m3urthy
Why don't you have a seat right over there.
Before I even get into the meat of what I have to say, let me say this: PRK- Quit talking about getting it, and just do it. Pick up the phone and call your local reputed Dr. Eye Cutter MD OD and schedule at the very least a consult. I wish I had done this sooner.
06 May 2008- Decided to call my local TLC (Laser Eye Center, Fullerton, Ca) to schedule a consult. At this point, I really had no idea what to expect. What I did was just to play as dumb as possible, and ask every question I could possibly ask the poor scheduling girl talking to me. She assured me that my consultation for PRK was absolutely free(make sure you say PRK as many times as possible, PRK PRK PRK!!!!, because someone will eventually confuse you for a LASIK).
I scheduled my appointment for 0800 on 20 May. Not only did I get a confirmation call 48 hours before, but also one of those automatic Google Calendar notifications that went straight to my blackberry. So far, so good.
20 May 2008- Walked in a few minutes early and was warmly greeted by the front receptionist. They gave me a portable DVD player with their promotional video about TLC Eye Care Centers and how they did Tiger Wood's eyes. After I finished watching, I was called back to meet with a nurse practitioner. She did a corneal thickness test and some other machine based tests (basically those put your chin/forehead here and look straight ahead machines).
I was advised that I would be a good candidate for PRK. At this point, I basically asked every question under the book including, "Could you explain to me what exactly PRK is?" Obviously, if you are reading this than you already know everything there is to know about the procedure. I asked and she answered. She also made sure I understood everything she told me.
The nurse then drilled down how things would progress:
Pre-op 2 weeks before.
Day of Surgery.
1 day Post-op
72 hour post-op (contact lens bandage removal)
1 week post-op
1 month post-op
so on....
She also notified me that I'd have a chance to meet the surgeon the morning of my surgery. No go for me. I made it known that I wanted to meet the guy cutting up my eyes before hand. Without hesitation, she scheduled in time with myself and the surgeon. My advice to you: if you don't feel comfortable with something, let be known and get it fixed.
Pricing- I was quoted 4200 for PRK. I have a really good PPO health plan through work, Blue Shield of CA, and had her see if I had any benefits I could use through that. Lo and behold, my insurance paid for a part of my surgery, leaving me with a grand total of $3790.
01 June 2008- 2 week pre-op
This pre-op exam was done at my personal optometrist who happened to refer me to TLC. He did a baseline exam. I was at 20/60 20/80. He also dilated my pupils and took measurements with those. Same results. He also prescribed me Zymar, an anti-biotic drop that I had to purchase myself. I was told that this would be pricy and most insurances do not cover it. I paid $85 for 5ml at a CVS pharmacy in Huntington Beach, Ca. I was also prescribed Neurontin, taken orally, to help with nerve pain and make me feel more comfortable after the surgery. The generic version costed around $25 at a Wal-Mart pharmacy in Brea, Ca.
I was instructed to take the Zymar 4 times a day a day before the surgery. This is meant to pretty much clean your eyes. Think of it as an alcohol wipe before you get your shots.
06 May 2008- Decided to call my local TLC (Laser Eye Center, Fullerton, Ca) to schedule a consult. At this point, I really had no idea what to expect. What I did was just to play as dumb as possible, and ask every question I could possibly ask the poor scheduling girl talking to me. She assured me that my consultation for PRK was absolutely free(make sure you say PRK as many times as possible, PRK PRK PRK!!!!, because someone will eventually confuse you for a LASIK).
I scheduled my appointment for 0800 on 20 May. Not only did I get a confirmation call 48 hours before, but also one of those automatic Google Calendar notifications that went straight to my blackberry. So far, so good.
20 May 2008- Walked in a few minutes early and was warmly greeted by the front receptionist. They gave me a portable DVD player with their promotional video about TLC Eye Care Centers and how they did Tiger Wood's eyes. After I finished watching, I was called back to meet with a nurse practitioner. She did a corneal thickness test and some other machine based tests (basically those put your chin/forehead here and look straight ahead machines).
I was advised that I would be a good candidate for PRK. At this point, I basically asked every question under the book including, "Could you explain to me what exactly PRK is?" Obviously, if you are reading this than you already know everything there is to know about the procedure. I asked and she answered. She also made sure I understood everything she told me.
The nurse then drilled down how things would progress:
Pre-op 2 weeks before.
Day of Surgery.
1 day Post-op
72 hour post-op (contact lens bandage removal)
1 week post-op
1 month post-op
so on....
She also notified me that I'd have a chance to meet the surgeon the morning of my surgery. No go for me. I made it known that I wanted to meet the guy cutting up my eyes before hand. Without hesitation, she scheduled in time with myself and the surgeon. My advice to you: if you don't feel comfortable with something, let be known and get it fixed.
Pricing- I was quoted 4200 for PRK. I have a really good PPO health plan through work, Blue Shield of CA, and had her see if I had any benefits I could use through that. Lo and behold, my insurance paid for a part of my surgery, leaving me with a grand total of $3790.
01 June 2008- 2 week pre-op
This pre-op exam was done at my personal optometrist who happened to refer me to TLC. He did a baseline exam. I was at 20/60 20/80. He also dilated my pupils and took measurements with those. Same results. He also prescribed me Zymar, an anti-biotic drop that I had to purchase myself. I was told that this would be pricy and most insurances do not cover it. I paid $85 for 5ml at a CVS pharmacy in Huntington Beach, Ca. I was also prescribed Neurontin, taken orally, to help with nerve pain and make me feel more comfortable after the surgery. The generic version costed around $25 at a Wal-Mart pharmacy in Brea, Ca.
I was instructed to take the Zymar 4 times a day a day before the surgery. This is meant to pretty much clean your eyes. Think of it as an alcohol wipe before you get your shots.