Lasik

[raro]

I'm actually not that much shortsighted - 1.5 and 1.75 respectively - but I hate my glasses with a passion (scratches, dirt and so on) and contacts made my eyes dry after a while. I hardly ever use my glasses now when at home, just outside.

I'm very likely going to do the Lasik, just want to get some more advise on possible clinics. Then a run to bkk, checking them in person one by one to get a feeling for their staff and then eventually the big day....

[Lazy Sod]

As Sheryl says, TRSC is the place to go, no need to waste your time checking other places.

[Chuckk]

During this trip to Thailand I planned on having a LASIK consultation at Bumrungrad to determine if I was even a candidate for LASIK. My left eye was -3.75 and the right was -4.75. Astigmatisms in both eyes. Having spent the last 15 years wearing contacts I was more than ready for another option (I hate glasses).

I arrived at Bumrungrad for my appointment about 30 early and made my way to the Eye Center. Had my bp and temp. taken. I was also handed a few papers explaining some of the process and noticed the doctors name was on the paper. So naturally I googled his name since I had time to spare. Only found one review and needless to say it wasn't a positive one. I figured what the heck, it's only a consultation so I'll stick it out. 30 minutes after my scheduled appointment had passed I asked the nurses if the doctor was available and they told me he was still at lunch. I asked them if the doctors name on the paper was in fact going to be my doctor for the surgery also and they said yes. Asking if I could change doctors they curiously asked why so I showed them the review I found and they suggested I should research their other doctors and set up a new appointment. So off I went. Feeling a little bummed that I'd gone 3 days already without my contacts (did I mention I hate glasses?) and I've really gotten nowhere.

I'd heard about Rutnin Eye Hospital so I called them up and was told I'd need to stay away from contacts for 7 days prior to a consultation. Well that wasn't going to happen since I was leaving in just 3 more days. Took to the Internet again and found quite a few positive reviews on TRSC. Called them up and was scheduled a consultation the following day (require 3 days without contacts).

The comments everyone has made about TRSC are completely accurate so I won't become a broken record and repeat everything that's already been said. Everyone is professional, helpful, knowledgeable, and I was treated as a person...not a patient. My vision on the chart was close to 20/400 sans glasses. Dr. Sukanda answered the few questions that I had and I felt very confident that I was in good hands.

Promptly postponed my departing flight and extended my hotel stay for another week while awaiting the next days surgery. Then I called my boss and asked for the next week off (can't say no now!). The next afternoon I had Femtosecond LASIK performed on both eyes. Hazy and foggy after the surgery with light sensitivity but once at the hotel promptly fell asleep. Woke up with a burning sensation in both eyes with quite a bit of tears streaming out. Lasted for a few minutes and back to sleep I went. It's only been a few days since the surgery but my eyes feel excellent. For the first time in almost 2 decades I can read the clock next to the bed without reaching for glasses first. No more getting up extra early so my eyes can wake up so I can put in my contacts.

My second post-op exam is tomorrow then I'll be flying back home tomorrow night. Having the surgery done at TRSC is one of the best things I've ever done and so far I'm extremely satisfied with the results. Also gives me proper reason the come back to Thailand (post-op exams) a few times this year.

Thanks Dr. Sukanda and everyone at TRSC

[Chuckk]

Forgot to mention that Dr. Sukanda thought my vision would realistically be improved to 20/32 but on the next day exam I was able to see 20/20. Not sure if it will stabilize at 20/20 but I can hope so.

[bobl]

Not many people talking about presbyopia.

Every time I look into it I come to the conclusion I'm going to be stuck with reading glasses for the rest of my life. I know I can have NV lasik to "fix" one eye and my brain will sort itself out as to which eye to use for near and far. Couple years ago after hearing about NV surgery I actually walked around permanently wearing my reading glasses with one lens removed. It worked but I hated it. Perhaps since I've been blessed with a very healthy life so far, it was just the psycholigical effect of the nagging feeling that there was something wrong with one eye or the other depending what I was doing - but I couldn't shake it off...

So... Has anyone had any experience specifically with surgery for presbyopia?

[JSixpack]

Not many people talking about presbyopia.

Every time I look into it I come to the conclusion I'm going to be stuck with reading glasses for the rest of my life. I know I can have NV lasik to "fix" one eye and my brain will sort itself out as to which eye to use for near and far. Couple years ago after hearing about NV surgery I actually walked around permanently wearing my reading glasses with one lens removed. It worked but I hated it. Perhaps since I've been blessed with a very healthy life so far, it was just the psycholigical effect of the nagging feeling that there was something wrong with one eye or the other depending what I was doing - but I couldn't shake it off...

So... Has anyone had any experience specifically with surgery for presbyopia?

So, get yourself an IOL or two.

http://www.eyesurgeryeducation.com/surgery-options-presbyopia-lr-about.php

[necronx99]

Don't fall for the high priced lasik ripoff the Doctors will try to peddle you.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Sheryl
commercial url link deleted

[Phil Conners]

Not many people talking about presbyopia.

Every time I look into it I come to the conclusion I'm going to be stuck with reading glasses for the rest of my life. I know I can have NV lasik to "fix" one eye and my brain will sort itself out as to which eye to use for near and far. Couple years ago after hearing about NV surgery I actually walked around permanently wearing my reading glasses with one lens removed. It worked but I hated it. Perhaps since I've been blessed with a very healthy life so far, it was just the psycholigical effect of the nagging feeling that there was something wrong with one eye or the other depending what I was doing - but I couldn't shake it off...

So... Has anyone had any experience specifically with surgery for presbyopia?

I'd be interested in this as well. Wikipedia refer to a new procedure called Intracor, does this exist in Thailand?

[bobl]

I'd be interested in this as well. Wikipedia refer to a new procedure called Intracor, does this exist in Thailand?

I just got round to reading this. Interesting indeed... Now to find where and how much...

[Phil Conners]

It seems Rutnin in Bangkok does the Intracor procedure in Thailand -- http://www.rutningimbel.com/eng/news_detail.php?newsid=226.

[ubonrthai]

I've been saving for 2 years and am ready to take the plunge. Is TRSC still considered the best in Bangkok?

[Sheryl]

Yes

[ubonrthai]

Is FemtoLASIK worth an extra 30k?

From TRSC today: "Our price for traditional Microkeratome LASIK ranges from 73,000 THB to 79,500 THB for both eyes depending on the laser reshaping technology employed. For the all laser FemtoLASIK with the Carl Zeiss VisuMax, we are currently offering a special promotional price for FemtoLASIK at 107,500 THB for both eyes instead of original price of 125,000 THB until the end of June 2012."

[ivan96822]

Lasik was one of the best decisions I made in my life. Sure, you suffer for a day or two, but continuing with stupid glasses and contact lenses that suck the life out of your retinas, it is really an easy decision.

[beachyman]

I did an assessment at Bangkok Hospital, took about 2 hours about 1800 baht I believe. Very thorough. They test thickness of cornea, wetness and tear production, catataract, vision, etc. Took long due to the need to retest after drops dilate the eyes to test pressure.

In my research the 4th generation LASIK still uses a knife to perform the cutting of the cornea while the 5th generation uses a laser to do this. The benefits, as explained by the doctor and my research, is that the laser has a smaller percentage chance of cutting wrong (less than a percent or so) but as this is the place were the complications happen that is a consideration. Also, it seems as if the 5th gen ultra wave or whatever the technology is called is not as dependent on the quality of the technician-doctor.

Bangkok hospital will get the 5th gen in September this year and I'm holding off to do it until I can do an assessment in my home country in 6 months to see if any changes in vision, etc.

Price for this procedure at bkk hospital was 70,000 for both eyes including checkups afterwards and all inclusive.

[beachyman]

Is FemtoLASIK worth an extra 30k?

From TRSC today: "Our price for traditional Microkeratome LASIK ranges from 73,000 THB to 79,500 THB for both eyes depending on the laser reshaping technology employed. For the all laser FemtoLASIK with the Carl Zeiss VisuMax, we are currently offering a special promotional price for FemtoLASIK at 107,500 THB for both eyes instead of original price of 125,000 THB until the end of June 2012."

I think the femto is one version of the 5th gen that uses a laser. Personally I you can afford it I would use that because as I understand it it is much more exact and less dependent on the skill of the operator. In tests a skilled operator on 4th gen with the micro shears against a normal operator with 5th gen should be same outcome.

[ubonrthai]

In June I had FemtoLASIK surgery done at the TRSC Lasik Center in Bangkok. I am in no way affiliated with them at all (unlike a few suspicious posts in this thread), but an extremely satisfied customer. I'm sure I could have done it on the cheap somewhere local but considering it's my eyes, I wanted the best there was. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I've worn glasses since I was 6 and contacts since I was 13 years old. I'm about -5.5 near-sided and could barely read without a book right in my face. The main reason I put off getting LASIK for so long wasn't the potential risks but the cost. After saving for several years though I finally decided to go through with it and paid 107,500b for both eyes and it was worth every baht.

On the day of surgery I had to get a blood test done at BNH Hospital to prove I didn't have HIV and went through an extensive eye exam for a couple hours. It was nothing I haven't done before at a standard eye exam but it was certainly more thorough. They sat me down at a computer with coffee and crackers and I watched an hour video disclosing all the horrible things that could possibly happen to you after surgery. Some of them are truly terrifying but the part I appreciated was that they gave you their clinic's statistics which was near perfect results. I asked my Dr. how many patients she has performed surgery on and she said over 10,000. I'm not sure if that would double to be 20,000 eye balls or not but either way, it was comforting to know she had a ton of experience. The customer service of this place is extremely good too. After each procedure and appointment they have you put a card in a box to rate their customer service which I think is annoyingly unnecessary but whatever... They also have a free coffee machine and snacks. The staff, including the door man, are trained extremely well. The other thing that was comforting about this place was that there were so many other people going through the same process I was. Like a restaurant, if it's full, it must be good right?

As they started the surgery late afternoon I was pretty tense. I don't think the valium they gave me did anything. They started by giving me numbing drops. After about 20 minutes I couldn't feel anything when they touched the eye. Then they escorted me into the surgery room to a table where they make the initial laser cut of the flap. This was probably the scariest part for me and I'm cringing even as I type now. Even though the cut is a laser, they still have to remove the flap by hand and everything goes very blurry. After that was completed (10 min?) they had me get up and move to another table. I was not prepared for this and rather annoyed that I had to get up in my current state but they practically carried me to the next table where the laser would do the correction. They position you under the laser and then it touches your eyeball. For about 30 seconds or less all you see is what I would describe as being in a dark room and watching a laser show. It's completely painless but it's not exactly comfortable either. I'm not sure of the timeline but I think I was in there for about 20 minutes before I was moved to recovery.

Almost as fast I was in, I was escorted out to a taxi and on my way home with plastic guards over my eyes. They gave me valium to take at home and said to go straight to sleep. I have never responded well to any kind of sleep medication and as usual I couldn't fall right to sleep, but I soon understood why they are so firm about going to sleep and doing the surgery late in the day. The numbing drops in my eye began to wear off a few hours later and the discomfort was so bad I actually told my wife, "I'm not sure this was worth it!" Seems funny now but at the time I was miserable. It felt like I had stuck my head into a pile of sand with my eyes open. I finally got to sleep after midnight and slept 6 hours. When I woke up, I was significantly better but it was still a little uncomfortable. Things got exponentially better throughout the day. I've asked a few friends and I'm the only one who had this miserable experience. Even the Dr. was surprised when I went in the next day when I described how bad it was. She probably thinks I'm just a wuss, and maybe I am. :-)

The halos at night were worse with yellow street lights then with white lights. A week later I drove through the night from Bangkok to Ubon without any trouble but occasionally things would fog up a bit and I'd blink several times and they'd go back to normal. For the first month I got dry eyes pretty easily but only when I was in air conditioning. 2 months later I still have a tiny bit of halos at night but its hardly noticeable. I get dry eyes once in a great while but I still have another couple months of potential recovery. Even if nothing improved further I would still be extremely happy.

As I was going through the surgery and thinking through my fear, I kept reminding myself how much I'd appreciate it later. I was made fun of relentlessly in elementary school for such large glasses. I couldn't play sports until I learned to wear contacts which was a painful 2 year adjustment. I've always had to wake up earlier then everyone else I'm traveling with so that my eyes can wake up and adjust in order to put contacts in. I love swimming and snorkeling and contacts and glasses were always a pain with that. I sweat a lot and it bothered my contacts. For decades I haven't been able to wake up and see the clock which seems like a minor detail until now. All of this is gone now and I can actually see clearer then before with 20/12.5 vision. Anyone who hasn't worn contacts and lived an active lifestyle has no idea what an improvement to the quality of life LASIK is. I would have gladly saved and paid far more for this. My only regret is that I chose to wait so long to do it and that I did it while my son is a toddler. I don't think I've ever been kicked, poked or smacked in the face more then the last couple months. I posted a few pictures from the office here.

[falang07]

I wear silicone-hydrogel contact lenses and the quality of life is not an issue at all, they are very comfortable, I do not even feel I have them. I will be 40 in a few years and because of the inevitable presbyopia after LASIK I decided not to undergo this treatment.

[Travel2003]

In June I had FemtoLASIK surgery done at the TRSC Lasik Center in Bangkok. I am in no way affiliated with them at all (unlike a few suspicious posts in this thread), but an extremely satisfied customer. I'm sure I could have done it on the cheap somewhere local but considering it's my eyes, I wanted the best there was. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I've worn glasses since I was 6 and contacts since I was 13 years old. I'm about -5.5 near-sided and could barely read without a book right in my face. The main reason I put off getting LASIK for so long wasn't the potential risks but the cost. After saving for several years though I finally decided to go through with it and paid 107,500b for both eyes and it was worth every baht.

On the day of surgery I had to get a blood test done at BNH Hospital to prove I didn't have HIV and went through an extensive eye exam for a couple hours. It was nothing I haven't done before at a standard eye exam but it was certainly more thorough. They sat me down at a computer with coffee and crackers and I watched an hour video disclosing all the horrible things that could possibly happen to you after surgery. Some of them are truly terrifying but the part I appreciated was that they gave you their clinic's statistics which was near perfect results. I asked my Dr. how many patients she has performed surgery on and she said over 10,000. I'm not sure if that would double to be 20,000 eye balls or not but either way, it was comforting to know she had a ton of experience. The customer service of this place is extremely good too. After each procedure and appointment they have you put a card in a box to rate their customer service which I think is annoyingly unnecessary but whatever... They also have a free coffee machine and snacks. The staff, including the door man, are trained extremely well. The other thing that was comforting about this place was that there were so many other people going through the same process I was. Like a restaurant, if it's full, it must be good right?

As they started the surgery late afternoon I was pretty tense. I don't think the valium they gave me did anything. They started by giving me numbing drops. After about 20 minutes I couldn't feel anything when they touched the eye. Then they escorted me into the surgery room to a table where they make the initial laser cut of the flap. This was probably the scariest part for me and I'm cringing even as I type now. Even though the cut is a laser, they still have to remove the flap by hand and everything goes very blurry. After that was completed (10 min?) they had me get up and move to another table. I was not prepared for this and rather annoyed that I had to get up in my current state but they practically carried me to the next table where the laser would do the correction. They position you under the laser and then it touches your eyeball. For about 30 seconds or less all you see is what I would describe as being in a dark room and watching a laser show. It's completely painless but it's not exactly comfortable either. I'm not sure of the timeline but I think I was in there for about 20 minutes before I was moved to recovery.

Almost as fast I was in, I was escorted out to a taxi and on my way home with plastic guards over my eyes. They gave me valium to take at home and said to go straight to sleep. I have never responded well to any kind of sleep medication and as usual I couldn't fall right to sleep, but I soon understood why they are so firm about going to sleep and doing the surgery late in the day. The numbing drops in my eye began to wear off a few hours later and the discomfort was so bad I actually told my wife, "I'm not sure this was worth it!" Seems funny now but at the time I was miserable. It felt like I had stuck my head into a pile of sand with my eyes open. I finally got to sleep after midnight and slept 6 hours. When I woke up, I was significantly better but it was still a little uncomfortable. Things got exponentially better throughout the day. I've asked a few friends and I'm the only one who had this miserable experience. Even the Dr. was surprised when I went in the next day when I described how bad it was. She probably thinks I'm just a wuss, and maybe I am. :-)

The halos at night were worse with yellow street lights then with white lights. A week later I drove through the night from Bangkok to Ubon without any trouble but occasionally things would fog up a bit and I'd blink several times and they'd go back to normal. For the first month I got dry eyes pretty easily but only when I was in air conditioning. 2 months later I still have a tiny bit of halos at night but its hardly noticeable. I get dry eyes once in a great while but I still have another couple months of potential recovery. Even if nothing improved further I would still be extremely happy.

As I was going through the surgery and thinking through my fear, I kept reminding myself how much I'd appreciate it later. I was made fun of relentlessly in elementary school for such large glasses. I couldn't play sports until I learned to wear contacts which was a painful 2 year adjustment. I've always had to wake up earlier then everyone else I'm traveling with so that my eyes can wake up and adjust in order to put contacts in. I love swimming and snorkeling and contacts and glasses were always a pain with that. I sweat a lot and it bothered my contacts. For decades I haven't been able to wake up and see the clock which seems like a minor detail until now. All of this is gone now and I can actually see clearer then before with 20/12.5 vision. Anyone who hasn't worn contacts and lived an active lifestyle has no idea what an improvement to the quality of life LASIK is. I would have gladly saved and paid far more for this. My only regret is that I chose to wait so long to do it and that I did it while my son is a toddler. I don't think I've ever been kicked, poked or smacked in the face more then the last couple months. I posted a few pictures from the office here.

Very very interesting.

How do you feel these days?

Im considering it, but nervous, because I need my near perfect vision for my job and licence.

What about the member in post # 138 whom talked about presbyopia after LASIK

For other members: The prices still the same?

[ubonrthai]

Very very interesting.

How do you feel these days?

Im considering it, but nervous, because I need my near perfect vision for my job and licence.

What about the member in post # 138 whom talked about presbyopia after LASIK

For other members: The prices still the same?

7 months later and I still consider it the best money I've ever spent. I had a 6 month checkup not long ago and the Dr. said my eyes have completely healed and look great. Orange street lights still have a very tiny bit of extra glow to them (halo) but I don't notice it unless reminded about it. I don't have any trouble with dry eyes nor any problems with presbyopia.

I still wake up and reach for my non-existent glasses in the morning which is kind of funny. I used to wear contacts for activity and glasses the rest of the time. I tried every kind of contact there is no matter what the cost and found some that were comfortable to wear but still annoying when you live an active life. Now I can see my son swim underwater. I can get ready much quicker in the mornings. I exercise more often since contacts actually made me not want to go sometimes. It really has improved more than just my sight; it's improved quality of life. Some may laugh at that but it is what it is.

Edited January 9, 2013 by ubonrthai

[JSixpack]

I wear silicone-hydrogel contact lenses and the quality of life is not an issue at all, they are very comfortable, I do not even feel I have them. I will be 40 in a few years and because of the inevitable presbyopia after LASIK I decided not to undergo this treatment.

And you can get multifocal contacts. That's what I wear, work pretty well.

[falang07]

Regarding LASIK for people after 40, read http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100607020901AAX6Xeb.

[Astridjuan]

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. <deleted>!

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

Are you also myopia?who did the LASIK for you?how are your eyes now?does there any operative complications trouble you,such as blurry vision,floaters,dry eyes ?i am going to do LASIK too.but i do not know who is best and much experienced ophthalmologist.

[tim armstrong]

An interesting topic. Like you I have been wearing contacts for a long time now. Some years ago when Lasik was still fairly new I decided to see if I could have it done so I could find the bathroom in the night. Went to a clinic in Brisbane, Oz, run by the then Professor of Opthalmology at Uni. of Queensland. Didn't get to see him but saw a well dressed and professional looking assistant who said she would give me some tests and examine my eyes to see what was possible. Turned out that the film over my eyes was too thin for laser surgery she said. But, she told me because you are over 50 there is a 25% chance that you might develop cataracts sometime in your life. So we can give you new lenses which will give you perfect vision. Cost $AUS 40,000 !! "So is there anything wrong with my existing lenses?" "No, but there might be in the future." So you're telling me that I still have a 75% chance of being OK ? "Well yes."-- I quietly left the clinic tempted to tell the elderly couple in the waiting room to go somewhere else.

[citizen33]

I'm no expert on this, but my wife had laser surgery a few years ago. All I would say is do not assume that Lasik is best for you without investigating other options. Lasek (or PRK) may be a better alternative in some cases, especially where the amount of correction required isn't great. The advantage is no flap, and avoiding the complications that the incision and flap may bring. That is what my wife's consultant advised anyway. in layman's terms there is more pain in the first few days, but fewer problems as time passes. It worked well for my wife.