Sobering views on Lasik eye surgery

I had Lasik done, and I am one of the ones that is having to have a tune-up. After the tune-up I will likely be 20/20 in one eye and 20/25 in the other. With glasses/contacts I was 20/15, and everything was very crisp and sharp.

My vision is no longer as crisp and sharp as it once was, and I also suffer from halo's around bright lights. I also use eye drops multiple times a day for chronic dry eye.

Would I have Lasik again, knowing what my results would be? ABSOLUTELY.

I would rather not have to mess with contacts/glasses and give up some of the sharpness I had from glasses than be blind without glasses. For me, it's all about being able to see the alarm clock when I wake up in the middle of the night. Plus, if I really wanted that sharpness back for certain activities (golf, driving), I could get prescription sun glasses.

I advise everyone with bad vision to get lasik, just know the facts.

reply

At the age of 45 I was diagnosed with Glacoma. I had laser surgery done inboth my eyes to relieve the pressure. One eye is fine, unfortunately that is my bad eye. In my good eye I also get halos at night from lights and glare during the day from the sun, snow, any bright lights so I always have to wear sunglasses. In addition, I still have to use expensive eye drops 3 times a day. After my bad experience I went to a new eye doctor. He told me that that the laser holes will close eventually and that I will have to have the surgery done again. I was also told from my new eye doctor that there was the option of having regular operative surgery which would have corrected the glacoma permanently and there would have been no need for drops. I wish I had more facts before having the laser surgery done. Next time I will have the regular operative surgery done.

reply

I've said for years I'd like Lasik. Then I started hearing the horror stories.

Also, for the last few years I've been wearing contact lenses that I can keep in 24 hours for up to 30 days. They work great for me - they're very comfortable, and I can see the alarm clock in the middle of the night. My eyes are healthy and fine, and so as long as these contacts work out for me, I plan on using them, and avoiding Lasik.

reply

Judy- I think it's great that you can wear contacts for 24 hours a day for 30 days. In your case, I would stick with contacts.

I was never able to wear contacts for more than 10 hours a day without something hurting - I either got a headache or my eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my head!

For those of you who don't like glasses and contacts, I still recommend lasik - just know that you may be trading in one set of annoyances for another.

reply

LASIK was the worst decision of my life. Since I had LASIK I have spent much of my spare time researching LASIK complications. The medical literature and FDA clinical trials report that chronic dry eyes and night vision impairment occur frequently after LASIK. The complication rate is actually quite high and varies depending on which study you read. Moreover, the LASIK flap only heals to 2% of the cornea's original tensile strength, and the biomechanical strength of the cornea is permanently reduced by about 50% after LASIK. LASIK patients face problems with glaucoma screening, future cataract surgery, and persistent decrease in corneal cells called keratocytes which are vital to the funtionality of the cornea. You can read more about LASIK risks and long-term complications on my website at http://www.lasikcomplications.com

reply