laser eye surgery?

[Rythmmaker]

I had Lasik in 2001 - I previously had extreme myopia that precluded the use of any contacts except hard, gas permeable lenses, which I wore for years until my eyes started rejecting them. They eventually (after 20-odd years) became an irritant that would cause my eyes to film over within minutes of placing them in my eyes.

10 years later, and now 49 years old, I have to say that it was the best money I have ever spent and changed my life for the better in so many ways. SCUBA is just one of many places where I enjoy freedom from the concern that corrective lenses required. Just knowing that I could replace my mask anytime if it was lost or broken, and knowing that if it comes off in the water, I don't need to be concerned about losing a contact lens. I was very nearly legally blind without corrective lenses, and now see very well.

Yes, in the last year I have had to break down and buy some reading glasses, but I chose my dive computer (in part) because it had an easy-to-read display.

In any surgical procedure there will always be risks, and no one can guarantee a perfect outcome, but that's life, right? when we step off the back of a boat with a SCUBA unit on our back, we accept a certain amount of risk.

The vast majority of people who have the various forms of surgery for vision correction have positive outcomes. You have to decide if the risk outweighs the potential reward. I am very, very happy about my decision, and only wish I had done it much sooner. I wish I had done it in my early 30's - for certain. But that's with the knowledge that I had a good outcome.

Best wishes!

 

[samuel B]

Hey Crush.
I had Lasik surgery -+ 7 years ago... everything went good; surfing, diving, all the time in the water ,untill last year my vision became very bad.
I went to several specialists in Belgium and they discovered that my cornea now is too thin due to the Lasik op. The eye pressure pushes on the cornea and disformes it, which results in a very bad distorted vision , something like extreme Astigmatisms... my vision let's say is on the worst eye 1/10.
3 months ago I found a specialist in contact lenses ... after 1 month testing different BIG hard contact lenses i found the right settings i have now 9/10 on my vision

I think for your -2, that is nothing, don't take the risk , but thats my opinium. I had -3 i wish i still had it
find a HONEST doctor to talk about the risks and do for sure a orb-scan before you decide (measuring thickness cornea)

Otherwise for correcting sight and astigmatisms you can try big hard contact lenses it is worth the try! if not good you can stop wearing it .... a surgery not .

Good luck and have a nice dive

 

[Jax]

.... with a prescription of -2 diopters in each eye.

My $.02 - you're nucking futs.

I was a -8.0 & -8.25. That's a visual cripple without correction.

Yes, I had lasik, but also had an issue. It's okay now, but to take such a risk with your precious eyesight for a mere -2 that will do you well as presbyopia sets in . . .

 

[samuel B]

Hey Crush.
I had Lasik surgery -+ 7 years ago... everything went good; surfing, diving, all the time in the water ,untill last year my vision became very bad.
I went to several specialists in Belgium and they discovered that my cornea now is too thin due to the Lasik op. The eye pressure pushes on the cornea and disformes it, which results in a very bad distorted vision , something like extreme Astigmatisms... my vision let's say is on the worst eye 1/10.
3 months ago I found a specialist in contact lenses ... after 1 month testing different BIG hard contact lenses i found the right settings i have now 9/10 on my vision

I think for your -2, that is nothing, don't take the risk , but thats my opinium. I had -3 i wish i still had it
find a HONEST doctor to talk about the risks and do for sure a orb-scan before you decide (measuring thickness cornea)

Otherwise for correcting sight and astigmatisms you can try big hard contact lenses it is worth the try! if not good you can stop wearing it .... a surgery not .

Good luck and have a nice dive

 

[Crush]

My $.02 - you're nucking futs.

I was a -8.0 & -8.25. That's a visual cripple without correction.

Yes, I had lasik, but also had an issue. It's okay now, but to take such a risk with your precious eyesight for a mere -2 that will do you well as presbyopia sets in . . .

You are always so diplomatic, Jax.

I sat down and spoke with a buddy who had laser eye surgery done. Considering all the risks and benefits I have opted to stay in contacts.

Thanks, everyone, for the feedback.

 

[samuel B]

good choice

 

[idocsteve]

My $.02 - you're nucking futs.

I was a -8.0 & -8.25. That's a visual cripple without correction.

Yes, I had lasik, but also had an issue. It's okay now, but to take such a risk with your precious eyesight for a mere -2 that will do you well as presbyopia sets in . . .

^ This.

Most patients in the range of -2 diopters of myopia opt out of LASIK once they realize that after 40 their uncorrected myopia will allow them to read without glasses or contacts and conversely if they have LASIK what they're basically doing is swapping out the need for distance glasses for a pair of reading glasses that they'll need for anything within arms length for the second half of their lives, plus they're taking a risk, albeit small that is associated with any form of surgery (several examples of poor results have already been provided on this thread), and of course you've got the cost factor.

 

[Crush]

^ This.

Most patients in the range of -2 diopters of myopia opt out of LASIK once they realize that after 40 their uncorrected myopia will allow them to read without glasses or contacts and conversely if they have LASIK what they're basically doing is swapping out the need for distance glasses for a pair of reading glasses that they'll need for anything within arms length for the second half of their lives, plus they're taking a risk, albeit small that is associated with any form of surgery (several examples of poor results have already been provided on this thread), and of course you've got the cost factor.

Good point.

 

[idocsteve]

There's another consideration as well. -2 diopters of myopia is almost exactly what you need to read without glasses for the rest of your life or until you get cataract surgery, whichever comes first; assuming you don't experience much of a prescription change during that time. Average age for cataract surgery is about 68 but it's like a bell curve distribution, some need it at 55 others can be 80 and have barely any clouding of the intraocular lens at all.

Anyway, until such time as one of the above events takes place, another option is that you correct only one eye for distance and that would usually be your dominant eye. I always recommend a patient try it with a contact lens first before doing something permanent with surgery. This is known as monovision and it works well for many patients although there is some loss of binocularity and some complain of distance blur in low light conditions, but one solution there is a mild distance spectacle rx that corrects the reading eye, used only for driving, and movies and that sort of thing.

 

[Crush]

There's another consideration as well. -2 diopters of myopia is almost exactly what you need to read without glasses for the rest of your life or until you get cataract surgery, whichever comes first; assuming you don't experience much of a prescription change during that time.

I know that you should never trust medical advice on an internet forum (for all I know idocsteve might be, in reality, a welder called Sue). However, (and I never thought I would post this): idocsteve, that was very helpful and thanks for posting. I mean it. Anecdotally I have noticed that with my contact lenses in I can't read extremely fine print (e.g., on circuit boards) as well as I can with my uncorrected -2 diopter eyes.