My pupils are very large. I held off on LASIK for a long time because it seemed like it wasn't well understood. Then I considered getting it about 10 years ago and there was ample evidence that large pupils were associated with negative results (halos, stars, night blindness, etc -- all the stuff mentioned in this article and elsewhere). I'm very glad I didn't get it. It still surprises me that they wouldn't simply increase the area of the operation, but perhaps there are technical reasons why this isn't possible.
Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus
21–30 of 239 posts
Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus
#22I had completely shit vision. I couldn't swim safely for long distances because of how bad it was. Got Lasik in Lithuania (same complication rate; 1/6th the price of Toronto) and it was completely, totally worth it. That beings said, my eyes are itchy sometimes. Just because there is a complication doesn't mean that the tradeoff wasn't worth it. I was under no illusions that I wasn't risking permanent damage, but the…
Did you try corrective goggles?
I don't mean that as a suggestion, I'm wondering what your experience with them might have been.
Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus
#23> Nearly half of all people who had healthy eyes before Lasik developed visual aberrations for the first time after the procedure, the trial found. Nearly one-third developed dry eyes, a complication that can cause serious discomfort, for the first time. If that's actually the case across the full population of Lasik patients that's insane.
Could be a misleading statistic. What if the discomfort goes away after a week in 95% of patients?
Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus
#24I had LASEK, it’s incredible. No side effects, and from what I can tell, LASEK has a much smaller risk profile vs LASIK as no flap is cut. My nyc surgeon is the best. If you’d like an intro, email me. A@175g.com
I had LASEK in one eye. It was so painful that it took years to do the other one - I picked PRK the second time. LASEK was easily the most pain I ever experienced. But it worked very well.
Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus
#25I feel like I’ve heard similar statistics before and they completely dissuaded me from ever desiring lasik. Minor eye issues would definitely cause me great stress - I developed a somewhat prominent vitreous floater three years ago and it still sometimes bothers me intensely.
Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus
#26I've worn glasses for almost forty years now, and I'll probably wear them for the rest of my life. I actually like having something between my eyes and flying objects, in spite of the annoyance of always having to clean my glasses (or having to wear bifocals for that matter). I never liked the idea of undergoing a very new surgical procedure on eyes that are otherwise healthy. Not to mention, I'm old enough now that…
Likewise, I'd have to carry safety glasses if I didn't wear regular glasses. And with bifocals, I never have to search for my reading glasses, because they're always on my nose.
Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus
#27Instead of LASIK I got Visian ICLs and am pretty happy with them. Going on 3 years now.
My eyes feel dry occasionally and for the first year or so I had night halos, but things have mostly settled down now.
I think most of the light distortions came from the iridotomy procedure rather than insertion of the lens itself.
Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus
#28I had LASIK two years ago, and it was the best money I have ever spent.
It was made clear that I will likely return to glasses as I age, but I’ll hopefully make it another 20 years.
Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus
#29I had Lasik done at a university teaching hospital by a surgeon who had done thousands of surgeries. This was in 2003. Every follow-up was by a resident and then the full surgeon. I had significant dry eyes and blepharitis (probably from the dry eyes) for about 12-18 months.
15 years later, I can still see 20/20 in one eye and 20/25-30 in the other. I still occasionally have dry eyes and blepharitis. I wear glasses at night while driving to feel comfortable and I do get halos at night. My left eye, when it is dry, I get slight double vision.
Ultimately, I'm OK with having had it done and don't really regret it. However, folks who ask me about it, I tell them if they can still wear contacts, not to have it done.
I could only wear rigid gas permeable contacts. Being a computer programmer who doesn't blink often looking at the computer (like everyone), I wore ulcers on my eye. So, could only wear glasses. I was legally blind without them, so I feel like I'm in a much better situation now, albeit with some downsides.
With how bad my eyesight was, I will definitely need reading glasses. I'm in my early 40s now, and am starting to show signs of it.
Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus
#30I had completely shit vision. I couldn't swim safely for long distances because of how bad it was. Got Lasik in Lithuania (same complication rate; 1/6th the price of Toronto) and it was completely, totally worth it. That beings said, my eyes are itchy sometimes. Just because there is a complication doesn't mean that the tradeoff wasn't worth it. I was under no illusions that I wasn't risking permanent damage, but the…
Did you try corrective goggles? I don't mean that as a suggestion, I'm wondering what your experience with them might have been.
I didn't, no. I don't really like how most goggles make my eyes feel.