LASIK during medical school?

[Cyradis]

Has anyone gotten LASIK done during medical school and did it affect you studies in any way/did it go well?

I'm from Canada and I know Canadian medical students can get very significant discounts on LASIK as well - anyone have experience with something like this in the US?

Thanks!

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[armybound]

A couple of my classmates have. I don't think it's affected their studies at all.

I plan on getting it done next year.

Why would you expect it to affect your studies? Eyes hurt too much to read?

 

[loveoforganic]

Could always do summer after M1 if you're worried.

 

[Cyradis]

A couple of my classmates have. I don't think it's affected their studies at all.

I plan on getting it done next year.

Why would you expect it to affect your studies? Eyes hurt too much to read?

Losing a week for recovery etc. - don't know how big of a difference that'd make. TBH though, the part of my original post I was more interested in was the part about discounts for MD students... I've done my own research on safety etc. (although personal accounts are always interesting).

 

[hutch5956]

I had LASIK done a few years ago- it was a really easy process. There isn't too much recovery to it. You go in, get the procedure done, you sit up afterwards and can see. Its pretty crazy. They ask you to keep your eyes shut for a few hours afterwards but thats really it. There are a bunch of eye drops you need to keep up with for a few weeks- but I was back at work the next day with no problems.

I encourage anyone who can to get it done.

 

[faw20]

Cost for LASIK (or any other office visit or procedure) will be completely dependent on your health insurance. You don't get some sort of special "medical student" discount.

 

[JMJ777]

Has anyone gotten LASIK done during medical school and did it affect you studies in any way/did it go well?

I'm from Canada and I know Canadian medical students can get very significant discounts on LASIK as well - anyone have experience with something like this in the US?

Thanks!

I have worked in an ophthalmology practice for many years and my advice to you would be the following:

1. Choose your surgeon carefully. Make sure he/she takes a conservative screening approach because not everyone is a great Lasik candidate. Some people are better suited to PRK, another procedure, or none at all.
2. Again, MAKE SURE YOU ARE A CANDIDATE! Do not got to a "chop shop" that will operate on anything that moves. If you are not a true candidate (i.e. outside of the reasonable refractive error range, dry eyes, cornea too thin, etc.) you will regret your Lasik and may have many lasting side effects.
3. If you wear contacts, stay out of them for a minimum of 2 weeks (for soft) and 4 weeks (for RGPs) prior to screening. People blow this part off but it is very important. Wearing contacts prior to your screening appointment alters the cornea integrity.
4. If you are a candidate, consider Wavefront/ Custom Lasik. People have been getting awesome results with this technology.

P.S. You will have increased dryness due to the surgery. This is the only part that may actually affect your studying. This may require that you use artificial tears post-Lasik depending on the severity. If you already have dry eyes, I would strongly recommend that you don't have Lasik because it will only get worse.

I know many people who have had Lasik or other refractive surgeries that are very happy with their decision and improved quality of life. Just make sure you do your research and find a surgeon you trust. Pay the money to have it done right (no $400 per eye stuff) because you only have one pair of eyes. Hope that helps!

 

[Cyradis]

I have worked in an ophthalmology practice for many years and my advice to you would be the following:

1. Choose your surgeon carefully. Make sure he/she takes a conservative screening approach because not everyone is a great Lasik candidate. Some people are better suited to PRK, another procedure, or none at all.
2. Again, MAKE SURE YOU ARE A CANDIDATE! Do not got to a "chop shop" that will operate on anything that moves. If you are not a true candidate (i.e. outside of the reasonable refractive error range, dry eyes, cornea too thin, etc.) you will regret your Lasik and may have many lasting side effects.
3. If you wear contacts, stay out of them for a minimum of 2 weeks (for soft) and 4 weeks (for RGPs) prior to screening. People blow this part off but it is very important. Wearing contacts prior to your screening appointment alters the cornea integrity.
4. If you are a candidate, consider Wavefront/ Custom Lasik. People have been getting awesome results with this technology.

P.S. You will have increased dryness due to the surgery. This is the only part that may actually affect your studying. This may require that you use artificial tears post-Lasik depending on the severity. If you already have dry eyes, I would strongly recommend that you don't have Lasik because it will only get worse.

I know many people who have had Lasik or other refractive surgeries that are very happy with their decision and improved quality of life. Just make sure you do your research and find a surgeon you trust. Pay the money to have it done right (no $400 per eye stuff) because you only have one pair of eyes. Hope that helps!

Thanks a lot! This definitely helps. I've been looking around and it seems a real price is ~ $2000/eye - does that sound about right to people?

 

[docelh]

He may be referring to the pre-op and post-op inconveniences. Pre-op is not an issue at all. Post-op has about a 1-week convalescence period, repeated doctor visits, and eye-care maintenance that runs about 4-6 weeks.

Multiply this by two if your optho decides to be conservative and excise less excess corneal tissue than necessary.

 

[Sean1218]

I have worked in an ophthalmology practice for many years and my advice to you would be the following:

1. Choose your surgeon carefully. Make sure he/she takes a conservative screening approach because not everyone is a great Lasik candidate. Some people are better suited to PRK, another procedure, or none at all.
2. Again, MAKE SURE YOU ARE A CANDIDATE! Do not got to a "chop shop" that will operate on anything that moves. If you are not a true candidate (i.e. outside of the reasonable refractive error range, dry eyes, cornea too thin, etc.) you will regret your Lasik and may have many lasting side effects.
3. If you wear contacts, stay out of them for a minimum of 2 weeks (for soft) and 4 weeks (for RGPs) prior to screening. People blow this part off but it is very important. Wearing contacts prior to your screening appointment alters the cornea integrity.
4. If you are a candidate, consider Wavefront/ Custom Lasik. People have been getting awesome results with this technology.

P.S. You will have increased dryness due to the surgery. This is the only part that may actually affect your studying. This may require that you use artificial tears post-Lasik depending on the severity. If you already have dry eyes, I would strongly recommend that you don't have Lasik because it will only get worse.

I know many people who have had Lasik or other refractive surgeries that are very happy with their decision and improved quality of life. Just make sure you do your research and find a surgeon you trust. Pay the money to have it done right (no $400 per eye stuff) because you only have one pair of eyes. Hope that helps!

My eyes are fine with glasses, or nothing at all. However, they can get pretty dry with contacts. That's fine though, right?

 

[kami333]

Cost for LASIK (or any other office visit or procedure) will be completely dependent on your health insurance. You don't get some sort of special "medical student" discount.

He's in Canada and apparently medical students there do get a discount.

Most insurance plans in the US won't cover LASIK, unless there is some extenuating circumstance (such as an injury that prevents you from using contacts/glasses) since it is considered an elective surgery.

You can use a FSA for LASIK, but come 2013 you'll be limited to $2500 that you can put into an FSA which is only enough for one eye (though you could get one side done on 12/30, then the other on 1/2).

 

[metallica81788]

My eyes are fine with glasses, or nothing at all. However, they can get pretty dry with contacts. That's fine though, right?

Yeah, I'm the same way. Is this a problem?

 

[Bleg]

DON'T DO LASIK!!!

If you want to do laser eye surgery, do PRK. LASIK's "flap" creation permanently destroys the integrity of your cornea and leaves you in danger of flap dislocation. At best, this is a lifelong inconvenience; at worst, it can lead to ulcerations, infections, and the need for corneal replacement. Do you like to box, wrestle, do judo or MMA, or any other contact activity that might occasionally involve contact to the eyes? Don't count on doing those things ever again after LASIK surgery, because such activities greatly increase the possibility of flap dislodgement.

PRK gives results similar to LASIK but with far less structural compromising of the cornea. The only drawback I've been able to determine is that many people experience a longer period of discomfort (weeks instead of days). To me, four extra weeks of Advil is worth avoiding LASIK's flap.

Any ophthalmologists reading this? If so, can you tell why LASIK is a better choice for most people than PRK? Other than a few extra weeks of discomfort with the latter, what is the benefit of LASIK vs. PRK? I would love to hear a doctor's assessment of this.

 

[Cyradis]

He's in Canada and apparently medical students there do get a discount.

Most insurance plans in the US won't cover LASIK, unless there is some extenuating circumstance (such as an injury that prevents you from using contacts/glasses) since it is considered an elective surgery.

You can use a FSA for LASIK, but come 2013 you'll be limited to $2500 that you can put into an FSA which is only enough for one eye (though you could get one side done on 12/30, then the other on 1/2).

Haha actually apparently not, I just looked into it/contacted some people, I have to be a med student in a CANADIAN med school to qualify - being in an American school doesn't.

FSA is just a tax-sheltered account basically right? So that wouldn't really be relevant at least until my residency?

Bleg: Could you elaborate a bit (or hear from a doc in the field ofc)? I quickly went through the abstracts of a bunch of papers on PRK vs. LASIK in the last 10 years or so, and they all seem to say either no difference or LASIK is a bit better. Not going to pretend I looked that closely into methodology, but it seemed pretty unanimous.

 

[Bleg]

Bleg: Could you elaborate a bit (or hear from a doc in the field ofc)? I quickly went through the abstracts of a bunch of papers on PRK vs. LASIK in the last 10 years or so, and they all seem to say either no difference or LASIK is a bit better. Not going to pretend I looked that closely into methodology, but it seemed pretty unanimous.

Not sure what elaboration you want. The visual results of LASIK vs. PRK are almost identical, or possibly a slight advantage to LASIK. I was talking about compromising the cornea and the problems inherent in creating a corneal flap. These are simple facts, freely discussed in the field. What I don't understand is why LASIK has gained supremacy rather than PRK. LASIK does give more immediate results and has a shorter healing time, but the visual results are almost identical to those of PRK. The only important long-term difference is the flap.

One place to look for information is the unabashedly named LASIK Complications web site. (Note that many of these complications apply to PRK, as well, though they are less common than flap problems.) One of the quotes:

Vincent P. de Luise, MD: "...a flap is a flap is a flap. Not making a flap is safer than making a flap, regardless of the method employed. True, the femtosecond laser creates a safer flap than a mechanical microkeratome, but it's still a flap no matter how you slice it." Ophthalmology Times, June 1, 2008

I personally have nothing against laser correction of visual acuity. If I were ten years or more younger, I would have it done on my own eyes. (I'm currently battling presbyopia, so "corrective" visual surgery doesn't make a lot of sense.) I will probably pay for my kids when they are in the mid-20s. But I have done extensive (amateur) research and reading on this issue, and am convinced that flap creation is an unnecessary hazard for such surgery. The fact that LASIK generally causes less discomfort than PRK and may have a very slight overall rate of visual acuity improvement over PRK cannot make up for the creation of a permanent, non-healing flap on your eye that will forever be subject to dislocation, irritation, and infection, and which weakens the structural integrity of the cornea to a much greater degree than PRK's surface sculpting.

For heaven's sake, don't take my word for it. Study the issue for yourself. Ask your ophthalmologist about LASIK vs. PRK. (And ignore him when he says "PRK costs more" -- this is your vision we're talking about, so an extra $150 per eye is meaningless. Besides which, PRK should cost less, not more, since there is no flap creation expense, just the corneal surface sculpting.) Do some Google searches about flap dislocation or complications due to LASIK. It doesn't take a 45 on the MCAT to see that PRK is a better option than LASIK.

Again, if an ophthalmologist reading this thread wants to correct my ignorance, by all means please feel free.

 

[familyaerospace]

I had LASIK when I was in graduate school (in the US) and I had a 20% discount on cost. I was back in class only a few hours after the procedure. It really wasn't a big deal as I thought it was going to be.

 

[MDtobe31311]

I had LASIK done a lot younger than most people (age 19) and I'm really glad I did it. Most places didn't have a strong enough laser for me because I had horrible astigmatism, but I ended up going to a specialist.

I have 20/40 vision now because I have some residual astigmatism so I wear glasses to study - not because I need them necessarily but because I don't want my eyesight to get worse. Before I could only wear RGP contacts so I ended up wearing glasses alllll the time. So I'm ok with the minimal glasses use I have now.

I don't know where you want to get it done, but if you're looking into Houston then you should look up Slade & Baker 🙂

 

[schrizto]

I had LASIK done a lot younger than most people (age 19) and I'm really glad I did it. Most places didn't have a strong enough laser for me because I had horrible astigmatism, but I ended up going to a specialist.

I have 20/40 vision now because I have some residual astigmatism so I wear glasses to study - not because I need them necessarily but because I don't want my eyesight to get worse. Before I could only wear RGP contacts so I ended up wearing glasses alllll the time. So I'm ok with the minimal glasses use I have now.

I don't know where you want to get it done, but if you're looking into Houston then you should look up Slade & Baker 🙂

Darn, too bad I'm not in Texas. I'm 19 with astigmatism.

 

[el aye]

4. If you are a candidate, consider Wavefront/ Custom Lasik. People have been getting awesome results with this technology.

I had this done last August, and unfortunately I have double vision now (primarily in low light conditions). I'm going to go back over the summer and see if there is anything can be done, as I think it might be due to under-corrected astigmatism.

edit: Don't get me wrong, I'd still do the surgery in a heartbeat in hindsight.

 

[Bleg]

I had this done last August, and unfortunately I have double vision now (primarily in low light conditions). I'm going to go back over the summer and see if there is anything can be done, as I think it might be due to under-corrected astigmatism.

edit: Don't get me wrong, I'd still do the surgery in a heartbeat in hindsight.

At the risk of sounding like a one-note horn: Did you consider PRK? Why did you elect to go LASIK instead? If you had it to do over, would you still do LASIK, or would you do PRK?

 

[familyaerospace]

Oh and I second the recommendation for Wavefront. That is what I had. It was worth it, I also had one of the most experienced surgeons doing it so try to get someone whose been doing this for a long time.

When I was looking at the various surgical options available to me in 2005 when I had it, I ended up doing a ton of research on PRK and LASIK. Heck I was even looking at RK and LASEK. I would have subjected myself to an alien abduction or experimental surgery if they could fix my eyes.

The advantages of LASIK that did it for me over PRK were faster healing, less pain, faster stabilization (meaning I could get back to my life sooner, I was cleared to drive within 24 hours and was cleared to do anything I want, even contact sports, which I don't do, within 3 months), more accurate results (I wasn't expecting to get as good as it happened), fewer long term complications, less likely chance that the procedure would need to be repeated in the future. That last one with me was a huge issue, if I am going to spend a few grand on something, I want it to last a long time. A lot of PRK patients need to come back to get it fixed.

After I read the book "Into Thin Air" and read about Beck Weathers who had surgery a few months before going to Everest and it destabilized on him at altitude, I was very glad I went LASIK!

 

[schrizto]

How were you guys able to get laser eye surgery at ~19? I asked an ophthalmologist and he said I should be at least 21, regulated by the FDA. Which I kind of doubt.

 

[familyaerospace]

The requirements are 18, stable prescription for at least a year, and otherwise good ocular health. Might be a few more, but I know the age was 18.

Some doctors would prefer to wait until one is 21 or 25. My eye surgeon wanted everyone to be 25. I showed up at 24 and a half, but he was like "Ah screw it, you've been stable for 10 years, I doubt you'll suddenly change in the next 6 months." A week later, I was zapped.

 

[Naijaba]

I'll offer a fresh perspective: I had LASIK done this past weekend. I could see 20/20 literally four hours after the surgery. My eyes are still sore and I have subconjunctival hemorrhages in both eyes, but both of these issues are minor and are expected to go away within two to four weeks.

 

[CaliMD12]

My opthalmologist recommended I stay away from LASIK until I am done with medical school so that all those hours of studying and reading up close don't change my vision. He says my vision will be more stable after I am finished with all the intense reading in med school. This does seem to make good sense.

But any thoughts on this?

 

[familyaerospace]

I was in an intense graduate program with hundreds of pages of reading a week. After Lasik, you are supposed to rest your eyes for about a day. I still read a ton (To give some indication, I kept track of my reading and I read 150 books last year. I am almost never without a book or two). I probably read even more so than I did pre-LASIK. I had surgery in Dec 2005 and my vision hasn't changed.