Lasik Surgery failed.....

What is the name of your state? California

I was nearsighted and wearing contact lenses for 20 + years and decided to finally take the plunge and get Lasik Surgery to improve my eyesight to 20/20. All the ads say you can get 20/20 vision or better.

They talked me into what is called "mono-vision" where one eye is set at 20/20 for distance and one eye is set at 20/20 for reading so there will be no need for reading glasses.

Got the surgery done. Paid $4,000 for it. Now, three months later, my distance vision is only 20/40 and they say they can't improve it again because I have thin coneas and can only risk Lasik Surgery once. They said they would fit me with "driving glasses". They made me sign some kind of waiver form before surgery that basically said I won't sue them.

Do I have any recourse now?

Why does the reply by "ramoth" not show up here?

Because they updated the board and alot of posts got lost.

In case you missed it, my post said that you are most likely SOL. Lasik surgery does not guarantee 20/20 vision, and cannot correct the problems that arise due to age. In fact, I've known people to come out of Lasik with worse vision then they went in with, including a guy who was one of the early Lasik patients who came out legally blind.

My best advice to you is to do more research before you decide to have elective surgery done. And that means reading more than just the advertising literature.

I realize there are no gurantees but my Lasik Physician, after taking measurements and doing testing on my eyes told me, "We can't get you to 20/20 because your left eye is 'lazy', but we can certainly get you to 20/25."

Now they are telling me they have to fit me with driving glasses. How can they tell you one thing and lead you to believe you will require no corrective lenses, and then come back after surgery and say you will need correctivce lenses?

Incidently, they also told me once the surgery is performed, the vision that results is permanent and age won't affect it, because they re-shape the corneas and the re-shaping is unalterable.. I am not looking into any further "elective surgery" from this point on. I have already had the Lasik done and the results were not as promised. The fact that I have thin corneas means there is not enough tissue left to do further alterations.

I just feel as though I was mis-led and now I can't do anything about it after making a $4000 investment.

Go try PRK. I guy I work with had a chemical burn in one of his eyes years ago that affected his vision and they were able to give him his eyesight back. On another note, did you know people who went to this lasik center or did you just go based off of an advertisement. If your cornea was too thin they should of never done it in the first place. As well, age will affect it. I was told because over the years my vision was getting worse that they couldnt promise 10 years down the road that my vision would be 20/20 but hey a few years were worth it too me and now I am happy as ever! Good Luck!

[ellencee]

Prpledrms23
Did you search for this post or did you think it was a current post? I ask because recently I answered a 4-5 month-old post and did not notice that it was not a current topic of discussion. I've seen several posts from April 2004 resurface and wonder if we need to notify the tech people.

Thanks,
EC

[rmet4nzkx]

Today on one of the major networks there was a feature story about IntraLASIK may present fewer complications than older forms of Lasik sugery and can be done on those with thinner corneas. That may be what brought it up?

Originally Posted by Prpledrms23

On another note, did you know people who went to this lasik center or did you just go based off of an advertisement. If your cornea was too thin they should of never done it in the first place. As well, age will affect it. I was told because over the years my vision was getting worse that they couldnt promise 10 years down the road that my vision would be 20/20 but hey a few years were worth it too me and now I am happy as ever! Good Luck!

Two people that I work with both had the surgery done at the same place prior to me. Both reported excellent results and no complaints.

No actually I thought it was a current post. One of the top on the list, I didnt even think to check the date. Maybe they should make some kind of icon for a topic that hasnt been answered in a while.

I can understand why you tried them and I am sorry it did not turn out. Hopefully someone can fix this problem. In San Diego they have this new "wavefront technology" lasik that is actually more adviced. It measures everything in your eye...dont know if you have heard of it

[funder]

Wavefront surgery is actually probably no better than the original lasik. Wavefront has been promising "improvement" since my botched lasik 5 years ago. It's more a marketing gimmick and actually guarantees are not existant.

[stephenk]

why are you posting a reply to a 7 month old post?

[funder]

Because I can't see after having lasik surgery, then additionally cataract surgery. Became excited when I saw the word lasik.

It happens all the time on here by people who aren't "blind" like me.