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Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus

nytimes.com

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Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus

#161

Post by eitally »

stoolpigeon wrote: post #101
aschneid wrote: post #29

I 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 a…

I had mine done when I was in my late 20s. I'm now in my late 40s. I need reading glasses for any small print but otherwise I'm fine. The doctor who did my lasik told me it would happen in my 40s and he was right. I never had dry eye issues - just starbursts and halos at night. I have always been thrilled with the whole outcome. Though I think soon I may need to look at wearing glasses again - but the 20 years withou…

Ditto for me. I had it done in 2006 and have had 20/20 vision ever since. It took about a year before the halos became unnoticeable but I've never had any other issues. My wife, either. It was absolutely life changing for me and I'd do it again even if I had worse side effects.

Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus

#162

Post by michrassena »

toomanybeersies wrote: post #14
bluedino wrote: post #6

I had LASIK and PRK. Dry eyes? Check Can’t see shit in low light? Check Weird itchy feeling? Rare, but check It’s still a huge improvement over glasses or contacts. I probably ha e 5-10 years left before I need glasses again due to old age but I’ll enjoy it until then.

Maybe it's because I've been wearing glasses for literally as long as I can remember, but wearing glasses sounds much better than dry eyes and loss of night vision.

A few weeks ago I had an eye exam, and was starting to consider getting some kind of corrective eye surgery done, but this article gave me pause. What's really so bad about wearing glasses? I've worn either glasses or rigid contact lenses all of my adult life and most of my childhood so I'm used to it. I've adapted to whatever inconveniences and difficulties come from needing vision correction.

I know some people who've had the surgery, and who are happy with it, but it's not for me. I find disturbing the casualness that patients and medical practices have approached this kind of eye surgery. The rapidity of the procedure and the short recovery times, makes it easy to forget that this is major elective surgery on a vital organ. There's just too much that can go wrong. Glasses are a bit annoying, but that's the limit of it. I don't want to be reminded everyday how good I had it back when I wore glasses, as I put in eye drops every 15 minutes for the rest of my life, or have to have someone drive me around at night, or whatever else could go wrong. Medical procedures become more refined, safer and less invasive all the time. I'll wait until surgery is a necessity and enjoy the benefits of years of medical advancements between now and when that time comes.

Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus

#163

Post by sageabilly »

I had LASIK a little over a year ago and it turned out very well for me, due in part to having a great doctor and due in large part to all of the research that I did before having the surgery. However, one thing I emphasize to everyone considering it is that (despite the marketing) it should be considered a major elective surgery with a possibility of serious complications, and that anyone considering it should weigh the pros and cons and do their own research before deciding.

Articles such as the one here tend to gloss over patient adherence to post-surgery self-care, which is one thing I believe makes or breaks successful LASIK (in my personal experience and from what I have read). This means eye drops on schedule round the clock, antibiotic eye drops on schedule round the clock, eye protection at night for the first week, avoiding dusty conditions for however long the doctor prescribes, avoiding getting water in the eye for however long the doctor prescribes, etc etc.

I also believe that thanks to a rise in LASIK's popularity and marketing some people do not see it as being "Major surgery being performed on your eyeballs, which you need in order to see". It seems to be talked about more like Botox or Invisalign or any other "lifestyle" type of procedure when in reality it's much more serious than that. Anyone considering the surgery should research carefully beforehand, weigh the pros and cons of the surgery for themselves, and compare multiple doctors before deciding to go ahead with the procedure, same as for any major surgery.

Again, due to its popularity, there are good doctors and then there are patient mills, and from my research pre-LASIK I believe that negative outcomes are greater when someone goes to a "patient mill" vs a good doctor, possibly because the doctor does a better job, or possibly because post-surgery instructions are emphasised more at a good doctor than at a patient mill.

Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus

#164

Post by SpecialistEMT »

nwah1 wrote: post #158
macintux wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Worst case? Did you read the article? That’s absolutely not the worst case. —- Scott Petty, 36, a 3D artist from Houston who developed video games for a living, was diagnosed with corneal ectasia six months after having Lasik surgery. His sight has continued to deteriorate, even after he underwent a new procedure called corneal cross-linking to strengthen his cornea. He is in so much pain that he is “almost suicidal,…

That is awful, but so are car accidents, and most people still think automobiles are worth it. The question is the relative risks and the relative benefits. This procedure appears to have more benefits and less risks than most comparable procedures.

The obvious difference is you have to drive a car but you dont have to do Lasik - you can just wear glasses.

Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus

#165

Post by neofrommatrix »

thruaway wrote: post #119
neofrommatrix wrote: post #57

I had Lasik done in India to both my eyes in 2009. The total cost came out to Rs. 25000 (~500 USD) for both eyes. I went from a 20/600 to 20/20 in 15 minutes. Best decision of my life. I made sure to get the surgery done from a highly reputed ophthalmic surgeon who had performed 1000s of surgeries with success. As in every surgery, there are side effects. For me, there was temporary mild dryness that lasted a few mon…

Where in India did you undergo the surgery? Can you recommend any LASIK surgeons in Mumbai? I'm planning to get LASIK done and would appreciate your help.

Happy to recommend, but like everything on the Web, make sure to do your own research and check reviews etc. unfortunately, this isn’t in Mumbai.

http://mmjoshieyeinstitute.com

Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus

#166

Post by Sharlin »

enobrev wrote: post #58
gameshot911 wrote: post #40

I think this is a unique view, but I've come to appreciate nearsightedness. Partially because I like having the ability to soften the external world by removing my glasses (like wrapping myself in a warm fuzzy blanket), but even more so because it grants me the ability to see things near me in sharper focus than someone with 20/20 vision. I can put on contacts or glasses to see something at a distance just as clearly…

This is the _one_ thing I miss about getting my eyesight fixed. Within a month of getting laser surgery, it was so natural that I'd essentially forgotten the experience of glasses and contacts, as though I'd never experienced the previous 20 years with them. One of my very favorite things to do before then was sit in Central Park, or at the Diversey Rocks in Chicago, or anywhere with lots of color, remove my glasses,…

You can train your eye muscles to focus at whatever distance without needing something to fixate on. This allows you to blur your vision at will simply by focusing close.

Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus

#167

Post by pps43 »

amorphous wrote: post #143
gameshot911 wrote: post #40

I think this is a unique view, but I've come to appreciate nearsightedness. Partially because I like having the ability to soften the external world by removing my glasses (like wrapping myself in a warm fuzzy blanket), but even more so because it grants me the ability to see things near me in sharper focus than someone with 20/20 vision. I can put on contacts or glasses to see something at a distance just as clearly…

You are under 40 I assume? That's not gonna last forever

Nearsightedness does not go away after 40 (presbiopia does not cancel out myopia).

Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus

#168

Post by naravara »

otterpro wrote: post #146

We should also "focus" on preventable myopia, which is so common, especially in Asia (For example, in Korea, 96% of younger population suffered from myopia, which is insane). If I have kids, I will make sure to let them play outside in the sun daily, in order to get enough exposure to the bright sunlight. As for me, I didn't get a lot of exposure to sun when I was in my early teens, when I developed myopia. I should'…

I played tennis competitively as a teen. So that was about 1 to 2 hours a day, every day in the Florida sun. Still developed myopia by the end of high school though. . .

Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus

#169

Post by ativzzz »

greedo wrote: post #150
navs wrote: post #34

YMMV of course. But I got LASIK done just over a year ago. I'd worn glasses since I was a kid and don't remember a time without them. Things I love after having done LASIK: - Being in the rain - Boxing - Not fumbling for my glasses after a shower, waking up - Being able to just rub my eyes - Wearing 3D glasses Things I don't like after having done LASIK - night vision is really quite bad. Low lit streets, driveways c…

Boxing? As in punches thrown at your head? Can't imagine that's safe for someone who had LASIK since the chance of corneal flap damage would be quite high.

It's not safe, and the FDA actually warns people against participating in combat sports or other activities potentially involving eye trauma after the particular LASIK that opens your flaps because of what you said.

Though PRK, which does not open the flap, is fine, and is the procedure athletes typically go through.

Re: Lasik’s Risks Are Coming into Sharper Focus

#170

Post by shumsr »

0verAchiever wrote: post #125
jonknee wrote: post #97

No mention here of SMILE which seems to be gaining ground in much of the world, but pretty rare in the US. https://www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery/smile.htm Seems interesting, no flap like with LASIK and it may result in fewer cases of dry eyes. Has anyone here had it?

I have. I had the SMILE procedure done just under 2 months ago now so I can't speak on the long-term effects yet. The procedure was really quick (+- 5 minutes) and painless. I was told that it might feel like I have sand in my eyes for the rest of the day after the numbing eyedrops wore off but I only experienced very minor discomfort, not anywhere near as close as having sand in your eyes. The first hour after the s…

Similar story here. I had SMILE 1.5 months ago with great results so far. No noticeable change in night vision, although definitely noticeable dry eye.

SMILE is available in the US, but not if you have astigmatism. I had to go to Canada to get my surgery because of this. SMILE with astigmatism correction is undergoing FDA review currently, with approval expected sometime this year (according to the US optometrist I spoke to).

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