Lasik / flying?

Do be careful of the cheap places. I had mine done at a place that was
(at the time) $750 per eye. They are now advertising 299.00 per eye. My
Wife had hers done a couple of years ago, about $1500 per eye. The big
difference is the care!

The place I had mine done did it assembley line style...lots of people
on a given surgery day. Their office as a couple hours drive away, but
they have lots of local reps. Unfortunatelly, the local rep seemed to be
in it for the money. He was very perfunctionary, in and out, and the
piles of literature for sports cars didn't help his image!

My wife, OTOH, had hers done locally, and followup by the same people.
quality care all the way through.

We both have 20/20 vision, so it DID work for both of us. But if I had
to do it again, I go with the better quality care.

John

Good to know, John! Thanks.
-c

"John T" wrote in message
...
Do be careful of the cheap places. I had mine done at a place that was (at
the time) $750 per eye. They are now advertising 299.00 per eye. My Wife
had hers done a couple of years ago, about $1500 per eye. The big
difference is the care!

The place I had mine done did it assembley line style...lots of people on
a given surgery day. Their office as a couple hours drive away, but they
have lots of local reps. Unfortunatelly, the local rep seemed to be in it
for the money. He was very perfunctionary, in and out, and the piles of
literature for sports cars didn't help his image!

My wife, OTOH, had hers done locally, and followup by the same people.
quality care all the way through.

We both have 20/20 vision, so it DID work for both of us. But if I had to
do it again, I go with the better quality care.

John

"gatt" wrote in message
...

Anybody had lasik surgery?

My vision is stable, correctable to 20/20, but things like pollen or the
neighbor mowing his yard can bother my contact lenses. Glasses suck and
contacts aren't good for your eyes over time, so my wife is encouraging
lasik. The #1 facility in the region is half a block away from my
workplace and they have a deal with our company which is why I know so
many people who've had it, but I'm still undecided.

Everybody I've known personally who has had it done raves about it, no bad
experiences at all...but none of them fly.

Thoughts?

I had it done in 2003 to cure a "lazy" right eye (It used to be 20/150, now
20/20. The left has been 20/30 since my teens).

For the treatment, I was in at about 9:00AM and out by 11:00. Slight pain
for about two hours, then all was well.

You might find this article informative.

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/ma..._is_belie.html


--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO (MTJ)

I did it. best money I've EVER spent.

I was a medical person, and already flying, when I underwent the
surgery. I was VERY cognizant of the risks... maybe a little TOO
cognizant.. but it IS our eyes we are dealing with here.

I did two freebee screenings at two different places months apart until
I got the nerve to do it.. went someplace that was able to explain not
only that I was a good candidate, but WHY I was a good candidate: things
such as corneal thickness, zone of correction, slope of the cornea.

I had mild side effects that cleared within 2 weeks. If I understand
correctly, most people have some sort of side effects immediately after
surgery (starbursts, halos, shadows, night "blindness" and it clears..
only in the odd/rare chance that it DOESNT clear is it considered a
complication.

I was self grounded 3 weeks. I went to my surgeon and he said that he
had done other pilots before.. so i kinda relaxed..

Then after two weeks went back to him (after followups) with a
boilerplate statement I needed him to put on a letterhead so I could
send it to the FAA (AOPA Medical website has good guidance on this)..
and he had a cow and was clearly unprepared to sign what I had brought
(certifying absense of side effects, etc.. nothing untoward..).

He waited one more week, then I sent a copy off to OKC and resumed
flying without any probs. Reported on my next medical app as "previously
reported" and no probs since. That was 5 years ago. I'm still 20/20.
from a previous 20/200 to 20/400.

My Advice. If you do it, get the language of the statement you need the
surgeon to sign in advance from AOPA, and show it to your surgeon before
you consent to the procedure so that he understands what you require of
him/her.

Dave

gatt wrote:
Anybody had lasik surgery?

My vision is stable, correctable to 20/20, but things like pollen or the
neighbor mowing his yard can bother my contact lenses. Glasses suck and
contacts aren't good for your eyes over time, so my wife is encouraging
lasik. The #1 facility in the region is half a block away from my workplace
and they have a deal with our company which is why I know so many people
who've had it, but I'm still undecided.

Everybody I've known personally who has had it done raves about it, no bad
experiences at all...but none of them fly.

Thoughts?
-c