Dannyalcatraz said:
If the surgery goes wrong, it doesn't neccessarily mean you go back to wearing glasses, or your prescription is just not as good as you expect- it could mean trading in your glasses for a seeing-eye dog and a white cane.
That's actually impossible IMO unless you're already blind in one eye. Any such complete failure in a surgery will be immediately noticed and the bilateral surgery (obviously in this case) will not be continued. But, keep in mind that at least in the US you will have to agree to a bilateral treatment. If you wish, just space the surgeries apart.
Thus, at worst you would be blinded in one eye, not two. Unless, of course, you go to LASIK R US.
There are three main treatment modalities being performed in the world (you can look up the acronyms if you really give a flip):
1. LASIK - aka Flap n' Zap. Whether the flap is made from a microkeratome (the blade) or another (very expensive) laser doesn't make a whole lot of difference. This produces the fastest healing time but it makes your cornea significantly weaker and the flap never fully heals. It also preserves the Bowman's membrane, whatever that does (note: no one really and truly knows for sure, but the guess is that it's a 'germ' barrier of some sort). I have seen surgeries where a surgeon performed an enhancement two years later, peeling the flap back like a scab. I can upload video if anyone wants. (Okay, no, I won't. Too much trouble.)
2. PRK - The epithelium (and Bowman's layer) are removed. This is about 50 microns of tissue, but the epithelium grows back. The fact that it grows back and the loss of it in the first place is why this method is a lot more painful and takes longer to heal. But, the integrity loss is far less than LASIK. Also, because of the much greater healing that must occur, it is far less predictable. The removal of the epithelium can be done with alcohol or a wire brush or even the laser itself (this last one called transepithelial PRK). This is the method that is recommend by the US Armed Forces, btw, and the only one allowed for entrance into certain special forces. At least, it was a couple of years ago. I dunno if they changed that.
3. LASEK - very similar to PRK, but the epithelium is weakened, pushed back, surgery performed, and then reset into place. This is still kind of new and I don't recall the plusses and minuses off-hand.
Since I'm not an ophthalmologist, I cannot recommend one modality over another. I know world-class, excellent surgeons who perform each. I'll try not to get on a soapbox about specific technologies (e.g. wavefront is not what you think it is), but I'll point out that the surgery itself is (now) incredibly safe in the hands of even a semi-skilled surgeon. But, boy do I have some horror stories from the past (of course all with competitor's equipment). I would look at the surgeon's results. I would not go to a surgeon who's 20/20 value was less than 99%. I know surgeons who are obtaining 20/16 90% of the time, with 20/12.5 50% of the time. Of course, this is with our latest stuff, not available in the US.
Disclaimer: I write software (design the surgical algorithms) for one of the laser manufacturers.
I can't imagine how painful and unpleasant THAT would be.... Can't they just, like, hold the eyelids open with some non-sharp metal device that doesn't give the worst eyebrow-and-eyelash-removal experience of your life? I really, really don't want to experience that if I ever get LASIK..... *twitch* *twitch* 
