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Well, it's finally done ...


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6 hours ago, Spock said:

I've had both my eyes 'sand-blasted' to remove cataracts and I went from 20/400  vision to 20/20. My vision is also a lot clearer. From being a dirty grey/yellow washed out tone, the entire world is now bright and clear. I started calling my left eye 'Bleach' after the first operation, since 'the whites were so much brighter and clearer'.

I'm a little disappointed. I told the surgeon I wanted 20/10 vision just like I used to have when wearing glasses and flying.

Ah well, at least I don't need to wear glasses when driving anymore. Unfortunately, I now need to wear 'cheaters' when reading or using my computer. :(

The doctor wanted to give me long distance vision in my left eye and short distance vision in my right, which would have allowed me to go without glasses for most applications. Unfortunately, my right eye is the one I aim with ...

I must say, the procedure was a bit uncomfortable. They wanted me awake while they operated on each eye, so I was completely aware of what was going on the entire time. The first thing they did was insert plastic retainers which kept my eyelid and any surrounding eyelashes out of the area. I couldn't have blinked my eye if I had wanted to. Fortunately, they operated on one eye at a time or I would have gone bonkers!

Hopefully, this will mean that I'm online more, even if I do need glasses now.

If anyone is contemplating laser surgery, I highly recommend it if you can manage it. It's an outpatient procedure and everything completely heals up within a month. I was comfortable seeing as soon as I got home and the dilation wore off.

Great news Spock, I'm super happy for you!. As a glass-wearing person myself I can relate to optical challenges.  My Ammamma was diagnosed as having a big cataract in one of her eyes and we're currently assessing if we should ask for the surgery to be done or not.  It's covered under insurance here ( was it for you ^?)  and the lady says it only takes a few minutes.  Another elderly person whom I know got it done at age 73...and she says it was a life changing moment and very much advises us to get it done for Ammamma.  They way they kept you conscience during that though...*shudder*... but being able to see well after? It must have been an ecstatic moment for you.  Happy it worked out so well for you, and that the world has leapt up in vivid technicolor!

:)

 

gogo

 

p.s. am thinking of actually going laser myself...I sword I'd never spend this kind of money again on glasses... only 25 percent was covered by my work insurance...and Im starting to get the feeling that these eye glass opthamalogy stores are huge ripoffs. Apparely almost every lense in the world and frame is manufactured by a single company... and the profits being made are hugely enormous.  So many of my friends are now going online to buy from clearly.ca..if I dont go laser...clearly it looks like I will be making an acquaintance with soon

 

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The surgery cost $3,000.00 for my left eye because they used a special lens that allows me to focus a little more than a fixed focal lens. The right eye was $1,700.00 since they could evidently only use a fixed focal length lens. This was AFTER insurance paid their share. Luckily I'd been saving towards it, so wasn't too worried about it.

I will now always need glasses for 'close' work, but a pair of 'reading' glasses can be purchased over-the-counter almost anywhere for $1.00 a pair. I'm going to get a prescription pair of reading glasses next year though. My insurance allows me to get a new pair of glasses once a year, so I may as well.

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7 hours ago, Spock said:

The surgery cost $3,000.00 for my left eye because they used a special lens that allows me to focus a little more than a fixed focal lens. The right eye was $1,700.00 since they could evidently only use a fixed focal length lens. This was AFTER insurance paid their share. Luckily I'd been saving towards it, so wasn't too worried about it.

I will now always need glasses for 'close' work, but a pair of 'reading' glasses can be purchased over-the-counter almost anywhere for $1.00 a pair. I'm going to get a prescription pair of reading glasses next year though. My insurance allows me to get a new pair of glasses once a year, so I may as well.

what about return follup visits

Ive been checking md lasik here.. and they advertise a more "extra" program that allows return visits unlimited with a small amount paid per visit... do you have something like that?

As well, they offer financing... nothing need be paid till 2020

:bounce:

 

gogo

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Great news! Enjoy it, have a walk and you may see things you've never saw before!

I don't need glasses so far, but (to be honest) this time is not far away! ;) reading on a long distance is difficult upto impossible. reading and gaming is ok.

but I have to see what the doc says, probably the laser method could provide me from wearing glasses.

on the other hand...my daughter is old enough to make me a grandpa and grandpas has got always glasses,?! :yay:

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There is a difference between cataract lasering and lasik. The first may use a laser to remove the natural old ill lens and make room for a new artificial lens. The artificial lenses lack the most important ability of the natural lens: allowing muscles to transform the lens to allow focusing. Cheapest artificial lens is fixed to infinity, second cheapest have two foci: infinity and around a half metre. Then there are tri-focal ones or special and expensive ones for all distances.

Lasik uses a laser to cut the natural lens back to normal seeing if possible. At my place Lasik is normally not paid by insurance while cataract surgery and a new cheap lens is.

 

It was even more 'fun' when my retina was damaged at an accident and the eye was taken out of the eyehole and me fully awake, eye operated outside the head, put back in and then I had 4-6 weeks the funny experience that my eye was not complete full with liquid but only the lower part. Optical laws say that the image of a lens is upside down and the brain makes it look right. But you can only see for some weeks what is behind the retina in the already filled eye part.

I was warned that the surgery could result in a 40% chance for a cataract within 3 years. The years are long over and still all okay. Knocking on wood.

Because it was an accident when still at army all costs and follow up costs were and will be covered!

 

 

 

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On 12/6/2018 at 1:42 PM, chattius said:

There is a difference between cataract lasering and lasik. The first may use a laser to remove the natural old ill lens and make room for a new artificial lens. The artificial lenses lack the most important ability of the natural lens: allowing muscles to transform the lens to allow focusing. Cheapest artificial lens is fixed to infinity, second cheapest have two foci: infinity and around a half metre. Then there are tri-focal ones or special and expensive ones for all distances.

Lasik uses a laser to cut the natural lens back to normal seeing if possible. At my place Lasik is normally not paid by insurance while cataract surgery and a new cheap lens is.

 

It was even more 'fun' when my retina was damaged at an accident and the eye was taken out of the eyehole and me fully awake, eye operated outside the head, put back in and then I had 4-6 weeks the funny experience that my eye was not complete full with liquid but only the lower part. Optical laws say that the image of a lens is upside down and the brain makes it look right. But you can only see for some weeks what is behind the retina in the already filled eye part.

I was warned that the surgery could result in a 40% chance for a cataract within 3 years. The years are long over and still all okay. Knocking on wood.

Because it was an accident when still at army all costs and follow up costs were and will be covered!

 

 

 

I'm so pleased that you had such success with your operation.  This is so much great feedback coming from community I know... guys I think Ill make a call to see what can be done for me!

:)

gogo

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On 12/6/2018 at 5:58 AM, gogoblender said:

what about return followup visits ...

gogo

 

I have had one-day and one-week after surgery visits for both eyes. When I go in for the one-month visit for the right eye, they will check them both. I haven't heard anything about needing any further visits, but will try to remember to ask. For the amount they charge, they need to make sure I'm happy.

Evidently, my left eye could handle a partial focus lens, but the right had to be fixed, though I was hoping to get a fully focusing lens for both eyes.

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4 hours ago, Spock said:

I have had one-day and one-week after surgery visits for both eyes. When I go in for the one-month visit for the right eye, they will check them both. I haven't heard anything about needing any further visits, but will try to remember to ask. For the amount they charge, they need to make sure I'm happy.

Evidently, my left eye could handle a partial focus lens, but the right had to be fixed, though I was hoping to get a fully focusing lens for both eyes.

Spock, are they offering financing on eyes ?

:)

 

gogo

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No financing. Had to pay the difference up front before they would operate. Evidently, they got stiffed once too often.

Them: "Pay us."

Patient: "No, what are you going to do, take my eye back?"

Edited by Spock
  • Haha 1
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6 hours ago, Spock said:

No financing. Had to pay the difference up front before they would operate. Evidently, they got stiffed once too often.

Them: "Pay us."

Patient: "No, what are you going to do, take my eye back?"

hah.. the financing is what makes it interesting to me here in qc... because of your thread here Ive actually contacted them by phone and it seems like a two hour apointment is needed.  During that time they test and test ( gosh what can  possibly take two hours these days :lol: ) and after that they're able to give you a complete break down of how much etc it will cost precisely... guess I'd be trying to narrow down exactly what the interest rate would be if perhaps nothing at all if all paid on the exact 2020 deadline?

 

:)

 

gogo

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1 hour ago, gogoblender said:

... because of your thread here Ive actually contacted them by phone and it seems like a two hour apointment is needed.  During that time they test and test ( gosh what can  possibly take two hours these days :lol: ) and after that they're able to give you a complete break down of how much etc it will cost precisely... guess I'd be trying to narrow down exactly what the interest rate would be if perhaps nothing at all if all paid on the exact 2020 deadline

2 hours isn't much. Doing the paperwork, eye drops, waiting for the pupil to get big, perhaps a local narcotic if they have to put some optics on your eye for testing the retina... 30 minutes and you won't have seen a doc yet, 15 minutes with the doc for some testing, waiting room to have the eye getting normal again, after an hour a talk with the doc again for 5 minutes. And that is if there aren't problems.

If you live countryside with no special hospital for eye surgery, there is always the risk that an emergency appears and you sit and wait with your widened and paralysed eye for an hour or more. They may need to do drops again and it will take hours for your pupil to get back to normal size again. The doc closes and you walk half blind on the street. Police thinks you are drunk ( you are not) or under drugs (which you are, but not the ones police thinks) ...

So 2 hours may sound long, but it can be much worse ;)

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10 hours ago, chattius said:

2 hours isn't much. Doing the paperwork, eye drops, waiting for the pupil to get big, perhaps a local narcotic if they have to put some optics on your eye for testing the retina... 30 minutes and you won't have seen a doc yet, 15 minutes with the doc for some testing, waiting room to have the eye getting normal again, after an hour a talk with the doc again for 5 minutes. And that is if there aren't problems.

If you live countryside with no special hospital for eye surgery, there is always the risk that an emergency appears and you sit and wait with your widened and paralysed eye for an hour or more. They may need to do drops again and it will take hours for your pupil to get back to normal size again. The doc closes and you walk half blind on the street. Police thinks you are drunk ( you are not) or under drugs (which you are, but not the ones police thinks) ...

So 2 hours may sound long, but it can be much worse ;)

What a terrific write up , chattius...thanks! you made it sound so reasonable and safe...lol I was probably more scared than anything about someone poking around in me eyeballz... il book those two hours after the holidays and cross my fingers for some good feedback

 

:)

 

gogo

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16 hours ago, Spock said:

Encouraged to semaxresdefault.jpge that my initial post seems to be having some positive effect on others. Best of luck, gogo.

thanks! yah we got great feedback from members of community, and I've chilled about this.  And SO very happy you're strong with eye again Spock... still getting that six million dollar eyesight? 

:superman:

 

gogo

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I'm just glad it didn't actually cost six million! Yeah, I've even been driving recently which makes my wife happy and seems really weird that I don't have to wear glasses anymore.

It is a bit annoying that I now have to wear glasses to read or use my computers, though ...

Edited by Spock
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2 hours ago, Spock said:

I'm just glad it didn't actually cost six million! Yeah, I've even been driving recently which makes my wife happy and seems really weird that I don't have to wear glasses anymore.

It is a bit annoying that I now have to wear glasses to read or use my computers, though ...

That was six million back in the 70's

at least six billion today with inflation

:4rofl:

gogo

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