Laser Back Surgery Knowledge Base
Have any of you had laser surgery done on a bone spur in your neck or back? If so, are you satisfied with it and did it alleviate all or just most, pain? I have 6 damaged vert, 3 neck and 3 T78and9. I have a bone spur in my neck vert and when it slides into the wrong position, I pay holy heck with awful 3-7 day headaches that are so bad I pray I will just die... any input is appreciated.
Can your vision go back the way it was after laser eye surgery? I'm thinking about ditching my pair of glasses. If I were to go to Lasik for example and have the treatment, is it possible that a few years from then my vision can go back the way it was? Btw, im about 5.3 on both sides and it's pretty stable for a year or two now. All serious answers will be appreciated. Thank you. So will the regression after two years be a linear pattern or a exponential one?
I got laser surgery on chin and upper lip and the hairs are still growing back. What do I do? I still have 2 years free but you have wait 16 for your next treatment and they are still coming back. Some of them are dark and some of them are light.if I wax it beside shaving it will that make a difference? I mean I don't know what I should do. Also when i had my treatment done, where the laser hit some of the hairs around the area grew back dark. Should I just pluck it? Will it grow back and if it is will it be dark? I seriouly don't know what to do. I mean I came there to get rid of my hair but they're not going away! Can someone help, Please? Thanks a lot!
is there anything called laser back surgery? I have a love one who suffers the older they get from a back surgery, there are many wonderful new medical wonders that people are not aware of, so i thought i would ask the question......
What is the cheapest laser eye surgery can cost, including service in other countries? I have astigmatism but I find contacts and glasses a frustrating money sink. My vision is about 20/160, but I never wear corrective lenses. I am looking forward to laser surgery, but as a college student I have less than $2000 to work with. I understand surgery can be up to $5000 in the USA, but I've heard of prices as low as $1400 abroad. Does anyone have any cheap success stories?
Can laser eye surgery correct myopia aka near sightedness? Can laser eye surgery correct myopia aka near sightedness? Does laser eye surgery last forever? What if you have big holes in your retina from myopia? Can laser eye surgery improve my myopia? Can myopic people have this laser surgery? Is there a risk for going blind from laser eye surgery? If you do go blind for laser eye surgery is it true that it can be corrected?
Is laser surgery the only option to get rid of the unwanted hair permanently? Having all those unwanted hair on my legs and arms is really bothering me. I do shave, but after you shave you can still feel all the hair bumps when you touch your skin. I don't want to wax since it's too painful for me. I'm tired of trying to get rid of the unwanted hair each time, so I want to get rid of them permanently. Is laser surgery the only option? What other options are there?
What are the chances of eye laser surgery going bad? My brother is 24 years old, and he really wants to get laser surgery. It costs about $400 CAN per eye. However, I've been hearing that it doesn't make sense since your eye sight at that age is still yet to worsen. Are there any links or experienced ppl that can give me advice to deter him from considering it? Thanks.
How much it cost to have a sinus laser surgery? I have runny nose everytime I go to a library, supermarket and etc. I beleive that I'm not sick. How expensive is the sinus laser surgery. Do I have nasal congestion? I know this is like a dull question, but I want to know clearly. I'm 17
Has anyone out there had laser surgery for broken cappillaries on their face? I am thinking of having laser surgery to remove some broken cappilaries on my face. Just wondering if it is painful-and if there is bruising, etc after the surgery. Also wondering about being able to return to work soon after the surgery, for example within the next day or two. Thanks to anyone who can help! Thanks to everyone for your in-put. Everyone was so helpful! I plan on going for it!
where can i get the laser declawing surgery done for my cat in southern california? i want to get her declawed, but only if i can find a place that does the laser surgery.. please help. anywhere in OC, la or even the inland empire.. thanks. i have called several vets and they all have said that noone in the area does this procedure yet ,which i find strange. this is LA. shouldnt we be cutting edge with the up to the minute technology?? there has to be a place.. i have posted this question after extensive online research and calling all the local vets.. thank you for trying to help though. i really do appreciate it. i want it because my cat is clawing my furniture and my kids arms and legs to shreds. she climbs the window screens, curtains and carpet.. i dont think its inhumane. the laser surgery is the MOST humane way to declaw a cat, which is why im looking for that. the old fashioned way, which is readily availiable at every vet, is painful :(
What age would be appropriate for a young girl to get laser surgery? My 13-year-old cousin hit puberty a few months ago and she's been getting facial hair, mustache, chest hair, and more hair on her arms and legs. Her mom wouldn't let her get laser surgery since she thinks her skin will grow more hair in the future. Is it true (since I didn't get more facial hair until I reached16)?
How good is laser surgery of piles/fissure? I have piles since childhood when I was only 5-6 yrs old. Some how it was cured(not fully). Now I am 28yrs old. Some times I see blood during bowel. Now days a small external portion has come out (thrombosed). I have checked with several doctors, they advised me for surgery. I am affraid of regular hand surgery. I have controlled my diet and nowdays feeling better. Today I checked with one laser surgeon, he found that I have two piles (7 and 11 o'clock position) and one fissure. He advised me to do laser surgery, which will take 10-12 minutes and I will be able to do regular work after the surgery. This surgery is quite expensive (Rs. 12000/). What should I do?
I need to pay for my laser surgery? About 6 months ago I had laser surgery. Before the surgery I had to sign papers that the money would come off my back account automatically. This would be a lump some the day before and afterwards monthly. I did this. I handed it in. They have the permision/documents to take the money off the acount. The problem is that they haven't done this. They havent done anything. I haven't paid for it. Really I think this is not my responsibility. Do I ethically/morally have to give them a call?
What is the procedure and recovery time for laser surgery for stage 0 cervical cancer? I have recently been told that i need to have laser surgery and I have tried searching it on the web to find out exactly what goes on, do u feel pain, the recovery time? (all the important stuff that my ignorant doctor neglected to inform me of) and I am coming up with nothing just the same answers as its a high beam of light. So if anybody knows could u please help me out.....
What is the youngest age Eye Laser Surgery can be performed.? My Daughter is 12 and wears glasses which she hates. We got her contact lenses but due to how bad her eyesight is she can only get yearly ones because of the strength of them. She has seen adverts on the television about Eye Laser Surgery but I am sure there is an age limit to when it can be performed does anyone know.
Can a 16-year old get laser surgery to remove all the unwanted hair? Would it be a good idea? Can my 16-year old cousin get laser surgery if she gets a permission from her parents? Her mother says it isn't a good idea to get laser surgery at 16 since she's still still is puberty. So her mother says if she removes all the unwanted hair now, she'll grow more hair later on before she's done with puberty. Would it be a good idea for a 16-year old to get laser surgery? After she gets surgery, would there be a chance for her to grow more hair before she's done with puberty?
Laser Back Surgery..... I need some reviews...worth 10 points? I just got approved in Florida to have Laser back surgery. I will probably go in January of 2008 The laser surgery is to cure my arthritis in my lower back. I am 37 years old and in a lot of pain. I dont want open surgery, to dangerous. Do i do this or not. How long does it last. Will i feel better the rest of my life or is it temporary. Or am i waisting my time it wont do anything. Could this damage me even worse.
What is an estimate price of laser surgery? I just recently had a Baby about a month ago! And this was my 3rd child and I have awful Love Marks! (stretch marks) And Im the type of person who takes extremly good care of my body! And this time I just could not prevent the Stretch marks! So Ive decided to get laser surgery! but I am currently wondering an estimate price! Thanx Bunches Everyone!
Is it still possible that my vision will return to normal after a laser surgery.? I've been wearing eye glasses for 10 yrs now. When I first had my glasses they told me that i will wear it only as correctional. But my glasses' grade just went higher each yr. Now im wearing a 600 grade lens. Will it still be possible that i will have a normal vision after an eye laser surgery? And how much will it cost, more or less? Thanks!
Had cataract removed and laser surgery but now pupil scratched. Doctor is blaming me can you help? I had a cataract removed from both my eyes and then corrective laser surgery so i wouldn't have to wear glasses. Since my opperation one eye has only been 50% working. My doctor said that my pupil must be scratched or it could be from old age. I have never had a problem with my eyes before but believe that my doctor may have scratched my eye. What do you guys think? Thankyou for you help!!!
Is there suppose to be pain after retinal tear laser surgery? I just had this surgery today because I has a tear/hole in my retina. It was painful for me to have the laser surgery and my Dr. said that for 95% of people it is not that painful. Its been a couple of hours since I have had it done and I am still feeling discomfort and a dull ache in my eye, which is causing a headache. I tried to call the Dr.'s office but they have closed for the day. Anyone know if this is normal to experience this level of discomfort and if so how long does it last for? Thanks for your help!
Is laser surgery or Microdermabrasion or any plastic surgery sufficent in removing or masking scars? I have saw websites on laser surgery and things involving scar removal and would like to know whats best in helping scars and how much would it roughly cost, bare in mind i live in scotland greenock area the west of scotland near paisley , glasgow. I have saw websites on laser surgery and things involving scar removal and would like to know whats best in helping scars and how much would it roughly cost, bare in mind i live in scotland greenock area the west of scotland near paisley , glasgow, The scars are small on forehead, thin deep noticeable to me and others am sure.
Has anyone had laser surgery at the Laser Spine Institute in Tampa, FL ? My husband needs a spinal fusion and is considering this laser surgery. It seems that directly after the surgery you go to a hotel and stay there for 5 days (going daily to the clinic). We'd like to find someone who has had experience with either laser surgery or a spinal fusion. My husband has a ruptured L5 S1 disc, lots of scar tissue and a herniated L4 S1.
Is there such laser surgery for the hearing impaired? i know there's laser surgey for different medical procedures. but is there any or in the works on using laser suergy to repair the nerves in the ear to help the hearing impaired? I've heard of other types of surgeries, but is this one anywhere happening?
TURP, or laser surgery for BHP? My husband is 60, had a TURP 10 years ago, now urgently needs surgery again as he has severe problems urinating, and his prostate when scanned shows a weight of 100 grams. We have consulted a urologist who specialises in Greenlight laser surgery, who has told us that 100 grams is treatable with laser surgery, but is too big for conventional TURP. Is this true? We have also read that laser treatment may not be as effective on "larger" prostates - what size is considered "larger" - and in my husbands case, is laser treatment likely to give him lasting relief? We also are attracted to laser surgery because it´s less invasive and a shorter recovery time - he has very bad back pain and allergy problems that a longer stay in hospital would exacerbate. Any advice or suggestions, please? Thanks!
Kidney Stone Laser Surgery - Recovery time? I recently had laser surgery to remove a kidney stone. Everything was done with a camera/laser inserted up through my bladder into the ureter. The surgery went well and I actually felt great afterwards. I had the stent removed yesterday which I was really nervous about. But after 2 1/2 viocodin I didn't feel much. I was hoping to ween myself of of the viocodin but my back hurts too much. I am assuming the uerter is still healing from stone and stent. Has anyone had laser surgery to remove a kidney. How long was it before you felt no back pain?
Scar Removal - Laser or Plastic Surgery? I got in a car crash back in May and I broke my arm. I had to have surgery on it and the surgery left a huge scar going down the back of my arm. I am now thinking of having surgery on the scars and was wondering which surgery would have more effect in removing the scar completely - laser surgery or plastic surgery? Thanks.
I had my cat spayed yesterday with laser surgery...? i have to bring her back to vet in 21 days to take off the stitches ....why it takes longer for laser surgery to heal than regular scalpel cut ,it takes 12-14 days....it said that laser surgery is better for your cat ,less pain during and after surgery and faster recovery time...weird 50 minutes ago - 3 days left to answer. Additional Details 23 minutes ago the paper that was given to me by the vet had two options scalpel or laser and it explained all about laser surgery that it is better for the cat and site adress www.petlasers.com
I had my cat spayed yesterday with laser surgery...? i have to bring her back to vet in 21 days to take off the stitches ....why it takes longer for laser surgery to heal than regular scalpel cut ,it takes 12-14 days....it said that laser surgery is better for your cat ,less pain during and after surgery and faster recovery time...weird 50 minutes ago - 3 days left to answer. Additional Details 23 minutes ago the paper that was given to me by the vet had two options scalpel or laser and it explained all about laser surgery that it is better for the cat and site adress www.petlasers.com
Retinal tear laser surgery??? I just came back from laser surgery for a small retinal tear. The surgery was torture, it hurt like hell, and my doc did not prescribe any meds, just said to take tylenol and be on my way. Now, I wonder, is it normal that my eye hurts and that I still see flashes of light and a dull fuzzy light at the bottom of my field of vision? (I had my tear at the upper left of my left eye). Plus my eye feels very scratchy as though I had sand in it. Is this normal? Also... can I wear my contact lenses and apply makeup tomorrow? Willow, thanks... I do have an appointment in a month only for follow up. I'll try the contacts tomorrow then and see how it goes. The doc practically kicked me out of the office after it was done and wouldn't answer my questions, and I can't even call him the clinic is closed. thanks alicia but no clinics are open until tomorrow and the hospital won't answer my questions unless I go wait 5 hours at the emergency. I was looking here to know if other people experienced the same without problems, to reassure myself before I called them tomorrow.
For anyone who's had laser surgery on their eyes? I am near-sighted, and I REALLY want to have laser surgery so that I don't have to wear glasses or contacts any longer. I've been told, though, that because I'm near-sighted, the laser surgery will, in essence, make me far-sighted - that I'll still need to wear glasses, but really only for reading and close-up. Is this true? Also, I'd like to know what your personal experiences with this type of surgery are -- did it work for you? Did you have to eventually go back to wearing glasses? Did you experience what I've mentioned here - you were near-sighted but now you're far-sighted and need glasses for reading? Thank you to all who answer seriously!
any advice on laser surgery? I really want to have laser eye surgery - I have quite severe astigmatism & I'm short sighted. I wear contact lenses every day & have to wear my glasses if I'm not wearing my contacts. I would love to be free of contacts & to be able to see the time on the clock when I wake up in the morning. However, I've heard recently about various people whose long distance vision has been corrected but it worsened their close up vision. I've been for a consultation & they said my eyes were in perfect health except for slight dry eye in one, but I should wait a while longer so that my prescription could settle, as it's worsened a lot in recent years. However, they didn't mention any complications such as the one I mentioned above & I'm worried that they probably wouldn't in case I back out. Can anyone tell me what are the most common negative efftecs of the surgery & how likely they are? I really want to have it done but can't bear the thought of something going wrong.
i had my cat spayed yesterday with laser surgery...? i have to bring her back to vet in 21 days to take off the stitches ....why it takes longer for laser surgery to heal than regular scalpel cut ,it takes 12-14 days....it said that laser surgery is better for your cat ,less pain during and after surgery and faster recovery time...weird the paper that was given to me by the vet had two options scalpel or laser and it explained all about laser surgery that it is better for the cat and site adress www.petlasers.com
I asked a question about scars and laser surgery, I have scars and they need to be removed, can you help? I went to a laser intastute, they said my scars can only be removed by surgery, I dont know what kind of surgery if it is laser or not.Has anybody had scars removed mine are 4 to 5 years old.I need them removed , I can not hide them and I don't need the bad impression that they give people.Also this is holding me back from having any confidence and make me hide from the world.I really help .What kind of doctor can help me and do this surgery.
does anyone know anything about using laser surgery to get rid of acne scars and marks? I've had serious acne since i was about 13 and am now 19 and have finally started using proactiv on my face and it seems to be helping alot. The only problem is i had a lot of acne on my back and some on chest but most of the pimples are gone i just have a whole back full of scars and small acne and its really emberrassing like i wont even take my shirt off and i dont even look at it myself. My doc mentioned laser surgery for that and even my face. Has anyone had this done or know anything about it? Does it only work for some people? Whats the most it would cost with or without insurance.? How long would i be in pain from the surgery and what would it look like after it was done. Would it be obvious that i had it done. I want my back and face to be the same complection as the rest of my body. And yea ive tried everything else and have always kept myself very clean and researched everything. Has anyone ever had this problem this severe. Thanks for any advice anyone can give me.
I was diagnosed with HPV last year and i have Cin1 displasia, I had the laser surgery and? I had the laser surgery and the next pap smear came up negative I was so happy, well that was 3 months ago. I just got another pap and its back with dysplasia, I have to get another colposcopy. I dont know what to think, is it going to continue to return... Im interested in other peoples personals stories, I know all about HPV and it goes dormant. What i need to know is how many times can one get the laser surgery? I dont want to have to keep going through this.
Extreme laser surgery? Okay, i've had these warts on my feet. Theres loads of them near my toes. And i have this huge one on the side of my big toe. About 20 under my big toe. I've had laser surgery there to get rid of them, TWO times. It did nothing but cause pain. Now on Tuesday, the doctor said he'll go to extreme laser surgery. He sadi he'll give me a shot (that may hurt a bit) and then they'll cut the warts out with a Scalpe tool thing, and laser from the inside of my flesh. I'm a swimmer so he said i'll have to keep away from the pool for a good 3-4 weeks. I'll have to bandage my feet EVERYDAY for at least 2 weeks. I'm accualy pretty scared since i dont know if the shot will work. Did any of you have this surgery thing, and did it hurt? And what are some good treatments i can use on my feet after this surgery? I'd just like to know ahead of time. Thank you!
Laser surgery for acne.? I'm gonna do a laser surgery next week , have you ever done laser surgery for your face, were you happy with the results? And is it recommended for an 18 year old? it cost 250 florins here wich is 140 dollars
Laser spinal surgery in Australia? I want Laser spinal surgery in Australia. I have 7 prolapsed discs in my spine I want non-invasive laser surgery performed on my spine. Where and performed by whom can I get it?
laser eye surgery? I dont have the best eyes in the world. I think my perscription is 4.25 and 4.50. I also have Amblyopia lazy eye. I'm 20 years ol;d and I have allways hated wearing glasses. I have heard allot of good thing about lasik and other procedures. I really want to get something done with my eyes. Any one know if laser surgery would be a good idea for me for me ? I've also heard that it better to wait until your late twenties to get it done but thats with a regular condition. Any info on laser eye surgery is very much appreciated. Thanks again Glen
Laser eye surgery? Have you ever known anyone whose physical appearance changed as a result of this surgery? My brother underwent the procedure a few years ago, and he seems to me to have a different facial expression, holds his eyes wider open or something. The doctor I spoke with today said maybe it's because he's not squinting any more. I'm seriously considering having laser surgery myself but, frankly, I'm afraid of any surgery or invasive procedure. I really don't want to look like a deer in headlights like my brother does.
Laser eye surgery abroad? HI, I want to have laser surgery on my eyes but can't afford the UK prices. Can anyone recommend a good surgery in maybe somewhere like Poland - I had knee surgery there and it was excellent. Any help would be great!
Laser Eye Surgery - Prelex? The laser surgeon just told me today I am not a canadate for laser surgery because I'm +5.5. She will only perform on patients +3.5 or lower. She suggested Prelex....Should I see another laser surgeon or check out the Prelex procedure?
Is Laser surgery safe for skin ? I've few pimples n red marks on my face..so i was wondering if laser surgery would hepl, coz i've to attend my sister's marriage after 2 weeks. I need sm good advise please...is laser surgery face n does it really clear up everything ?
lithotripsy laser surgery? I am looking for a place to have surgery for my dog he needs a lithotripsy laser surgery. Close to WA,. Please post if you know of a vet that does this type of surgery.
Laser surgery to neuter dog??? I have a 5 year old poodle and would like to have him fixed. When I called my vet, they mentioned a new laser procedure was available, saying it was less bleeding and a faster recovery. Has anyone out there had this done with their pets? Are there any reasons I shouldn't have the laser surgery done?
laser surgery to remove surgical scar? I had a really big surgery where its a huge line going down and right next to it is where a hole existed, but now its covered up with darker skin color. Can laser surgery help remove it, or lighten it up making it less visible? Will there be any negative side effects or is it perfectly safe. is laser surgery painful?
Laser surgery for acne? Has anyone ever gotten laser surgery for acne or acne scars. Could someone tell me how did it go. Lasers such as smoothbeam, vbeam, fraxel. I live in Los Angeles, and I've found a surgeon in Orange County that will treat my skin, but I want to know If It's worth it? Thank You.
Laser birthmark surgery? For those who had birthmark(s) removed by laser surgery: - did it leave a scar (doctors allege it won’t) - if no, did it leave any kind of “mark”? (doctors allege, again, that it doesn’t leave any kind of “mark” but a woman posted in a forum that although the surgery didn’t leave a scar, her skin became white at the former place of the birthmark. And now she has very similar problems, instead of having a lot of birthmarks, now she has a lot of white spots on her body that wont’t tan.) What is the truth? Does anybody have any experience? I forgot to add that I'm talking about brown birthmarks (moles).
Laser eye surgery or contact lenses? Which would be a better choose? I have worn contacts before and sort of leary about the laser surgery. Regardless how good the doctor or surgery, there are some severe side effects and eyes are a delicate pair.
Laser eye surgery to correct vision? Has anyone had this done? My eyes are -4.25 in one eye and -4.75 in the other. I heard that laser surgery may not be completely successful because my vision is pretty bad. Is this true? Is there much of a risk involved in the surgery itself?
Can laser surgery be performed on long time keloids/? I got burnt at three & now i'm sixteen & still have the burn scars despite undergoing maxillofacial surgey.I would like to have laser surgery but i'm wondering whether i can get sponsors for the surgey as it is very expensive & i can't afford the surgery bit i really want to be pretty.I've got scars on my face,my right hand & my right arm.Anyone willing to help me,please get in touch with me through my email address:imkahe@yahoo.com.Thank you loads!!!!!!!!!!
smoothbeam laser surgery for acne? i have mild acne ...white heads and red pimples they disgust me , i've been using a lot of products like neutrogena proactiv uhmm natures cure and apricot scrub i've taken hormone balance vitamins and like eating 70 % green vegetables but nothing seems to help i dont no the root of where it is starting :[ maybe too much hormones or my skin condition is meant to be like this buutt i want to apply smoothbeam laser surgery im 13 yes pretty young i no but im not really informed with this surgery so can someone explain the costs and any side effect and if it works?? does insurance cover the costs???
Laser surgery today? I had a laser surgery on the bottoms of my feet today. i had loads (30) of warts on my most sensetive spot on the bottom of my right foot near the toes. And 2 warts on the heel of my left foot. The right foot hurts sooooo bad. Since it was in my sensetive spot and the doctor didnt use any numbing at all it hurts now. He told me to put ice on it. And thats not woreking. What else can i do?
laser surgery and astigmatism? i'm short sighted and i have mild astigmatism. i'm just wondering if that could be a problem when it comes to laser surgery? and is 19 a good age to get it or do i have to wait a bit more? thanks.
Laser surgery on stretch marks? Has anyone had laser surgery on stretch marks? How did it turn out? How many sessions did u need and how deep were ur stretch marks in the first place? Thanks for you help!
Laser surgery? I am thinking about getting laser surgery to remove the stretch marks that i have when i graduate, I only have minor little ones on the inside of my thighs but I am always thinking about them? Does anyone have any stories that they can share to help me make my decision. I have the money so that is not a problem.
laser surgery? Does anyone know the effectiveness / dangers of laser surgery? Say, to remove scars?
Laser Surgery for Ingrown Toenail? If you have ever had this done, what was it like? Did it hurt? Were you able to walk around normally right after the procedure? Did it cure your ingrown toenail problem? Please, DON'T answer with home remedies. My appointment with the Podiatrist is Thursday afternoon. I'm not sure which procedure I'm having done, but the nurse told me about the laser surgery and I'm having trouble finding good information about it.
laser surgery? At what age can you get laser surgery for your eyes, can you feel it, how long is the recovery, is there any risk of infection, or even worse vision, and how much would it normally cost?
Laser Surgery? WHo here has gone through with laser surgery for your vision??I have seen some pretty good results. However, is it permanent or is there side effects?? I have been told that a few years later your vision will go bad again. Who has done it here??
Laser Surgery? Laser eye surgery is good? People who have had it obviously?
laser surgery - is it any good for a lazy eye? I have been told that my left eye is a lazy eye so glasses dont make any difference for that eye as it would just make a bigger blur. I have got glasses with only the right lense magnifying and a clear lense for my left eye My right eye has always compensated for the vision in my left but now that I am getting older my eyesight is getting worse in my right eye and I am longsighted. I dont think I would like to risk having laser surgery on the better eye as there is a small risk something may go wrong and I completely depend on that eye (minocular vision was what I think my optician called it). But I would like to try and sort out the eye that has always been bad..
Laser surgery for acne scars? Has anyone ever gotten laser surgery. Could you please tell me how many sessions did you have to get, how much did it cost, and were you satisfied with the results. Thank You
Laser surgery for acne scars? Ok well, I'm 16 years old. My skin on my face looks great...EXCEPT on my chin. For some strange reason I got a WILD bout of acne on my chin...I went to a dermatologist, and even with medicated creams it took MONTHS to go away..months..now,I am left with small, red, flat scars all over my chin. My parents are paying for me to get laser surgery to take the scars off my chin, has anyone done this? How effective is it/
Eye laser surgery and my tumor? I went to the eye docter this past sunday and she said i shouldnt get eye lasar surgery still after age 23 because i eye countues to change until then and then after that its the same till i get way older, and im only 20. Well discussing this with my fiance im not sure if ill be able to because my left eye changed from extremely bad to alright sight because i have a brain tumor which got infected. Would having a brain tumor on my occiptal lobe effect eye laser surgery???
laser surgery? where can i get laser surgery in malaysia? how much does it cost? laser surgery for the eye.
will laser eye surgery work for a lazy eye? I had surgery for a squint as a child and now I'm almost forty it is getting noticeably worse. The more tired I am the worse it gets. I wonder, would laser surgery help? I also have astigmatism in that eye. The other eye is very good. I can't wear glasses because my left eye is near perfect and my right eye is really bad, there has to be a balance in the glasses, apparently. My near vision is excellent, if anything, it is my far vision which is not as good as it was. I was hoping that laser surgery would help me regain good vision in my right eye and I could patch the left eye to help the brain to recognise it - this would also help to build up the muscle which control the eye, does this sound hopeful at all?
I'm getting laser surgery? I can't remember the name of it. But it's the one where they don't cut my eye open and they just shoot me w/ the laser. no cutting's involved, period. how much pain can I expect AFTER the surgery? I know it takes about a month to heal, but how badly will it hurt.
Laser Surgery? I guess I am doing a poll here. Who here has gone through with laser surgery for your vision??I have seen some pretty good results. However, is it permanent or is there side effects?? I have been told that a few years later your vision will go bad again. Who has done it here??
Laser Surgery for Spider veins, help!? About a month ago I went & had laser surgery on 1 of my thread veins (a tester). To begin with it looked like it had worked but i suppose that was because it was all red. Now it's healed up & my vein looks red/purple & i don't know whether it's cos still healing or it hasn't gone. If so is it worth having it done over again because i don't want to waste money on something that isn't working.
laser surgery's? can laser surgery of any kind for example, hair removal, eye, and etc... give you a risk of canser or anyother major medical risk.
Does laser surgery/immunotherapy/hypnotherapy work for warts? I have been searching the web for answers to how to get rid of m,y warts. I have had them frozen at the doctor many times with no sucsess so I am wondering if anyone has any person experiences with hypnotism for getting rid of the warts, or immunotherapy (injection of antigens) or laser surgery ( laser cutting off the warts) Also feel free to give me more suggestions on what to use to get rid of these awful monsters.
anybody know about laser surgery for scars? Like me, I have heard that acne scars reduce self esteem. I am the same way. Everyone says if you meet the right person, that person won't care so much about your appearance, they will care about what is on the inside. Honestly not one person looks past the scars on my face to see what is on the inside. So I am looking to do laser surgery, and would like to know the best but, inexpensive laser surgery for clearing up acne scars. I would rather look better than wonder if there is one descent person who look at me for me, and not what my skin looks like.
Laser eye surgery, risks/pros & cons of. Please read all of this so I can get the best info.? I have trifocal vision, an astigmatism, am nearsighted, 55 yrs. old, and fed up with glasses. I talked with someone who said it's not guaranteed I'll have normal vision after the procedure, and still might have to wear glasses of some sort. Only for reading I could deal with but not glasses I'd have to wear all the time. It would defeat the purpose. I will research this more, yet hoped for input from someone who's had laser surgery with vision simular or the same as (trifocal) mine. From the horses mouth so to speak. Are there any optometrists who might be online who can advise? Knowledgeable or experienced answers please. Thanks!!!
I have to have surgery on a ruptured disk in my lower back but I am only 30. Any advice on types available? I was involved in a car accident last November (Dumb @## ran a red light) and found out that I have 1 bulging disk, and 3 herniated disks. Well, the neurosurgeon recently told me that one of the disks are ruptured, which from what i take can be used interchangeably with the word herniation? Anyhow, the ruptured disc is now pinching my ciatic nerve and causing severe pain in my leg and groins. They put me on neurontin, percoset, zanaflex, and voltaren (not to mention the many stool softeners i take because of side effects from the percoset). I have also lost the reflex in my right leg, cannot lift it up much, and knee is weakening. So, they have recommended back surgery, but i am nervous because i am only 30 yrs old and have heard horror stories about back surgeries. Has anyone had a similiar experience or had a similiar surgery? What type of surgery do you recommend. My neurosurgeon does not recommend laser surgery, any advice on this?
Halo vision after Lasik Surgery? Hi, I did my lasik laser surgery long back(nearly 5 years) and I am having a halo vision in the night. I could not drive because of this. When I was going through internet, I found Alphagan-P will reduce this Halo vision. I am worried about side effects My questions are 1) How to avoid Halos, is there is any new technology developed 2) What are all the side effects of Alphagan - P Thanks for your answers.
laser hair removal surgery? laser hair removal surgery? does anyone know any in formation on laser hair removal surgery in phoenix arizona, and also does your hair EVER grow back? any more information on the surgery will help thanks.
Considering laser eye surgery? I'm considering laser eye surgery but confused about all the options out there. I've been to a consultation, but I always get scared and back out when I see the possible complications. I am short sighted (-3.00) and usually wear accuvue contact lenses or, for the computer, some glasses. My question is: Optical Express, Optimax or Accuvision? Lasik, Lasek or Wavefront? I want value for money, but more important is for it to work the first time, to last and for it to be as pain free as possible. Has anyone had laser eye surgery here? Any advice most appreciated!
Laser eye surgery for astigmatism? Hi, I'm thinking about looking into laser/lasik eye surgery for astigmatism in my right eye. Any one here done it before with good results? Last time I talked to my doc, he said he didn't recommend it. Something about it eventually coming back.
Has anyone ever heard of tattoos being removed without laser surgery? I had heard about a technique (don't know the name for it), but they basically go back over your tattoo with a tattoo gun, but with some kind of solution loaded in it intead of it being ink. It is said that the solution "destroys" the ink in the skin. Anyone know anything about this??
Would anyone recommend laser eye surgery for astigmatisms and short sightedness? I've been back to the optician a few times with my new spectacles, and still can't see the small print on jars etc. They are fine when using them with my computer screen, but a bit blurry when reading. The optician said she gave me this type of lens so that my eyes wouldn't become too lazy - the top being for the computer and the bottom for reading. The problem is I get impatient if I can't read the small print, and now have started to reach for the pair I bought in the chemist as a size 2 works perfectly. My right eye is a little short sighted, and both eyes have astigmatisms. Should I have surgery?
A friend has a glass eye. She is thinking of having laser surgery in her other eye. Is this worth the risk? I imagine if you don't have another eye to fall back on if something goes wrong then the potential risk of blindness is much greater. The friend who had poor vision anyway has only recently lost the eye and is finding her single eye (which was the weaker of the two) insufficient. I've reccommended waiting for a while to see if the eye improves naturally at all with all the extra work it now does. But what if in a couple of years she still wants to go ahead?
A few questions about laser tattoo removal? I'm going for my consult tomorrow. Even though my doctor will answer some questions, I wanted some advice/info from people who have actually had it done. I've heard mixed things about it... My tattoo is roughly 5 inches in height and 4 inches wide, across my lower back. It is all black. Some of it has already faded after having a few tatgoneink sessions and a few at-home chemical peels. I'm wanting laser surgery to hopefully remove the rest of it quickly. My questions are: 1) Does it hurt badly? 2) If so, was this with or without numbing creams/injections? 3) And are numbing creams worth investing in or is the pain all the same? 4) My skin is EXTREMELY pale. I've never tanned, it is transparent white... are my chances of not scarring/discoloration better? 5) How long did it take for anyone with an all black tattoo to be removed? Thanks!
Laser eye surgery? How much it cost?Is it safe?Is it for lifetime or could poor vision came back again?
laser birthmark surgery? i have a birthmark on my lower back on the left side, right before where my jeans and underwear start. it's about as big as my fist, and it looks like cloud with a little lightning bolt coming out of it. i think it would be considered a "port-wine-stain" because it is red. i'm 14 years old, and i think i'm pretty cute. but this birthmark makes me so so so self conscious. and i love the beach, but i never wear a bikini because i'm afraid people will make fun of my birthmark. i love bikinis though. i go to a private school and i don't think my parents will put out the money to remove it. it makes me really unhappy. how much is it, and is there anything else i can do to remove it?
Does the laser eye surgery work? I'm tired of taking my contacts out at night and putting them back in the morning. My glasses are not an option anymore. How is your vision after the procedure?
how much does laser birthmark surgery cost? i have a birthmark on my lower back on the left side, right before where my jeans and underwear start. it's about as big as my fist, and it looks like cloud with a little lightning bolt coming out of it. i think it would be considered a "port-wine-stain" because it is red. i'm 14 years old, and i think i'm pretty cute. but this birthmark makes me so so so self conscious. and i love the beach, but i never wear a bikini because i'm afraid people will make fun of my birthmark. i love bikinis though. i go to a private school and i don't think my parents will put out the money to remove it. it makes me really unhappy. how much is it, and is there anything else i can do to remove it?
A saliva gland cyst in lower lip: Will surgery to remove it leave permanent scar?Any scarless methods?Thanks!? If you know of any methods (incisionary surgery, laser surgery, chemical) to treat or remove a small saliva gland cyst in the lower lip, please respond. If removing it by incisionary surgery will leave a permanent scar, will the scar be larger than the incision? The cyst I'm having is about 1/4 of an inch. It is mostly in the back side of the lower lip, so it is not visible when I close my lips, but visible when I open. What treatment method would you recommend. Thanks in advance for you response.
have a hairy back and am very self conscious of it? i have a very hairy back and chest (starting to appear on my upper arms and shoulders) and because of this i lack a lot of self confidence. the few times i have taken my top off in public, i have instantly heard remarks from both males and females, and it seems everyone is disgusted by it. even some of the few girls that i have hooked up with have left or quickly changed their attitude when i take my top off. i am only 21 and it has severely affected the last 5 or so years of my life. i cant afford laser surgery (i have had two treatments, but now i am broke because its $400 a pop just for the back) and just dont feel at all attractive. i have never had a gf, and just cant get past this way of thinking. any ideas to combat this?
I've had eye surgery and I'm scared? On monday i had laser eye surgery on my right eye. The doctor told me that it could take a month or so before I get my full vision back. I'm scared that I don't get my vision back and that I made the wrong decision of getting the surgery. Has this happen to anyone out there.
How can I treat spinal stenosis and 3 bulging discs without surgery effectively? I tried chiropractors, physical therapy, epidurals, vax-D tracktion machine, electronic acupressure/acupuncture. Epidurals helped for a short while. Had one treatment in NY with electronic/acupressure/acpuncture, while visiting there which seemed to aleviate problem. The discs that are affected are L3,4,5. the nerve seems to put pressure on my bottom, so I have a difficult time sitting, unless I sit on a gel icepack. My lower back hurts if I do any bending. I also thought of doing Laser Spine surgery, but don't know of anyone that had it done. Please advise.
Can I ever get my normal eye sight back? I've been wearing glasses since I was about 6 or 7 years old and I'm really sick of it. I don't want contacts and I don't trust laser eye surgery. Is there a natural resource such as a food that I can eat regularly that will give me my old, none blurry, eye sight back?
do you know of any treatments that can be done to remove keiloids? Ive tried silicone patches, ive tried all those natural oils and medications, ive gotten steroid patches, steroid injections, and laser surgery. The steroids and laser surgery were the most effective but i want it GONE. its right on my chest underneath my collarbone from open heart surgery I had back in 1st grade; I am now 17, so if you can imagine, it has had a big impact on my self confidence. I am up for anything, if you can help me it would really be a miracle. I have completly lost hope. Pleasee help me.
i have a hairy back is that a big deal? i've tried waxing, but i passed out bcuz of the pain, shaving just makes it worst, and laser surgery is way over my head; and it's really draging me down. i don't know what to do,does anyone have any good advice for me?
What is the best treatment to remove a keloid permanently? I have two keloid that I already remove three times with laser and surgery. they come back in bigger sizes. Does anyone have them and know what I can do to remove them permanently because I'm tired of seeing growing skin on my body
Is there a surgery like replacement of retina which could regain my vision lost 25 years back? Dear Doctor, In !986 I have undergone a massive eye treatment at sankara Netralaya, Chennai, and then at Aditya Jyot When at Dadar, Mumbai, that includes, Angiography and LASER treatmentaaand by the grace of god could save vision of at least my right eye with the effort of Dr. Badrinath and Dr, Natarajan. I am 53 Yr. old, Bank officer with High Blood pressure. The Present condition of my vision is that I can see with my left eye with band formed by blood clots in my vitreous fluid, it may be called a filtered vision, and my right eye has no vision due to total retinal detachment,With my existing vision I can continue to work in my office although with obstructed vision due to vitreous band. Now a days I hear about retinal replacement surgery, Is it possible in my case Which is more than 25 five yealr old Kindly enlighten me.
Can you get LASIK done if you have had radial keratotomy before? I was extremely near sighted and I had radial keratotomy surgery performed on both eyes in the early 90's. Laser surgery wasn't even FDA approved back then. As I approached 40, I've lost some of the crispness that I had andI wear glasses some of the time now. I've heard conflicting answers on whether or not I could have LASIK even though I've had RK.
How can you get rid of moles without surgery and expense? I used to go to the tanning bed a lot and as a result have developed quite a few flat brown moles all over my stomach and back. My dermatologist said to remove them, it would cost $150 per mole and scarring may occur. I wonder if there is any other way to get rid of these without surgery. Possibly creams, freezing, or laser?
Is there anybody here who has detected to have retinal holes? Eye-specialists plz answer my question...? I've in born myopic eyes.I was detected with retinal hole in left eye, a few weeks back 'n my doc advised to seal it by a minor laser-surgery(diode laser). Yesterday, sealing has been done 'n everything has gone well. Plz lemme know if I've any further risk or not. Can it coz retinal detachment or it does prevent it? Of late, I'm seeing a dot-like spot(left eye) ... now after sealing (bandage has been removed) I've expected that I won't see that dot anymore, but surprisingly I'm seeing it still. Eye-specialists or patients with similar problems plz share ur views & experiences. Any kind of help is appreciated.
Keloid removal? I have a few keloids. They're all pretty small. I got them when I was 13 because I had a bad case of the chicken pox, and i'm 16 now. I only want to remove one that on my upper chest because it's the most obvious and apparent, although it's still really small compared to others. Is there any foolproof way to get a keloid removed so that it won't come back, like some sort of laser removal surgery? thanks.
Is there any way to regain lost eyesight? I'm not blind or anything, I was just wondering if you are blind, you can get your sight back, and if you have bad eyesight, can get good eyesight without laser surgery.
Has anyone had more than one eye surgury in one year? I got Glaucoma and Catarac im only 16.? I had 4 in one year. I always had a possiblity of having retinal detachment the lining in the back of my right eye was always thin and my eye is much larger than a normal eye, my left eye is fine. My first one was in june. After that my pressure in my eye was 40 so i had to have glaucoma surgery in september. After that surgery i noticed that i couldnt see at a certain part of my eye and the glaucoma doctor said i was detaching again so he called the doctor that did my surgery before so i had another surgery in september. And i was doing good into like November my retina detached again so he did a laser surgery (which i went blind in the top part of my eye). But im suppose to have another surgery in april to remove the silicon oil from my eye it was in since september. Im still detached he said if i detach more he will have to remove the oil sooner and put more in. This was really tough for me i missed alot of school because of it and im not use to being partly blind. No i was born with a thin lining in the back of my eye they told me since i was little that it may detach.
Has anyone ever heard of this? I had laser surgery last week on my left eye called YAG Laser Surgery to remove the film build up on my new lens placed in my eye after cataract surgery. I went to my eye surgeon as a follow up appointment today. After a thorough examination and based also on what I told him, the doctor told me that there is a lot of inflammation in my eye. He told me that I have arthritis in my eye! He gave me Prednisone (an anti-inflammatory drug) to put in my eye 4 times a day. I am scheduled to go back to my eye surgeon on the 8th of November. Has anyone ever had this problem before or has heard of it? How common is it to have arthritis in an eye? What kind of arthritis can get into an eye? I was completely speechless when he told me about this! I tried to look it up, but to no avail. Can anyone help me? Serious answers only please. Thank you. The doctor gave me drops to put in my eye 4 times a day and yes they are Prednisone drops. Prednisone is a steroid but it can be used as a anti-inflammatory agent too. And yes the doctor told me I do indeed have arthritis in my eye. I just found out from the doctor's office 5 minutes ago that I have rheumatoid arthritis in my left eye.
Do you belong to the "new Church of Global Warming"? "Aliens Cause Global Warming" A lecture by Michael Crichton California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA January 17, 2003 My topic today sounds humorous but unfortunately I am serious. I am going to argue that extraterrestrials lie behind global warming. Or to speak more precisely, I will argue that a belief in extraterrestrials has paved the way, in a progression of steps, to a belief in global warming. Charting this progression of belief will be my task today. Let me say at once that I have no desire to discourage anyone from believing in either extraterrestrials or global warming. That would be quite impossible to do. Rather, I want to discuss the history of several widely-publicized beliefs and to point to what I consider an emerging crisis in the whole enterprise of science-namely the increasingly uneasy relationship between hard science and public policy. I have a special interest in this because of my own upbringing. I was born in the midst of World War II, and passed my formative years at the height of the Cold War. In school drills, I dutifully crawled under my desk in preparation for a nuclear attack. It was a time of widespread fear and uncertainty, but even as a child I believed that science represented the best and greatest hope for mankind. Even to a child, the contrast was clear between the world of politics-a world of hate and danger, of irrational beliefs and fears, of mass manipulation and disgraceful blots on human history. In contrast, science held different values-international in scope, forging friendships and working relationships across national boundaries and political systems, encouraging a dispassionate habit of thought, and ultimately leading to fresh knowledge and technology that would benefit all mankind. The world might not be avery good place, but science would make it better. And it did. In my lifetime, science has largely fulfilled its promise. Science has been the great intellectual adventure of our age, and a great hope for our troubled and restless world. But I did not expect science merely to extend lifespan, feed the hungry, cure disease, and shrink the world with jets and cell phones. I also expected science to banish the evils of human thought---prejudice and superstition, irrational beliefs and false fears. I expected science to be, in Carl Sagan's memorable phrase, "a candle in a demon haunted world." And here, I am not so pleased with the impact of science. Rather than serving as a cleansing force, science has in some instances been seduced by the more ancient lures of politics and publicity. Some of the demons that haunt our world in recent years are invented by scientists. The world has not benefited from permitting these demons to escape free. But let's look at how it came to pass. Cast your minds back to 1960. John F. Kennedy is president, commercial jet airplanes are just appearing, the biggest university mainframes have 12K of memory. And in Green Bank, West Virginia at the new National Radio Astronomy Observatory, a young astrophysicist named Frank Drake runs a two week project called Ozma, to search for extraterrestrial signals. A signal is received, to great excitement. It turns out to be false, but the excitement remains. In 1960, Drake organizes the first SETI conference, and came up with the now-famous Drake equation: N=N*fp ne fl fi fc fL Where N is the number of stars in the Milky Way galaxy; fp is the fraction with planets; ne is the number of planets per star capable of supporting life; fl is the fraction of planets where life evolves; fi is the fraction where intelligent life evolves; and fc is the fraction that communicates; and fL is the fraction of the planet's life during which the communicating civilizations live. This serious-looking equation gave SETI an serious footing as a legitimate intellectual inquiry. The problem, of course, is that none of the terms can be known, and most cannot even be estimated. The only way to work the equation is to fill in with guesses. And guesses-just so we're clear-are merely expressions of prejudice. Nor can there be "informed guesses." If you need to state how many planets with life choose to communicate, there is simply no way to make an informed guess. It's simply prejudice. As a result, the Drake equation can have any value from "billions and billions" to zero. An expression that can mean anything means nothing. Speaking precisely, the Drake equation is literally meaningless, and has nothing to do with science. I take the hard view that science involves the creation of testable hypotheses. The Drake equation cannot be tested and therefore SETI is not science. SETI is unquestionably a religion. Faith is defined as the firm belief in something for which there is no proof. The belief that the Koran is the word of God is a matter of faith. The belief that God created the universe in seven days is a matter of faith. The belief that there are other life forms in the universe is a matter of faith. There is not a single shred of evidence for any other life forms, and in forty years of searching, none has been discovered. There is absolutely no evidentiary reason to maintain this belief. SETI is a religion. One way to chart the cooling of enthusiasm is to review popular works on the subject. In 1964, at the height of SETI enthusiasm, Walter Sullivan of the NY Times wrote an exciting book about life in the universe entitled WE ARE NOT ALONE. By 1995, when Paul Davis wrote a book on the same subject, he titled it ARE WE ALONE? ( Since 1981, there have in fact been four books titled ARE WE ALONE.) More recently we have seen the rise of the so-called "Rare Earth" theory which suggests that we may, in fact, be all alone. Again, there is no evidence either way. Back in the sixties, SETI had its critics, although not among astrophysicists and astronomers. The biologists and paleontologists were harshest. George Gaylord Simpson of Harvard sneered that SETI was a "study without a subject," and it remains so to the present day. But scientists in general have been indulgent toward SETI, viewing it either with bemused tolerance, or with indifference. After all, what's the big deal? It's kind of fun. If people want to look, let them. Only a curmudgeon would speak harshly of SETI. It wasn't worth the bother. And of course it is true that untestable theories may have heuristic value. Of course extraterrestrials are a good way to teach science to kids. But that does not relieve us of the obligation to see the Drake equation clearly for what it is-pure speculation in quasi-scientific trappings. The fact that the Drake equation was not greeted with screams of outrage-similar to the screams of outrage that greet each Creationist new claim, for example-meant that now there was a crack in the door, a loosening of the definition of what constituted legitimate scientific procedure. And soon enough, pernicious garbage began to squeeze through the cracks. Now let's jump ahead a decade to the 1970s, and Nuclear Winter. In 1975, the National Academy of Sciences reported on "Long-Term Worldwide Effects of Multiple Nuclear Weapons Detonations" but the report estimated the effect of dust from nuclear blasts to be relatively minor. In 1979, the Office of Technology Assessment issued a report on "The Effects of Nuclear War" and stated that nuclear war could perhaps produce irreversible adverse consequences on the environment. However, because the scientific processes involved were poorly understood, the report stated it was not possible to estimate the probable magnitude of such damage. Three years later, in 1982, the Swedish Academy of Sciences commissioned a report entitled "The Atmosphere after a Nuclear War: Twilight at Noon," which attempted to quantify the effect of smoke from burning forests and cities. The authors speculated that there would be so much smoke that a large cloud over the northern hemisphere would reduce incoming sunlight below the level required for photosynthesis, and that this would last for weeks or even longer. The following year, five scientists including Richard Turco and Carl Sagan published a paper in Science called "Nuclear Winter: Global Consequences of Multiple Nuclear Explosions." This was the so-called TTAPS report, which attempted to quantify more rigorously the atmospheric effects, with the added credibility to be gained from an actual computer model of climate. At the heart of the TTAPS undertaking was another equation, never specifically expressed, but one that could be paraphrased as follows: Ds = Wn Ws Wh Tf Tb Pt Pr Pe? etc (The amount of tropospheric dust=# warheads x size warheads x warhead detonation height x flammability of targets x Target burn duration x Particles entering the Troposphere x Particle reflectivity x Particle endurance?and so on.) The similarity to the Drake equation is striking. As with the Drake equation, none of the variables can be determined. None at all. The TTAPS study addressed this problem in part by mapping out different wartime scenarios and assigning numbers to some of the variables, but even so, the remaining variables were-and are-simply unknowable. Nobody knows how much smoke will be generated when cities burn, creating particles of what kind, and for how long. No one knows the effect of local weather conditions on the amount of particles that will be injected into the troposphere. No one knows how long the particles will remain in the troposphere. And so on. And remember, this is only four years after the OTA study concluded that the underlying scientific processes were so poorly known that no estimates could be reliably made. Nevertheless, the TTAPS study not only made those estimates, but concluded they were catastrophic. According to Sagan and his coworkers, even a limited 5,000 megaton nuclear exchange would cause a global temperature drop of more than 35 degrees Centigrade, and this change would last for three months. The greatest volcanic eruptions that we know of changed world temperatures somewhere between .5 and 2 degrees Centigrade. Ice ages changed global temperatures by 10 degrees. Here we have an estimated change three times greater than any ice age. One might expect it to be the subject of some dispute. But Sagan and his coworkers were prepared, for nuclear winter was from the outset the subject of a well-orchestrated media campaign. The first announcement of nuclear winter appeared in an article by Sagan in the Sunday supplement, Parade. The very next day, a highly-publicized, high-profile conference on the long-term consequences of nuclear war was held in Washington, chaired by Carl Sagan and Paul Ehrlich, the most famous and media-savvy scientists of their generation. Sagan appeared on the Johnny Carson show 40 times. Ehrlich was on 25 times. Following the conference, there were press conferences, meetings with congressmen, and so on. The formal papers in Science came months later. This is not the way science is done, it is the way products are sold. The real nature of the conference is indicated by these artists' renderings of the the effect of nuclear winter. I cannot help but quote the caption for figure 5: "Shown here is a tranquil scene in the north woods. A beaver has just completed its dam, two black bears forage for food, a swallow-tailed butterfly flutters in the foreground, a loon swims quietly by, and a kingfisher searches for a tasty fish." Hard science if ever there was. At the conference in Washington, during the question period, Ehrlich was reminded that after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, scientists were quoted as saying nothing would grow there for 75 years, but in fact melons were growing the next year. So, he was asked, how accurate were these findings now? Ehrlich answered by saying "I think they are extremely robust. Scientists may have made statements like that, although I cannot imagine what their basis would have been, even with the state of science at that time, but scientists are always making absurd statements, individually, in various places. What we are doing here, however, is presenting a consensus of a very large group of scientists?" I want to pause here and talk about this notion of consensus, and the rise of what has been called consensus science. I regard consensus science as an extremely pernicious development that ought to be stopped cold in its tracks. Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled. Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you're being had. Let's be clear: the work of science has nothing whatever to do with consensus. Consensus is the business of politics. Science, on the contrary, requires only one investigator who happens to be right, which means that he or she has results that are verifiable by reference to the real world. In science consensus is irrelevant. What is relevant is reproducible results. The greatest scientists in history are great precisely because they broke with the consensus. There is no such thing as consensus science. If it's consensus, it isn't science. If it's science, it isn't consensus. Period. In addition, let me remind you that the track record of the consensus is nothing to be proud of. Let's review a few cases. In past centuries, the greatest killer of women was fever following childbirth . One woman in six died of this fever. In 1795, Alexander Gordon of Aberdeen suggested that the fevers were infectious processes, and he was able to cure them. The consensus said no. In 1843, Oliver Wendell Holmes claimed puerperal fever was contagious, and presented compellng evidence. The consensus said no. In 1849, Semmelweiss demonstrated that sanitary techniques virtually eliminated puerperal fever in hospitals under his management. The consensus said he was a Jew, ignored him, and dismissed him from his post. There was in fact no agreement on puerperal fever until the start of the twentieth century. Thus the consensus took one hundred and twenty five years to arrive at the right conclusion despite the efforts of the prominent "skeptics" around the world, skeptics who were demeaned and ignored. And despite the constant ongoing deaths of women. There is no shortage of other examples. In the 1920s in America, tens of thousands of people, mostly poor, were dying of a disease called pellagra. The consensus of scientists said it was infectious, and what was necessary was to find the "pellagra germ." The US government asked a brilliant young investigator, Dr. Joseph Goldberger, to find the cause. Goldberger concluded that diet was the crucial factor. The consensus remained wedded to the germ theory. Goldberger demonstrated that he could induce the disease through diet. He demonstrated that the disease was not infectious by injecting the blood of a pellagra patient into himself, and his assistant. They and other volunteers swabbed their noses with swabs from pellagra patients, and swallowed capsules containing scabs from pellagra rashes in what were called "Goldberger's filth parties." Nobody contracted pellagra. The consensus continued to disagree with him. There was, in addition, a social factor-southern States disliked the idea of poor diet as the cause, because it meant that social reform was required. They continued to deny it until the 1920s. Result-despite a twentieth century epidemic, the consensus took years to see the light. Probably every schoolchild notices that South America and Africa seem to fit together rather snugly, and Alfred Wegener proposed, in 1912, that the continents had in fact drifted apart. The consensus sneered at continental drift for fifty years. The theory was most vigorously denied by the great names of geology-until 1961, when it began to seem as if the sea floors were spreading. The result: it took the consensus fifty years to acknowledge what any schoolchild sees. And shall we go on? The examples can be multiplied endlessly. Jenner and smallpox, Pasteur and germ theory. Saccharine, margarine, repressed memory, fiber and colon cancer, hormone replacement therap6y?the list of consensus errors goes on and on. Finally, I would remind you to notice where the claim of consensus is invoked. Consensus is invoked only in situations where the science is not solid enough. Nobody says the consensus of scientists agrees that E=mc2. Nobody says the consensus is that the sun is 93 million miles away. It would never occur to anyone to speak that way. But back to our main subject. What I have been suggesting to you is that nuclear winter was a meaningless formula, tricked out with bad science, for policy ends. It was political from the beginning, promoted in a well-orchestrated media campaign that had to be planned weeks or months in advance. Further evidence of the political nature of the whole project can be found in the response to criticism. Although Richard Feynman was characteristically blunt, saying, "I really don't think these guys know what they're talking about," other prominent scientists were noticeably reticent. Freeman Dyson was quoted as saying "It's an absolutely atrocious piece of science but?who wants to be accused of being in favor of nuclear war?" And Victor Weisskopf said, "The science is terrible but---perhaps the psychology is good." The nuclear winter team followed up the publication of such comments with letters to the editors denying that these statements were ever made, though the scientists since then have subsequently confirmed their views. At the time, there was a concerted desire on the part of lots of people to avoid nuclear war. If nuclear winter looked awful, why investigate too closely? Who wanted to disagree? Only people like Edward Teller, the "father of the H bomb." Teller said, "While it is generally recognized that details are still uncertain and deserve much more study, Dr. Sagan nevertheless has taken the position that the whole scenario is so robust that there can be little doubt about its main conclusions." Yet for most people, the fact that nuclear winter was a scenario riddled with uncertainties did not seem to be relevant. I say it is hugely relevant. Once you abandon strict adherence to what science tells us, once you start arranging the truth in a press conference, then anything is possible. In one context, maybe you will get some mobilization against nuclear war. But in another context, you get Lysenkoism. In another, you get Nazi euthanasia. The danger is always there, if you subvert science to political ends. That is why it is so important for the future of science that the line between what science can say with certainty, and what it cannot, be drawn clearly-and defended. What happened to Nuclear Winter? As the media glare faded, its robust scenario appeared less persuasive; John Maddox, editor of Nature, repeatedly criticized its claims; within a year, Stephen Schneider, one of the leading figures in the climate model, began to speak of "nuclear autumn." It just didn't have the same ring. A final media embarrassment came in 1991, when Carl Sagan predicted on Nightline that Kuwaiti oil fires would produce a nuclear winter effect, causing a "year without a summer," and endangering crops around the world. Sagan stressed this outcome was so likely that "it should affect the war plans." None of it happened. What, then, can we say were the lessons of Nuclear Winter? I believe the lesson was that with a catchy name, a strong policy position and an aggressive media campaign, nobody will dare to criticize the science, and in short order, a terminally weak thesis will be established as fact. After that, any criticism becomes beside the point. The war is already over without a shot being fired. That was the lesson, and we had a textbook application soon afterward, with second hand smoke. In 1993, the EPA announced that second-hand smoke was "responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year in nonsmoking adults," and that it " impairs the respiratory health of hundreds of thousands of people." In a 1994 pamphlet the EPA said that the eleven studies it based its decision on were not by themselves conclusive, and that they collectively assigned second-hand smoke a risk factor of 1.19. (For reference, a risk factor below 3.0 is too small for action by the EPA. or for publication in the New England Journal of Medicine, for example.) Furthermore, since there was no statistical association at the 95% confidence limits, the EPA lowered the limit to 90%. They then classified second hand smoke as a Group A Carcinogen. This was openly fraudulent science, but it formed the basis for bans on smoking in restaurants, offices, and airports. California banned public smoking in 1995. Soon, no claim was too extreme. By 1998, the Christian Science Monitor was saying that "Second-hand smoke is the nation's third-leading preventable cause of death." The American Cancer Society announced that 53,000 people died each year of second-hand smoke. The evidence for this claim is nonexistent. In 1998, a Federal judge held that the EPA had acted improperly, had "committed to a conclusion before research had begun", and had "disregarded information and made findings on selective information." The reaction of Carol Browner, head of the EPA was: "We stand by our science?.there's wide agreement. The American people certainly recognize that exposure to second hand smoke brings?a whole host of health problems." Again, note how the claim of consensus trumps science. In this case, it isn't even a consensus of scientists that Browner evokes! It's the consensus of the American people. Meanwhile, ever-larger studies failed to confirm any association. A large, seven-country WHO study in 1998 found no association. Nor have well-controlled subsequent studies, to my knowledge. Yet we now read, for example, that second hand smoke is a cause of breast cancer. At this point you can say pretty much anything you want about second-hand smoke. As with nuclear winter, bad science is used to promote what most people would consider good policy. I certainly think it is. I don't want people smoking around me. So who will speak out against banning second-hand smoke? Nobody, and if you do, you'll be branded a shill of RJ Reynolds. A big tobacco flunky. But the truth is that we now have a social policy supported by the grossest of superstitions. And we've given the EPA a bad lesson in how to behave in the future. We've told them that cheating is the way to succeed. As the twentieth century drew to a close, the connection between hard scientific fact and public policy became increasingly elastic. In part this was possible because of the complacency of the scientific profession; in part because of the lack of good science education among the public; in part, because of the rise of specialized advocacy groups which have been enormously effective in getting publicity and shaping policy; and in great part because of the decline of the media as an independent assessor of fact. The deterioration of the American media is dire loss for our country. When distinguished institutions like the New York Times can no longer differentiate between factual content and editorial opinion, but rather mix both freely on their front page, then who will hold anyone to a higher standard? And so, in this elastic anything-goes world where science-or non-science-is the hand maiden of questionable public policy, we arrive at last at global warming. It is not my purpose here to rehash the details of this most magnificent of the demons haunting the world. I would just remind you of the now-familiar pattern by which these things are established. Evidentiary uncertainties are glossed over in the unseemly rush for an overarching policy, and for grants to support the policy by delivering findings that are desired by the patron. Next, the isolation of those scientists who won't get with the program, and the characterization of those scientists as outsiders and "skeptics" in quotation marks-suspect individuals with suspect motives, industry flunkies, reactionaries, or simply anti-environmental nutcases. In short order, debate ends, even though prominent scientists are uncomfortable about how things are being done. When did "skeptic" become a dirty word in science? When did a skeptic require quotation marks around it? To an outsider, the most significant innovation in the global warming controversy is the overt reliance that is being placed on models. Back in the days of nuclear winter, computer models were invoked to add weight to a conclusion: "These results are derived with the help of a computer model." But now large-scale computer models are seen as generating data in themselves. No longer are models judged by how well they reproduce data from the real world-increasingly, models provide the data. As if they were themselves a reality. And indeed they are, when we are projecting forward. There can be no observational data about the year 2100. There are only model runs. This fascination with computer models is something I understand very well. Richard Feynmann called it a disease. I fear he is right. Because only if you spend a lot of time looking at a computer screen can you arrive at the complex point where the global warming debate now stands. Nobody believes a weather prediction twelve hours ahead. Now we're asked to believe a prediction that goes out 100 years into the future? And make financial investments based on that prediction? Has everybody lost their minds? Stepping back, I have to say the arrogance of the modelmakers is breathtaking. There have been, in every century, scientists who say they know it all. Since climate may be a chaotic system-no one is sure-these predictions are inherently doubtful, to be polite. But more to the point, even if the models get the science spot-on, they can never get the sociology. To predict anything about the world a hundred years from now is simply absurd. Look: If I was selling stock in a company that I told you would be profitable in 2100, would you buy it? Or would you think the idea was so crazy that it must be a scam? Let's think back to people in 1900 in, say, New York. If they worried about people in 2000, what would they worry about? Probably: Where would people get enough horses? And what would they do about all the horseshit? Horse pollution was bad in 1900, think how much worse it would be a century later, with so many more people riding horses? But of course, within a few years, nobody rode horses except for sport. And in 2000, France was getting 80% its power from an energy source that was unknown in 1900. Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Japan were getting more than 30% from this source, unknown in 1900. Remember, people in 1900 didn't know what an atom was. They didn't know its structure. They also didn't know what a radio was, or an airport, or a movie, or a television, or a computer, or a cell phone, or a jet, an antibiotic, a rocket, a satellite, an MRI, ICU, IUD, IBM, IRA, ERA, EEG, EPA, IRS, DOD, PCP, HTML, internet. interferon, instant replay, remote sensing, remote control, speed dialing, gene therapy, gene splicing, genes, spot welding, heat-seeking, bipolar, prozac, leotards, lap dancing, email, tape recorder, CDs, airbags, plastic explosive, plastic, robots, cars, liposuction, transduction, superconduction, dish antennas, step aerobics, smoothies, twelve-step, ultrasound, nylon, rayon, teflon, fiber optics, carpal tunnel, laser surgery, laparoscopy, corneal transplant, kidney transplant, AIDS? None of this would have meant anything to a person in the year 1900. They wouldn't know what you are talking about. Now. You tell me you can predict the world of 2100. Tell me it's even worth thinking about. Our models just carry the present into the future. They're bound to be wrong. Everybody who gives a moment's thought knows it. I remind you that in the lifetime of most scientists now living, we have already had an example of dire predictions set aside by new technology. I refer to the green revolution. In 1960, Paul Ehrlich said, "The battle to feed humanity is over. In the 1970s the world will undergo famines-hundreds of millions of people are going to starve to death." Ten years later, he predicted four billion people would die during the 1980s, including 65 million Americans. The mass starvation that was predicted never occurred, and it now seems it isn't ever going to happen. Nor is the population explosion going to reach the numbers predicted even ten years ago. In 1990, climate modelers anticipated a world population of 11 billion by 2100. Today, some people think the correct number will be 7 billion and falling. But nobody knows for sure. But it is impossible to ignore how closely the history of global warming fits on the previous template for nuclear winter. Just as the earliest studies of nuclear winter stated that the uncertainties were so great that probabilites could never be known, so, too the first pronouncements on global warming argued strong limits on what could be determined with certainty about climate change. The 1995 IPCC draft report said, "Any claims of positive detection of significant climate change are likely to remain controversial until uncertainties in the total natural variability of the climate system are reduced." It also said, "No study to date has positively attributed all or part of observed climate changes to anthropogenic causes." Those statements were removed, and in their place appeared: "The balance of evidence suggests a discernable human influence on climate." What is clear, however, is that on this issue, science and policy have become inextricably mixed to the point where it will be difficult, if not impossible, to separate them out. It is possible for an outside observer to ask serious questions about the conduct of investigations into global warming, such as whether we are taking appropriate steps to improve the quality of our observational data records, whether we are systematically obtaining the information that will clarify existing uncertainties, whether we have any organized disinterested mechanism to direct research in this contentious area. The answer to all these questions is no. We don't. In trying to think about how these questions can be resolved, it occurs to me that in the progression from SETI to nuclear winter to second hand smoke to global warming, we have one clear message, and that is that we can expect more and more problems of public policy dealing with technical issues in the future-problems of ever greater seriousness, where people care passionately on all sides. And at the moment we have no mechanism to get good answers. So I will propose one. Just as we have established a tradition of double-blinded research to determine drug efficacy, we must institute double-blinded research in other policy areas as well. Certainly the increased use of computer models, such as GCMs, cries out for the separation of those who make the models from those who verify them. The fact is that the present structure of science is entrepeneurial, with individual investigative teams vying for funding from organizations which all too often have a clear stake in the outcome of the research-or appear to, which may be just as bad. This is not healthy for science. Sooner or later, we must form an independent research institute in this country. It must be funded by industry, by government, and by private philanthropy, both individuals and trusts. The money must be pooled, so that investigators do not know who is paying them. The institute must fund more than one team to do research in a particular area, and the verification of results will be a foregone requirement: teams will know their results will be checked by other groups. In many cases, those who decide how to gather the data will not gather it, and those who gather the data will not analyze it. If we were to address the land temperature records with such rigor, we would be well on our way to an understanding of exactly how much faith we can place in global warming, and therefore what seriousness we must address this. I believe that as we come to the end of this litany, some of you may be saying, well what is the big deal, really. So we made a few mistakes. So a few scientists have overstated their cases and have egg on their faces. So what. Well, I'll tell you. In recent years, much has been said about the post modernist claims about science to the effect that science is just another form of raw power, tricked out in special claims for truth-seeking and objectivity that really have no basis in fact. Science, we are told, is no better than any other undertaking. These ideas anger many scientists, and they anger me. But recent events have made me wonder if they are correct. We can take as an example the scientific reception accorded a Danish statistician, Bjorn Lomborg, who wrote a book called The Skeptical Environmentalist. The scientific community responded in a way that can only be described as disgraceful. In professional literature, it was complained he had no standing because he was not an earth scientist. His publisher, Cambridge University Press, was attacked with cries that the editor should be fired, and that all right-thinking scientists should shun the press. The past president of the AAAS wondered aloud how Cambridge could have ever "published a book that so clearly could never have passed peer review." )But of course the manuscript did pass peer review by three earth scientists on both sides of the Atlantic, and all recommended publication.) But what are scientists doing attacking a press? Is this the new McCarthyism-coming from scientists? Worst of all was the behavior of the Scientific American, which seemed intent on proving the post-modernist point that it was all about power, not facts. The Scientific American attacked Lomborg for eleven pages, yet only came up with nine factual errors despite their assertion that the book was "rife with careless mistakes." It was a poor display featuring vicious ad hominem attacks, including comparing him to a Holocust denier. The issue was captioned: "Science defends itself against the Skeptical Environmentalist." Really. Science has to defend itself? Is this what we have come to? When Lomborg asked for space to rebut his critics, he was given only a page and a half. When he said it wasn't enough, he put the critics' essays on his web page and answered them in detail. Scientific American threatened copyright infringement and made him take the pages down. Further attacks since have made it clear what is going on. Lomborg is charged with heresy. That's why none of his critics needs to substantiate their attacks in any detail. That's why the facts don't matter. That's why they can attack him in the most vicious personal terms. He's a heretic. Of course, any scientist can be charged as Galileo was charged. I just never thought I'd see the Scientific American in the role of mother church. Is this what science has become? I hope not. But it is what it will become, unless there is a concerted effort by leading scientists to aggressively separate science from policy. The late Philip Handler, former president of the National Academy of Sciences, said that "Scientists best serve public policy by living within the ethics of science, not those of politics. If the scientific community will not unfrock the charlatans, the public will not discern the difference-science and the nation will suffer." Personally, I don't worry about the nation. But I do worry about science. Thank you very much.
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