LASIK eye surgery info please

[problemfarang]

Hi,

 

Im planning to get a LASIK surgery for my eyes vision.

 

I just want to know if anyone done it and whats the experience? I checkec YanHee hospital website and it seems good for both budget and doctors. 2 eyes around 60K. Bangkok hospital is 100K but seems more service ( 1 night stay at hospital)

 

I did lot of research via google and youtube. I believe if the operation goes well no need to stay at the hospital or anything extra.

 

Im ok for all the operation needs. 

 

If you have any experience, info or something to share please do.

 

Thank you

[dj230]

I haven't done it in Bangkok but in Canada where I am from, Lasik has 2 types, blade and bladeless, you can look into the differences/pros/cons of both. I choose the bladeless version and I think I made the right choice, hard to say since I can't compare what my vision would be like with the blade version but I have 0 issues, 20/20 vision, no bluring/night hazing, no dry eyes, nothing. 

 

The process a few days, first you go and get your eyes/vision checked, then they do it again on the day of your surgery, takes about 30 minutes with 10-15 minutes of the actual procedure, first you get numbing eye drops, after those kick in you go into the room and you lay down, they put some device to hold your eye open, it feels "uncomfortable" but not painful, like something pushing against your eyeball, they tell you to look at a light thats blinking, first use one laser (or blade) to cut your eye open, then another laser will correct your eyesight, then they put the flap they cut open from your eye back and do the next one. I will say, one thing that was odd is having really bad vision, it was a bit of a curve ball when they told me to look at the blinking light which positions your eye for the laser to cut your eye. I could barely see it having horrible vision and was worried something would go wrong.

 

After they do both eyes they give you some numbing eye drops and I think some other eyedrops possibly anti bacterial, these are essential because my eyes starting burning like crazy after and using the eye drops helped tremendously, this lasted for about half a day. Also your eyes are going to be blurry for about a day, you won't be able to see much, as if you were not wearing glasses, so thats going to suck and you need to wear sunglasses with UV protection which they usually give you, I'd just stay inside with the blinds closed if I were you for a day and try to not go out for a few days. I can't remember how many days it took for me to get my eye sight, might have been a day, but I went back after for a follow up and they checked my eyes to make sure everything was good.

 

You should ask if your hospital will give you lifetime warranty on your eyes, mine did which gives me a peace of mind incase my eyesight gets worse after lasik, they said they'll do it again for free. I think I was supposed to go back after a year and get checkups yearly but having been in Thailand for over a year I haven't gone back. 

 

Hope it goes well, was probably the best money I've ever spent.

Edited August 24, 2022 by dj230

[Sheryl]

The best place in Thailand for this -- and the first to do it -- is the Thai Refractive Surgery Center (TSRC).

 

I had both eyes done there more than 20 years ago with still excellent results.  I did  one eye at a time and left one undercorrected which has worked out well in avoiding need for reading glasses as I aged -- something to consider/ discuss with them

 

https://www.trsclasik.com/en/lasik

 

[Rampant Rabbit]

24 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

as I aged

And  what AGE were you  when it was  done, read  somewhere mid 40s is the cut  off  point for  lasik?

[Rampant Rabbit]

2 hours ago, dj230 said:

I haven't done it in Bangkok but in Canada where I am from, Lasik has 2 types, blade and bladeless, you can look into the differences/pros/cons of both. I choose the bladeless version and I think I made the right choice, hard to say since I can't compare what my vision would be like with the blade version but I have 0 issues, 20/20 vision, no bluring/night hazing, no dry eyes, nothing. 

 

The process a few days, first you go and get your eyes/vision checked, then they do it again on the day of your surgery, takes about 30 minutes with 10-15 minutes of the actual procedure, first you get numbing eye drops, after those kick in you go into the room and you lay down, they put some device to hold your eye open, it feels "uncomfortable" but not painful, like something pushing against your eyeball, they tell you to look at a light thats blinking, first use one laser (or blade) to cut your eye open, then another laser will correct your eyesight, then they put the flap they cut open from your eye back and do the next one. I will say, one thing that was odd is having really bad vision, it was a bit of a curve ball when they told me to look at the blinking light which positions your eye for the laser to cut your eye. I could barely see it having horrible vision and was worried something would go wrong.

 

After they do both eyes they give you some numbing eye drops and I think some other eyedrops possibly anti bacterial, these are essential because my eyes starting burning like crazy after and using the eye drops helped tremendously, this lasted for about half a day. Also your eyes are going to be blurry for about a day, you won't be able to see much, as if you were not wearing glasses, so thats going to suck and you need to wear sunglasses with UV protection which they usually give you, I'd just stay inside with the blinds closed if I were you for a day and try to not go out for a few days. I can't remember how many days it took for me to get my eye sight, might have been a day, but I went back after for a follow up and they checked my eyes to make sure everything was good.

 

You should ask if your hospital will give you lifetime warranty on your eyes, mine did which gives me a peace of mind incase my eyesight gets worse after lasik, they said they'll do it again for free. I think I was supposed to go back after a year and get checkups yearly but having been in Thailand for over a year I haven't gone back. 

 

Hope it goes well, was probably the best money I've ever spent.

At what age did  you  have it done?

[Sheryl]

3 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

And  what AGE were you  when it was  done, read  somewhere mid 40s is the cut  off  point for  lasik?

I was in my early 40s.

[kidneyw]

I had it done when I was fifty and the results were terrific. However my eyesight started to deteriorate and I went back when I was sixty two. I was told I was too old and it was surprising that the previous LASIK surgery had lasted that long, considering my age. This was at Bangkok Pattaya hospital.

I did not have to stay in hospital overnight and just needed someone to collect me and drive me home.

[Rampant Rabbit]

15 minutes ago, kidneyw said:

I had it done when I was fifty and the results were terrific. However my eyesight started to deteriorate and I went back when I was sixty two. I was told I was too old and it was surprising that the previous LASIK surgery had lasted that long, considering my age. This was at Bangkok Pattaya hospital.

I did not have to stay in hospital overnight and just needed someone to collect me and drive me home.

any mention of  having lenses  inserted instead?

Whats  actually  possible these  days, Im 58, eyes  been bad for about 5  years lucky I got away with it for so  long I  guess . Can they fix  both near and far vision now? whats the latest?

[Ralf001]

4 hours ago, Sheryl said:

The best place in Thailand for this -- and the first to do it -- is the Thai Refractive Surgery Center (TSRC).

 

I had both eyes done there more than 20 years ago with still excellent results.  I did  one eye at a time and left one undercorrected which has worked out well in avoiding need for reading glasses as I aged -- something to consider/ discuss with them

 

https://www.trsclasik.com/en/lasik

 

My eyesight is what I consider to be fairly poor, I went to TRC Lasik, they did a heap of tests and according to the results my eyes are not bad enough to warrant lasik.

No charge for testing which I was impressed with..... still cannot read a book or road signs !!

[problemfarang]

thanks for the comments guys.

[dj230]

7 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

At what age did  you  have it done?

I was 24 

[dj230]

3 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

any mention of  having lenses  inserted instead?

Whats  actually  possible these  days, Im 58, eyes  been bad for about 5  years lucky I got away with it for so  long I  guess . Can they fix  both near and far vision now? whats the latest?

There were elderly patients when I went and they told me when I was older I could get both near and far vision corrected. They told me they correct one eye for far vision and one for near vision, or something like that. 

 

They did have some option for those to have lenses inserted but said I didn’t need it because lasik was fine for my vision, my vision was horrible and luckily they told me that technology enhanced over the years and I probably couldn’t get lasik years ago. My vision was like -8 or -9

[fdsa]

LASIK is two generations old technology, you should do RELEX.

[Longwood50]

I had Lasik done years ago.  Here is some advise don't do it.  I was nearsighted so I could read.  I corrected my vision with Lasik for distance.  Guess What, they didn't tell me that it would rob me of my near vision.  So now instead of having to wear glasses only occasionally for distance, I now was chained to having a set of reading glasses all the time.  Even if you are young this will eventually happen to you.  It is called Presbyopia.  

Now, my distance vision was great.  However again, another pitfall is that your vision changes as time goes on.  I experienced what many are now finding and that is called second sight.  Your distance vision improves as you age.  Now of course with Lasik I was over corrected and my vision blurry from too much correction. 

With my cornea now flattened contact lenses don't fit properly.  I could get away with single vision contacts but the new multi-focal lens were worthless.  Blurry at any distance.  So again, still chained to glasses. 

Finally, as I have aged night driving has a glare which is normal.  The opthamologists told me that the flattened cornea made the glare more pronounced.  I had small cataracts but not bad enough to warrant surgery.  I am 73 and asked the doctor why wait your estimated 5 - 7 years until my cataracts worsen.  He finally relented and I had cataract surgery which is IOL inter ocular lens.  I can now read and see at distance.  The glare is reduced but not entirely because in part to the prior lasik.  The selection of the lens was considerable more challenging because of the Lasik which makes calculating exactly what lens to replace it a bit of a guesswork. 

So, if I was to go back in time, I would opt for interocular lens replacement instead of Lasik.  If my vision changed over time the lens can be removed and a new one replaced.  

Another option which I did not have at that time are the newer Multi Focal contacts.  That does not rid you of the nuisance of contacts but it does eliminate the glasses. 

Talk to your OPTHAMOLOGIST first and not the Lasik person before deciding.  Ask him/her if my comments are not something you should take into consideration. 

If you are in Chonburi go for a free evaluation go to Jomtien Hospital.  On Thursdays Dr. Santa Methasari.  He is also on staff at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya but visit is not free. 

 

Edited August 25, 2022 by Longwood50

[richard_smith237]

Different experiences, different opinions...

 

I went to TRSC about 10 years ago - both eyes done at the same time. 

I wish I’d never waited the 4-5 years of deliberation.... (Final Destination 5 didn’t help and delayed the decision a further year !!!!).

 

Long Vision sorted - I only ever used spectacles when driving or watching TV etc, the sight wasn’t too bad, but just enough to be irritating and causing me to squint. 

 

Near Vision, no change whatsoever, as I reached early 40’s I started to need reading glasses, more so in my mid-40’s now...   This was not created by or impacted by LASIK, its just age. 

 

 

Technology may well have changed a lot in the last 10 years - its worth doing a lot of research and going to one of the best places. 

10 years ago TRSC in Bangkok was one of the best places to have LASIK treatment. 

 

 

 

[kidneyw]

10 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

any mention of  having lenses  inserted instead?

Whats  actually  possible these  days, Im 58, eyes  been bad for about 5  years lucky I got away with it for so  long I  guess . Can they fix  both near and far vision now? whats the latest?

They did suggest having lenses inserted, but it was too pricey for me.

[Sheryl]

14 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

My eyesight is what I consider to be fairly poor, I went to TRC Lasik, they did a heap of tests and according to the results my eyes are not bad enough to warrant lasik.

No charge for testing which I was impressed with..... still cannot read a book or road signs !!

Problems reading a book is usually due to age related lack of accommodation  and certainly not to near-sightedness which is what lasik is for.

[Ralf001]

5 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Problems reading a book is usually due to age related lack of accommodation  and certainly not to near-sightedness which is what lasik is for.

Ahh fair enough, did not know that.

 

I thought it could correct both near and far sight.

 

My intent was to ditch the glasses I wear, their solution was to wear a contact lense in my right eye.

 

Edited August 25, 2022 by Ralf001

[Longwood50]

On 8/25/2022 at 12:59 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Different experiences, different opinions...

I don't know your age, however my vision started to "improve" in my 50's.  So now I needed both reading glasses and corrective glasses to reduce the over correction done by lasik.  

Perhaps your eyes are stable, or perhaps you have not reached the age where your eyes have changed. 

One way or another, most people will experience cataracts as they age.  Ask any opthamologist and they will tell you that selecting the correct lens replacement for a person who has previously had lasik is far more challenging and involves a bit of guesswork.  Despite all the testing, my first eye with the lens was - 1.25 diopters.  The second a +25 after the doctor adjusted what the Zeiss machine calculated my required lens to be for the second eye. 

Now as it turns out, this is exactly what I wanted.  Monovision.  I see with the eye that is nearly perfectly corrected, and I get close up vision with the eye that is undercorrected. 

I would just caution that once your cornea's are shaved, there is no going back.  With IOL lens or a corneal ring insertion you can adjust it if your vision needs change. 

 

[Sheryl]

7 hours ago, Longwood50 said:

I don't know your age, however my vision started to "improve" in my 50's.  So now I needed both reading glasses and corrective glasses to reduce the over correction done by lasik.  

Perhaps your eyes are stable, or perhaps you have not reached the age where your eyes have changed. 

One way or another, most people will experience cataracts as they age.  Ask any opthamologist and they will tell you that selecting the correct lens replacement for a person who has previously had lasik is far more challenging and involves a bit of guesswork.  Despite all the testing, my first eye with the lens was - 1.25 diopters.  The second a +25 after the doctor adjusted what the Zeiss machine calculated my required lens to be for the second eye. 

Now as it turns out, this is exactly what I wanted.  Monovision.  I see with the eye that is nearly perfectly corrected, and I get close up vision with the eye that is undercorrected. 
 

 

Monovision can also be achieved with Lasik. This is what I did and at almost 70 I still do not need reading glasses. If/when I get cataract surgery I will make sure to keep one eye nearsighted so as to maintain the monovision.

 

To get monovision with Lasik it needs to be pre-planned and one eye  done at a time and the vision stabilized in one eye first before doing the other. 

 

Note that not everyone adjusts well  to monovision so good idea to have a trial run via glasses or contacts first. 

 

Good that you mentioned about cataracts later in life: it is important to know the vision parameters (including corneal power) before the Lasik surgery and provide that info to the doctor who removes the cataract. Also be sure to use a doctor experienced in cataract surgery on Lasik patients.  So get the pre-Lasik vision info and save it for future reference. 

 

 

[Longwood50]

13 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Monovision can also be achieved with Lasik.

Yes I was aware of that.  Years ago I lost a contact lens and went to my opthamologist for a replacement.  I asked if there was anything I could do regarding reading since with the contacts I could not read.  He laughed and said, yes you just discovered it.  Wear only 1 contact lens.  I did that for years.  

I had a good outcome with the cataract surgery achieving what I wanted to but not entirely by design.  Despite all the modern testing my first eye was undercorrected by +1.75.  The doctor for the second surgery manually adjusted the power that the Zeiss interocular calculated for the required power. 

There are several formulas used by the machine to predict the required power and they don't come out the same.  That prediction is complicated by prior lasik.  My doctor had me go a second time to have the machine calculate my power, then ran three separate tests manually on his computer based on my measurements.  He then made his "best guess" as to which measurement would produce the best outcome.  He got it within -.25 diopters.  

My only point is that with other options I would not select Lasik if I was to go back in time.  Anyone considering Lasik should consult with an opthamologist and shall we say.  Go in with their eyes wide open, about the positives and negatives associated with Lasik surgery.