dry eyes are perfectly normal symptoms. after doing refractive surgeries (lasik or cataract) do apply the artificial tears (lubricant) to moisturize the flaps and it will also reduce the uneasiness that you might want to rub your eyes or close your eyes tightly that will cause the flap to be off.
Use as often as you can, you can buy these artificial tears in most pharmacies, they are called "refresh plus". Dry eyes might go on to 1 month or even longer.



for any surgeries there are risk. Some doctors will say there is minimum age of 21, or 19, or 23. all depends on what the doctor evalulates on the risk of getting short sighted again. Doctors says no minimum age but with 3 years stabilized (while other doctors say 2 years) is again, risk management. Some doctors want you to do it once and bye-bye-that's-it. Some just want to do Lasik for you and then deal with the aftermath professionally because he knows how to make things right when it goes wrong. Vista is having (or they already had but no more) a special package where it includes the main lasik and then an enhance lasik "for free[usually one enhance charged RM800]" (when sight changes due to any factor). It's a good package when it comes to money matter. But I doubt they filter and choose the best candidates or they just want you to do lasik.

Intralase or blade, both used for microkeratome (to do incision on your cornea to create a flap). one side says intralase is safer, less mistakes or less pain, less uncomfortable. blade side says it's cheaper, it's faster and it does a good job as well. Well, it's already a fact that intralase takes much longer time than blade, some might not be comfortable with the most frightening process. Blade on the other hand is much faster, like seconds. cases of intralase better than blade? there is no significant prove because if one is much better why wouldn't everyone use that? Doctors update the machine but not the microkeratome. This alone tells there are doctors have high confident with their microkeratome techniques in intralase or blade. So far in Malaysia there is none with complications caused by microkeratome techniques, in fact nobody has gone blind in Malaysia because of Lasik.

P/S: I've not done Lasik yet, planning to but not anytime soon. But I've worked in a Lasik centre for 3 months to get these knowledge.

i have this voucher for eye checking in optimax, anyone interested pm me.

Which Lasik centre you have been worked for? Have you done ur Lasik yet?
anyone heard of the Advanced Vision Lasik centre at uptown? they are now doing promotion which is only RM2888 for both eyes but is using blade...

Why must it only be deemed as complications when blindness or permanent sight damage happens? complications can be risk of other visual annoyances after the surgery, such as double vision, halos etc etc , which CAN also affects the standard of living . Potential patients whom are plaqued with poor vision, naturally would wish LASIK/LASEK WILL solve their problem FOREVER, this means, ZERO visual defects of any kind after surgery. But if there are still visual problems of any kind that they still have to bear with after putting their $$$ into such surgery, it's ALSO a complication*.

* this is subjective depending on tolerance level of patients. Some with extreme sort-sightedness before surgery, when done with LASIK/LASEK, might get a 20/20 or 20/40. Even though a small portion might have glares afterwards, they're generally happy with the outcome. But this DOES NOT MEAN zero complication in general terms. It's merely " ah... I can live with that" kinda issue in the perception of each individual patient only.

This post has been edited by alanyuppie: May 26 2008, 11:41 AM

sorry for bumping old thread.
I'm getting interested to do a LASIK.
Really annoyed by my so imperfect vision.

Currently, most seems to recommend Optimax.
My mom did intra-Lasik there
previously more than -10.00
all goes very well. Just still left some presbyopia

But after some researching, I'm focused on Vista.
They seem to have some more advance tech.
Check out their NASA iLASIK.

NASA approves a type of laser eye treatment for their astronauts.
Got a few commercial names. Checking the equipment Vista is using for their iLASIK seems to match those that are approved by NASA

Very expensive though.
Normal price: RM6500/eye
Bank promotion: RM5000/eye
Can get 0% installment up to 48 months (select credit cards) = RM210/month for both eyes.
Follow up care of 24 months
Lifetime warranty

Looking at the price might seems expensive but as I intend to take the installment, I guess some extra won't be felt too much.
Always better to get the best that we can afford.

Anyone done this type of treatment?
Or knows anyone else?

try out Dr Ching Wing Seng from Pantai Cheras. he has the best LASIK system in the country. Allegretto Wave Q. It's a system that can basically treat almost all complication of myopia and hyperopia. With the customize Q wave technology it can do presbiopia too. On top, the system runs at 200 Hz ( if he has not upgrade his to 400 Hz ), the repititation rate of the laser is very important and with an digital micro real time scanning system fpr tracking the eye movement.

i can't say more as it might this might turn into an advert. Dr Ching is one of the country very few Ocular Plastic Surgeon ( ophthalmologist too as well but more specialize in ocular plastic ) and a very well known ophthalmologist in the country.

well..u do sound like an advert
anyway, i'm quite sold on the nasa ilasik.
It gave great confidence when the military & nasa approves it for their employee

The statistic of 100% of the ilasik patient gets 20/40 vision or better is very assuring.
& i think it is 98% 20/20
some even reach 20/15 vision

i want lasik too. will get it if my eyes refractive error stabilise for the next 2 years

Have to agree he's a good one. Took my mum there (commendation by family doctor) for cataract surgeries (for both eyes on different dates) and it was done without any complication. He's also friendly and very helpful. I asked tones of questions and he answered me patiently.

This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: Jul 14 2017, 06:03 PM

er.. allergic to pain?
means u will go into anaphylactic shock when u are in pain?
House goona love u

Yes long term effect is unknown.
& those who are not ready to accept the risk, don't do it.
Anyway, it all depends on how u calculate the risks.
IMO, the benefits outweight the risks tremendously.

Same as contacts.
Got risks but for some people, the benefits outweigh them.

The eye will be anesthetized.
Your eyelids will be held with a device to keep it open.
Dont worry if u move your eyes away from the laser point.
The system will know & compensate.
If the eye moves out of range of compensation, it will stop the laser.

Not much pain.
some report says some pain persists for 2/3 days then disappear.
Some no pain at all.

U need to do more research if u intends to laser your eyeballs.
Btw, it is not a laser pointer. The laser is called excimer laser.

Lasik can go by many names and Vista's lasik is actually no different than the ones you find in Optimax or any other lasik centres in Malaysia. What is different is the machines they use at the respective centres. Vista uses the Visx machine which so happens to be authorised by Nasa but that being said, it does not mean it will guarantee a problem free procedure.

You can have the best machine in the world but if it is at the hands of the wrong people, things still can go wrong. As for me, I went to Vista for the initial eye scan and in short, I wasn't convinced by them as the person attending to me was a bit blur (as I did some research on lasik b4 I went there) and he couldn't quite answer some of my questions satisfactorily.

<- Bumping ancient thread again.

I just came back from the free preliminary at Vista.
Going for the 2nd rm150 test on thursday.
Gonna do the procedure ASAP as I'm currently in semester break.
Hopefully as I get back to class, I can already impress my friends

Lasik is a very machine dependent procedure.
There is very little human intervention.
For the 1st test, I as usual didn't ask much questions.
I did my homework already.
I don't expect the staffs to have the same knowledge as the doctor anyway.

After the simple test, the staff concluded I'm only suitable for custom lasik as my pupil size is quite large (7mm) & tissue thickness in rather low.
I can take the Bausch & Lomb system (cheaper by around 4k) or the nasa ilasik.

Most probably I'll choose the chinese doctor which is also Vista co-founder.
He's a certified VISX & Bausch & Lomb trainer. He do travel a lot to train people using the machines.

Wish me luck
I don't usually have excessive anxiety in procedures that I'm confident in.
let see

so how, done the LASIK already??

yup.
done yesterday.
went smoothly without any complications

Initially my eyes were very dry.
Hard to keep open even 10 seconds.
After about 2 hours sleep, getting much better already.
I follow the eye drop instructions closely.

3 types of eye drops.
Artificial tear - use anytime we want. No harm.
Anti-inflammatory eye drop - prevent inflammation
Antibiotic eye drop - prevent infection

They gave a dark sunglasses to use.
A pair of eye guard to wear during sleep - avoid accidentally rubbing the eyes.

The procedure:

An optometrist will put anesthetic eye drop.
Use a kind of pencil to mark on the eye ball.
Might seem scary but no pain. Just pressure a bit.

Keep all my personal stuffs in a locker.
Wash face thoroughly
Wear a surgical gown.
take off shoes.
Wear foot cover (same like the gown)
Wear surgical cap.
Went into the operating theater.
Lay down on the intralase laser - doing the flap
Anesthetic eye drop.
Put on eye holder.
Suction on it - dunno how they suck it but can feel the pressure
Lower the laser - will feel it pushes the eye in a bit. No pain. Just pressure. Anesthetized already.
Look at the center.
Laser start tracking.
Fire.
Few seconds. Done.
Stop suction.
Remove holder.
Next eye. Same procedure.

Get up & go to next chair.
Lay down on the VISX laser.
Look at the orange LED in the center.
Doctor will tape both eyelids on one eye first.
The eye holder.
The doctor will use an instrument to open the flap - bit difficult to keep looking at the center coz once the doctor start moving the flap, my vision start distorting & the led move everywhere & the doc keep asking to stay still.haha.
Flap opened.
Look at the center.
Laser tracking.
Fire. It sounds quite loud. Kinda knocking sound. Some people smell something burning but I don't. Maybe due to the fact that I'm a mouth breather (yes i breath sometimes through my mouth)
Doctor will say 25%, 50% then an assistant will start count from 10.
Stop laser.
Close the flap.
squeegee with a kind of wax instrument to remove bubbles & smoothen it.
Next eye. Same procedure.

Done. Get up.
The assistant ask to look at the wall clock & tell the time.
Get out.
Remove the overalls.
Take my stuffs.
Assistant will brief about the eye drops instructions.
An optometrist will check again using a type of scope to see if the flap is properly placed.

Done!
At this time, can see already. Lines are sharp but all hazy.
Lights glow like mad
& can't open the eyes for too long.
Wear the provided sunglasses or your own.
Go back & sleep

Today 2.30pm I'll be going for a review.
Next review will be 1 week from now.
Then every month for a year.

I think i can drive already
Just maybe not at night due to large amount of halo around bright lights.
Recommended for everyone interested to get rid of glasses or contacts

wah,seems like and easy and fast procedure. so do u need to use eye drop and antibiotic every day? lifetime?

This post has been edited by alip5225: Dec 6 2008, 08:40 AM

Yeah very fast.
In the theater like 10 minutes or so (that's like RM1k for every 1 minute )

not lifetime la.. if like that, i rather wear glasses
At most 3 months depends on the eye dryness.
For me, i think a few weeks are sufficient already

waa, congrats that u r free from spec now. me myself still need to use spec. realy realy troublesome..

I'm currently doing assessment for my eyes at Prince Court medical centre in KL. They are using a new laser called Visumax which they introduced end of November 2008. Apparently its the newest technology around which is the most accurate, cuts less cornea, less side effects and uses less laser energy during the surgery. If anyone is interested I'll post what happens when I finish with the surgery on Monday/Tuesday. Price is RM9300 for both eyes after 25% discount which is offered until February 2009.

I heard about Prince Court lasik.
how long have they been offering the surgery.
They seem to be more expensive than others.

btw, Visumax system is not the excimer laser.
It is just the flap making laser system.

What excimer laser system will u be using?