Lasik eye surgery

[Kate in Arabia]

Just wondering what the range of opinion is here on having the surgery done.

 

Several of my friends have had this surgery, and I think only one had problems afterwards. I had asked my eye dr years ago (like, almost ten years) about having it done, and he actually advised *against* it, not because I wasn't a good candidate or anything, but because I was "getting older" (I was maybe 31-32) and eventually would need glasses anyway for reading.

 

Now at the time I took it at face value, but now I wonder because that sounds kinda lame in retrospect. Do you think he could have been saying that because he wanted me to keep coming to him for contacts/glasses? Or is it a genuine concern, and are there other concerns? This dr was not an older, "Old-school" type. rather he was my age.

 

I don't really have the money to have it done now, but I wonder when I see friends (around my age) have it done who are happy with it. Is it worth it?

 

FWIW, I have had corrective glasses/lenses since I was in highschool. I started wearing gas-perm contacts as a senior, and actually my vision has changed very little over all these years.

 

tia for any comments

 

Kate

[ChristyB in TN]

My husband had it done several years ago and it has been great. He felt like he had a little sand in his eyes for a day after, but that was the only discomfort. His vision has been close to perfect ever since. My mom, however, had this done last month and it did not go as well. She can't see much better at all and they are going to have to go in again and make some adjustments, I'm sure it will be fine, though.

[Elinor Everywhere]

Just wondering what the range of opinion is here on having the surgery done.

 

Kate

 

I had it done last April, and I was 43. I was near-sighted, and my eyes were .375 (both). The doctor said I'd probably need reading glasses right away, or at least soon. It's been 10 months, and no reading glasses needed. Even if I do need them (and I, like most other people, probably will eventually) it's still worth it. Now, for the first time in years, I wake up and can see the clock. I can swim with no worries, drive, go to movies--everything, with no glasses.

 

The surgery was amazingly pain-free, and I walked out with only a pair of sunglasses that they gave me. My dh drove me home, but the very next morning I drove myself back for a follow-up, and had no problems seeing well enough to drive.

 

I'd do it again, and I only wish I'd have done it sooner. Love it!

[Ottakee]

I am having it done in 3 weeks. Wish I would have done it sooner. My friends that had it done all say it was the BEST thing they have ever done and almost pain free.

 

I may need reading glasses in the future but being able to see when I get up in the middle of the night, in the pool, etc. will be so worth it.

[chai]

I had my LASIK surgery over 10 years ago, when it was still a relatively new procedure. It was one of the best things I've ever done. I don't know the numbers, but I couldn't see anything unless it was right in front of my face. I have had perfect vision for the last ten years, although I can tell that my eyes are starting to age and I expect that I will need to get reading glasses in the next few years. But needing reading glasses is far better than needing bi-focals. I might even see what procedure is available to me to fix that.

 

The procedure was completely painless and I could see better on the drive home. A week later, my eyesight was at 20-20.

 

My brother had LASIK as well. His results weren't quite as good as mine, but he doesn't need glasses anymore either. Your doctor should be able to give you statistics that will tell you the percentages of problems that occur.

 

I think the most important thing is to choose a doctor that you trust. Get recommendations from your friends and choose the one you feel most comfortable with.

[Closeacademy]

I didn't have it done because

 

1. I don't know that I could have held my head still for 2 minutes without fidgeting. I am a nervous type. They don't put you under for this.

 

2. I was afraid that my children who were very young at the time might touch my eyeball and that it would get infected and I could lose my sight. My dc have actually gotten me in the eye numerous times despite the fact that my glasses are in the way.

 

3. I would not have had only about 5 to 10 years without glasses before starting to have reading glasses and after watching my dh going from perfect eyesight to having to have reading glasses everywhere I can tell that it is more of a pain than just having bifocals.

 

Good luck--check it out well--make sure you get a top doctor who has a proven track record and knows what they are doing. :)

[Valerie in Chicago]

I'm blind as a bat and have always been interested in LASIK. Everyone that I know who has had it done has been thrilled with it. This includes my college roommate who had even worse eyesight than me! I also posted on the old boards about it and got rave reviews from those that replied. A friend of mine who also has blue eyes says that she HAS to wear sunglasses on sunny days, as her eyes seem more sensitive to bright sunlight. But other than that, she would never go back. I don't know if we can afford it, but I'm going for the consultation next week. Would love to hear how you progress through this process.....

[Laura Corin]

You might like to Google Lasik and night blindness. I believe it's a relatively rare outcome (maybe one in one hundred), but it can make it difficult to drive at night.

 

For what it's worth, a surgeon friend recommended some years ago not having Lasik done, just because we don't know what the effects will be as people age. I don't know if his advice would still be the same now.

 

Laura (happy with glasses)

[Michelle T]

I was at a -9.75 in each eye, pretty much blind as a bat! I got my first pair of glasses when I was seven years old.

 

Because of my extreme nearsightedness, the surgeon told me I wouldn't correct to 20/20. I have distortion in my retinas from the nearsightedness, and lasik doesn't do anything that can help that. But I did correct to 20/30 in one eye, 20/25 in the other. A huge difference!

 

Because of my retina issues, I still don't see as well as night, and usually wear driving glasses for night driving. I have continued to get more nearsighted, and now I'm around 20/40, so I do sometimes wear my distance vision glasses in supermarkets, driving, or at movies. It's not usual to continue getting more nearsighted at my age (43) and I was always told my vision would one day stop deteriorating, but in my case, that never happened.

 

Anyway, I'm still glad I had it done, and I don't need reading glasses yet! I did have very dry eyes for a couple months afterwards, but I have a problem with dry eyes anyway. The pain wasn't too bad, just stinging/burning for a few hours after the surgery.

Michelle T