Laser eye surgery in Russia: anyone done it?

vividhawk87 Asks:
So, what’s the actual deal with these dream lenses? I mean, how high of a prescription can they even handle before they become totally useless?

My prescription is sitting at -7.5 in both eyes, and I guess I’m still on the fence about pulling the trigger on surgery. My vision seems to have stayed pretty much rock solid for about a year now, but I’ve got an appointment scheduled for October to get everything checked out and see if there have been any shifts lately.

What on earth are "dream lenses"?? I guess I’ve just never heard of them, maybe?

Look, they're Russians, you know? Like the Fedorov crowd... my old man's eye doctor actually brought it up to him once, but he’s not exactly itching to drop cash on it. He figures since he's getting up there in years anyway, he should probably just nudge my sister instead. She's sitting at a -5, but she’s totally digging her heels in and saying no. Honestly, if 😬 were an option for me, I’d be all over it. I’m just hovering around
.

I guess I’ll probably head over to those specialists in Los Angeles just to get their official stamp of approval.
I’ve been stuck wearing glasses since my sophomore year of high school, and honestly, I'm just ready to be done with them (it's been about 16 years now 😬 ). If they say it's doable, then I'm all in. 🙂

I feel a certain obligation to start this thread so that anyone considering eye surgery knows their options. If you have any questions regarding what I’m about to share, please feel free to ask.
I just returned from Russia the day before yesterday. My prescription was -18 in both eyes—though while I was there, I thought it was only -14—and I could only read five lines, meaning my visual quality was at about 50%.
The procedure was highly successful. I now have zero prescription in both eyes and can read eight lines, bringing my visual quality up to 80%, even though the doctors there warned me that I might stay stuck at 50%.
I no longer need glasses or contacts. Although I was told my vision wouldn't change much compared to wearing lenses, my sight has actually improved significantly beyond what my glasses provided.

In America, I don't think they would ever dream of touching your eyes, let alone removing a stray eyelash. I've heard far too many horror stories about people having their vision ruined here. However, the hospital I visited is at the absolute pinnacle of technology. They utilize laser equipment that represents the best money can buy globally, and the doctors are professionals of a caliber you simply won't find elsewhere.

I am not trying to turn this into an advertisement for Russia; however, when it comes to eyesight and general health, I believe people should be informed about where the highest quality care is located. I have no desire to see someone ruin their eyes and suffer for the rest of their lives because they lacked information.

Feel free to ask anything else you might want to know. I will be more than happy to answer every question.

Regards,

Congrats on a successful surgery! So, if you don't mind sharing, could you walk us through the whole process? I'd love to hear the details—how long it actually took, what the experience was like, and how you were feeling throughout... It would be super helpful to compare your journey with everyone else who has gone through LASIK.

So, I went through with LASIK (correct me if I'm wrong about the distinction between LASEK and LASIK)
The whole thing took about 20 minutes. Since my case was a bit more complex, it ran longer than the typical 10-minute procedure. It’s entirely painless; they just apply local anesthetic drops and use a speculum to keep your eyelids open. The actual laser work doesn't hurt at all, though you can smell the laser as it works on the corneal layers.
Once it's over, you can just get up and walk out. Once the numbing agent wears off, your eyes will sting. That varies from person to person; in my case, the stinging lasted about an hour, after which it felt like I hadn't even had the surgery. You'll deal with some glare and slight blurriness, but it's temporary. It's been six days since my procedure, and I still have a bit of cloudiness. That should clear up in a few weeks—nothing major.
The most unpleasant part of the entire experience was definitely the stinging sensation once the anesthesia wore off.

Jamie Wood4 said:So, I went through with LASIK (correct me if I'm wrong about the distinction between LASEK and LASIK)
The whole thing took about 20 minutes. Since my case was a bit more complex, it ran longer than the typical 10-minute procedure. It’s entirely painless; they just apply local anesthetic drops and use a speculum to keep your eyelids open. The actual laser work doesn't hurt at all, though you can smell the laser as it works on the corneal layers.
Once it's over, you can just get up and walk out. Once the numbing agent wears off, your eyes will sting. That varies from person to person; in my case, the stinging lasted about an hour, after which it felt like I hadn't even had the surgery. You'll deal with some glare and slight blurriness, but it's temporary. It's been six days since my procedure, and I still have a bit of cloudiness. That should clear up in a few weeks—nothing major.
The most unpleasant part of the entire experience was definitely the stinging sensation once the anesthesia wore off.

Yeah, there is a difference between LASEK and LASIK, but even I'm not entirely sure what it is. I had the one where you stare at a red dot. Mine took 12 minutes.

Nicole Davis7 said:Yeah, there is a difference between LASEK and LASIK, but even I'm not entirely sure what it is. I had the one where you stare at a red dot. Mine took 12 minutes.

I wouldn't know. My vision was seeing all sorts of colors... 😁

I’m inclined to agree regarding getting surgery here in the States; our specialists just don't seem to have that same level of sheer audacity yet. As for the Russians, though—from everything I’ve gathered from various folks, they seem incredibly satisfied with the results there.
I’m actually heading over to Greece at the end of the month for a consultation, so does anyone happen to have any intel on what to expect?
AND OF COURSE, BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!

Chloe Thomas6 said:I’m inclined to agree regarding getting surgery here in the States; our specialists just don't seem to have that same level of sheer audacity yet. As for the Russians, though—from everything I’ve gathered from various folks, they seem incredibly satisfied with the results there.
I’m actually heading over to Greece at the end of the month for a consultation, so does anyone happen to have any intel on what to expect?
AND OF COURSE, BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!

No clue. I've looked into these procedures quite a bit, but I don't know much about Greece. I assume they aren't bad, but I still maintain that Russia is the gold standard in this field....

Nicole Davis7 said:Yeah, there is a difference between LASEK and LASIK, but even I'm not entirely sure what it is. I had the one where you stare at a red dot. Mine took 12 minutes.

I suspect that almost every procedure involves staring at a red target 😵. In reality, that fixation isn't strictly necessary; if you happen to look away from the point, nothing catastrophic occurs. It serves more as a way to give the patient something to occupy their mind. The surgeon is quite adept at fixing the beam on the eye to ensure that any slight movement—should the patient feel nervous—doesn't interfere with the precision. Besides, once the eyelid speculum is in place and the eye is numbed, you aren't exactly capable of moving much 🙂, regardless of how it might feel at the moment.
I might be drifting slightly off-topic here.
It has been over a year since I had my surgery at Visumed (and I believe I’ve already written extensively about that experience somewhere else on this forum ). I hold no grudge against the Russians; after all, they were the ones who first arrived in America to promote these procedures and start planting these ideas in our heads (if we don't count Stambuk 🙄 🙄). However, I still find myself advocating for staying within the US; if heaven forbid there were any complications, how on earth would you manage traveling back to Russia? And what about the follow-up appointments??
As for the actual skill level of American ophthalmologists, the only thing I have ever heard is the singular rumor regarding prescriptions returning after Stambuk's surgeries.
To be perfectly honest, I did briefly consider traveling to Slovakia because, much like in Canada and several other former Eastern Bloc nations, the cost for bilateral surgery is roughly $1,000 $667! Plus, their healthcare system partially covers vision correction, and I had even considered using someone else's identity—someone registered in Slovakia with local insurance—to slip through.
Ultimately, having completed my surgery here in the US and achieved a full recovery, I am profoundly relieved that I didn't go ANYWHERE abroad!

That said, for those of you who did decide to go with foreign specialists, I am genuinely happy that your decisions turned out well, and I hope that remains the case. 😉

Nicole Davis7 said:Yeah, there is a difference between LASEK and LASIK, but even I'm not entirely sure what it is. I had the one where you stare at a red dot. Mine took 12 minutes.

The fundamental distinction between LASIK and LASEK really comes down to the surgical technique itself. You see, LASIK falls under the umbrella of refractive eye surgeries where the surgeon actually creates a corneal flap during the procedure, which they then lay back down once the stroma has been reshaped. LASEK, on the other hand, works directly on the surface of the cornea; there isn't any flap involved, instead, they just gently remove a thin layer of the epithelium—often using a bit of diluted alcohol to loosen it up first.
Now, I should mention that the recovery process tends to be a bit more drawn out and, frankly, a little more uncomfortable with LASEK, but since they aren't making those deeper incisions to create a flap, the risk of certain complications is actually lower. LASIK is a bit more versatile in its application, too, covering a range from -12 to +6 diopters and handling astigmatism up to 6 cylinders.

And yes, I actually visited Stambuk twice, and honestly, the experience was wonderful. My prescription used to be sitting at -2.5/-17, but after everything was done, I'm currently at 0/-2.👍

Here’s the deal:
My wife just got home from her surgery at the Mayo Clinic about two hours ago—and honestly, I need to warn you all right now. PLEASE be careful.
So, here's what happened... she had surgery on both eyes to correct a -5 prescription. The first eye was handled by Dr. Gabric and turned out fine—but then they let some kid who's basically just an intern mess around with the second eye, and that one has been a total nightmare... because apparently, after the procedure, they put some kind of corrective lens in that eye?!?!?!
But hey, of course, before you go under the knife, you sign a contract stating you're ready for ANY AND ALL complications... in other words... if you end up going blind because of some idiot who's barely out of training, you can just take it up with the Good Lord.
Then there's this... they act like it's this "minor" little procedure... yet the discharge papers she got are absolutely legendary... and by that, I mean they don't say a single damn thing useful.
They told her verbally that they restored 60% of her vision in one eye... seriously... who does that? THIS SURGERY COSTS $2,000 $0.00 (for both eyes) and they're claiming 60% return... unbelievable... just unheard of!
When she asked the nurse working there if that meant 60% of her vision was back and that was that... the nurse just said she'd have to ask Gabric... because "how should I know," she's just staff.
The discharge paper looks like this:
ON JANUARY 12, 2008, AT THE MAYO CLINIC, THE FOLLOWING SURGICAL PROCEDURE WAS PERFORMED:
OPERATION: LASIK OU.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PATIENT:
- UPON ARRIVAL HOME, TAKE ONE 2 MG OR 5 MG ASPIRIN TABLET
- SLEEP FOR A FEW HOURS
- IF YOU EXPERIENCE PAIN UPON WAKING, TAKE A VOLTAREN RAPID TABLET.
(THEY DON'T EVEN PROVIDE THE MEDS AT THE CLINIC—YOU HAVE TO GO OUT AND BUY THEM YOURSELF AFTER THE SURGERY... BECAUSE APPARENTLY $2,000 $0.00 ISN'T ENOUGH TO cover three lousy pills, so people are expected to pinch pennies on that too. But what's the big deal, right? Just pop over to the pharmacy and grab them... oh wait, NO... that's too much trouble... And they also recommended specific sunglasses... which, again, you have to buy yourself to save money... and even though ones from $50 $13 are fine... like I said... $6.75 isn't nearly enough to cover all this "extra gear.")
- EYE DROPS: USE TOBREX 5X DAILY (3 DAYS), EFFLUMIDEX 5X DAILY (10 TO 14 DAYS), AND SZSTANE 5-7X DAILY (30 DAYS)
- PATIENT REQUIRES MEDICAL LEAVE
Follow-up tomorrow
In case of emergency, contact Dr. Gabric at: xxxxxxxxxx

I mean, seriously, what kind of crappy discharge paper is that?!?!?!

After the surgery... you aren't allowed to go into bright light, you can't wash your hair, you can't go into dark rooms, etc., for at least 10 days; you can't lift anything heavier than a bag of chips for 7 days, etc... basically, anyone who thought this was a "quick procedure where I'll just head home and watch TV" is dead wrong... BUT OF COURSE THEY WON'T TELL YOU THAT BEFORE THE SURGERY... just so you don't back out at the last minute.

So please, THINK VERY CAREFULLY before deciding on this surgery... as for what happens next... I'll post an update in 10 days.

It’s like this:
My wife just got home from her surgery at the Mayo Clinic about two hours ago. I have to tell you all right now—PLEASE BE CAREFUL.
Here’s the deal... she had surgery on both eyes to correct a -5 prescription. The first eye was handled by Dr. Gabric and it turned out fine—but then they let some kid play around with the other eye, and that's where things went south... because after the procedure, they put some kind of corrective lens in that eye?!??
But of course, before you go under the knife, you sign a contract stating you're willing to accept ANY AND ALL problems... basically... if you end up blind because of some idiot who was barely out of residency... you can just cry to God.
Then there's the matter of them calling this a "minor" procedure... and the discharge papers she got were legendary—meaning they didn't say a single damn thing useful.
They told her verbally that they restored 60% of the vision in one eye... seriously... who thinks that's okay? THIS SURGERY COSTS $2,000 $0.00 for both eyes, and they're handing back 60%... unbelievable... absolutely insane.
When she asked the nurse on duty if that meant the 60% vision was the final result... the nurse just said she’d have to ask Gabric, because "how should I know?"... she didn't know.
The discharge summary looks like this:
ON JANUARY 12, 2008, AT THE MAYO CLINIC, THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE WAS PERFORMED:
OPERATION: LASIK OU.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PATIENT:
- UPON ARRIVAL HOME, TAKE A 2 OR 5 MG ASPIRIN TABLET
- SLEEP FOR A FEW HOURS
- IF YOU HAVE PAIN UPON WAKING, TAKE A VOLTAREN RAPID TABLET.
(THE CLINIC DOESN'T PROVIDE THE PILLS—YOU HAVE TO GO OUT AND BUY THEM YOURSELF AFTER THE SURGERY... BECAUSE APPARENTLY $2,000 $0.00 ISN'T ENOUGH TO cover three lousy pills, so people try to save money where they can, but honestly, what's the big deal with running to a pharmacy? But no... they also recommended specific sunglasses... which you also have to buy yourself to save money... and even those from $13 are fine... but like I said... $6.75 is way too little for all this "extra equipment.")
- EYE DROPS: USE TOBREX 5X DAILY (3 DAYS), EFFLUMIDEX 5X DAILY (10 TO 14 DAYS), AND SZSTANE 5-7X DAILY (30 DAYS)
- PATIENT REQUIRES MEDICAL LEAVE
Follow-up tomorrow
In case of emergency, contact Dr. Gabric at: xxxxxxxxxx

I mean, seriously, WHAT KIND OF TRASH DISCHARGE PAPER IS THAT?!?!

After the surgery... you aren't allowed to be in bright light, wash your hair, go into dark rooms, etc., for at least 10 days. You can't lift anything heavier than a bag of rice for 7 days, etc... in other words, anyone who thought this was an operation where "I'll just go home and watch TV" is being HORRIBLY mistaken... BUT OF COURSE, THEY WON'T TELL YOU THAT BEFORE THE SURGERY... so that you don't back out at the last minute.

So PLEASE THINK VERY HARD BEFORE DOING THIS... as for what happens next... I'll update you in 10 days.

So, what actually happened after ten days, seriously?........
Everything turned out fine in the end, right?

Just stumbled upon this thread... I was actually in Russia back in '96, only 13 at the time. My parents happened to hear about the Fedorov clinic and decided to send me there to try and stop my vision from getting worse—that whole scleroplasty thing. My eye doctor told my mom straight up that she was sending her kid there at her own risk, basically saying she’d never dream of doing that to her own child. You can only imagine how much of a rough night that was for my parents. Even at 13, my prescription was already sitting at -4.75 and -5, and it just kept climbing. I ended up going to Saint Petersburg alone; there were plenty of Americans there, and you have a representative staying with you, but honestly, it was so long ago I don't even know if anything has changed since then. Fast forward to now—I just turned 25, and my prescription hasn't budged; it hasn't gotten better or worse. My parents always say it was the hardest but best decision they ever made. It's never even been noted in my official medical records that I had the surgery. Back then, the doctors told my folks I'd eventually need a C-section, and now that I'm pregnant, things are getting complicated. I went to see a private eye doctor because, first off, I don't trust anything my insurance-based ophthalmologist has said since 1996, and second, I'm not about to sit in a waiting room all day just to get checked out. Anyway, the private specialist told me I definitely need a C-section, but now my OBGYN at the hospital is demanding paperwork from my primary eye doctor because what the private one wrote (I paid $75 for two exams, by the way) isn't "official" enough for them...

(sorry if this thread already exists, my bad!)

I was wondering if anyone here has actually been there? Like, I'd love to hear about your experiences, what the prices are looking like, and just... everything else regarding it?? 🤷

A friend of mine is entering his sixth month now. The total cost is going to be a staggering $2,650

Is that really not possible here in the US?

Actually, I feel like they’re constantly running commercials for the Sun clinic on TV.