It's a Cookbook!

[bcholmes]

So. I go to the laser eye surgery place to pick someone up. And they say, "They're just in right now. Would you like to watch?" And they lead me to a little antechamber where you can see what's going on. Lasers. Beaming people in the head. And they want to you to watch this.

These people are monsters and they must be stopped.

Comments

[erik]

Yeah, That's pretty much why I've never considered getting that surgery done. I own a few lasers. I play with lasers all the time, including occasionally the kind that no shit will burn things. Which are still less powerful than the ones they use in that surgery.

You DO NOT POINT A LASER AT THE EYE! It's the first thing you learn. It's written right on every single laser you can buy. No WAY I'm going to let someone do that. To me. While I'm aware and WATCHING IT HAPPEN?!

[cantkeepsilent.livejournal.com]

I can still remember the horror that was the premiere episode of That's Incredible! in 1980, that featured laser eye surgery. Back then, they sliced off your cornea, did the whole laser thing, and then sewed. it. back. on. That's when I realized that the future was our enemy no matter how many flying cars I would own.

And let's not even start in on the whole perversion of setting up side rooms so that people can watch.

[eveofdstruction.livejournal.com]

You got to watch? That is SO cool! Though it does occur to me that my enthusiasm may indicate that I, too, am a monster.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

I got the watch the lasik procedure they did right before my surgery.

That was... illuminating.

[eveofdstruction.livejournal.com]

That timing seems ill considered.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

I was too fascinated to look away. It meant when they used the little squeegee thing on my eye I kept thinking, "THAT'S THAT LITTLE SQUEEGEE THING! I SAW THAT!"

Actually the one thought I could not shake out of my head during the entire procedure was, "This would be a really bad time for a fire drill."

[firecat]

I think it would be cool to watch, but I am never allowing those lasers near my eyes if I can help it. (I mean, I would do it if it were the difference between being blind and being able to see, but not to correct deficiencies that I can correct by wearing pieces of plastic in front of my eyes.)

[bearlyhuman555.livejournal.com]

Given that Lasik has been investigated repeatedly in the United States for under-reporting the damaging and long-term side-effects that are possible from that procedure and that 1 in 4 people have screwed up vision for the rest of their life after having it done.... I am not letting them near my eyes.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Do you have cites for that?

[bearlyhuman555.livejournal.com]

http://www.complicatedeyes.org/index.html is a primary one - they also list malpractice information.

I know two people (three including you) who have had it done and benefited from it and four who have had it done and suffered long term negative effects such as haloing, dry eyes, etc....

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Not including me. I had PRK.

I know at about 16 people who've had Lasik done. Only one has had complications (starburst effect) and he's since had follow-up surgery that has corrected the problem. Every single person I polled beforehand told me it was the best thing they had ever done in their life. Without one exception.

Most of the people I know who've had Lasik are in Canada, the websites you point to mostly contain info about the US. Where did the people you know get it done? I'd be interested in the comparison.

[bearlyhuman555.livejournal.com]

Also:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2001-06-28-lasik.htm

http://www.mylasiksurgery.com/?show=archive

Right down to people committing suicide over negative results from the surgery: http://www.flawedlasik.com/

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Profit pressures are leading to sloppy care. With prices ranging from $499 an eye to more than $2,000, doctors who see dozens of patients a day can earn tens of thousands of dollars.

Profit pressures are prompting some clinics to recycle equipment or rush screenings, critics say. [...]

Patients are at risk because doctors fail to do thorough screenings.

Bingo.

I see ads in the subway for places that do laser vision correction and hair removal. Um. Not with eyes, bud.

[laura-seabrook.livejournal.com]

I have a phobia about things going in my eyes (poked in one with a bamboo stick when young). Wouldn't take that offer for anything!

[sonjaaa.livejournal.com]

I love watching surgery. It's so fascinating to see how our bodies work or are set up on the inside.