Why did you not get LASIK?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i got PRK 3 years ago.

very near sighted, really bad astigmatism

crazy surgery. on your eyes WHILE you are awake! painful recovery as advertised. but the doc was good, my recovery went smooth and it feels SO GOOD to not need contacts or glasses anymore!!!

Can you describe the painful recovery? I considered PRK and my doctor said I’d hate him for the first several days due to the pain. I ended up getting lenses implanted into my eyes instead.

[Anonymous]

Graves disease

[Anonymous]

Too afraid of adverse effects like dry eyes, seeing stars, botched procedure. Wherein glasses is safe and easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too afraid of adverse effects like dry eyes, seeing stars, botched procedure. Wherein glasses is safe and easy.

This but glasses give me a headache after a few hours. I wear contacts daily, find them comfortable and take them out at night. If it aint broke ...

[Anonymous]

Possibility of still needing glasses. Dry eye syndrome. Also - it's your eyes. If something goes wrong it would be unbelievably life altering.

[Anonymous]

I heard about a young newscaster Mom who got it and it caused such pain that she took her own life. A sad tragic story I wear glasses. Not worth a botched surgery.

[Anonymous]

I'm not an candidate because of an autoimmune disease, two astigmatisms, dry eyes and a super high Rx (13.50). Also heard too many horror stories. Who wants to mess with the only two eyes they've been given.

[Anonymous]

I love my glasses-- they suit my style and I get compliments on them all the time.

I also have pretty bad astigmatism in one eye, so I've never bothered looking into surgery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t mind the eyeglasses. In my early 20s side effects of aura vision at night were still quite common. So I didn’t do it at the time as it was important to be to be able to drive in the dark. Now 20 years later, I just don’t bother.

+1 Back 20-some years ago a friend of a friend took his own life after botched LASIK surgery. I know things have gotten much better now, but that really stuck with me. I'd like to not have to wear glasses because I scuba dive and do other things where needing prescription lenses is sort of a pain. But overall I'm used to glasses - and used to how I look in glasses - and just pretty squigged out by having a laser in my eye.

My dad got LASIK to treat cataracts and now has perfect vision, and said it was a really easy process, so I guess I do see some benefit! Maybe one day.

[Anonymous]

I am not a good candidate, I’m very nearsighted and have thin corneas. What makes me shutter is that a few eye docs in my 20s tried to push me into lasik. It was only later that I was told I am at a slight increased risk for detached retinas because of my thin corneas. But it’s a huge moneymaker so a lot of docs push it.

Contacts were always really easy for me until my 40s so I never saw the point of lasik anyway. I got contacts at age 12 and from day one I just popped them in when I woke up and popped them out before bed. They were always comfortable and never caused me any problems. I do have more dry eye issues now that I’m in my 40s so wear them less, but honestly I’m fine with glasses and I wear contacts for special occasions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because some people are risk adverse. When there is a 100% safe alternative it is perfectly rational to choose it over a riskier option that would carry additional benefits.

I myself had PRK instead of Lasik, which is very out of character for me, because I am extremely risk averse. But I got lucky and am very happy with the results. Yes, I’m 50, and I need glasses, but they are thin, light and cheap. Not at all like the pricey Coke bottle lenses I needed before.

Funnily enough, I feel like I look better with glasses than without, but I was so happy with the improved functionality I got from surgery that I didn’t regret it. So now I need glasses again I don’t mind at all!

I don’t get the Coke bottle glasses reference in the year 2023. My eyes are like -9 so very severe but they have done amazing things with lenses and you can get much thinner high resolution lenses. With insurance it’s not even insanely expensive… I tend to have more expensive glasses because I always choose designer frames, which is totally optional.

Yes, you can tell my glasses I guess are thicker than yours, but they are hardly Coke bottles? Just don’t get this reference in this day and age! When I was younger and cared about such things, I wore contacts every day anyway. It’s only now that I’m nearing 50 that I tend to rely on glasses a bit more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lasik not permanent, OP. You will eventually need glasses.

Lasik is only worth it if you have a sensory-aversion against glasses/contacts, or are an athlete or performer where glasses are not possible or socially acceptable.

I've had glasses since I was 4. I love picking out new glasses. Everyone in my family and my husband's family has glasses. My kids have glasses. My BIL got Lasik years ago, then a decade later, needed glasses.

This is entirely dependent on your prescription. I was at -8 with astigmatism. My glasses were heavy and expensive. I had refractive surgery six years ago at the age of 44. Yes, I would need to wear reading glasses now, of course I do. But they are light and cheap and comfortable. And most importantly, they are not necessary for my minimal functioning. I can go to the bathroom, go to a waterpark, etc. without worrying about being non-functional without glasses.

A mild prescription at an older age is probably not worth it, but for a high prescription, can be. I’m still thrilled at waking up and seeing the alarm clock, and not having to sleep with my glasses on the pillow next to my head.

[Anonymous]

Everyone I know who got Lasik either had to have it re-done or wound up in glasses anyway. Some of them were people who told me I was dumb not to do it and it lasted less than 10 years for them and now their eyes are worse than mine.

I guess I could have done it my early 30s -- I could have afforded it at that point. But I'm glad I didn't. My eye prescription hasn't changed in over a decade (I'm early 40s now), so I've only had two pairs of glasses in that time. My contacts are not pricy with insurance (like $100 a year). My eye appointments are fully covered by insurance and also screen me for things like glaucoma and cataracts. A few years ago I developed ocular migraines (I also have regular migraines) and it was really helpful to be able to see my eye doctor who I trust and helped me figure out what was going on.

So I think I've spent less money than I would have on Lasik. And I personally don't find glasses/contacts that onerous. Also I look cute in glasses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because some people are risk adverse. When there is a 100% safe alternative it is perfectly rational to choose it over a riskier option that would carry additional benefits.

I myself had PRK instead of Lasik, which is very out of character for me, because I am extremely risk averse. But I got lucky and am very happy with the results. Yes, I’m 50, and I need glasses, but they are thin, light and cheap. Not at all like the pricey Coke bottle lenses I needed before.

Funnily enough, I feel like I look better with glasses than without, but I was so happy with the improved functionality I got from surgery that I didn’t regret it. So now I need glasses again I don’t mind at all!

I don’t get the Coke bottle glasses reference in the year 2023. My eyes are like -9 so very severe but they have done amazing things with lenses and you can get much thinner high resolution lenses. With insurance it’s not even insanely expensive… I tend to have more expensive glasses because I always choose designer frames, which is totally optional.

Yes, you can tell my glasses I guess are thicker than yours, but they are hardly Coke bottles? Just don’t get this reference in this day and age! When I was younger and cared about such things, I wore contacts every day anyway. It’s only now that I’m nearing 50 that I tend to rely on glasses a bit more.

Yes, I'm only a -4.5 but my DH is a -9 and we both wear glasses and they aren't "coke bottles" at all. Glasses actually improve DH's looks because he has deep set eyes that have receded a bit with age and glasses counteract this -- he gets compliments on his glasses all the time.

The thinner lenses are usually like $30 more expensive than the thicker ones (which already are not as thick as they used to be). And since it's easier to find more affordable frames than it used to be, it's pretty easy to get a pair of glasses for less than $100.

[Anonymous]

because a friend of mine got it in her 20s and had severe, painful complications and multiple revision surgeries, and now still needs contacts anyway.