Comments on: Duke Trashed My Vision, You, Um, Blurry Thing

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:52:52 +0000

And just to clarify, I had my surgery performed at the Duke Aesthetic Center. I should also disclose that I am a Duke University employee (although not affiliated with the medical side of things at all) and did receive an employee discount for my surgery.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:51:27 +0000

I just wanted to include that I had LASIK performed on both of my eyes in December of 2009. I had a lot of complications during the first few weeks (the first day, I had to return to the center because I couldn’t open my eyes and I was in a lot of pain.) However, it is now April of 2010, and I am very happy with my vision, knock on wood. Vision has been great since late January, and the dryness pretty much went away in late February. Dr. Kim wasn’t my surgeon, so I can’t comment about him… I feel sorry for those that have had problems. It really is terrible. I guess I would just say, I knew going into this that, like most medical procedures, there was some risk involved. Either I got lucky or you got unlucky. Either way, sorry for your loss.

By: Another Duke LASIK victim

Another Duke LASIK victim — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 04:08:52 +0000

I know three patients who suffer from permanent life altering LASIK complications after LASIK with Dr. Carlson as their surgeon. One of them told me he asked Dr. Carlson during one of his many post-op visits what went wrong with the surgery. He said Dr. Carlson just paused for about fifteen seconds and then he threw the patient chart on the counter and said … I don’t have time for any more questions, I have other patients to see.

One thing you learn when you end up with LASIK complications is that the LASIK surgeon doesn’t want to spend time with you. He’d much rather go to the room next door and see a patient like poster #40 who tells him how wonderful he is and how great everything is going.

The test of a good doctor is not how he handles his successes, but also how he handles his failures. With LASIK, failures are guaranteed since it is a flawed surgery. Learn more at lasikcomplications.com

By: IheartDUKE!

IheartDUKE! — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:26:59 +0000

I went to Duke and Dr. Alan Carlson was my physician, and honestly, he was the best physician of any kind I have ever seen. My father, sister, and most of my friends are doctors, so I know what it means to be a good doctor. I know nothing of Dr Kim but it sounds like he is the problem, not Duke. Dr. Carlson saw me and examined my eyes at several pre-op visits, and explained everything to me that I was and was not to expect. He told me I should not get LASIK because I have dry eyes, and explaining the risks of LASIK with dry eyes. He suggested PRK for me, and older and safer procedure, which I had done. Since I was moving, he suggested I may want to wait to have my surgery by someone in my new area so he could see them for follow-up, and offered to research physicians in that area for me. So, he did not care at all about my money – all he cared about was the health of my eyes! It was that atitude that made me choose him for my surgeon, and I’ve never regretted it. I’ve heard of people having pain after PRK and problems after LASIK, and I didn’t even have pain! That was because he’s one of the few surgeons that uses cold saline right after the surgery – it almost completely reduces post-op pain.

I am so sorry that anyone has had vision problems from eye surgery. You cannot pick a place though – you have to pick your surgeon. I paid to see 3 different surgeons before picking mine. Yes, that’s expensive, but my vision is worth it, and if you’re not willing to do that, then you are risking your vision. Go to several doctors, point out to each of them the differences in their recommendations, and ask them to explain their choices. See who you feel is honest and the most talented. Ask about their complication history – any good doctor will openly tell you about all their past patients that had problems. and NEVER have surgery from some one that did not do your pre-op evaluation – if you saw a tech, and are meeting your surgeon the day of your surgery, run in the other direction. The doctor needs to see your eyes to determine which type of surgery you should get, and even which laser to use. Many centers have 2 or 3 lasers, and they may use a different machine for each eye. Hope this helped.

By: Another Duke LASIK Victim

Another Duke LASIK Victim — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:21:28 +0000

To poster #38, when you state that the “patient is NOT given to the patient in one hand and a valium in the other”, then you obviously did not have LASIK at Duke when I had mine done. To the person with the SUV that wrote that Duke LASIK ruined her eyes and provides her contact information, the fact is that this person is doing something that people do very little of in this day in age. She is informing her community to be aware of dangers that profit minded LASIK doctors may not inform their patients about. Most people think that if they go to Duke, they will get the best care. This was definitely not the case at Duke LASIK and this person took an active role in informing the community in the best way she could. Unlike Duke LASIK that spends LOTS of $’s advertising, she used the most resourceful means she had to get the message to her fellow community members (her car as a moving billboard). Note that because of her actions, I have learned that Duke has changed several areas that they refused to change for a long time. For example, the informed consent form is now included in the packet that is sent home with the patient at the pre-screening rather than presented to the patient for the first time just minutes before the person’s LASIK as was done. As for hobbies, I still have some. I can’t do most of the hobbies that I could do pre-LASIK due to my LASIK complications but I have moved on with my life. However, informing the public of the risks of LASIK that many LASIK doctors will not do since it interferes with profit is something that I feel strongly about. I am still dumbfounded to find people like “Love My Experience” lacking compassion and understanding when people try to do what most people no longer do in this day in age … go beyond themselves to warn others of wrongs being done. Why do “happy” LASIK patients feel a need to insult those who had bad outcomes (even at the Duke Eye Center) and are warning others in their community of the risks of LASIK?

By: Love my experience

Love my experience — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:25:01 +0000

In response to post # 24. Is it fair that the rate of death for open heart surgery is 12.3%? The fact of the matter is that open heart surgery in most cases is an emergency procedure, NOT ELECTIVE. LASIK is ELECTIVE. Each patient IS given the informed consent prior to the actual surgery. This document is NOT given to the patient in one hand and a valium in the other. I was given my informed consent 24 hours prior to my procedure, and I was FULLY aware of the risks involved. I agree with the poster “Lasik Lawyer & Patient” that SOMEONE (an SUV driver) has some personal vendetta with Dr. Kim at Duke LASIK. I regret that this poster has problems with their LASIK outcome, however, with ANY medical procedure there can and will be complications. And for the poster “Another Duke LASIK victim”, how can you say I lack compassion? Is it because I think you and “that’s my truck!” have other issues going on in your life than your LASIK issues, I still think you are both crazy and need hobbies. Maybe you two would not have dry eyes, and pain if you would do more with your life than sit in front of a computer monitor and waste your lives trying to defame and slander one doctor and one LASIK eye center. If it was strictly about LASIK, we could all tell. But, for some reason you both have it out for Duke. Someone that is crazy enough to paint grafetti on their personal car is crazy enough to do harm to others. WHERE IS THE COMPASSION THERE?? Please move on with life and leave Dr. Kim alone. HE DID NOTHING TO HARM YOU, YOU DID IT TO YOURSELF. If you want to spread the word to the general public about LASIK awareness, you have done that and thank you. BUT STOP THIS MADNESS of “bad-mouthing” innocent Drs and facilities. If you are looking for FAIR and BALANCED information in regards to LASIK, try going to a seminar and hearing the information for yourself. Ask questions and ask to speak to the doctor that will perform the surgery.

By: distorto

distorto — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:48:28 +0000

I should mention,I never went to Duke and that I have seen this doctors name mentioned over and over associated with negative results. I went to one of the large chains with initials L.P.
I don’t believe it matters where you go,this is a flawed damaging procedure even when it goes well.
Kathy Griffin had surgery with one of the famous “makeover show” doctors and had 8 surgeries and a cornea transplant. She is rich enough,they couldn’t pay her to shut up. Check her website.
They literally can’t fix the damage sometimes.
Why are there always a few idiots attacking victims? I’ve yet to understand why since you think you had a good result,everybody with a complication must be a nut. There are some really stupid people in this world. nuff said

By: distorto

distorto — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:23:06 +0000

Sorry to hear about your vision.
I am on total disability several years now after my “lasik.” I lost binocularity (eyes working together)have edema,epethelial ingrowth and baby cataracts (within a year of surgery),have vertigo,induced irregular astigmatism (none previous),and progressing ectasia (bulging distortion of cornea. I literally have so many vision problems I may have missed something.
They are finding now that they do not know what a safe cornea thickness is. Mine was within what they consider safe. So many people are getting post lasik ectasia that the FDA has started an ectasia registry. It took me years to find the truth.(statute is one year in my state,how convenient is that?) No opthalmologist will admit another one damaged your eyes,in my experience. It’s being left to the optometrists to try and heal these injured people. My “surgeon”never even examined me again and told me it must be something other than my eyes over the counter and hurried me out. Total and complete denial.
I’m hoping when all truth is revealed there will be a huge class action suit and lasik will be stopped!
Ectasia can progress until you must have a corneal transplant. Mine is progressing.
Lasik still sound good? Your risk.
I noticed what an above poster mentioned about lasik doctors trying to appear to have had lasik. This is common. They know too much to have lasik themselves. I actually had an opthalmologist tell me that when I asked why he was wearing glasses.
They are hiding the facts and skewing the complication rates. You had better believe it. It is absolutely the truth.
Please don’t let this happen to you. Don’t risk your vision. We take it for granted but it is our most important sense. Don’t roll the dice on your eyes. I just don’t want this to happen to someone else.
thanks for reading

By: Doing good BUT.. ...

Doing good BUT.. ... — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:51:13 +0000

I’m 32 yr healthy male and i had “VISX Star4 CustomVue Lasik surgery” for 4000 about 2 weeks back and vision wise i’m probably ok but…. The reason for this ‘probably’ is because at night time i still see starbust around oncoming traffic and street lights but its that not that bad to stop me from night driving. Also another side effect is severe dry eye because i stare at computer (i mean i’ve to for my living) 8-9 hrs a day. Also there is another annoying side effect – i’ve a nerve pain and pretty good ‘uneasiness and strain’ for last 2 weeks only around my right eye and that never goes away (It increases with more computer use at day end). I checked with doctor 3 times but they are saying everything is good and those symptoms are just because “being healed”.My concern is why i don’t have any nerve pain and strain on my left eye (i’ve dry eye in both eyes though). Did my nerves get permanently damaged on right and i’ve to live with a “mild but continuous” pain on top of paying that 4000 ??

Let me tell the good part though – already spelled lot of concerns.My right eye(which ha nerve pain) is 20/20 and left eye (which has no pain) is 20/25. Oops !

At the end of day – my cousin sister was asking me because she is going to do LASIK and could not tell her a definite ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ recommendation. After all this technology and milion dollar money why LASIK is not 100% foolproof – why a surgeon who did 20,000 surgery can end up with a devastated patient in 20,001 – Science should hold true everywhere , everytime , everyone – I’m confused !

By: Darcy

Darcy — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:20:33 +0000

I am considering the LASIK MD PRK Zyoptix Procedure with Dr John van der Zweep in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Just starting to do my homework and you guys are scaring me.