Week of procedures
by benstewart
This morning Rebekah had LASIK.
Actually she had PRK. It apparently hurts really bad… at least that’s what she tells me. I hope it’s all worth it.
EDIT: Why “Week of procedures?” Well, I had dental work done earlier this week. I know that two things probably doesn’t sound like much but it is for us.
UPDATE: You can read more about Rebekah’s recovery here:
What’s the difference…in procedure AND cost? Becky’s wanting to get her eyes “fixed” too.
Well, the cost is not determined by whether they do PRK or LASIK (at least not where we went). Here’s basically what happens with these types of surgery:
1. Get through the cornea somehow
2. Use a laser to correct the vision
PRK and LASIK both describe the procedure used to get through the cornea. LASIK uses either an actual knife blade or a cutting laser to cut a flap in the cornea. Then they flip it open to gain access to the eye. With PRK they use a chemical to dissolve the cornea enough to get to the eye.
With LASIK, even though the flap heals there is still a risk of hurting it later (like from a child poking you in the eye). PRK doesn’t mess with the cornea as much in the long run.
PRK was a much longer recovery time and it is more painful.
Costs differences come into play with the second part of the procedure. They can use a standard laser or a specialized one. The specialized one is bigger (so it fixes a larger area of the eye) and they can customize the laser’s treatment specifically for your eyes’ needs so it more accurately corrects you vision.
The specialized is also more than twice as expensive (at least where we went).
Finally we had to choose whether we wanted a “one-year” plan or a “guaranteed for life” plan. Of course the lifetime plan costs more but they will do touch-ups if needed any time for life. This could be good because your eyes can change during pregnancy, menopause, or just over time.
(As always, much more info than you wanted, but there you go.)
I just read up via wikipedia…. i always kind of thought I might want it down the road… but now, maybe not. ;)
Keep us up to date on how Rebekah is doing.