[LiquidTurbo]

Search is dead, and I could only find one thread in the health and wellness section.

Anyway, forgive me if this is in the wrong section but these are my EYES that I'm dealing with, not requesting to find an oil change shop... :D, I need to hit up a popular subforum.


Anyway, I've made up my mind that I want to do Lasik. I want to hear any success/horror stories before I take the plunge..

Anyone? Basically I want to go to the most reputable place, money is not a question regarding something like this..

Thanks in advance.

[BaBiE_Bee]

Coal Harbour Lasik Eye Centre

LASIK Laser Eye Surgery, Lasik, PRK Vancouver Canada, Lasik Eye Surgery, Laser Surgery for the Eye - Coal Harbour Lasik Eye Centre (http://www.seewell.ca)

My mom went here and nothing but good experiences, close to home for us since after the surgery if you have no one to drive you; just a short cab ride home. ;)

[Greenstoner]

i think ive seen people discussing london eye center or something similar in the health section.. pretty good info there IIRC

[Presto]

My sister went to Dr. Lin @ Pacific Laser. She says he was more than Lasik, but, apparently, this guy is the best. When it comes to something as important as your eyes, I don't mind paying a bit more.

[StylinRed]

go to the guy that does it for the canucks... cant remember who but his business partner tried to have him killed ;)



and there's supposed to be another form of Lasik which is supposed to be better i hear

so do some research before deciding on which one

(apparently many soldiers who've had lasik have had their eyes fucked up while in afghanistan/iraq so its believed that trauma+lasik=bad)

[Gumby]

I find it interesting how many/most laser eye surgeons still wear glasses... :)

[highfive]

Lasik are usually good for ppl with a lower prescription. If you have a higher prescription of 5.0 diopters or more, they would recommend you to do PRK.

I'm book for Coal Harbour Eye Centre next month. I've heard nothing but good news from them.

I went to both Pacific Eye Centre (Dr. Lin/Dr. Holland) and Coal Harbour. The staff and whole organization seems to be much better to me at Coal Harbour than Pacific.

[LiquidTurbo]

I find it interesting how many/most laser eye surgeons still wear glasses... :)

They probably can't do the procedure onto themselves and don't trust other surgeons.. :D

[q0192837465]

I heard that once u do the surgery, ur eyes can't focus for an extended period of time and they get dry easily. Reading becomes difficult. Any proof to what I've heard?
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[racerman88]

I heard that once u do the surgery, ur eyes can't focus for an extended period of time and they get dry easily. Reading becomes difficult. Any proof to what I've heard?
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

Depends on the person. Personally I was fine after my week of healing. Eyes were a little dry in the mornings but went away after a while.

Had mine done a London Eye Centre in New Westminster. Good after care as well. Get a referral and get $500 knocked off price.

London Eye Centre | 25 years+ of experience | No Touch PRK & Intralase SBK Laser Vision Correction (All Laser LASIK Eye Surgery) (http://www.lasereye.com/)

[Spidey]

I heard that once u do the surgery, ur eyes can't focus for an extended period of time and they get dry easily. Reading becomes difficult. Any proof to what I've heard?
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When I am reading a book for a while, and look up things aren't crisp and clear and are a bit blurry but nothing that would affect my quality of life.. This only lasts probably 5-10mins.. Weird thing is that it does not hapen when i am looking at the computer screen for a while..

I had prk done at london eye 2 years ago.

As for the surgeons wearing glasses, it is probably for reading, not for myopia or hyperopia

[shawn79]

friend from korea just got it done fairly cheap there and more professional

[Alatar]

Coal Harbour. They'll pre-screen you to see if you're more suitable for Lasik or PRK. Cost for either PRK or Lasik was ~$2000-2500 a few years ago now.

If you're into contact sports or anything physical, you may want to consider PRK instead of Lasik.

Lasik cuts a flap which never truly fully heals (it can become dry - MUST remember to stick to the eyedrop routine they give you) and can be dislodged in contact sports.

PRK "shaves" off the top of the eye, so it does take a bit longer to "heal" the surface, and you'd have to wear these funky large contact lenses at night for... I think it's a few months, I'd have to ask my brother.

Both brothers and an ex had laser eye surgery done. One brother got PRK, the other got Lasik. My ex got Lasik.

I'd say get more info on what may be more suitable for you, and then find out which places specialize more towards one or the other.

I'll tell you now, Coal Harbour is one of the better ones for PRK, and is definitely no slouch with Lasik either.

[MG1]

So, all Asians wear glasses and those who don't, have actually had laser eye surgery.

I don't think I can ever do it. With my luck, I will be the one in a million that will go blind from it.

Besides, if everybody stopped wearing glasses, what would happen to all the naughty librarians?

Pearle Vision Commercial - YouTube

The video clip is stretched and makes her face look off a bit, but she still looks hot.

[highfive]

I also forgot to mention this which I find it weird.

I was told to do PRK at both Pacific Eye Centre and Coal Harbour Eye Centre.

Coal Harbour includes all the following check ups at their facility included in the costs. You can opt for an optometrist elsewhere but you have to pay for it yourself.

Pacific Eye Centre will ask you to go book your own schedules with your own optometrist.

To me, it just seems Coal Harbour runs on a very conservative guidelines and the doctor is very hands on in making sure you are well taken care of under his control.

[PHO?]

I did my eyes last Nov at Lasik MD (DT), they now have a branch in Surrey. They did a price match for me so I paid around $2400. I now have 20/20 vision. I did PRK

[Lowered_Klass]

For those that had PRK, how long until you could 'see' well enough to go back to work, do normal everyday things, etc?

[drunkrussian]

my one friend went to a top of the line expensive ass doctor but ended up having some issues with sunlight. might have been his fault. he is fine now.

my other friend (well ex friend) went to a moderately proced doc on the cheap side and had NO issues. but shes a total piece of cunt so who knows.

point is, i think its very safe nowdays. if i were u id go with someone well reviewed but in the moderate vs high priced category. i dont think u need the guy who does henrik sedins eyes. just make sure to be careful afterwards (ie avoid sun) as i be most mishaps nowdays are the recipient's fault, not the doctor's
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[Jobo]

Coal Harbour x999999999999
The Canucks even go there

[daval]

London Eye Center, PRK, done 3 years ago, $3000. Couldn't emphasize how awesome it is to have 20/20 vision.

[Spidey]

For those that had PRK, how long until you could 'see' well enough to go back to work, do normal everyday things, etc?

I was cleared to legally be able to drive... 3 days after?

[Ch28]

I was cleared to legally be able to drive... 3 days after?

Everybody says PRK is suppose to require a longer healing process compared to lasik. How long did it take for you to get back to your normal routine? i.e. work / gym etc.

[dachinesedude]

how bad were your eye sight for the people who got surgery done?

i want it done too, but im only a -2.00, not sure if its worth it, 20/20 vision would be awesome tho

[minoru_tanaka]

^Do you even wear glasses?

[ntan]

I did PRK at Coal Harbour and it took me 12 days before I could confidently drive again. I had crap vision from day 2 to day 11 (day 1 vision was great, but that was expected apparently)... then suddenly day 12 vision was BAM excellent.

[J____]

Search is dead, and I could only find one thread in the health and wellness section.

Anyway, forgive me if this is in the wrong section but these are my EYES that I'm dealing with, not requesting to find an oil change shop... :D, I need to hit up a popular subforum.


Anyway, I've made up my mind that I want to do Lasik. I want to hear any success/horror stories before I take the plunge..

Anyone? Basically I want to go to the most reputable place, money is not a question regarding something like this..

Thanks in advance.

just had prk done at coal harbor eye center, best thing i've done in my life. They have anniversary discount too. $1500 for both eyes. Good place too, not some sketch discount place
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[Lowered_Klass]

just had prk done at coal harbor eye center, best thing i've done in my life. They have anniversary discount too. $1500 for both eyes. Good place too, not some sketch discount place
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How long till things got back to normal for you? Driving, work, etc etc??

[jaemc]

how bad were your eye sight for the people who got surgery done?

i want it done too, but im only a -2.00, not sure if its worth it, 20/20 vision would be awesome tho


Same! my prescription or whatever is around -2.00 too. Alot of people told me not to because its not that "deep." But I ride now its so annoying taking off your glasses and putting on your helmet and putting your glasses back on again. I've been wanting to get it done too but not sure if its worth it or not.

[PHO?]

everyone is different, after my PRK surgery, the first month my vision was worst. After that my eyes started to progress. Took me a total of 2 months for 20/20

[DJ Milk]

I got PRK done at London Place Eye Center about 3 months ago. I went there because Coal Harbour's had a long wait because of their anniversary promotion. I was able to start driving about 4 days later. But my eyes wasn't that bad to begin with at -2.50. And I had to wear sunglasses at night cause it was super sensitive to light. A month after sugery, my vision is 20/15 :cool:

[dignatas]

just watched final destination and this thread reminds me of this

Final Destination 5 - Laser Eye Surgery - YouTube

[J____]

took me about 1.5 months after surgery to be right of ghosting and fluctuating vision. I haven't had the post everything check up yet cuz I havent had time but eye sight pretty close to perfect. My left eye is SLIGHTLY blurrier than my right but still see good.

[adambomb]

I went to London Eye Centre 5 years ago, eyes are still great, best money i've ever spent. Better than car mods, clothes or any other crap. Cost about $3000. My doctor even met me after hours at the office when one of the bandages came out. :thumbsup:

[guddagudd]

so I'm thinking about getting them done, is Coal harbour still the most recommended place? and reading previous posts, how do you guys determine your nearsightedness? my doctor always refer them as hundreds, so my "degree" is around like 1000, how does that correlate with -2.00 or whatever? thanks

[GabAlmighty]

I had PRK done at Pacific Laser with Dr. Lin. He was an amazing Dr. to deal with and super understanding. Price reflected the above par work and so far i'm still super happy with the results.

Me personally I still have halo'ing at night and my eyes dry up if i'm awake for a super long time or working in a pool.

[twitchyzero]

even tho some of these techniques have been around for more than 2 decades I should probably look into the literature on the long term effects. I'm looking into getting it done but only after I know I'm completely done all my schooling.

Anyone suffering regression within 5-10 years?
Do they help reduce the 'floaters'?

[pinn3r]

also, is there a recommended age to have laser eye surgery done?
currently 17, and i'm almost blind with -4.75

[MeowMeow]

even tho some of these techniques have been around for more than 2 decades I should probably look into the literature on the long term effects. I'm looking into getting it done but only after I know I'm completely done all my schooling.

Anyone suffering regression within 5-10 years?
Do they help reduce the 'floaters'?

Both of my parents got them done
My dad' s is fine (he got it done at coal Harbour 11 years ago) but my mom's sight went back down a little bit on one side.

also, is there a recommended age to have laser eye surgery done?
currently 17, and i'm almost blind with -4.75

Haven't got it done personally but recommended age doc told me was 25 so I'm waiting few more years.
Lot of ppl get it done in early 20's though

[dinosaur]

Anyone suffering regression within 5-10 years?
Do they help reduce the 'floaters'?

Both of my parents got them done
My dad' s is fine (he got it done at coal Harbour 11 years ago) but my mom's sight went back down a little bit on one side.



My aunt had regression as well....almost back to where she was originally which is pretty damn blind. My friend's sister had a little bit of a regression, but nothing to bad. Both had the surgery over 10 years ago.

From what I understand, nothing can be done about the floaters. Your eyes will adapt over time and you won't notice them as much.

[GabAlmighty]

I was 19/20 when I had it done. All they want is for your vision to have stabilized and my vision hadn't deteriorated for a few years so they said go for it.

[Alatar]

Your eyesight can change dramatically until you're roughly 25, thus the recommendation that you wait until that age to perform any major eye surgeries.

I had an ex who had hers done when she was 22 and she was back to wearing glasses after 4 years. She doesn't mind though, as her eyesight still isn't anywhere near as poor as it was prior to LASIK.

That being said, my one brother had his done when he was 22, and his hasn't changed at all. He's got haloing at night though.

Oldest brother and my ex both done at Coal Harbor, other brother done at London

[willystyle]

so I'm thinking about getting them done, is Coal harbour still the most recommended place? and reading previous posts, how do you guys determine your nearsightedness? my doctor always refer them as hundreds, so my "degree" is around like 1000, how does that correlate with -2.00 or whatever? thanks
You can't go wrong with London Place, Pacific Eye Centre and Coal Harbour.

[acrophobia]

Had prk done ~ 6 years ago now at Coal Harbour.

Summary:
-Mentally the recovery was tough since you're eyes will be good one day, but blurry the next as the cell grow over. I was 20/20 after 2 weeks.
-I still suffer from dry eyes in the morning, especially in winter.
-I still have some haloing at night and find night driving a little more tiring.
-I consider my laser eye surgery one of the best investments I've made and would do it again in a heartbeat. To wake up in the morning and be able to see without fumbling for my glasses...very, very nice.

[Raid3n]

^Do you even wear glasses?

Same! my prescription or whatever is around -2.00 too. Alot of people told me not to because its not that "deep." But I ride now its so annoying taking off your glasses and putting on your helmet and putting your glasses back on again. I've been wanting to get it done too but not sure if its worth it or not.

i've got -1.75 on the right and -2.50 on the left and i wear glasses. definitely considering this cause glasses are a pain in my ass.

[604STIG]

I had PRK at London Eye Place in New West as well. Top notch work and they also take care of all of the post-op check ups. Can't say enough good about them.

OP, can I ask why you have chosen Lasik instead of a no-touch less invasive procedure?

[tool001]

for those who had lasik or prk done. are you allowed to go into water, ie swimming etc.

and

for those who got prk , why did you chose prk over lasik? high presc. or thin flap.. etc.

[SilverT]

for those who had lasik or prk done. are you allowed to go into water, ie swimming etc.

and

for those who got prk , why did you chose prk over lasik? high presc. or thin flap.. etc.
I had prk done 5 months ago. You are allowed to swim without goggles 1 month after your surgery date. I chose prk because according to the educators at London eye its a better procedure to have if you participate in physical activities. If you had LASIK done your flap may open up if you get hit on the eye.
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[willystyle]

for those who had lasik or prk done. are you allowed to go into water, ie swimming etc.

and

for those who got prk , why did you chose prk over lasik? high presc. or thin flap.. etc.
Due to my complicated prescription and thin cornea, PRK was the only choice at the time. I would've went with PRK anyway even if I had the Lasik option due to the possible opening of the flap.

[GabAlmighty]

for those who had lasik or prk done. are you allowed to go into water, ie swimming etc.

and

for those who got prk , why did you chose prk over lasik? high presc. or thin flap.. etc.

I think I had to wait a little more than a month before I could "go in the water". That being said, I was a lifeguard at the time and had to teach swimming lessons so for the first month I just wore goggles at all times and even after a month I still had my eyes tightly shut whenever my eyes came near the water. Hell, I don't even open my eyes underwater at the pool anymore just because I know how dirty those places are.

[604STIG]

for those who got prk , why did you chose prk over lasik? high presc. or thin flap.. etc.

Because blade cutting your eye:rukidding:

[Gumby]

I think I had to wait a little more than a month before I could "go in the water". That being said, I was a lifeguard at the time and had to teach swimming lessons so for the first month I just wore goggles at all times and even after a month I still had my eyes tightly shut whenever my eyes came near the water. Hell, I don't even open my eyes underwater at the pool anymore just because I know how dirty those places are.
Just because your eyes are closed underwater doesn't mean the pool water won't come into contact with your eyes... :troll:

[GabAlmighty]

Just because your eyes are closed underwater doesn't mean the pool water won't come into contact with your eyes... :troll:

Oh I know, it's just much less haha.

[willystyle]

Also, besides the fact that PRK is a "no-touch surgical procedure". It's also a more proven method than LASIK because it's been around much longer.

[LiquidTurbo]

OP here. All is well and everything worked out. 20/20 and couldn't be happier.

[racerman88]

My sister went to Dr. Lin @ Pacific Laser. She says he was more than Lasik, but, apparently, this guy is the best. When it comes to something as important as your eyes, I don't mind paying a bit more.

IT is a little more and when my friend went to him, all the after care was paid out of pocket as well. Not included in the price

I had my eyes done at London Eye Centre in 2006 and have never had a problem.
I have quite a few friends who have gone there as well.

[604STIG]

IT is a little more and when my friend went to him, all the after care was paid out of pocket as well. Not included in the price

I had my eyes done at London Eye Centre in 2006 and have never had a problem.
I have quite a few friends who have gone there as well.

That was one of the main reasons I went to London Eye Place. Besides being renowned as the best place for this type of "surgery" they take care of all your post-op follow ups and everything in house. No need to run around anywhere else to get your check-ups and appointments. And not that I cared about the money when it came to my eyes, but it was all included in the initial price, also got an additional $500 discount when someone called in to ask to have me added to their group for the group rate discount.

[sonick]

Besides, if everybody stopped wearing glasses, what would happen to all the naughty librarians?

Pearle Vision Commercial - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTuyoOyWh0c)

The video clip is stretched and makes her face look off a bit, but she still looks hot.

Always loved this commercial.

but shes a total piece of cunt so who knows.

:awwyeah:

[silva95teg]

IT is a little more and when my friend went to him, all the after care was paid out of pocket as well. Not included in the price

I had my eyes done at London Eye Centre in 2006 and have never had a problem.
I have quite a few friends who have gone there as well.

+1 for London, had mine done a little over 2 years ago. Very happy with the decision. Care and staff were great. I chose them because i have family members that went there 10+ years ago and are still happy.

Had PRK ( prior prescription was stable at -1.75 and -2.25 for about 5 years w/ some astigmatism)

My experience:
Painful during few days after as the skin grows back(stayed in bed took meds and drops)

Took about 2 weeks for computer/close up vision to be good
About the same for night vision to be what i remembered it to be.

Eyes were a little dry on wake up some mornings but hardly ever needed drops.

Now just good vision :)

[guddagudd]

so im assuming -1.75 and -2.25 means 175 and 225 degrees for your eyes?

[silva95teg]

so im assuming -1.75 and -2.25 means 175 and 225 degrees for your eyes?

No, those numbers refer to the amount I was near sighted. I think the units are diopters or something. 0 would be perfect, a plus Would be farsighted and - indicates near sighted I believe. Astigmatism Is measured in degrees I think.
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[guddagudd]

yea and im asking does -1.75 mean 175 degree in terms of shortsightedness?

[silva95teg]

yea and im asking does -1.75 mean 175 degree in terms of shortsightedness?

I am saying no I don't think it is in degrees at all, you can be -10.00 it isn't 1000 degrees. I would say it is more just a measurement of how far away from perfect vision you are. I am not an eye dr, so that's probably the best I can explain it. Maybe someone else will know better.
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[Frenchie]

Went to London Eye and Pacific Laser this past week for consultations to see which one I liked best.

London Eye said my cornea was too thin, so they recommended PRK. I really had my heart set on the Intralase SBK procedure, so I asked the doc again. He pulled out a calculator, punched a few numbers in and said that I'd be coming close to their threshold, but it would be ok (371 microns after surgery; their threshold is 350 microns while the international standard is 250 microns). Booked with them after their info guy gave me further info. $3300 including all follow up appointments (after a $500 discount for a referral).

Had Dr. Holland at Pacific Eye. He's really nice but said I wasn't a LASIK candidate and only PRK. $3100 + steroid drops that I'd need to be taking for 3-4 months (about $100-150 they said) + follow up appointments. Plus there's the contact lens "bandages" that need to be worn for 4-5 days and the week you need to take off work.

I chose London Eye for the Intralase SBK procedure, which uses a laser to cut the flap instead of a keratome blade. Recovery time is 1-3 days. PRK would have taken a week at least so the cost to me was negligible (time is money!) Getting it done in August.

[guddagudd]

I am saying no I don't think it is in degrees at all, you can be -10.00 it isn't 1000 degrees. I would say it is more just a measurement of how far away from perfect vision you are. I am not an eye dr, so that's probably the best I can explain it. Maybe someone else will know better.
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I appreciate that reply, still open to answers

[Ch28]

Booked a consultation at the start of August @ Coal Harbour Eye Centre :)

[Recon604]

i have very bad vision about -9 both eyes. Did anyone use to have horrible site like me and gotten prk done?

[LiquidTurbo]

i have very bad vision about -9 both eyes. Did anyone use to have horrible site like me and gotten prk done?

Dude. We are not laser eye experts. Go for a consultation.

[Spartacus]

Hey guys, do you have referrals? I plan on taking my mom to do a few consultation soon. Also any updates on how your surgery went and how are your eyes now?

[Ch28]

Hey guys, do you have referrals? I plan on taking my mom to do a few consultation soon. Also any updates on how your surgery went and how are your eyes now?

Coal Harbour Eye Centre.

Dr. Kirzner is great
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[$_$]

Coal Harbour Eye Centre.

Dr. Kirzner is great
Posted via RS Mobile

Went with Coal Harbour because I liked their staff and facility. Didn't see Dr.Kirzner as much as I was lead to believe (the only time I saw him was during surgery) and one of the sales made it sound like he also does followup. All consultations, followup was done by his staff, but they seem experienced and know what they are doing. Overall experience was good and would recommend.

Did PRK - Surgery was quick and painless, less than 10 minutes and I had no recovery pain/time. I hear this is not the case for everyone that does PRK though(they prescribed lorazepam and eye pain drops which I didn't have to use). I got my surgery done a month ago now, and apparently I can see 20/20 - I can read the last row on the charts. But I'm kind of sad because it is not completely crystal for me, and it is probably because of the residual astigmatism I have. I think everyone's recovery is a bit different depending on how thick your cornea is and how you heal. I'm going to give it another month and wait and see.

Overall it was one of the best decisions I have made and would recommend Coal harbor since they are pretty mid priced (cheapest I think is 499 per eye I've heard on the radio?, highest I've seen is 3-4k. Mine was 2k everything in) and Dr. Kirzner is one of the top surgeons.

[Ch28]

Another thing to consider is that Dr. Kirzner OWNS his own laser eye surgery practice. All those LASIK MD and London Place ones hire out.

[daval]

i have very bad vision about -9 both eyes. Did anyone use to have horrible site like me and gotten prk done?

i was -7.5, did PRK at London Eye Center. Best investment ever.

[$_$]

Can somebody with high astigmastism prior to surgery chime in on whether or not it was completely removed after surgery? I can see 20/20, but things aren't "crystal clear" (slighly shaky/blurry)

[J____]

Can somebody with high astigmastism prior to surgery chime in on whether or not it was completely removed after surgery? I can see 20/20, but things aren't "crystal clear" (slighly shaky/blurry)

i didn't have "high" astigmatism, was around .75 in both eyes. After surgery was all gone and eyesight was like a hawk. 1.5 years later my astigmatism is back, haven't gotten it tested to see how much is back but seems less. However maybe because I'm not nearsighted anymore so it seems less than before. Same thing happened with my friend where her astigmatism came back after a couple of years.

[$_$]

i didn't have "high" astigmatism, was around .75 in both eyes. After surgery was all gone and eyesight was like a hawk. 1.5 years later my astigmatism is back, haven't gotten it tested to see how much is back but seems less. However maybe because I'm not nearsighted anymore so it seems less than before. Same thing happened with my friend where her astigmatism came back after a couple of years.

Would you consider again surgery again to get back to the eyesight of right after surgery?

[jaguar604]

i didn't have "high" astigmatism, was around .75 in both eyes. After surgery was all gone and eyesight was like a hawk. 1.5 years later my astigmatism is back, haven't gotten it tested to see how much is back but seems less. However maybe because I'm not nearsighted anymore so it seems less than before. Same thing happened with my friend where her astigmatism came back after a couple of years.

What age did you and your friend get the surgery done? I know they recommend to wait until you're 25+ since that's when your eyes settle and getting surgery done before that age can lead to your vision deteriorating.

[J____]

What age did you and your friend get the surgery done? I know they recommend to wait until you're 25+ since that's when your eyes settle and getting surgery done before that age can lead to your vision deteriorating.

got mine done at 27, she did hers at 23 i think

[J____]

Would you consider again surgery again to get back to the eyesight of right after surgery?

sorry, i'm having hard time understanding this haha. do you mean would I do it again to correct it further?

Yes if it gets super bad and it'll help. But my understanding is there's only a certain amount of times you can do laser eye before the cornea get's too thin for it. The thickness of the cornea doesn't grow back, so you can probably do it max 2 times forever it get's dangerous.

[LiquidTurbo]

I only ever do it once.

[JayEch]

Hey guys,

Sorry to bump an old thread but I couldnt find any other recent ones.

I'm considering TransPRK(no touch) at Pacific Laser and London Eye. Can anyone chime in with their experiences at these two places? Already went to the consultation at both. Now I'm torn between them.

Quoted 3100 @ Pacific Laser, meds covered through insurance, plus another 500 or so for post care
Quoted 2500 @ London Eye, all inclusive.

What do you guys think? Is the 1000 premium worth it? Im willing to pay, afterall these are my eyes. Or are they both reputable enough that it wouldn't matter where I got it done.

Thanks

[willystyle]

Hey guys,

Sorry to bump an old thread but I couldnt find any other recent ones.

I'm considering TransPRK(no touch) at Pacific Laser and London Eye. Can anyone chime in with their experiences at these two places? Already went to the consultation at both. Now I'm torn between them.

Quoted 3100 @ Pacific Laser, meds covered through insurance, plus another 500 or so for post care
Quoted 2500 @ London Eye, all inclusive.

What do you guys think? Is the 1000 premium worth it? Im willing to pay, afterall these are my eyes. Or are they both reputable enough that it wouldn't matter where I got it done.

Thanks
Have you received a consultation at Coal Harbour Eye Center?

If you don't know already, all PRK procedures are the same and require no cut/touch. They are only trademarked for niche. The only difference will be the surgeon.

[MikeyStyle]

just got mine done about two weeks ago at lasik md vision (www.lasikmd.com/vancouver) for $3,130 for their custom wavefront prk (www.lasikmd.com/vancouver/procedures-technology/procedures/prk/custom-wavefront). cost also includes three eye exams after the first year

[JayEch]

Have you received a consultation at Coal Harbour Eye Center?

If you don't know already, all PRK procedures are the same and require no cut/touch. They are only trademarked for niche. The only difference will be the surgeon.

I thought there was a difference in procedure. One peels off the layer with chemicals and the other with a laser, but most places is with a laser now.

Hows coal harbour? ill look into it.

just got mine done about two weeks ago at lasik md vision (www.lasikmd.com/vancouver) for $3,130 for their custom wavefront prk (www.lasikmd.com/vancouver/procedures-technology/procedures/prk/custom-wavefront). cost also includes three eye exams after the first year

How are you feeling about it?

[MikeyStyle]

vision is getting better and better each day, but things are still blurry

painful the first day, but it went away by the third. tears will just be rolling down your face uncontrollably

be sure to have someone with you for the first couple of days. thought i could tough it out, but it's definitely hard as you can't really open your eyes

[$_$]

Hey guys,

Sorry to bump an old thread but I couldnt find any other recent ones.

I'm considering TransPRK(no touch) at Pacific Laser and London Eye. Can anyone chime in with their experiences at these two places? Already went to the consultation at both. Now I'm torn between them.

Quoted 3100 @ Pacific Laser, meds covered through insurance, plus another 500 or so for post care
Quoted 2500 @ London Eye, all inclusive.

What do you guys think? Is the 1000 premium worth it? Im willing to pay, afterall these are my eyes. Or are they both reputable enough that it wouldn't matter where I got it done.

Thanks

Have you received a consultation at Coal Harbour Eye Center?

If you don't know already, all PRK procedures are the same and require no cut/touch. They are only trademarked for niche. The only difference will be the surgeon.

I thought there was a difference in procedure. One peels off the layer with chemicals and the other with a laser, but most places is with a laser now.

Hows coal harbour? ill look into it.



How are you feeling about it?


I did mine at Coal Harbor and I would recommend it. It was cheaper than the other places and although you don't get to see the operating doctor until the day of surgery everyone there was friendly and knew what they were doing. Did hours of examination and everything was double checked day of. Did some research on my doc and he's supposed to be the best.

[underscore]

I thought there was a difference in procedure. One peels off the layer with chemicals and the other with a laser, but most places is with a laser now.

From my understanding there's two methods, removal of the outer layers using chemicals (which then regrows) or cutting a flap (either by hand or using a laser). Personally I went with the laser cut flap as I saw lots of positives to it and it's the latest tech (but still around for long enough to be well proven) but everyones opinion will differ. It only hurt for a short while after surgery (which I slept though with some Gravol), and I was cleared to drive at the 24 hour follow up and cleared to work (lots of PC use) at 48.

[kr4l]

I went to lasik md a few years ago. $2500 with the check afterwards. I took a cab home myself after walking around Robson looking for one. I still remember watching the olympics and playing video games that night. The sleep that night was pretty bad cause it was so dry.

My fiancé is legally blind with -11 or some crazy amount. getting it done was probably one of the best decisions Weve ever made. If you're holding off for something better in the future, you're just wasting your time. Of course technology is going to get better overtime but I've heard nothing but good things about getting lasik. The horror stories are probably 1 in 100,000 and it ain't even that bad

[604STIG]

Just want to clarify for some of you guys after reading the last couple of posts. PRK does not involve cutting any flap, the laser reshapes the outer layer of the eye by removing layers which are xx microns thick. Lasik involves cutting the outer flap, that's the all I know about Lasik.

I had PRK at London Eye about 7-8 years ago, best decision i've ever made. Was happy to the point my wife went there this year to have the procedure done. Also, price had nothing to do with my decision, in fact London was one of the more expensive places when I had it done. I would never let something like price dictate something as critical as eye surgery.

[racerman88]

My wife, myself and several friends have all gone through London Eye and have had no issues

[willystyle]

I thought there was a difference in procedure. One peels off the layer with chemicals and the other with a laser, but most places is with a laser now.

Hows coal harbour? ill look into it.

ALL PRK procedures are the same, they take off a very thin layer of your eye with a laser. LASIK requires cutting with a surgical knife. To each their own which one's better.

All the PRK procedures with copyright names such as NO-TOUCH, NO-CUT PRK, etc. are all the same, they try to differentiate their procedures with fancy names, so they can set different prices.

I had consultations at London Eye Place Centre, Pacific and Coal Harbour. I went with Coal Harbour as I felt they were the most professional (staff-wise), their consultation was lengthy and thorough. They tested me with 6-8 different equipment, and the doctor is one of the best, if not, the best. At the time, price-wise, they were on middle-ground compared to Lasik MD (cheapest) and Pacific ($4000). It's been 6 years for me, no complaints here, best investment in my health ever.

[underscore]

^ Not quite right, PRK is the removal of the layer using an alcohol solution or a tool, LASIK creates a flap using either a microkeratome (by hand) or a femtosecond laser (controlled by a computer). PRK vs LASIK depends on the person, but I think having the laser cut the flap is better.

There's also LASEK, but I think that's mainly used if you can't have PRK or LASIK for whatever reason.

[Mr.HappySilp]

Just want to add a note to Laser Eye Surgery. If you are born with any issue with your eyes (such as myself). Doesn't matter who is doing the Laser Eye Surgery for you, it doesn't really help. Been seeing my eye specalist every year and he always tells me Laser Eye Surgery won't do much for me since I was born this way........

[willystyle]

Just want to add a note to Laser Eye Surgery. If you are born with any issue with your eyes (such as myself). Doesn't matter who is doing the Laser Eye Surgery for you, it doesn't really help. Been seeing my eye specalist every year and he always tells me Laser Eye Surgery won't do much for me since I was born this way........
Well I have an eye condition that was told during my consultation that it would not be fixed with laser eye correction, so that will usually be discussed initially.

[noTirl]

Is there still a referral discount to London Eye or Coal Harbour?

[J____]

.

[Frenchie]

Is there still a referral discount to London Eye or Coal Harbour?

There is a $500 referral discount at London.

Did Intralase SBK there about 5 years ago. First few hours were tough (felt like there was sand constantly in your eyes) but just slept it off. No pain after the nap. Able to drive the next day after the checkup.

[subordinate]

Any recent personal stories?

In the start of my research.

I have -6.00 ish eyes, and they've been stable for quite some time now.

PRK with Coal harbour or Pacific laser. Leaning towards Pacific Laser since it's the most preferred/go to place. Don't want to cheap out on a crucial procedure right?

Jayech? you still here? How'd it go?

[kr4l]

Any recent personal stories?

In the start of my research.

I have -6.00 ish eyes, and they've been stable for quite some time now.

PRK with Coal harbour or Pacific laser. Leaning towards Pacific Laser since it's the most preferred/go to place. Don't want to cheap out on a crucial procedure right?

Jayech? you still here? How'd it go?

Do it and don't look back. It will change your life.

[asian_XL]

What about pre-surgery feeling and procedure sharing? My uncle scaried me that surgeron will anesthesia my eye ball with a needle, so my eyes won't move, what is that all about?

[underscore]

^ they use drops to numb it, not a needle. 5 mins on Google should answer all those kinds of questions.

I have -6.00 ish eyes, and they've been stable for quite some time now.

I was at -6.25/-4.75 with -1.25 astigmatism in both and I think I'm something like -0.25/0 now. My aunt was at something like -10 and had to wear glasses and contacts and she's at something like -1.5 now.

[jerche]

I went to coal harbour about 3 years ago and did the PRK. I recommend it. Sometimes I do wake up with my eyes a bit dry but overall I have no issues

[ZN6]

What about pre-surgery feeling and procedure sharing? My uncle scaried me that surgeron will anesthesia my eye ball with a needle, so my eyes won't move, what is that all about?

Funny story when I was in school, I had corneal ulcer from the lab and they brought me into the medical center at Maggie Benston at SFU. They do not inject anesthesia but they just put a whole bunch of it. I literally have a pool of anesthesia on my face.

I moved a bit and it dripped down the side of my face and the side of my face was all numb and I was drooling out the side of my mouth. I doubt they will inject you with it.

[asian_XL]

I asked again, my uncle had cataract, maybe different surgery.

[Mr.Money]

My cousin had PRK no touch and said right after it was the most fuckin painful thing ever he wanted to go into the emergency room it was so bad,he took the eyedrops and they weren't helping.

anyone else have this experience?

[underscore]

It hurt like hell for me too, I mean they cut open your eye after all, so I used the numbing drops they gave me and took two Gravol and slept for a few more hours. I'm not sure if the numbing drops helped but my best advice to everyone is to take a full dose of Gravol as soon as you get home so you're knocked out before the freezing wears off.

[MikeyStyle]

My cousin had PRK no touch and said right after it was the most fuckin painful thing ever he wanted to go into the emergency room it was so bad,he took the eyedrops and they weren't helping.

anyone else have this experience?
it was pretty uncomfortable. first day was the worst, but by day four the pain went away

[Ch28]

I did PRK and I had no real noticeable pain until the 3rd day. It was absolutely excruciating no matter how much I opened my eyes it would tear up and hurt. Ended up spending the day just lying in bed. Besides that one time, it was pretty normal. My eyes were dry and tired and my eyes felt like there was sand in it.

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

seriously considering it now... but scuured.

my eyes. my beautiful woman viewing eyes.

[subordinate]

it seems like the healing time is different for everyone.

But that pain eh...hmm. No pain no gain eh.

[corollagtSr5]

So don't be a pussy and go balls to the walls with LASIK?

[Ch28]

seriously considering it now... but scuured.

my eyes. my beautiful woman viewing eyes.

There's absolutely nothing to be scared of. I went to Coal Harbour and Dr. Kirzner took great care of me during the surgery. He had a very calm voice and would tell you exactly what he's doing and he'd count down the time you had left for that stage of the surgery. I was in and out of there in 5-10 minutes or so.

it seems like the healing time is different for everyone.

But that pain eh...hmm. No pain no gain eh.

Healing time and pain levels will be different for each person. I took ~3 weeks to fully heal because I rubbed one of my eyes during the first week and that caused a micro tear. I thought I had dust in my eye, but turns out that's just my eyes being really dry. It's a very normal feeling during the healing process and all you need to do is continue to add eye drops and avoid rubbing or causing any friction between the eye and eyelids.

So don't be a pussy and go balls to the walls with LASIK?

There's nothing "pussy" about using PRK over LASIK. The treatment methods are different so the healing time is varied. If you do any contact sports then they usually recommend against doing LASIK.

[Farfetched]

There's nothing "pussy" about using PRK over LASIK. The treatment methods are different so the healing time is varied. If you do any contact sports then they usually recommend against doing LASIK.

ok. where does it say that?

[underscore]

^ it's due to the flap not being 100% healed down for the first year. From what I researched, after a year it's as solid as before.

[subordinate]

any recent stories?

I'm going to go to some consultations. Prob either London eye or Pacific laser

[ynot-llat]

Just had prk on my left eye done last month at Pacific laser with Dr. David lin.

He's a boss, it was very smooth and professional. No pain during and while healing.

One night playing poker it got really irritated for a few minutes. As long as you stay on top of ur eye drop regime it's all good. Dont rub ur eyes!

[subordinate]

Just had prk on my left eye done last month at Pacific laser with Dr. David lin.

He's a boss, it was very smooth and professional. No pain during and while healing.

One night playing poker it got really irritated for a few minutes. As long as you stay on top of ur eye drop regime it's all good. Dont rub ur eyes!

How did you figure you paid all in? Including appts with your optometrist?

[ynot-llat]

How did you figure you paid all in? Including appts with your optometrist?

The PRK with Pacific Laser was $2050.00, I not only had PRK but corneal cross linking procedure done as well as I have Keratoconus.
The follow up appointments with my optometrist (Dr. Sherman Tung) was about $500.00

Everybody that i talked to before doing it, said the same thing. "Best money i've ever spent"

I agree.

[subordinate]

wow, that's a great price. Your prescription must have not been that bad.

[604STIG]

wow, that's a great price. Your prescription must have not been that bad.

If a place is quoting or charging you based on your eye prescription strength then they're trying to take advantage of people. That shouldn't factor into the price of the procedure since it is all the same procedure regardless of prescription.
One of the many reasons I went to London Eye, and hear good things about Coal Harbor all the time as well.

[subordinate]

If a place is quoting or charging you based on your eye prescription strength then they're trying to take advantage of people. That shouldn't factor into the price of the procedure since it is all the same procedure regardless of prescription.
One of the many reasons I went to London Eye, and hear good things about Coal Harbor all the time as well.

Pacific quotes based on Prescription, but they are pretty much the best I believe.

[subordinate]

Took the bite and got laser just under 4 weeks ago - PRK @ London Eye.
Eyes were about -6.5/-6.75

PRK itself was nothing really, something like 40seconds each eye. One patch on one eye, laser the other, vice versa. Look at the orange blinking light until it's done.

Doc then irrigates the eyes and that's pretty much it. He puts a contact lense in both eyes to aid the healing process. Pain-wise? There wasn't really much pain on the first day. I mostly kept them closed and listened to a bunch of podcasts.

That very night, the pain hit me like a ton of bricks. I expected it and should have used the pred forte (pain med) they gave. I slept it off.

At the end of Week 1 is where I experienced a chunk of the change. Unfortunately, from the end of week 1 to where I am now, I haven't really noticed much visible changes. I am still putting in tears roughly every hour (I use either refresh celluvisic/ bion tears/ or sometimes the preservative ones)

Driving is tricky. On day 5, the contacts were taken out and things were still blurry as shit. I struggled to read the biggest letters. Crazy enough, doc says' I'm still legally allowed to drive - i think that's insane.

Even at the moment, I could probably see maybe 10-15ft for a license plate in front of me. Long distance is still blurry. I have absolutely no problems for near sight things. Granted, this browser is at 150x zoom still. I'd call this vision, "functional blurry"

I'm not worrying just yet. PRK is incredibly varied among patients. I've read almost every story/blog out there. I will start panicking around the 2 to 3 month mark (Knowing that it can take up to 6 months).

Conclusion? Too early to say if I regret it or not. I'll update if I need a touch up or not. The sheer amount of time PRK is taking to resume my normal life is frustrating. At times, I wonder if I should have done Lasik instead.

P.S. London eye puzzles me a bit. Other clinics advise their patients about taking Fish Oil, Flax Seed, & Vitamin C before and after surgery to aid in healing. They never really informed me too nor was it in their phamplets.

2. London eye doesn't differentiate between preservative and preservative-free drops. The Opto said either was fine. Other clinics (googling) advise only preservative-free drops for the first couple of weeks and you can switch to cheaper preservative ones but ones without is recommended.

[SoulCrusher]

I had PRK done at London Eye Care in 2011. It was easily the best investment I've made. Like you, I had my issues for the first several weeks and the irritation in each eye almost made me regret getting it done but I was at 100% around 3 months after the procedure. My most recent eye exam, I was told I have perfect vision - better than 20/20.

Be patient with the healing process. In time you'll realize it was worth it

[ynot-llat]

Took the bite and got laser just under 4 weeks ago - PRK @ London Eye.
Eyes were about -6.5/-6.75

PRK itself was nothing really, something like 40seconds each eye. One patch on one eye, laser the other, vice versa. Look at the orange blinking light until it's done.

Doc then irrigates the eyes and that's pretty much it. He puts a contact lense in both eyes to aid the healing process. Pain-wise? There wasn't really much pain on the first day. I mostly kept them closed and listened to a bunch of podcasts.

That very night, the pain hit me like a ton of bricks. I expected it and should have used the pred forte (pain med) they gave. I slept it off.

At the end of Week 1 is where I experienced a chunk of the change. Unfortunately, from the end of week 1 to where I am now, I haven't really noticed much visible changes. I am still putting in tears roughly every hour (I use either refresh celluvisic/ bion tears/ or sometimes the preservative ones)

Driving is tricky. On day 5, the contacts were taken out and things were still blurry as shit. I struggled to read the biggest letters. Crazy enough, doc says' I'm still legally allowed to drive - i think that's insane.

Even at the moment, I could probably see maybe 10-15ft for a license plate in front of me. Long distance is still blurry. I have absolutely no problems for near sight things. Granted, this browser is at 150x zoom still. I'd call this vision, "functional blurry"

I'm not worrying just yet. PRK is incredibly varied among patients. I've read almost every story/blog out there. I will start panicking around the 2 to 3 month mark (Knowing that it can take up to 6 months).

Conclusion? Too early to say if I regret it or not. I'll update if I need a touch up or not. The sheer amount of time PRK is taking to resume my normal life is frustrating. At times, I wonder if I should have done Lasik instead.

P.S. London eye puzzles me a bit. Other clinics advise their patients about taking Fish Oil, Flax Seed, & Vitamin C before and after surgery to aid in healing. They never really informed me too nor was it in their phamplets.

2. London eye doesn't differentiate between preservative and preservative-free drops. The Opto said either was fine. Other clinics (googling) advise only preservative-free drops for the first couple of weeks and you can switch to cheaper preservative ones but ones without is recommended.

Pacific Laser constantly reminded me that I had to continue taking fish oil and only use Refresh plus preservative free lubricating drops fyi

[underscore]

I finally got my license renewed and got restriction 21 removed. The test was stupidly easy, I probably could've passed that with no glasses before the surgery (-6/-4.75 w/-1.25 astigmatism in both).

[subordinate]

I finally got my license renewed and got restriction 21 removed. The test was stupidly easy, I probably could've passed that with no glasses before the surgery (-6/-4.75 w/-1.25 astigmatism in both).

That's the scary thing.

Puts in perspective when you hear someone elderly go "I didn't see him/her"

Or when that Coquitlam senior ran over that 16 year old girl. The vision test needs to be more strict.

[Ronin]

My boss got Lasik around when I joined the company a little under two years ago. He was doing alright but then had some sort of minor complication. They went to correct it and ended up fucking up his vision more. He's going in for a third procedure soon.

[subordinate]

Christ...which clinic?

And with stories of complications, I always like to understand the full story. Any prior eye problems? Astigmatism? Etc.

[nns]

Sorry for bumping this old thread.

I'm hearing good things about Pacific Laser, Coal Harbor, and possibly London in New West. Can anyone share any recent personal experiences/prices with any of them?

[Klobbersaurus]

I had prk done at coal harbour, paid $1300 for both eyes including eye drops and aftercare stuff, no complaints

[subordinate]

Didn't realize I was last one to post, but yeah, I got it done back then.

London Eye center - not 20/20 but close enough. Complaint - healing took "longer than usual"

Background - healthy, followed the guidelines + fish oil, etc. And yet my eyes took longer than normal to heal. Stupid long..... I think it was a couple months before I was confident in driving.

Whereas pacific promised that I could be working out the next day.

2500, with referral.

I believe Pacific wasn't bad either, 3500?

All in all - no regrets. Wish I had it done sooner.

Fyi, we'll need cataract surgery sooner.

[see.lai]

Damn, mine sounds expensive.

Did Intralase procedure at London Eye Center at New West. $3300 with referral, $3600 without. This procedure is the one with the faster healing time.
Did this surgery on March 23rd, took the eye drops and sleeping pills. Next day I went in for my checkup. I felt 100% fine, eyes were a bit sensitive to light
but I felt no pain whatsoever, or even the sand in my eye feeling, or backwards contact lenses.

Had 2 friends come by here, 1 did PRK and his eyes were irritating him for over a week.

Recommend intralase - faster recovery (maybe different for your eyes) - cost more. I felt like I could go to work the next day, too ! lol

wore contacts for 11 years prior

[HansonBoy]

PRK has a longer and more painful recovery time, but is supposed to be better if you participate in alot of activities like sports and boxing that could cause an impact to your eye. For me I had no choice because i was told my corneas were naturally thick or something. I have nothing but good things to say about coal harbour, dr kirzner is an OG and everythign went smoothly. Well except the recovery, and this is coming from someone who started off on hard contact lenses instead of soft.

[Blueboy222]

Didn't realize I was last one to post, but yeah, I got it done back then.

London Eye center - not 20/20 but close enough. Complaint - healing took "longer than usual"

Background - healthy, followed the guidelines + fish oil, etc. And yet my eyes took longer than normal to heal. Stupid long..... I think it was a couple months before I was confident in driving.

Whereas pacific promised that I could be working out the next day.

2500, with referral.

I believe Pacific wasn't bad either, 3500?

All in all - no regrets. Wish I had it done sooner.

Fyi, we'll need cataract surgery sooner.

Why you guys need cataracts surgery?

[blkgsr]

had PRK at london eye probably 11 years ago

very painful 2nd day but it was because i wasn't using enough drops, was driving 4 days later, used sunglasses to look my computer for the first week or so lol

only downside is if my eyes are dry my vision goes a little blurry

best money i ever spent

[subordinate]

Why you guys need cataracts surgery?

Forgot the answer but laser eye surgery speeds up the typical age you need cataract surgery.

The doc's....nicely forget to mention that during the orientations. But honestly, it wouldn't have changed my mind anyways.

[nns]

Does anyone know how referrals work? Is it only for former patients or would a referring optometrist work as well?

[dlo]

did it at lasik md, custom prk for 3k roughly
no regrets, good so far, took 2 weeks till i was able to drive but still have light halos at night time, they said that would take roughly half a year to recover from lol

[belka]

PRK has a longer and more painful recovery time, but is supposed to be better if you participate in alot of activities like sports and boxing that could cause an impact to your eye. For me I had no choice because i was told my corneas were naturally thick or something. I have nothing but good things to say about coal harbour, dr kirzner is an OG and everythign went smoothly. Well except the recovery, and this is coming from someone who started off on hard contact lenses instead of soft.

From what I’ve been reading, if there is an impact hard enough to dislodge the flap, you’ll have other more serious head injuries anyway.

[GabAlmighty]

You can also dislodge the flap from dust and irritation^^^ is what I was told when I went in to get mine, rubbing your eye super aggressively.

I got mine done at Pacific Laser Center... 8'ish years ago? PRK and healed up nicely, have slight hallowing at night and my right eye is slightly better than my left. I had mild astigmatism.

I think all in all, after pre paying for all my optometrist follow up visits I was into it for almost $4-5k. Can't remember the exact number. I didn't care though, can't get aftermarket eyes overnighted from Japan so got the best guy in town to do it.

[underscore]

From what I’ve been reading, if there is an impact hard enough to dislodge the flap, you’ll have other more serious head injuries anyway.

That's the conclusion I came to as well, once it's fully healed (6-12 months) then a severe enough impact to cause a tear would've torn it even if you never had surgery.

[xxxrsxxx]

Bumping an old thread. Did some research and will likely go with PRK instead of laser but I guess will have to wait for the actual consultations to advise which is more appropriate for me. Seen various reviews on coal harbour, pacific laser and london eye center. Has anyone done this recently and how did it go?

[underscore]

Go to multiple places for consults and see what they suggest. I got LASIK 4 years ago, my friend got it this morning and my wife is going for PRK tomorrow lol. She would've preferred PRK but her corneas were too thin.

[Blueboy222]

4Head

[immorality]

Is it just me or does it seem like most optometrist still wear glasses? Why don't they get Lasik?

I always wonder about this..., I assume it's because most optometrist offices seem to sell glasses too.

[Traum]

Disclaimer -- a family member is an optometrist.

From the conversations I've had, the family member optometrist does not prefer Lasik because at the end of the day, it is still surgery, and surgery carries a certain amount of risks. Post-op care is also extremely important, and IMO (not the family member's opinion) is where it is most risky and easiest to screw up.

On the other hand, corrective eyeware -- be it regular eyeglasses or contact lenses -- are a tried and truth, time-tested solution that carries far, far lower risks than Lasik at the costs of a small / negligible inconvenience.

[hotjoint]

Bumping an old thread. Did some research and will likely go with PRK instead of laser but I guess will have to wait for the actual consultations to advise which is more appropriate for me. Seen various reviews on coal harbour, pacific laser and london eye center. Has anyone done this recently and how did it go?

I got my eyes done at london eye center in January. I got PRK. My prescription was -8.50 in both eye so I was very blind. It's been 7 months since the surgery and my left eye is about 75%, my right eye I would say is 90%. 100% clear vision can take up to a year but it's all dependent on the person. I chose london eye because they have a lifetime guarantee so if you need to go back for any other sessions, it's all free. Best decision ever to get this done, you won't regret it.

[underscore]

On the other hand, corrective eyeware -- be it regular eyeglasses or contact lenses -- are a tried and truth, time-tested solution that carries far, far lower risks than Lasik at the costs of a small / negligible inconvenience.

That's pretty dependent on how strong your prescription is IMO. My eyes were pretty shit and contacts didn't work well for my prescription, so I was stuck with glasses that I was useless without. I'll avoid getting into anything long winded here but they were massively inconvenient.

[6793026]

I still refuse to do it given there are a lot of success stories.

you only have one set of eyes, so any minor complications is for life.

This is the reason why I still am wearing glasses and contacts.

[mr00jimbo]

Did mine under a year ago at Pacific Laser. PRK. Took about a week before I could drive again. Vision got progressively better over a month's time. Had to do eye drops and fish oil and whatnot. Still have dry eyes but a couple drops a day is not bad.
Cost me 3100 for the surgery but Pacific Laser makes you follow up with your optometrist so that is an extra cost so with the RX, follow up appointments, eye drops, etc. closer to maybe 4200 bucks?

Recovery sucked because I got that sand in eye feeling and my eyes got tired easily and it was really annoying going through but I'd do it again.
Loving it.

[Mikoyan]

Did PRK at Pacific about 2 years ago. Everyone's recovery/prescription and surgery is different. I was -4.5 /-5 with some astigmatism. I could drive after a week. I was back at work after a week and a half. Everyone's recovery is different. Older co-worker of mine had redness/sand feeling for 2 years after she did PRK. That said, she was in her 50's when she did it, and wasn't in the best health to begin with. I started taking the required supplements about a month before surgery, and continued for 6 mo after. Full recovery was around 6 months before I didn't need to carry eye drops.

I would do it again. I'd been following PRK/Lasik info for years. I finally got it done after I had kids. They destroyed two pairs of glasses 'helping' me put them on. The final straw came in the summer, when my glasses slipped off of my head from sweat into a #2 diaper, while I was changing the kid.

[subordinate]

Bumping an old thread. Did some research and will likely go with PRK instead of laser but I guess will have to wait for the actual consultations to advise which is more appropriate for me. Seen various reviews on coal harbour, pacific laser and london eye center. Has anyone done this recently and how did it go?

Just go with Pacific laser eye center.

/End thread.

Most individuals will agree with me and say best decision they ever made. The complicated stories usually involve they had other eye issues at hand and still took the chance.

[pinn3r]

Had it done June 2018 with Dr. David Lin @ Pacific Laser. Money well spent. Only minor complication is dry eyes. I'm pretty much 20/20. Used to be about -4.75 in both eyes.

The improvement in quality of life and peace of mind WAY outweighs the minor complications and money spent imo.

I wasn't able to see shit since I was around 8 y/o. Can you imagine waking up in the fucking morning and being able to see?! Thank jebus for science.

[whitev70r]

Watch this first

https://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/w5-investigates-a-rare-but-painful-side-effect-of-laser-eye-surgery-1.4141117

[kr4l]

Watch this first

https://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/w5-investigates-a-rare-but-painful-side-effect-of-laser-eye-surgery-1.4141117

If you’re scared of the one in a million chance, then don’t bother getting it done. All you ever read online are horror stories of how things went wrong.

My wife and I have had it done for 9 years now. Best decision we ever made. Yes we get dry eyes, but the convenience of not having to wear glasses and contacts outweighs that. My wifes prescription was -10 prior to having it done (legally blind). We have 20/15 now.

[hotjoint]

If you’re scared of the one in a million chance, then don’t bother getting it done. All you ever read online are horror stories of how things went wrong.

My wife and I have had it done for 9 years now. Best decision we ever made. Yes we get dry eyes, but the convenience of not having to wear glasses and contacts outweighs that. My wifes prescription was -10 prior to having it done (legally blind). We have 20/15 now.

I was -8.50, 100% agreed, best decision ever

[Sentinel]

Did my prk at Coal Harbour Eye Centre at the end of January 2019. Was - 3.50 and - 3.75. Post surgery, I did not have such a hard time comparing to some ppl. Was not sensitive to sunlight nor much of dried eyes.

Did a consultation at PLEC too. But I just felt that they didn't really care about the potential patients. Just do the testing and leave. Whereas Coal Harbour staff took the time to answer any questions.

PLEC quoted me the surgery for $3100, everything else would be on my own. Coal Harbour was $3200 for everything(all follow up appts, eye drops, etc.) and will redo the surgery free of charge incase in 10-20yrs my vision goes bad again.

[nns]

Forgot to add my experience after going to Pacific Laser last summer.

The procedure itself was very quick, maybe 10 mins? It's the waiting to start and the post-op recovery in the waiting room that takes up the majority of the time while there.

I remember my vision being really hazy on the same day afterwards. I didn't feel any pain, but it did feel like something was in my eye. Something that I never read about in other people's accounts, but experienced for myself, is that my eyes would water up a lot, and I'd have a runny nose. It makes sense though, when your body thinks there's something in your eyes, it'll try to flush it out. It was as if I was crying, there were so many tears coming out, along with a heavy nasal drip. I'd be sitting in my living room, eyes closed, trying to sleep and all of a sudden my eyes would feel irritated, water up, with my nose being runny, and it'd last maybe 5-10 mins, then go away. That night I remember waking up, looking around a bit, blinked a few times, then boom, runny nose and tears. The day after the operation, part of the standard protocol is to return to the office for a post-op exam. They run a few vision tests, and I distinctly remember having to ask for tissue paper cause my nose was so runny and my eyes were so watery. This behavior stopped after I think 3 days post-op. So if anyone's reading this, consider having a box of tissue around or on you just in case.

They give you some notes on what expectations you should have after the operation. For instance, they'd quote after X days/weeks/months, each interval would have a set level of sharpness and stability in your vision. Stability meaning your vision will be clear, longer, throughout the day. Well for me those expectations didn't apply. Although physically speaking, the cornea opening healed very quickly based on Dr Lin and my own optometrists observations, the *quality* of my vision just wasn't there. I remember the days and weeks after my operation, I'd wake up in the morning and look out the window to the distance, to judge if my vision was clear. Even if it was clear in the morning, it would be inconsistent throughout the day, with it being sometimes very unclear. When it wasn't clear, squinting did very little to help. I'd recommend to others not to put too much faith in those expectations they put in writing. It'll take however long it takes to stabilize.

I think it was a week or so after my operation when I went to see my optometrist. After some vision tests, he said that I was clear to drive. Science said I was good enough to drive, but my vision clarity was still very inconsistent throughout the day, and it wasn't nearly as close to being as sharp as when I wore contacts before. It was a bit discouraging. I recall looking at license plates of the cars in front of me, and how blurry the plates would sometimes appear. Again, I think it's a matter of managing those expectations, and not placing too much faith in any generalized statements you read about.

So after a little over a year now, I occasionally have dry eyes when I wake up in the morning for a few minutes, or if I wake up in the middle of the night, but nothing that doesn't clear up on its own. I noticed that if I'm looking at my phone for 5-10 mins, then look at the TV 10 feet away, it takes some time for my eyes to focus on that object in the distance; maybe a few minutes? It's not as if it's completely blurry and I can't make out anything. Instead, it's more so that I notice the edges aren't crisp, and it's a bit fuzzy. If I go from having looked at the TV for an hour, then focus on something up close like my phone, it's no problem, I can see it clearly.

I don't suffer from ghosting or haloing at night, but headlights are brighter than they used to be. I think that's what they refer to as light sensitivity. For me, at night, oncoming cars more often appear as if they have their high-beams on. I just stick my hand up to shield it, or look to the side as they approach, which is a minor inconvenience.

Random, but I do remember having to increase the font size on my phone, and the computer at work. Lasted maybe around 2 weeks after the initial operation.

If it matters, I was near-sighted, -1.5 in both eyes prior to the operation. My prescription hadn't changed in maybe 7 yrs or so prior. Being almost 33 years old at the time of operation, I'd worn corrective lenses or contacts for maybe 20 yrs of my life.

[daval]

damn, sounds like you went thru a lot, glad the prescription hasnt' changed though.

[daval]

i did mine PRK at london eye center in 2008, like most ppl said in this thread, best decision ever. i had posted twice in this thread back in 2011. Maybe i will share my experience a little bit.

I am an avid sports person, been playing basketball, soccer competitively at the time. Always love snowboarding, golfing and been swimming with prescription goggles all my life prior to PRK. I tried wearing contacts at the time, but it didn't work out. Dry and red eyes all the time. So i just wear this band tied to my glasses at all time while playing sports. Anyhow, after consultations with london eye center and lasik at burrard at the time. I decided to go with London eye center with two simple facts. The consultant told me 1) basically most Policemen, Firefighters and contact sports players go with PRK. But has a longer heal time. 2) For lasik, flap might open up if you play contact sports, but heal right away. 3) London eye center had been doing it for so long, they said they have more advanced and better equipment at the time.

So it was a no brainer to go with london eye center. I have no idea how the corrective eye business works now. Back then the post surgery check up was the day after, 3 days, a week, a month, 6 months and annually. I am due for a vision test for sure, but i am very confidence that i am having a good vision. i was -8.0 before, so having the PRK is best thing ever especially small things like, looking into the mirror during haircut, i can still see at night with lights off, instead of "smelling" for directions. Anyone had the same feelings as me? And of course playing all sports without my glasses is the best thing ever, no one needs to stop in the middle of the game while my glasses flew off.

[subordinate]

Hmm reading these stories, It's strange how some people had operations where they had almost zero issues.

I was similar to nns, and my recovery was more delayed than others. I had it done at 27, with around -7.0 ish (@ London)

Whereas my sister, older, similar prescription, had a great recovery, little down time. @ Pacific.

I don't get it. As nns said, if you get it done, each recovery period is different.

[Hondaracer]

Anyone have it done recently? Any reviews?

[twitchyzero]

i did mine weeks before the pandemic (30 years, -5 to -5.5)
did my share of the homework beforehand, went to a handful of consults
finalized it down to london or pacific (true no-touch) for PRK

there were tons of people at pacific, and i'm sure he had the latest tool and most experience but i felt like i was herded through during the consult process

london took A LOTTTT longer to heal than they had lead on
they quoted 2 weeks return to work, it was still very challenging when i went back for maybe few more weeks
but during initial healing there was absolutely zero pain. possibly some dryness from the temp contact, that's it pretty incredible.
the last 10% of healing took about 6 months to probably a year (letting the overcorrection settle..they did not talk about the length of this period during consult). My 2nd last follow up they said they may have to do a touch-up, but last visit it's thankfully largely settled now

maybe unrealistic but i had the expectation my vision would have the clarity and acuity like rx glasses-- tack sharp like being able to see the fine strands of grass when looking out the window into the garden, but that wasn't the case

went back for way more follow-up than what was allocated, most of the staff is great. Except for the old guy, i don't even think he washes his hands lol. and I couldn't figure out how to call them directly, appointment booking always went through their stupid east coast call centre

long term: if i dont sleep well my vision isn't great. surprisingly very little if any halo-ing at night

would i do it again, absolutely and i wish i did it 10 years earlier..just have to adjust expectations

[SSM_DC5]

^what did your homework consist of? What's the chances of failure in the procedure? Scared to lose my vision, but the thought of not needing corrective lenses is desirable.

A coworker that recently got his eyes done said one thing he wasn't made aware until after the procedure was that he needed to wear sunglasses for a while even when it's cloudy out.

[twitchyzero]

i'll post the website if i find it again..it was pretty in-depth even had a set of questions to ask during consult ie. how fast the machines track your eyes, does it track it 3d etc. Lol

sure all surgeries have risks, i felt better telling the operator to err on the side of a more conservative correction

i was in pitch darkness day 1, day 2 was already healed a tons and i think i was out of sunglasses by 3-4 days..trying to comfortably read your computer/phone without struggling, just forget it for the first week or two haha

my last check-up 18mos after surgery was two letters off from 20/20, with slight astigmatism

[hotjoint]

surprisingly very little if any halo-ing at night


my halo's are pretty bad but I've just gotten used to them. They said that it would improve over time but I got my surgery in Jan 2019 and it hasn't gotten any better, just stayed the same. Still don't regret getting it done. Going from -8.50 in both eyes to basically 20/20 has been life changing

[twitchyzero]

had some dry eyes even a year in but my body adapted once i stopped putting in the tears

[6thGear.]

i did mine weeks before the pandemic (30 years, -5 to -5.5)
did my share of the homework beforehand, went to a handful of consults
finalized it down to london or pacific (true no-touch) for PRK

there were tons of people at pacific, and i'm sure he had the latest tool and most experience but i felt like i was herded through during the consult process

london took A LOTTTT longer to heal than they had lead on
they quoted 2 weeks return to work, it was still very challenging when i went back for maybe few more weeks
but during initial healing there was absolutely zero pain. possibly some dryness from the temp contact, that's it pretty incredible.
the last 10% of healing took about 6 months to probably a year (letting the overcorrection settle..they did not talk about the length of this period during consult). My 2nd last follow up they said they may have to do a touch-up, but last visit it's thankfully largely settled now

maybe unrealistic but i had the expectation my vision would have the clarity and acuity like rx glasses-- tack sharp like being able to see the fine strands of grass when looking out the window into the garden, but that wasn't the case

went back for way more follow-up than what was allocated, most of the staff is great. Except for the old guy, i don't even think he washes his hands lol. and I couldn't figure out how to call them directly, appointment booking always went through their stupid east coast call centre

long term: if i dont sleep well my vision isn't great. surprisingly very little if any halo-ing at night

would i do it again, absolutely and i wish i did it 10 years earlier..just have to adjust expectations

I also went to London Eye Care way back in 2007. I'd say this is about pretty bang on with me as well especially when I dont get enough sleep or I'm overtired at night