Isn't it true that contact lens specialists will exaggerate the dangers of getting your eyes lasered??

Question

I wore contact lenses for ten years and had this guy from the Lyon Contact Lens Center that was supposed to be sooooo Christian and when I told him I was thinking of getting lasik or whatever the exact term is he emphasized to me the "danger" of having that done.

I had it done a few years ago and found it to be painless, fairly affordable (1,000 USD) and got 20/20 vision from what was severe nearsightedness. My result has never changed over the years since the procedure. I never experienced one problem with it and I had two other family members do it at the same time I did and they're both fine too.

All the contact lens specialists in that office now as I recall always tried to get me to buy the most expensive latest model contact lens too even though they knew I didn't need it and was a broke student!!!

What pisses me off is they are so endorsed by the Christian community and that is why I went with the guy's recommendations for me to buy this or that for years.

Answer 1

Well at least now you know better. And you can spread the benefits of LASIK, just like I have been doing since I underwent the procedure years ago.

In fact, I always say that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and that if I heard about it early on, I would probably be one of the first to get the laser treatment.

I felt very confident about the procedure when I had a series of tests prior to the surgery itself. It also helped that I learned that my doctor, Jack Arroyo, was the best in this field.

Prior to LASIK, I had tried all types of contact lenses - - - hard lenses, soft lenses, and then finally the Acuvue disposable ones that towards the end I was changing everyday (expensive, huh!) because my eyes were easily irritated. Now I always suggest the procedure to my friends.

I guess the contact lens business will be obsolete one of these days. Then the fellow who kept on discouraging you will probably be out of business.

Answer 2

Just to play the devil's advocate...as a health care provider, your former doctor had a responsibility to provide you with information that described any potential risks. There is a 1% "trainwreck" rate among Lasik patients, and if you had ended up among them, you would likely be on this same forum bashing this doctor for being a Christian and not telling you about the risks.

The latest contact lenses (which are usually more expensive) are also usually the safest. I can't speak for all opticals, but at our office, our markup is fairly uniform, and we don't make much money on ANY contact lens. We must keep our prices low to compete with mass retailers and on-line.

It's great that you had a terrific outcome, but keep in mind that not everybody does. I've seen some terrible results from Lasik come through our door. Personally, I would never consent to elective laser surgery, as I know that there is a risk that is far more substantial than with contact lenses that are worn as directed.

Answer 3

It is just stands to reason that they would want to tell you such things. Getting laser treatment for the eyes does defeat their whole purpose of being in the contact business, doesn't it?
If everyone that needed contact lenses decided to get their eyes treated with the lasers to improve their eyesight, then those in the business of making specialized contact lenses would be out of business wouldn't they?
I guess this falls under "self-preservation" in their business world.

I am 50 years old and I still have 20/20 vision, never wore glasses or contacts and if and when the need does arise for me to wear such instruments in order to see better, then I will look into the possibilities of having the laser treatments done to both eyes.

Answer 4

You know there will always be severe dangers of any type of surgeries, but most of these doctors know what they are doing. It just depends on the doctor & the patient (doctor/patient trust). I believe that if you're doctor has many years of experience & you feel confident about the doctors abilities/skills, then you will most likely come out of surgery with great results. If you are unsure & feel a little too nervous, I would recommend not doing it (you might have some nervous twitch that would cause severe damage during surgery-in my opinion). It is always a good idea to do some research on these types of surgeries & the doctors. There will always be a 1 in a million/thousand/etc. chance that you will be that one time that something goes wrong. You just never know.

Most doctors that have done these types of surgeries with all great outcomes & confidence in themselves are always best. They will always make you feel that you have nothing to worry about. These are the ones that I believe to be best (they take pride in their work & skills).


All I know is that I have been having problems with some contacts that my doctor recommended to me, because I tend to fall asleep with them on. Supposedly they get more oxygen to the corneas (or something like that). They cost more than the ones I had used before. Well, these dumb contacts irritate the crap out of my eyes even after about 4 hrs. If I leave them on longer then that my eyes start to turn really red; & they stay that way for 2-3 days. The first time I fell asleep with them, my eyes were sooo bloody red, I was sooo scared. I could hardly open my eyes. They would BURN sooo bad! & when I could open my eyes they would tear up bad frequently. It also sucked, because I couldn't look at my computer or TV much because of the light on screen. I had to get a prescription for some antibiotic eye drops that cost me $70. for an itty bitty bottle of 3ml. (with insurance). But I needed it. My eyes were like that for about 10 days (took that long to heal). I was behind in my homework (college) because I couldn't read (paper too bright, as well & I had a LOT to read). I never had ANY problems with the cheap contacts that I had before (& fell alseep with so many times).

My poor kids (4yrs & 2yrs) were sooo worried about me.

So, by this story, I mean to say that maybe these doctors are looking out more for their interests, than yours. Maybe your contact lens specialists may be feeling the financial effects of lasik surgery, and will emphasize the "dangers" of lasik to their patients, but if they are trying too hard when most outcomes are pretty positive, then it is safe to assume that they just want to keep you as a financial security. Of course, they will tell you about the dangers or surgeries... I mean, what do you expect, it's a business & Lasik surgery is competition.

I also know of someone that had the lasik surgery done when it first came out & she is just fine.

Answer 5

isnt it true that LASIK surgeons discount the possible compilcations & side effects of LASIK? probably.

there are 2 sides to every story...

glad you found a good solution for you. don't judge your old eye doc too harshly...he was very likely acting in what he considered to be his opinion of your best interest, and not just trying to "make a buck" by selling you the "most expensive": contacts. speaking of "exaggeration"...

Answer 6

Yeah! If you move while they do the operation the laser can take off the wrong bit and you will become blind!