Lasik

[stevemarkwell]

I've been wearing contacts since I was 14, but I would love to be able to get up in the middle of the night and see clearly, without dry eyes. Is lasik surgery available in Thailand, and if so, does anyone know a reputable doctor who won't burn my eyes out of their sockets? What's it cost?

I also need to get my nose fixed -- had it broken too many times and I've got a deviated septum and nostrils that look like a maze inside. I haven't breathed through both at the same time in years.

[Sheryl]

I've been wearing contacts since I was 14, but I would love to be able to get up in the middle of the night and see clearly, without dry eyes.  Is lasik surgery available in Thailand, and if so, does anyone know a reputable doctor who won't burn my eyes out of their sockets?  What's it cost?

I also need to get my nose fixed -- had it broken too many times and I've got a deviated septum and nostrils that look like a maze inside.  I haven't breathed through both at the same time in years.

Lasik is widely available in Thailand..all major hospitals and some specialized clinics.

the best of the best is Dr. Ekatet at TRSC (thailand Refractory Surgery Center). He did my eyes and i went from leagally blind without glasses to not needing them at all...plus he arranged for monovision so that one eye is 20/20 and the other still a bit nearsighted, avoiding the need for reading glasses -- important as you get older. I don't know about current prices, when i had it done it was about 35,000 baht per eye or $60,000 if both done at the same time. Although cheaper to do both at same time, there are a lot of advantages to doing them separately:

1) The immediate recovery period is a lot easier, otherwise you'll barely be able to see for 24 houyrs (with patch over the eye) and have flunctuating, blurry vision for the 2 weeks beyond that. If you do only 1 eye then you can sinmply continue to wear contact lens in the other eye and your vision will be OK even while it's still flunctuiating in the operative eye (the brain automatically adjusts to use the better ey).

2) It makes it easier to fine tune the results if the first eye is stabilized first...then the doctor will know if you achieved full, under or over correction and can adapt his approach to the second eye accordingly. This is especially helpful if you want to try for having one eye normal and one a bit near-sighted (to maximize both near and far vision and avoid reading glasses as you age). However for this you have to space the 2 surgeries far apart...I forget exactly but between 3-6 months at least.

TRSC is top-end in both quality and price. You can defi nitelyt get it done for less elsewhere but with elective eye surgery why not opt for the best. Dr. Ekatet studied for years in the US and is world-class. (He is also the director and travels a lot, so you must request to have him specifically. Not that the other doctors on staff aren't good...they're just not him).

P.S. It's done under a local and completely painless. They give you all of 2 mg valium (!) before hand for anxiety. This is because Thais, for some reason, have a very low threshold for sedation and 2 m g puts most of them to sleep. This is not the case for most westerners and ypou may wish to pre-dose yourself if you have past experience with tranquilizers and know how they effect you. This applies only to the actual day of surgery.

Nose is a whole nother story....need an ENT consult first, then either an ENT or plastic surgeon depending on what needs to be done.

[stevemarkwell]

I had an ENT dr. in the states look at it, but I never had the operation done. He said it was a pretty standard procedure, but apart from that I don't know what needed to be done.

Thanks for the info on the eye dr.; I found their website earlier today, but I didn't want to go solely on their word.

[Dradam]

TRSC is top-end in both quality and price. You can defi nitelyt get it done for less elsewhere but with elective eye surgery why not opt for the best. Dr. Ekatet studied for years in the US and is world-class. (He is also the director and travels a lot, so you must request to have him specifically. Not that the other doctors on staff aren't good...they're just not him).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Despite his busy schedule lecturing overseas, Dr. Ekktet Chansue, Medical Director at TRSC, performs over 25% of all the LASIK cases done in Thailand with over 2,000 cases per year. TRSC's other surgeons perform another 25% of the cases in Thailand. Rutnin Eye Hospital performs about 20%. This leaves about 30% of the LASIK cases for the rest of the 20+ LASIK clinics in Thailand. Most centers don't have enough patients to even use the lasers on a regular basis. Many drop their prices hoping to pull patients aways from the top centers.

Dr. Ekktet performed the LASIK surgery on my eyes 2 years ago and I am seeing perfect now. No dryness. No glare. It feels as if my eyes are my own now and there is no need for glasses and contacts. In fact, I see much better than I did with contact lenses.

Complications are a problem in any surgery though. Although picking the best surgeons can reduce the risk, it does not guarantee 100% that you will not have any problems.

About 1% of patients experience significant problems.

[Jai Dee]

Does anyone have any experience with "SuperSight Surgery"?

More info here.

[ricklev]

I had Lasik at Bumrangrad last year. It was obvious to me from the git- go that they are running a Lasik mill operating at quite a low moral and ethical standard. I figured that despite my bad impression the Doctor would be capable of punching in the right figures into the Lasik computer and I had already been competently assessed in the USA. It was about 40K baht cheaper than TRSC at the time.

In retrospect, without going into it, the better decision would have been TRSC.

How about this, immediately after the surgery, with both my eyes covered with gauze and a protector, after laying on a gurney in the hall for half an hour, the Bumrangrad nurse tried to get me to sign some kind of informed consent liability waiver. &lt;deleted&gt;!

But my vision is good and I'm happy with the result.

[ricklev]

By the way, if your eyes are at all dry take that as a giant warning against Lasik. I struggled with dry eyes for a year after Lasik. And for sure take a long, hard, cold look at www.surgicaleyes.com

[JSixpack]

By the way, if your eyes are at all dry take that as a giant warning against Lasik.  I struggled with dry eyes for a year after Lasik.  And for sure take a long, hard, cold look at www.surgicaleyes.com

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Excellent advice.

[Dradam]

Does anyone have any experience with "SuperSight Surgery"?

More info here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Supersight Surgery is simply cataract surgery with a newer lens design. It might provide better reading after surgery than the older lens design but this has not been proven definitively.

It should not be performed by anyone younger than 50 years old and only then if cataracts are a problem in the foreseeable future. I would actually wait until you are diagnosed with cataracts that significantly impair your vision before undergoing this treatment. I have heard complaints from patients who underwent this surgery prematurely.

Overall though, Dr. Somchai is a good surgeon. His results are good. Some people complain about his English communication skills though. Make sure you understand everything before agreeing. His skills are good though.

Supersight surgery does not provide supersight. This is just marketing.

[Dradam]

I had Lasik at Bumrangrad last year.  It was obvious to me from the git- go that they are running a Lasik mill operating at quite a low moral and ethical standard.  I figured that despite my bad impression the Doctor would be capable of punching in the right figures into the Lasik computer and I had already been competently assessed in the USA.  It was about 40K baht cheaper than TRSC at the time.

In retrospect, without going into it, the better decision would have been TRSC. 

How about this, immediately after the surgery, with both my eyes covered with gauze and a protector, after laying on a gurney in the hall for half an hour, the Bumrangrad nurse tried to get me to sign some kind of informed consent liability waiver.  &lt;deleted&gt;!

But my vision is good and I'm happy with the result.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LASIK is actually 80% the skill of the doctor and only about 20% the level of technology. Technology is important but the doctor is even more important. A skilled surgeon can do well with old technology but even better with new technology. A newbie on the other hand can botch a surgery with the newest equipment.

Although LASIK complications are rare, picking the right surgeon and the right equipment can lower your risk. Although less than 1% of patient experience significant complications, these 1% can be very vocal as they are unhappy with their decision.

You can gamble and save money by going to a cheaper LASIK clinic. I wouldn't recommend that though. If you are not convinced by the quality of the clinic, the quality of the staff, the quality of the doctor, and the quality of the equipment. Go elsewhere.

LASIK in Thailand is cheaper than many other countries. There are also several Thai clinics with results as good or better than the best in Europe. I recommend having LASIK in Thailand but I recommend caution in having any surgery (whether elective or not). You must realize the risks and try your best to minimize these.

[ricklev]

I think that, after the initial learning curve, the surgery is quite routine and the skill of the doctor is a lesser risk factor than that posed by a money hungry doctor who performs the procedure on high risk patients i.e patients with thin lenses , chronic dry eyes etc.

One percent of all patients is ###### of a lot of unhappy people for the rest of their lives, don't you think? Or even one half of one percent. It indicates to me that people are not being properly educated about the possible risks inherent in the operation. Would one out of one hundred people or even one out of one thousand people really risk their quality of lives if they truly understood the possible complications and the liklihood of their occuring.

It would be nice to live in a world where people are intellligent and resourceful enough to educate themselves on the risks of prescription drugs and elective surgery in the face of sophisticated and manipulative marketing. In leu of that, many thanks to that vocal one percent and lets not be too quick to ###### them for speaking up!

Edited May 20, 2005 by ricklev

[haha]

I have 4 friends who had their Lasik done at TRSC in the last 2 years. all are happy with the results.

I had Lasik done back in 1997 in san francisco, and still consider it one of the best things I've done for myself in all my life.

[Ian_B]

I'm been thinking of having this done as well

Please can somebody give me contact details for TRSC

Do they have a website?

[yeti]

By the way, if your eyes are at all dry take that as a giant warning against Lasik.  I struggled with dry eyes for a year after Lasik.  And for sure take a long, hard, cold look at www.surgicaleyes.com

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Excellent advice.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In fact it's http://www.surgicaleyes.org/

[Jai Dee]

I'm been thinking of having this done as well

Please can somebody give me contact details for TRSC

Do they have a website?

Yes, it's here.

[Sheryl]

I think that, after the initial learning curve, the surgery is quite routine and the skill of the doctor is a lesser risk factor than that posed by a  money hungry doctor who performs the procedure on high risk patients i.e patients with thin lenses , chronic dry eyes etc.

One percent of all patients is ###### of a lot of unhappy people for the rest of their lives, don't you think?  Or even one half of one percent.  It indicates to me that people are not being properly educated about the possible risks inherent in the operation.  Would one out of one hundred people or even one out of one thousand people really risk their quality of lives if they truly understood the possible complications and the liklihood of their occuring.

It would be nice to live in a world where people are intellligent and resourceful enough to educate themselves on the risks of prescription drugs and elective surgery in the face of sophisticated and manipulative marketing.  In leu of that, many thanks to that vocal one percent and lets not be too quick to ###### them for speaking up!

Since every patient's vision is different (different degrees of myopia/presbyopia/stigmatism etc) and people's needs and wishes in terms of improvement, concern about near vs far vision etc, all differ, there is nothing at all routine about LASIK if it's done properly, i.e. individualized. It's in gfact quite an art, as are all surgical procedures, and the results obtained does indeed vary greatly with the skill and experience of the surgeon.

One of the very first things that happens when you go to TRSC is they sit you down to watch a video in your native language explaining the procedures and all possible complications. There is no aggressive marketing (they hardly need it -- they're swamped with patiets) and every effort made to be sure the patient understands the potential risks as well as has a realistic expectation of the likely outcome. I was severely myopic (20/400) when I went in and Dr. Ekatet told me very clearly whatr percent chance I had of getting what level of vision after the surgery, being quite cautious in his estimates. He also told me that the problem I had with glare at night would not improve and might even worsen after the surgery. In short, very frank and I was more than amply imformed. Consent forms there are signed in advance and only after thorough explanations -- and anyplace were that is not the case should be avoided on that ground alone.

The approximately 1% of people who have complications with LASIK are not "unhappy for the rest of their lives" since the vast majority of complications are fully treatable. I know 2 people who had complications, both are quite happy in the long term. The other point to consider is that there are complications associated with the use of contact lenses too, which over the years exceed those of the surgery. And there are risks associated with the lack of peripheral vision that results from wearing glasses, not to mention the sheer misery of wearing coke bottle-weight glasses, fumbling about to find them in the morning, the pain of corneal abrasions from contact lenses etc...

Its up to everyone to decide for themselves, and a lot depends on how bad your vision is and how much glasses/contacts bothers you. Like another post-ee on this thread, LASIK was one of the best things I've ever done for myself. Certainly one should be very careful in making informed decisions when it comes to any kind of elective surgery, but no need to go scaring people off a procedure that can greatly impro9ve the quality of their lives. And to suggest that the skill of the surgeon isn't an important factor is plain wrong, with regard to any procedure.

[ricklev]

There are many good reasons to scare people into fully examining the risks of lasik so they can make an informed decision, which is why I am bothering to post here.

[ricklev]

Accurate statistics regarding complications and what they mean to life quality are complex and easily manipulated. The problem with lasik is that until complications are actually experienced it is difficult to convey or understand their significance or the amount of stress and discomfort they cause.

That is why it is important to the decision making process to read some anectdotal accounts of post lasik suffering available on the many non-lasik industry supported websites.

[Dradam]

Accurate statistics regarding complications and what they mean to life quality are complex and easily manipulated.  The problem with lasik is that until complications are actually experienced it is difficult to convey or understand their significance or the amount of stress and discomfort they cause.

That is why it is important to the decision making process to read some anectdotal accounts of post lasik suffering available on the many non-lasik industry supported websites.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I fully agree that people should know the risks that they are putting themselves into. This goes the same for contact lens wearers. Contact lens wear carries with it the risk of blindness. An eye that has worn contact lenses for 10 years looks much less healthy than an eye that hasn't ever worn them. Oxygen deprivation, discomfort, daily rubbing, and the constant risk of infection can all pay a toll on the eye.

Perhaps in addition to looking at the complications that have occurred in LASIK, you should consider the infections that have been avoided by the large number of people having LASIK. The risk of infection among contact lens users is about 1 in 2,000 per year. If you consider that over 8 million people have had LASIK (a conservative estimate), and perhaps 50% of these people wore contact lenses, then that would mean that there are 2,000 cases of contact lens induced corneal infection per year that are now being avoided. Perhaps many of these could have resulted in permanent vision loss.

Glasses are still the safest option. That is a fact.

It is heart-breaking to hear about people undergoing an elective surgery (of any type) and having poor results. One of my friends told me that the best thing she did in Thailand, though, was to have LASIK surgery. Without the constant need for glasses, she said that her life is 100% better. I don't think my life is 100% better after LASIK but it is certainly one less source of stress in my life. I spent time considering what I would do in a worst case scenario (such as severe dry eyes or haloes at night). Then I considered the risks I take whenever I get in a taxi or the risks of some sports I enjoy (rock-climbing, scubadiving, etc.) In the end, I decided that the potential benefit was much larger than the very low percentage of risk. I have been happy with the results ever since.

If I was afraid to take the smallest risks, I don't think I could enjoy life. At the same time, I went to four different LASIK centers for an eye examination (TRSC, Rutnin, Bumrungrad, and Laservision). TRSC's attention to detail and system of patient care was extraordinary. Combined with the most experience and the newest equipment, it made my choice an easier one.

[Sheryl]

I fully agree that people should know the risks that they are putting themselves into. This goes the same for contact lens wearers. Contact lens wear carries with it the risk of blindness. An eye that has worn contact lenses for 10 years looks much less healthy than an eye that hasn't ever worn them. Oxygen deprivation, discomfort, daily rubbing, and the constant risk of infection can all pay a toll on the eye.

Perhaps in addition to looking at the complications that have occurred in LASIK, you should consider the infections that have been avoided by the large number of people having LASIK. The risk of infection among contact lens users is about 1 in 2,000 per year. If you consider that over 8 million people have had LASIK (a conservative estimate), and perhaps 50% of these people wore contact lenses, then that would mean that there are 2,000 cases of contact lens induced corneal infection per year that are now being avoided. Perhaps many of these could have resulted in permanent vision loss.

Glasses are still the safest option. That is a fact.

It is heart-breaking to hear about people undergoing an elective surgery (of any type) and having poor results. One of my friends told me that the best thing she did in Thailand, though, was to have LASIK surgery. Without the constant need for glasses, she said that her life is 100% better. I don't think my life is 100% better after LASIK but it is certainly one less source of stress in my life. I spent time considering what I would do in a worst case scenario (such as severe dry eyes or haloes at night). Then I considered the risks I take whenever I get in a taxi or the risks of some sports I enjoy (rock-climbing, scubadiving, etc.) In the end, I decided that the potential benefit was much larger than the very low percentage of risk. I have been happy with the results ever since.

If I was afraid to take the smallest risks, I don't think I could enjoy life. At the same time, I went to four different LASIK centers for an eye examination (TRSC, Rutnin, Bumrungrad, and Laservision). TRSC's attention to detail and system of patient care was extraordinary. Combined with the most experience and the newest equipment, it made my choice an easier one.

Agree with all the above except the bit about glasses being safe. They may be (provided they have shatterproff lenses) for people with mildly bad vision but for those of us who had or still have really bad vision, they carry plenty of risks:

1) Lack of peripheral vision -- especialy dangerous when driving, or in many sports...in the case of those of us who were legally blind without glasses, this means NO peripheral vision at all. I didn't dare drive with glasses on as I had so many near crashes fopr that reason. Contacts, full of problems though they were (multyiple corneal abrasiansd, pain, etc) were the only way I could afely drive or do anything else where peripheral vision is a must.

2) Lack of ANY vision if you can't happen to find them...crawling around on the floor trying to find where they've dropped made me late for work many times, luckily I never had a fire because I might not have been able to get out. My vision was so bad that I could only locate my glasses by sense of touch. This is not a very safe situation. Likewise, glasses can break or fall off, and again there you are effectively blind.

I feel vastly safer (not to mention happier and more carefree) now that I can simply SEE....without any aids.

Of course everyone has to weigh the risks and benefits themselves. Even though I had been following progess on development of surgery for myopia for years eagerly awaiting a technique that would help, when the time came I opted to do one eye at a time so as to minimize my risks, doing the second eye only once I was sure the first was fine. (This actually proved a great benefit in enabling the doc to fine-tune the results. We did my worst eye first, and once that had stabilized and he knew what it's vision was he had a better idea what to shoot for in the othjer eye so that I'd get both distance vision and be reading glasses free.

one thing is for sure -- if someone does choose LASIK, there's no better place to have it done than TRSC.

[wilson steer]

I wear Coca Cola spectacles and sometimes contact lenses. I have considered laser surgery many times. I have consulted eye surgeons and specialists who are not financially linked to Lasik centres etc.

No eye surgeon will admit that this is a safe procedure, in a small percentage of people there will be lasting eye damage. However there is also a high percentage of people who cannot drive at night following Lasik surgery.

There is no long term studies or statistics available for laser correctional surgery.

I appreciate that the results are magnificent for most people, but I feel that this type of elective surgery is so often 'cosmetic' or unnecessary.

The wearing of spectacles is not offensive or unusual, except perhaps for elite sportsmen, supermodels or fire fighters.

I feel that in 90% of cases that this is a 'fad' that will eventually fade, given time. A few years ago people were wearing clear lenses in spectacles for the sake of 'fashion'.

Although I feel this following linked website is alarmist and melodramatic, it offers some good .pdf files, which should be studied by all considering laser surgery on their eyes.

LINK: http://lasikdisaster.com/

Good luck to all who opt for surgery.

Mr W.S. Jam Jar Specs'.

[Dradam]

"No eye surgeon will admit that this is a safe procedure."

Thousands of surgeons not only admit this is a safe procedure but they undergo the procedure themselves. If you are finding the opinion of eye doctors that have no link to LASIK centers than perhaps you are receiving biased information as well. Many eye doctors not affiliated with LASIK do not want people to have LASIK as they are afraid they would lose customers. Glasses can cost as much as 20,000 Baht or more per pair. Half of this money goes into the pocket of the eye doctor. These glasses are replaced every 2-3 years. Would you want your customer to have LASIK and possibly never buy another pair of glasses from you?

Thousands of eye doctors have had LASIK. They would not have done this if they didn't consider it to have an excellent safety margin.

"There is no long term studies or statistics available for laser correctional surgery."

PRK has been around for almost 20 years. LASIK has been around for over 10 years. Comparing these eyes to people who have been wearing contact lenses for 20 years and you will find that the LASIK eyes appear much healthier. LASIK eyes undergo a 30 second laser treatement. The eye heals. The eyes are not going to fall apart after 10 years. There is enough understood about the biophysiology of the eye that we can predict what will happen. With a skilled surgeon and the newest technology, the risks are very slight.

I feel that in 90% of cases that this is a 'fad' that will eventually fade, given time. A few years ago people were wearing clear lenses in spectacles for the sake of 'fashion'.

On the contrary, I predict that in time corrective glasses will no longer be worn. In fact, whenever I see science fiction movies where people are wearing glasses in the future I think "This will never happen. Why are people still wearing glasses in 200 years when we can cure this?" When people can avoid a major obstacle in their lives in does not become a fad. People once thought that automobiles would become a fad. Airplanes would be a fad. Computers would be a fad. Fashion styles such as bell-bottom pants are a fad. Genuine improvements in a person's life become permanent. LASIK may fade but only when a newer and more improved method of treatment becomes available. People who had PRK 15 years ago do not regret their decision not to wait for LASIK. They had many years of good vision without glasses. I will not regret having LASIK if in 10 years there is a newer and even safer procedure. I will have had 10 years of excellent vision without glasses.

Cheryl mentioned this possibility:

Lack of ANY vision if you can't happen to find them...crawling around on the floor trying to find where they've dropped made me late for work many times, luckily I never had a fire because I might not have been able to get out. My vision was so bad that I could only locate my glasses by sense of touch. This is not a very safe situation. Likewise, glasses can break or fall off, and again there you are effectively blind.

I was in at the Bangkok Phuket Hospital during the tsunami crisis. There were many people I met during that time that blamed the extent of their injuries on the fact that they wore glasses. The glasses were swept away by the tidal wave. Afterwards, the victim could no longer see to reach safety. They struggled against the waves but couldn't see well enough to know where they should go to reach safety.

In fact, many of these people would go for many days before they could obtain another pair of glasses. Imagine losing your glasses, being severely injured, being transported to a hospital in a foreign land, not knowing where your family is, not able to see, and not knowing how you will ever return home. This is the situation that some people faced. Several people swore to me that they would have LASIK when they returned home.

I appreciate that the results are magnificent for most people, but I feel that this type of elective surgery is so often 'cosmetic' or unnecessary.

It depends on your lifestyle and your comfort zone. Pro athletes undergo the procedure but so do housewives. I didn't have LASIK for cosmetic reasons. I chose it for practical reasons. LASIK wasn't necessary for me. It also wasn't necessary for me to wear glasses anymore because of advancements in medicine. Glasses are no longer the only option.

Imagine living a life where in order to breathe, you had to wear a regulator on at all times. One day, you have the option for a surgery where you can now breathe without needing a regulator. The surgery wasn't necessary. You could breathe fine with a regulator. You chose the surgery because you didn't want to breathe through a regulator your entire life.

I chose LASIK because I didn't want to look through a pair of glasses or contact lenses my entire life.

[teej]

For those of you that have been to TRSC or know about the different treatments, any advice as to which one is best? (on the website they list Premium, Optimum, Ultimate, NV, and Phaco, from least expensive to most expensive)

[suneeoki]

For those of you that have been to TRSC or know about the different treatments, any advice as to which one is best? (on the website they list Premium, Optimum, Ultimate, NV, and Phaco, from least expensive to most expensive)

Phaco is used to remove cataracts.

NV is used to correct age related vision reading problems (they will only consider you for this is you are 45+).

Premium, Optimum, Ultimate, are the main Lasik procedures.

Premium treats near-sightedness, far-sightedness, and minor astigmatism

Optimum has above plus optimization, which is designed to maintain natural corneal shape.

Ultimate has all of above, plus wavefront, which is for the treatment of higher-order aberrations (astigmatism etc..)

With Ultimate, you are more likely to end up with better quality of general vision and night vision.

Edited February 26, 2006 by suneeoki

[britmaveric]

I had procedure done nearly 3yrs ago - never regretted it. Done in 10min and the misery of contacts/glasses was over!!!! None of the negative affects such as halos, stars, nor dry eyes. I'm currently better than 20/20 in each eye and only cost me 1000quid!!!

[Carmine6]

I had wavefront done 2 1/2 years ago, but in the US. Would absolutely do it over again. 20/15 in both eyes, and has been pretty stable this whole time, with just a slight decrease in acuity in my left eye. I have oversize pupils and would not have been a good candidate before the new lasers came out. I know six people who have had it done and all are extremely happy with it as well.

Before that I had almost completely given up on my contacts, wearing glasses most of the time. My eyes were dry and irritated all the time with contacts.

[cnx7]

I agree that caution must be observed and potential patients should be well-educated on both the risks and benefits of surgery. Some of the above links, however, are to sites with an overly negative view of LASIK.

Besides a love for Thailand and Thai Food (that brought me to this site), I'm webmaster for the Lasik MD Website - There is a nice section on our site that details the common and uncommon complications. http://www.lasik.md/learnaboutlasik/morecommon.php

Hope this helps.

[Nongwahyay]

A couple of years ago I looked into this as well and after a lot of searching, finally decided to have it done in Bratislava. They advised me to have an eye-check done in Berlin beforehand and in particular to have the internal eye pressure checked. I did actually have a check-up but put off the eye pressure check till later.....and then forgot about it. My wife and I then flew to Bratislava. The op was to be the following day. I was one of a group of perhaps 10 people from various countries. anyhow they subjected us to a whole series of detailed examinations of each eye..........and discovered in my case, that the internal eye pressure was much too high.........I had a reading of around 32, where the average is around 16. Anything above 22 or so and they refuse to operate. In my case it turned out that I have glaucoma, which occurs when the eye fluid does not drain off as quickly as it enters the eye - resulting in ever increasing internal pressure, which ultimately destroys the nerve, leaving you blind. There is no cure for it - you simply apply eye-drops - VISTAGAN - twice a day for the rest of your life........................... I haven´t seen anyone mention this problem here.................so just a word of warning to anyone considering having it done.......have your eye pressure checked beforehand!!!!!!!!!

I can, incidentally, highly recommend the institute we went to.......... it would have been very good value - only a third of what I would have paid in Berlin - and I found them all extremely professional. They were certainly not just out to make money - as I found in my own case. They also only charged me 70 Euros for all the examinations they did.

[Sheryl]

Any reputable place will routinely check your eye pressure before scheduling you for surgery; if they don't then that is not a good place to have surgery.

I had Lasik in Thailand about 8 years ago with great results. Was previously -12 diopters and needed glasses just to get to the bathroom to put in my contacts; glasses were like coke bottles and contacts were also of necessity thick making them uncomfortable to wear for long periods...not to mention the hassle of lugging contact solution around (I travel a lot & work in 3rd world countries).

I researched it carefully before doing it. As with all procedures there is a small risk, but there is also a risk to wearing contact lenses and in fact the risk of a vision-impairing infection is higher if you opt for lenses than the surgery. As for glasses (mine were so thick they left deep imprints on my nose) no one has quantified it but there is certainly an increased risk of accidental death due to the lack of peripheral vision.

I did make sure to have the surgery done by a very reputable place (TRSC -- both the best and probably the most expensive in Thailand; why take chances looking for a bargain with elective surgery on your eyes??). No doubt there are less reputable, less experienced places doing the surgery and that will of course increase the risks.

At a reputable place you won't have to ask how many procedures they've done or what the various risks and possible complications are -- they'll volunteer that information right off the bat. They also will not push you to make a decision, and will spend a sizable amount of time with you explaining the procedure and examining your eyes to make sure you are a good surgical candidate. They'll give you a clear expectation in quanitifiable terms of the likely outcome (i.e. an X% chance of being able to drive without glasses, etc).

If you encounter anything less than the above anywhere, head for the door. There are plenty of other places that will be glad to have you.

[samran]

By the way, if your eyes are at all dry take that as a giant warning against Lasik.  I struggled with dry eyes for a year after Lasik.  And for sure take a long, hard, cold look at www.surgicaleyes.com

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Excellent advice.

I know you aren't a doctor, but in what context do you mean.

My eyes are fine if I don't wear contacts, but can and do suffer from dryness if I wear them for a long time, and can be dry for a bit after taking them off (sometimes into the next day).

If however I don't wear my contacts for extended periods, then there is no problem (so far as I can tell)....blinking doesn't feel dry!