber goggles while watching tv or using the computer. My night time vision seems fine on most days. Halos, glare and starbursts are mild. Some days these symptoms can be a little bit worse and more bothersome, but not so much to where I don't feel like I can safely drive at night. However, my vision under dim lighting is poor. It's grainy and kind of fuzzy. Bladeless Lasik is thought to decrease the risk of this complication too. To make matters even worse, one eye developed an astigmatism after surgery that has not improved. This is yet another side effect of traditional surgery and bladeless is again thought to carry less of a risk for this. An enhancement would have to be done to correct it which terrifies me because this would mean loosing even more corneal thickness. Please, please do your homework before your decision and remember that no Lasik surgeon can promise perfect results without complications. Everyone responds and heals differently. Also, they won't always tell you about certain complications like for instance how Lasik itself does not cause floaters but the suction ring used prior to cutting the flap (bladeless and traditional), increases the pressure in your eye so much that it CAN cause floaters. I had floaters before and now have even more. Choosing whether to have the surgery or not is a very SERIOUS decision and unfortunately Lasik can not be reversed.