From: vrieze@einstein.eds.com (Brian M. Vrieze)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: RK Surgury
Keywords: RK
Date: 2 Sep 92 13:25:59 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: EDS/TSD - Troy, MI



I was told by a coworker that there have been inquiries in this newsgroup
about RK Surgury.

I had the RK surgury done to my left eye about two months ago.  I will 
let you know some of my experiences.  I will not describe the surgical
process other than to say the doctor puts microscopic incisions in the
cornea that changes the curvature of your eye.

My History

I hate wearing glasses.  I have worn contacts for a couple of years, but 
my left eye was getting senitive to my contact.  My eye would dry out
causing me to remove my contacts after 6 to 8 hours.  I would leave them 
out on the week ends to let my left eye heal up so I could wear my contacts
to work on Monday.

I went to a seminar the doctor holds to give general information about RK.
Here are some of the things I learned:
     o  If comfortable wearing contacts my doctor says to stay with them.
     o  After RK you can never wear soft contacts again.
     o  After RK you MAY be able to wear gas permiable contacts.
     o  Nationaly over 90% of the people that have RK performed on them
        end up with 20-40 vision or better.  My doctor keeps a detailed
        data base of his own, he gets 96.4% to see 20-40 or better.
        About 80 percent of my doctors patients get 20-20, most that
	do not have very poor sight.
     o  No one has gone blind from this procedure.
     o  RK will correct astigmatism.  There is another procedure   
        (I forget the name) that uses lasers, but it will only
        correct nearsightedness.  This other procedure is in the expiramental
	stages in the US so has not been approved by the appropriate agencies.
    	However, I live right next to Canada and listen to a Canadian station
	which has ads for the laser procedure all the time for a clinic in
	Windsor, Canada. 
     o  There are no guarantees that you will get 20-20 vision.  The doctor
	will examine your eyes and let you know what your chances are.
     o  Several of my doctors happiest patients used to have coke bottle
	lens.  After the surgury they must still wear glasses all the time
	to see clearly, but the lens are not thick any more and they can see
	reasonably well with out glasses (about 20-40 I would guess).
     o  My doctor charges $1200 per eye if you pay cash.  He charges $1350 per
	eye if you pay by credit card or finance it through him.  I have heard
	of this surgury being done for around $900 per eye in Dallas. 
     o  The goal of my doctor is to leave you slightly nearsighted.  This will
	hopefuly offset the need for reading glasses when you get middle aged. 
     o  If you get a 20-20 correction from the surgury, you will probably need
	reading glasses eventualy, since your eyes will be normal.
     o  Some insurance will pay for part or all of this procedure, mine did not
	pay for any of the surgury.
     o  RK has been around since the mid to late 70s.  I do not know if the
	Soviets pioneered this surgury, but thousands of Soviets have had
	RK surgury, since the old USSR viewed a one time operation cheaper
	than paying for glasses for the rest a citizens life.  60 minutes did
	a story about several years back.
     o  Possable short term affects of the surgury: senitivity to light(I was   
	not), Pain though not sever, my eye would not tear enough, so I used
	drops.
     o  Possable Medium (up to 6 months) term side affects: starburst (lights, 
	primarily at night, will look like bolts of light are shinning out
	around them in all directions.
     o  Most likely cause of lost vision is if the patient gets an infection
	and does not go to the doctor.  This seldom happens.  Sysmtoms are
	irritation, mucous, and abnormal redness in the eye.
	
I went home and contiplated the surgury for several weeks.  I finally decided
to give it a shot.  By pure luck, we decided to do the eye that my contact
irritates.  This is fortunate since I have decided to wait for the surgury 
on my right eye.

There are several reasons I am not having the surgury done on my right eye.  
One is money.  I do not have the cash and do not wish to go into debt for this.
The main reason is that even though I have 20-20 vision in the eye that was
operated on, I do not see as clearly as I did with my glasses or my contacts.
The basis for my 20-20 vision in the eye operated on is that I can make out
the letters on the eye chart that someone with 20-20 vision is supposed to, 
but just barly.

My doctor, who`s wife, mother inlaw and himself, have all had RK surgury, does 
admit he could see better with his glasses than he can now.  The big advantage 
is that he and I can see well enough not to NEED glasses.  My doctor did achieve
his goal of slight nearsightedness in my left eye that he was after, so I guess
he did hit the mark.

As most people know, the surgury does not take long.  I was in the Operating
room for about 10 minutes.  The doctor gives you valium so you do not freak out
on the operating table.  He also gives two sets of eye drops.  One acts as
a local anesthetic, the other drops contract your pupils for the surgery.  
If you are getting an enhancment to an earlier surgury the doctor will dilate 
your pupils.

My doctor gives you sleeping pills to take home and recommend you sleep
from the afternoon you have the surgury until the next morning.  Most poeple 
got to work the next day, I did.

I have talked with others that have had RK Surgury.  Here is what I learned. 
Some people do need and enhancment surgury.  I heard of one person that had
the RK done by a different doctor than mine, and he is having probles, though
I do not know the exact problems he is having. 

I guess the ultimate question, asked by a coworker is, "Are you glad you 
did it."

Now that is is two months later, yes I am.  Two weeks after my surgury
I had my doubts.  My eye was more iritated than most.  As my doctor put it
"Some eyes are more senitive than others", and I do have sensitive eyes.  
As I stated earlier, this is the eye that was bothered by my contact lens.
When I have my other eye done it I doubt it will be as sensitive
Newsgroups: sci.med