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This morning I paid for and scheduled my LASIK operation that’s happening in 3 days. I want to share with you my perspective on LASIK vs EVO ICL vs PRK from a real patient’s perspective.
Before I get into anything, I want to be really clear:
I’m not a medical expert.
I’m not giving medical advice.
Please don’t take what I say as fact.
Everything I’m sharing is just my personal experience and the things I learned from researching on my own. And honestly, it’s the kind of information you’d pick up from doing a quick Google search. If you’re considering any kind of vision correction, talk to the doctor you actually want to work with. They’re the ones who can give you the most accurate information that pertinent for your eyes.
Alright… now here’s how I ended up comparing LASIK, EVO ICL, and PRK.
I personally went with King LASIK in Washington state for my consultations. When I first walked in, I only had one plan in mind: LASIK. I barely looked into the other options because I assumed LASIK was the one I wanted.
Back in 2024, I was approved for LASIK, but I couldn’t get the surgery done because of scheduling. So in 2025, I went back for a brand-new consultation. Everything looked good… until a few hours later when I got a call saying the operating doctor wanted me to visit another clinic location with more advanced scanning equipment. Just to double-check that I still qualified for LASIK.
And that’s when things changed. At that point, they told me not to worry because I still qualified for EVO ICL and PRK. This honestly blindsided me. I wasn’t prepared for anything except LASIK.
All I really knew was:
EVO ICL costs about two to three thousand dollars more
PRK has a way longer recovery time
That’s it.
So I had to go and do more research to fully understand what I could possibly be getting into.
The main thing that kept coming up was that EVO ICL is often considered the “premium” option if you qualify and can afford it. With this option, the easy way to think about it is that they operate and insert a contact lens in your eye. This is reversible, which means if your eyes change later in life, the lens can be swapped or adjusted without removing more corneal tissue. This lens is something that you’re not supposed to feel at at all, not like a contact that’s sitting on your eyeball. The EVO ICL just sits inside your eye and does its thing. And honestly, that flexibility is appealing. But again… the price is a huge factor. I could spend the extra money, but I don’t want to spend it unless I absolutely have to.
So then I started comparing LASIK and PRK. From a long-term eye health perspective, PRK actually started to look pretty solid. It removes the top layer of your cornea and lets it regrow naturally. LASIK, on the other hand, creates a permanent flap in the cornea that heals around the edges. That flap can technically be disrupted by significant trauma to the eye. I don’t know how common that is because again, I’m not an expert, but that possibility was enough to make me think twice about LASIK.
For a minute, I actually started to lean toward PRK. But then… I started watching PRK recovery stories. All the stories that I saw depicted people who were happy with their results when all things are considered. They were able to see much better. But these people also mentioned all the rough stages in between the days, weeks, and months after surgery.
There were people who literally described being functionally blind for a few days. Extreme light sensitivity. Needing to hide under blankets. Being unable to open their eyes. Not being able to look at their phone on the dimmest setting without pain. Some people were having to feel their way around their own home.
The realization that this could very well be a possibility because it’s quite common in the days or weeks following PRK, really made me reconsider this option because most importantly in my life right now, I’m a dad. I have a three-year-old and a one-year-old who depend on me every single day. If I chose a procedure that left me unable to see or function for several days… all of that would fall on my wife. I personally felt that this would be an extremely selfish move because at the end of the day and for me, any form of corrective eye surgery is elective. I want to get it done because I hate wearing glasses and contacts but it’s not something that I need to get done. And on top of that, I still have to work. I didn’t plan weeks off for recovery. I don’t have that time to give up. So in my situation, PRK wasn’t realistic. Not because it’s a bad procedure. Just because the recovery demands didn’t fit my life.
But to be fair, medical research does show that PRK is extremely safe long-term and offers very stable results. And some surgeons still prefer it for certain patients, especially if your cornea is thinner or if you’re physically active and worried about flap injuries. For some people, PRK is the best choice.
If I were single, had no dependents, and could take a few weeks off to recover, I honestly might choose PRK. But I’m not in that stage of life anymore.
So for people who need fast healing, minimal downtime, and cost a few thousand less… LASIK really is the winner.
And that’s where I’m at right now, balancing cost, recovery, long-term stability, and my responsibilities as a parent.
This isn’t meant to tell you which one is better. It’s just the honest walk-through of what it looks like as a normal patient trying to decide between three really different options.
And in the next blogs, I’ll break down what the surgery day was like, recovery, results, and everything else I wish I knew earlier.
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I’ve been wearing prescription glasses for over 15 years, and I remember the moment I first put on my first pair, everything was clearer, colors were brighter, and it was a life-changing experience. But despite that, I’ve never really enjoyed wearing glasses.
Glasses have always come with their own set of challenges. They leave indents on my nose, and the ones I have now press into the sides of my head, making them uncomfortable. And while they help me see better, I’ve never been excited about wearing them. Every year, I consider contacts, but I hate those even more. They dry and irriate my eyes, causing continuous discomfort throughout the day. Plus, the cost adds up, whether it’s glasses or contacts.
So, I’ve always thought about getting LASIK, and recently, with all the Black Friday ads flooding my feed, I decided to finally take the plunge. I found King LASIK here in Washington, and I want to be clear that I’m just a regular customer. I’m not affiliated with them in any way.
I filled out the form for their Black Friday promo and scheduled a virtual consultation. After that, I went in for a pre-operation meeting. It was pretty standard: they scanned my eyes, checked their health, and sent the results to the operating doctor for a recommendation.
At this point in the video, I’ve received final pricing, and I’m convinced enough that I have my operation scheduled for next week. I’ll cover how that goes in a later part of this video but first, I want to just talk about some other things that you may also be wondering about.
The most obvious question is probably going to be pricing. I actually went through this entire process before last year but couldn’t get the operation because of schedule conflicts. Now, I don’t know if this applies to other clinics, but King LASIK offers a one-year plan and a lifetime plan. The one-year plan gets you coverage for the first year after your operation and if the results are not up to par or you need another procedure, it would basically be covered within that first year. For an additional $500, the lifetime plan would cover those issues and costs for your entire life. I asked what percentage of people that they’ve serviced typically need additional work, and the answer that I got was about 5%. So you have to do your own research and decide if it’s worth it to get that lifetime plan if you are going with King LASIK. But in July of 2024, the pricing that I was quoted for the 1-year standard plan was $3,610 and $4,085 for the lifetime plan. Now in November/December of 2025, that price has jumped up to about $5500. And that seems to be around the same price as the other LASIK businesses that I’ve contacted. However, in my case, King LASIK was willing to honor my original price from 2024, so I’m paying about $4000.
Many of these local Washington LASIK businesses do offer financing, and it’s currently 24 months with no interest. Which is great because that would mean that I’d be paying about $167 a month, which is completely doable with my personal finances.
I should mention that King LASIK also offers EVO ICL and PRK procedures. I’m no expert with any of these procedures, so definitely do your own research and seek medical advice to see what fits you best.
I’m excited and a bit nervous about the surgery next week. I’ll keep you updated on how it goes and share my experience post-surgery. If you’ve been thinking about LASIK, or if you’ve had your own journey with glasses or contacts, let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear your stories!
After my surgery, I’ll continue this blog series, sharing how the recovery went, my vision improvements, and any tips I have for anyone considering LASIK.
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I recently made a video showing my new Kershaw Bel Air in carbon fiber. This is my new EDC folding knife. This is what I carry, basically when I’m not wearing a belt because it’s easy to use the clip and attach this to various forms of apparel. However, from a defense perspective, I’ve found that a basic folder like this with no forms of assistance is just slow to deploy in a life and death situation. So I’ve decided to pick up a fixed blade. After some research, I’ve decided to try out the Benchmade Dacian.
Again, a is a fixed blade knife with a 3.54” Magnacut steel blade and is 7.57” in total length. Personally, this makes it about an inch shorter than the previous fixed blade that I was carrying, so it makes concealability a bit easier and more comfortable.
One of the things that I appreciate about the Dacian is that the current version comes with a Boltaron and leather sheath that allows for Scout carry, which just means that it attaches to your belt horizontally. I’m no expert in knife carry, but to me, scout carry just seems like the logical approach because it’s a more comfortable way to carry a fixed blade while allowing really quick access. I’m going to play with this and see if I prefer to carry in the front or back, but either way, it’s going to provide me with faster deployment than any folder that I have.
The particular Dacian that I’ve picked up features a black Cerakoted blade, black canvas micarta handle, and black oxide hardware. Personally, I don’t like color-coated blades because over time, the coating wears out, usually more on the sides where the blade makes contact with the materials it’s cutting, and it’s usually uneven so the blade just looks terrible over time. My blade is brand new from the factory and I can already make out that there are horizontal lines forming just from it going in and out of the sheath, so I’m thinking that this particular Cerakote job isn’t all that durable. Typically, a benefit of Cerakote is that it helps with corrosion resistance because it seals the metal away. But again, this knife features a Magnacut blade, a steel that’s already extremely corrosion resistant so in this case, the Cerakote is more so just for aesthetic purposes and to achieve a blacked out look. I would’ve much preferred the stonewash finish of the Blue Denim Micarta version of this knife, but I’m not really a blue accessories type of person, and wanted the black handles.
Aside from the blade color and based on first impressions, I think this knife is amazing. Craftsmanship and how it feels in the hand is overall positive. This is my first knife where the handles feature a little indent on both sides, and this actually helps with comfort and stability a bit, as your fingers and skin just naturally fall into those grooves. Then for those who like jimping, there’s plenty running along the top of the blade and at the heel.
Again, overall first impressions so far, I like this knife. I’ll start carrying it tomorrow, and we’ll see how it performs over time.
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