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Ask HN: experiences with Lasik eye surgery (programmers especially)?

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Re: Ask HN: experiences with Lasik eye surgery (programmers especially)?

#21

Post by melling »

tmsh wrote: post #13

Had LASIK about five years ago. Mixed feelings. Still somewhat glad I did it, though I wear glasses with .5 prescription in both eyes to make sure vision is perfect and to filter polarize the light, etc. If you're a programmer or staring at a screen, I learned recently that you blink something like 1/5 as much as normal. This in turn causes eye dryness and potential irritation. So for a while I thought that LASIK had…

I'm now in my 40's and I no longer wear contacts because the long hours staring at a screen caused too much dryness.

Other than taking lots of breaks, what else can be done to reduce dryness?

Re: Ask HN: experiences with Lasik eye surgery (programmers especially)?

#22

Post by vosper »

I had blade-free Wavefront LASIK about 3 months ago. I had very bad vision (-7.5, -8.0) and it is now perfect. The procedure was quick and painless. The doctor said that I had large pupils and that this would make halos likely - he was right, but they are getting better rapidly and I very rarely notice them now.

It was expensive but worth every cent.

Re: Ask HN: experiences with Lasik eye surgery (programmers especially)?

#23

Post by dkarl »

melling wrote: post #21
tmsh wrote: post #13

Had LASIK about five years ago. Mixed feelings. Still somewhat glad I did it, though I wear glasses with .5 prescription in both eyes to make sure vision is perfect and to filter polarize the light, etc. If you're a programmer or staring at a screen, I learned recently that you blink something like 1/5 as much as normal. This in turn causes eye dryness and potential irritation. So for a while I thought that LASIK had…

I'm now in my 40's and I no longer wear contacts because the long hours staring at a screen caused too much dryness. Other than taking lots of breaks, what else can be done to reduce dryness?

I had the same problem when I started wearing contacts a few years ago. Drops helped but were obviously inconvenient. Eventually I got so worked up over the problem that I became extremely aware of even mild dryness and very bothered by it, and I started blinking more often. Problem solved and hasn't bothered me since.

So... perhaps this is dangerous advice... but you could try becoming hypersensitive and obsessed about dryness.

Re: Ask HN: experiences with Lasik eye surgery (programmers especially)?

#24

Post by tomkludy »

I had the waveform surgery 3 yrs ago and it was one of the best things I've ever done for myself. My vision was not terrible before (-1/-1.25 + astigmatism) but afterward I have 20/15 in one eye, 20/20 in the other. The biggest aspect of the correction was that prior to the surgery, I had very bad night vision - halos and glare - that made it very difficult for me to judge distance or speed of oncoming traffic. Afterward, my night vision is very good, and those problems are corrected completely!

The surgery was, I have to admit, a very frightening experience though it did not hurt. The recovery was very quick and easy, and I am happy to report that after one month I never experienced dry eyes again and have had literally no negative effects from the surgery.

I used to wear contacts until my doctor said my eyes were growing blood vessels they should not have to compensate for the contacts blocking the eye from being exposed to the air, and that those might eventually lead to serious problems. Then I talked to a family member who had Lasik (non-waveform) and they loved the result, though it caused night halos for them. So I did the research and decided on the waveform procedure and I am really glad I did. I would definitely recommend it, but spring for the waveform procedure.

Another thing to mention is that my doctor told me that Lasik does not change anything about age-related vision problems, because those are more due to the inability of the eye to change focus than a malformed cornea. He says you are just as likely to need reading glasses at age 50 after Lasik as you are without it. The only thing they can do for older patients is an alternate procedure where they change the focus of one eye to nearsighted, and the other to farsighted. Apparently your brain soon compensates for that and biases to one or the other eye so that you see both near and far things in focus.

Re: Ask HN: experiences with Lasik eye surgery (programmers especially)?

#25

Post by petercooper »

Ancillary question: are there any benefits to Lasik eye surgery other than not needing to wear glasses anymore?

I wanted Lasik years ago but decided to wait a decade or so until it was a foolproof process. But now my glasses have become a part of my personal "brand" and I don't want to give them up unless eye surgery perhaps goes "better than glasses"?

Re: Ask HN: experiences with Lasik eye surgery (programmers especially)?

#27

Post by ohyes »

melling wrote: post #21
tmsh wrote: post #13

Had LASIK about five years ago. Mixed feelings. Still somewhat glad I did it, though I wear glasses with .5 prescription in both eyes to make sure vision is perfect and to filter polarize the light, etc. If you're a programmer or staring at a screen, I learned recently that you blink something like 1/5 as much as normal. This in turn causes eye dryness and potential irritation. So for a while I thought that LASIK had…

I'm now in my 40's and I no longer wear contacts because the long hours staring at a screen caused too much dryness. Other than taking lots of breaks, what else can be done to reduce dryness?

I put a warm, damp washcloth over my eyes twice a day. It helps with the bags under my eyes as well.

(The reason it works is that the heat increases the viscosity of the tears).

Re: Ask HN: experiences with Lasik eye surgery (programmers especially)?

#28

Post by tocomment »

pingswept wrote: post #18

I worked on the redesign of a Lasik machine in 2005. As part of this work, I spent a few weeks just watching lasik operations in various locations around the US. I saw several events that made me very wary of the procedure-- specifically, a technician accidentally setting a microkeratome to the wrong size and thereby detaching the corneal flap. I also talked with several patients who were back for 3rd and 4th session…

Is PRK better?

Re: Ask HN: experiences with Lasik eye surgery (programmers especially)?

#29

Post by __david__ »

I am a programmer, I was near sighted, and I had the surgery done in 2003 or so. Beforehand I couldn't see the big E on the eye chart (I can't remember my old prescription but I think it was around + or -7, whatever nearsighted is). My eyesight had been that way since I was in third grade. After sitting up from the operating table I could see the patterns on the wallpaper which was an incredible sensation.

When my vision stabilized (a week or 2) one eye was testing at 20/15 and another at 20/25 or so. I got a touch up (the doctors are super paranoid and call it an adjustment) in that eye which brought it to 20/15 as well. It stayed that way for many years but in the past year my eyes have gotten a bit worse. I now wear glasses when driving at night but I still don't for normal life.

I would 100% do it again. Not being able to see sucks.

Re: Ask HN: experiences with Lasik eye surgery (programmers especially)?

#30

Post by stretchwithme »

No personal experience, except considering the surgery myself. My feeling is that they will eventually perfect this surgery and the long term results are unknown. I'd rather wait until they are much more precise.

Someone I know had this and now needs to wear reading glasses all the time just to use the computer, whereas before he did not. Of course, he's in his forties.

Your eyes are one of the most valuable things you have.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&#3...

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