I underwent bilateral LASIK at Accuvision on 29th May 2002. Previously -2.75L/-3.75R with about 0.5 astig. Now 6/6 unaided VA and very happy with the results. Very slight haloing and starbursts, which don't really cause too much bother.
I experienced no pain at all during the treatment, just a high level of anxiety caused more by what my mind was imagining, than what was actually going on.
I would definitely recommend Accuvision to anyone interested in laser sight correction. Having read only glowing, 5/5 reports about Accuvision on this site prior to my treatment, I must admit I did suspect that they might be offering some kind of referral incentive - they were the only clinic without a single negative comment. But I can confirm these are all genuine; Accuvision don't give any kind of financial inducement if you recommend to a friend (unlike at least one other company who I shan't name...don't want this website being closed down again!)
Accuvision is an extremely well-run practice with friendly, supportive and competent staff. They operate from attractive, clean, modern premises and use state-of-the-art equipment. The pre-and post-treatment care is thorough, professional and without hard sell. I've read many postings since my Lasik op from people with very challenging prescriptions, who'd been turned down by other clinics but treated successfully by Accuvision, and that reinforces my view that I had the best, most advanced treatment available.
The only improvement I can think of, would be to introduce a separate recovery area for patients immediately post-op, rather than sending them straight back into the waiting area. Don't get me wrong, it's not an unpleasant place to be, but I'm sure that a quieter, softly-lit room with reclining chairs would be more conducive to resting for the first 20 minutes or so. Just an idea.
Although the long-term effects are little-known, at this point in time I'm in no doubt that it's the best thing I ever did...no regrets AT ALL. The cliché certainly applies that I wish I'd done it years ago. There's just no way to describe the feeling, the first time you go to push your specs back up your nose, then realise you're not wearing any! It's certainly not right for everyone, and things certainly CAN go wrong, which is why you should do careful research beforehand, wise up as much as possible about the benefits and risks, and think very carefully about why you want to have your sight surgically corrected. If you're younger, you may want to wait awhile, until the technology advances further and there is a larger pool of post-op patients to study. For instance, laser keratomes are under development which may provide a safer, more accurate cut than a blade. But, being in my mid-30's, I decided I wanted to enjoy the results while I still (hopefully) have many active years ahead of me, and as it turned out, it was the right choice.
Feel free to email me with any other questions etc steven.mercer@tesco.net
For the full details, you can read my Lasik diary at http://homepages.tesco.net/steven.mercer