Lasik personal stories after some time has passed
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I had Lasik a year ago (April 25). My vision has been a stable 20/20 and 20/18 since 3 months after surgery. I am extremely pleased with the result. I returned to diving 10 days post op with no problems. They like the contacts to come out 2-4 weeks prior to surgery. Also- please note that with Lasikthey typically operate on both eyes the same day (takes all of about 15 minutes to do both), PRK- which is a different, but similar procedure is the one where they operate on them seperately (typically about 4 weeks apart).
I'm not going to ask you how old you are but I will say this - you can see if it applies or not!justleesa:
It's a normal thing to develop longer sight as you get older. Some shortsighted young people eventually don't need glasses (my business partner was on example). I had 20/20 vision until I was about 42 years old. I eventually had to get glasses because I couldn't hold a book far enough away to read it. My eyesight changed longer and longer for about 4 or 5 years - then it stablized and for the last 6 years or so I haven't needed a precription change. The period of time eyesight changes for different people varies I believe - but around 4 to 5 years is not uncommon. The age of someone when these changes occur can also vary. It also doesn't happen to everyone - it does tend to run in the family though (mine was an exact replication of my Dad's - same ages - same affects).
If any of this scenario applies then wait.
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chantana:
I had lasik done April 2000. I dive over 500 dives per year. Never had a problem.
It is the best thing I have ever done for myself.
A woman nearby here had it done last year and they set the machine wrong. She is now pretty much blind. Had to quit teaching scuba & will be unable to renew her Captains' license.
She shopped for a cheap doctor. Mine was the most expensive one in Hawaii.
You get what you pay for.
I had lasik done in 02/04. My vision had been pretty bad ("There's an E?"). Before surgery I was wearing toric contact lenses due to the astigmatism. Toric's are a bit thicker, particularly on one end and allow the contact to stabilize in the eye correctly.
Since toric lenses are quite a bit thicker, and tend to deform the eye more. My doc had me go without the contacts for 8 weeks, and then we started doing the eyemaps to check for stability.
About 6 weeks and 3-4 eyemaps later, the stability was there, and I had the surgery. Next day I could see clearly. I was advised not to dive for 4-6 weeks. 3 months later, the vision is 20/15 in both eyes. I haven't noticed halo's or a loss of night vision either.
Very pleased.
Since toric lenses are quite a bit thicker, and tend to deform the eye more. My doc had me go without the contacts for 8 weeks, and then we started doing the eyemaps to check for stability.
About 6 weeks and 3-4 eyemaps later, the stability was there, and I had the surgery. Next day I could see clearly. I was advised not to dive for 4-6 weeks. 3 months later, the vision is 20/15 in both eyes. I haven't noticed halo's or a loss of night vision either.
Very pleased.
I'm waiting to see how the new "waveguide" lasik pans out before I take the plunge. The technique maps every stinking imperfection on your eyeball, allowing differential (as opposed to homogeneous) ablation.
Supposedly this'll improve on mother nature's natural errors and permit up to 20/8 vision. WOW.
Supposedly this'll improve on mother nature's natural errors and permit up to 20/8 vision. WOW.
aa777888
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I am 7 years post-op LASIK. An early adopter, to be sure.
My vision was and is stable. I was a very high myope, -10 in one eye and -11 in the other.
Results are pretty much what you would expect for that high a correction. Significant vision artifacts at night, and my best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) is not as good now as it was with contact lenses, but still superior to glasses.
I just recently had my semi-annual eye exam and still officially see at 20/20 in each eye, but it's a "slow" 20/20 because of some residual astigmatism.
I don't wear any glasses, and have only developed mild presbyopia, no more than would be expected at my age (40's).
At the time I was involved in a number of "adventure" sports (still am), but that's not why I had it done. I did it because it was becoming impossible for me to wear contact lenses. 13 years of lens wear was causing some strange auto-immune issues and lenses were wearing out in only a month due to excessive protein deposits. They should last for at least 6 months. Disposables were not an option because they provided me with poor BCVA.
I would strongly recommend that no one get it done for convenience sake, and definitely not for appearance sake. If you are well corrected in contact lenses, stick with those unless they are absolutely incompatible with your activities.
If you do decide to get LASIK, definitely and absolutely go with someone doing "wavefront" technology. Pretty much this either means an Alcon "Ladarvision" setup, or a VISX "Custom View". The doctor is more important than the machine, it doesn't really matter if it's an Alcon or VISX machine, as long as it's a "wavefront" machine.
If you are prone to excessive scarring be sure to tell the doc. This issue will affect eye healing.
Remember that they are only going to guarantee you "good enough to drive without glasses". This means 20/40. No touch-up's for 20/40 vision. Take my word for it, to someone used to 20/20, 20/40 will seem awful. You will want glasses! There are a lot of folks out there who are too proud to admit that is their situation. They need to rationalize that they got full value for their big buck LASIK dollar. Luckily, wavefront technology significantly reduces this risk. But be warned, you may not be 20/20 when it's all over, and that's the chance you take.
My vision was and is stable. I was a very high myope, -10 in one eye and -11 in the other.
Results are pretty much what you would expect for that high a correction. Significant vision artifacts at night, and my best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) is not as good now as it was with contact lenses, but still superior to glasses.
I just recently had my semi-annual eye exam and still officially see at 20/20 in each eye, but it's a "slow" 20/20 because of some residual astigmatism.
I don't wear any glasses, and have only developed mild presbyopia, no more than would be expected at my age (40's).
At the time I was involved in a number of "adventure" sports (still am), but that's not why I had it done. I did it because it was becoming impossible for me to wear contact lenses. 13 years of lens wear was causing some strange auto-immune issues and lenses were wearing out in only a month due to excessive protein deposits. They should last for at least 6 months. Disposables were not an option because they provided me with poor BCVA.
I would strongly recommend that no one get it done for convenience sake, and definitely not for appearance sake. If you are well corrected in contact lenses, stick with those unless they are absolutely incompatible with your activities.
If you do decide to get LASIK, definitely and absolutely go with someone doing "wavefront" technology. Pretty much this either means an Alcon "Ladarvision" setup, or a VISX "Custom View". The doctor is more important than the machine, it doesn't really matter if it's an Alcon or VISX machine, as long as it's a "wavefront" machine.
If you are prone to excessive scarring be sure to tell the doc. This issue will affect eye healing.
Remember that they are only going to guarantee you "good enough to drive without glasses". This means 20/40. No touch-up's for 20/40 vision. Take my word for it, to someone used to 20/20, 20/40 will seem awful. You will want glasses! There are a lot of folks out there who are too proud to admit that is their situation. They need to rationalize that they got full value for their big buck LASIK dollar. Luckily, wavefront technology significantly reduces this risk. But be warned, you may not be 20/20 when it's all over, and that's the chance you take.
Hi! Thanks to everyone for posting. Someone asked why I'm choosing Australia. I live in Thailand (can't figure out how to change the damn profile) and while the surgeons here are very advanced and have newer models of equipment, I feel more comfortable going to Australia because I want wavefront, which, at with my eyesight can only be accomplished with the Wavelight Allegretto, which they do not have here. Besides, I love the reef! I've been to Australia twice before and from everything I've read, Canada and Australia are at least par with the US, if not ahead, on Lasik. Shockingly to many Americans, medical care in many parts of the world is very good while still affordable to someone from overseas. India and Thailand are both racing to be medical centres of the world. If you ever want anything done to your teeth, I highly recommend coming to Thailand for it, what you spend on airfare and hotel plus your teeth will still be less than the dentist back home and they are much more conscious about your feelings and pain.
Anyway, I have a limitless cash supply for the surgery so I could go anywhere in the world, but I'm very comfortable with two places in Aus, both using the newest wavelight lasers approved by the FDA and both surgeons with over 7000 procedures under their belts. My vision has been stable for 3 years now and contacts have been giving me slight problems for the past year. My eyes are basically starting to reject them. Ten years ago I could sleep with them in, then I went to taking them out, then I was in one-week disposables taking them out, now I am down to one-day disposables.
About the time limits for diving, I hear everything from one week to six months. DAN recommends four weeks. Of course, there is no way to know how my case will turn out anyway. So, I'll figure out what I'm going to do as my plans come together!
Thanks! C
Anyway, I have a limitless cash supply for the surgery so I could go anywhere in the world, but I'm very comfortable with two places in Aus, both using the newest wavelight lasers approved by the FDA and both surgeons with over 7000 procedures under their belts. My vision has been stable for 3 years now and contacts have been giving me slight problems for the past year. My eyes are basically starting to reject them. Ten years ago I could sleep with them in, then I went to taking them out, then I was in one-week disposables taking them out, now I am down to one-day disposables.
About the time limits for diving, I hear everything from one week to six months. DAN recommends four weeks. Of course, there is no way to know how my case will turn out anyway. So, I'll figure out what I'm going to do as my plans come together!
Thanks! C
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