Hi. I'm using this blog to document my experience with LASIK surgery.

My background: I am extremely nearsighted (-10) and have had glasses in first grade (though I probably needed them in kindergarten).

I had tried contact lenses a few times in the last few years, but hever found a pair that I could get used to -- not sure if it was user error or my eyes being shaped differently enough from one another that matched pairs of lenses never sat right in 'em.

At any rate, I had been thinking about LASIK surgery for a few years. A few friends and coworkers have reported great results. Late 2004, three factors swung me over the fence towards having the surgery:

• My optometrist Dr. Darren Lee -- who had reservations as early as 2-3 years ago when we first started talking about it-- began recommending it last year.
  
• My optometrist's wife Joyce got the surgery.
• New technology from a company called Intralase, which promised better and more predictable results.

So based on a recommendation from Darren, I trekked up to the Pacific Vision Institute in the city at One Danial Burnham Court for an initial consultation.

The nice staff met with me, answered questions, and scheduled three meetings with me in early January:

• My "pre-op" for 60-90 minutes
• One day for the procedure itself for 2-3 hours
  
• A followup meeting for the day after the procedure, a 15-30 minute checkup

The Costs
Some notes about the costs of the procedure:

• The procedure using the Intralase technology where a laser cuts the flap on the cornea is more expensive than the traditional procedure where the surgeon uses a fancily-named blade called a microkeratome to cut the flap.
  
• I've heard people get quotes as low as $1,000 per eye with the older-style microkeratome approach.
• I decided not to shop around with other doctors. Though I doubt PVI is a low-price leader, Dr. Faktorich is a well-published specialist, the clinic seem to have a large roster of satisfied patients, Darren recommended them, and I decided that eye surgery is not a commodity like an iPod. After all, I'm not equipped with backup eyes. :-)
  
• PVI does a great job of marketing, and I admit I was reassured by the testimonials.
  
• I'm covered by Vision Service Plan at work, so I got a 20% discount.
  
• A referral from Joyce (Darren's wife) got me another $300 discount.
• I was able to set aside pre-tax dollars for the procedure through a 2005 flexible spending account (also a work benefit).
• Call me if you want to talk numbers in more detail.
  

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